North America · United States
Twelve days across the three best-loved Hawaiian islands: Waikiki and Pearl Harbor on Oahu, the Haleakalā volcano on Maui, Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast on Kauai.
Quick facts
Indicative price from
€3,299
per person
This itinerary is a starting point: we'll adapt it with you in your tailor-made proposal.
Request informationThree islands, three different paces. It starts on Oahu, with Honolulu, Waikiki beach and the landmarks of Hawaiian history: Pearl Harbor and Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States. Then Maui, with the scenic road to Hana through waterfalls and rainforest, and sunrise over the Haleakalā crater. Finally Kauai, the garden island, the greenest and least built-up of the three.
The trip balances excursions and beach days. From December to April, humpback whales come to breed off Maui. On Kauai, Waimea Canyon and the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast can be seen from above, from the sea or on foot.
The itinerary is a starting point: we can change the number of nights on each island, add the Big Island and its active volcanoes, or arrange a stopover on the way, for example on the US mainland.
12 days in the programme
Arrival at Honolulu airport, on the island of Oahu, and check-in at the hotel. Waikiki, the city's seaside district, is about 15 kilometres from the airport. In the late afternoon, a first walk along the waterfront: the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, the Olympic swimming champion who made surfing known around the world, and the outline of Diamond Head at the end of the beach. Hawaii is 11 hours behind Italy (12 during Italian summer time): it is best to stay awake until the evening.
A free day, devoted to the island's history. One idea: in the morning, Pearl Harbor, about half an hour from Waikiki. A shuttle boat takes you to the memorial built over the hull of the battleship USS Arizona, sunk in the Japanese attack of 7 December 1941. In the afternoon, in downtown Honolulu, Iolani Palace: built in 1882 for King Kalakaua, it had electric light before the White House. Queen Liliuokalani was held prisoner here after the fall of the monarchy. Visits booked separately.
A free day. One idea: early in the morning, the trail up the Diamond Head crater, just over a kilometre uphill to the lookout above Waikiki (non-residents need a reservation). Then, about an hour by road, the North Shore: the village of Haleiwa with its garlic shrimp trucks, the sea turtles resting on the sand at Laniakea, to be watched from a distance, and surf beaches such as Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach. From November to February the waves here can top 6 metres.
Inter-island flight, included in the trip, from Honolulu to Kahului, Maui's airport: about 40 minutes. Maui is called the Valley Isle after the plain that joins its two volcanoes, the West Maui Mountains and Haleakalā. A hire car is useful here; it is not included, and we add it to your proposal. After checking in at the hotel, the afternoon is free for a first beach. From the west coast, at sunset, the islands of Lanai and Molokai can be seen on the horizon.
A free day, ideal for driving the Road to Hana. The road runs along the north-east coast for about 80 kilometres, with more than 600 bends and dozens of one-lane bridges: without stops it takes about three hours. Along the way, Twin Falls, the Keanae peninsula with its black lava rocks, and the black sand beach of Waianapanapa State Park, where entry must be booked in advance. It is best to set off early and get back before dark.
A free day. One idea: leave in the middle of the night to drive up to the summit of Haleakalā, at 3,055 metres: from the coast it takes about two hours. Access at sunrise requires a reservation, which we take care of. At the top the temperature often drops close to freezing, so warm clothes are needed. The name means "house of the sun", and the crater, about 11 kilometres long, lights up with the first sun. From December to April, in the afternoon, a boat or kayak trip to see the humpback whales, optional and booked separately.
A free day by the sea. Kaanapali, on the west coast, has almost five kilometres of sand and the Black Rock headland, where you swim among tropical fish close to shore. Wailea, to the south, has quieter, more sheltered beaches. One idea: in the morning, when the sea is calmest, a boat trip to the Molokini crater, a half-submerged, crescent-shaped volcano a few kilometres off the coast. It is a marine reserve with very clear water. Optional excursion, booked separately.
Inter-island flight, included in the trip, to Lihue, on the island of Kauai. It is the oldest of the main islands, about five million years old, and the greenest: at its centre, Mount Waialeale is one of the wettest places on Earth. A hire car is useful here too. After checking in at the hotel, a first look at the east coast: the Wailua River, which can be paddled by kayak through the forest, Wailua Falls seen from the roadside lookout, and the town of Kapaa, with small shops and cafés.
A free day for the west side of the island. From the town of Waimea, where Captain Cook landed in 1778, a scenic road climbs along the rim of Waimea Canyon: about 16 kilometres long and about a kilometre deep, with red and green walls. At the top, in Kokee State Park, the Kalalau Lookout stands at about 1,200 metres above the valley of the same name and the Na Pali Coast. From Lihue it takes about two hours by car. Non-residents pay for entry and parking in the parks.
The Na Pali Coast is a stretch of about 25 kilometres on the north-west coast, with no roads, cliffs rising to more than 1,000 metres and narrow valleys covered in forest. It can be seen in three ways: by boat or catamaran, leaving from the south-west coast; by helicopter, with flights from Lihue; on foot, along the first section of the Kalalau Trail, about 3 kilometres to Hanakapiai Beach, with entry to Haena State Park to be booked. Optional excursions, booked separately: boat and helicopter trips depend on the sea and the weather.
A last free day on Kauai, on the north shore. Hanalei Bay is a curve of sand about 3 kilometres long, closed in by mountains, with the old pier in the middle. Just before the village, the Hanalei Valley lookout faces the flooded taro fields, still farmed the traditional way. Further on, Tunnels and Ke'e are the best beaches for snorkelling, but only in summer, when the sea is calm. On the way you can stop at the Kilauea lighthouse, on the headland where seabirds nest.
Inter-island flight, included in the trip, from Lihue to Honolulu (about 35 minutes), connecting with the international flight home, which is not included in the price. Depending on the schedule, a night in Honolulu or a stopover on the way can be added.
