Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park · NPS Photo · Public domain (US federal government)

Road Trip Guide:
Hawaii

Explore Hawaii

Hawaii has Interstate highways, including H-1, H-2 and H-3, that are not connected to the Interstates of the continental United States; a 1960 law removed the limit that confined the Interstate System to the “continental United States.”

Around 21 breweries sit near the stops we cover in Hawaii. 16 of them are brewpubs with a kitchen, which off the motorway is often the useful part. The kitchen figure is a floor: the source lists some full restaurants as production sites.

Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)

Around 1 public campgrounds sit near the stops we cover in Hawaii. All of them take reservations. Public campgrounds run by federal agencies. State-park and private campgrounds are not included.

Outdoors

Public land, water and snow — the places that are the reason for the drive.

National parks and federal sites in Hawaii

9 National Park Service sites in Hawaii, including 2 designated National Parks. We have written guides to only a few of these — the rest are here so you can see what is in the state.

*Check before you go. Entrance fees, seasonal road closures, timed-entry reservations and whether a site suits your family are set by each park and change through the year. Follow the link and check with the park itself.

Park register from the National Park Service (public domain)

State parks in Hawaii

21 state parks we know of in Hawaii. We have not visited these and have no guide to them — this is a list of what exists, so you can look one up.

See all 21

Ahupua'a O Kahana State Park
Akaka Falls State Park
Diamond Head State Monument
Haʻena State Park
Halekiʻi-Pihana Heiau State Monument
He‘eia State Park
Honolulu Stadium State Park
Iao Valley State Park
Kaumahina State Wayside Park
Kekaha Kai State Park
Koke'e State Park
Lava Tree State Monument
Makena State Park
Mauna Kea State Recreation Area
Nā Pali Coast State Park
Pala'au State Park
Polihale State Park
Sand Island State Recreational Area
Wai'anapanapa State Park
Wailua River State Park
Waimea Canyon State Park

*Check before you go. Opening hours, entry fees, campsite availability and whether a park suits your family are not in this data and change with the season. Several of these are day-use only. Please confirm with the park before setting out.

State park locations from Wikidata (CC0)

Long Bike Trails

1 in this state.

Ke Ala Hele Makalae
Length
8.5 miles
Surface
Paved
End to end
Lihue (Lydgate Park) HI – Kapaa HI
Oceanfront Kauai coastal path with cruiser rentals in Kapaa

This is a list of what is there, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening dates, lift schedules and trail conditions move every year and we hold none of them, so check before you build a day around it. Every name above links to the operator’s own site.

Days out with the family

Gated attractions with a front door, a ticket and a car park.

Zoos and Aquariums

5 across Hawaii, by town.

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & GardensHilo
Hours
Daily 10-4
Admission
Adult $13 (18 and older) · Child $5
Reservations
Not required
County-run. Last entry 3:30 p.m.; the zoo recommends arriving before 3:15 p.m. and allowing at least an hour. CLOSED the first Thursday of every month, plus Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The petting zoo opens Saturdays 1:30-2:30 p.m. only. 800 Stainback Highway, about five miles south of Hilo and 6.2 miles from the Port of Hilo cruise terminal. Fully ADA accessible. The gift shop sells drinks, snacks and ice cream. Phone (808) 959-7224. Note: hilozoo.org is the Friends of the Zoo site, not the county's own page.
Honolulu ZooAZA-accreditedHonolulu
Hours
daily 10–4
Season
year-round
Waikiki Aquarium — some details below are unconfirmedHonolulu
Hours
daily 9–4:30 (closes 5)
Season
year-round
Admission
Adult $12 · Child discounted rates (not shown)
Open during ongoing renovations
* We could not confirm: not on Wikipedia list; AZA from general knowledge (unverified). Check their site before you go.
Maui Ocean Center — some details below are unconfirmedWailuku (Maalaea)
Hours
daily 9–5
Season
year-round
Reservations
Not required
Advance purchase recommended
* We could not confirm: not on Wikipedia list; AZA from general knowledge (unverified). Check their site before you go.
Sea Life Park Hawaii — some details below are unconfirmedWaimanalo
Hours
Wed–Mon 10–4; closed Tuesdays
Season
year-round
Admission
Adult from $49.99 (day ticket; no age split shown)
Kamaaina (resident) discount; aviary open 11–1 only
* We could not confirm: not on Wikipedia list. Check their site before you go.

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. 1 of these carries an accreditation we confirmed against the accrediting body’s own register. Where there is no badge we did not confirm one — that is not a judgement on the place, and a good many municipal, state and university sites belong to no register we check. 3 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, prices and seasons change without notice, so check the operator’s own site — every name above links to it.

Water Parks

2 across Hawaii, by town.

Wet'n'Wild Hawaiiwater parkKapolei
official site live; hours on park-hours page
Sea Life Park HawaiiWaimanalo
marine-life park; open Wed-Mon

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Prices, hours and ride closures change without notice — every name above links to the park’s own site.

Wineries and Distilleries in Hawaii

3 producers in Hawaii that we have checked. These are the ones from our research we could check against their own site — not every producer there is. We have not been to these; this is what their own sites say, so you can look one up.

MauiWine
winery · Kula, HI · Ulupalakua Ranch (Maui) · founded 1974
Winery on the historic Ulupalakua Ranch; known for pineapple wine.
- HoursTue-Sun 11am-5pm
- Toursyes - walking tour Wed & Fri 11:15am
- Reservationsrecommended
- Foodyes - light fare
- Phone(808) 878-6058
14815 Piilani Hwy, Kula, HI 96790
Ko Hana Distillers
distillery · Kunia, HI
Makes agricole-style rum from heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane varieties.
- Toursyes - farm tours
- Phone(808) 649-0830
92-1770 Kunia Rd #227, Kunia, HI 96759
Volcano Winery
winery · Volcano, HI
Winery near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; also grows tea.
- HoursDaily 12-5pm
- Toursyes - vineyard, winemaker and tea tours (book 24h ahead)
- Reservationswalk-in
- Foodyes - charcuterie boards, coffee, tea
- Phone(808) 967-7772
- Childrenwine tastings 21+; children under 12 free on Ali'i vineyard tour
35 Pii Mauna Dr, Volcano, HI 96785

*Check before you go. Every producer here links to its own site, which is where we read these details on the date we checked. Opening hours, tour times, tasting fees and who may come in change without notice and belong to the producer. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something they lack. 1 of these says something about children, in their own words above. Where there is no Children line, we did not find a policy — that is not the same as children being welcome, and several tasting rooms are 21 and over.

Historic Sites and Attractions

1 in Hawaii, by town.

Waikīkī (beaches of Waikīkī, Honolulu)Public spaceHonolulu
Hours
Open shoreline; no beach hours stated. Lifeguard hours are in facts.
Admission
No fees stated on the pages read.
Season
Not stated.
Waikīkī's shoreline has lifeguards at the Duke's, Kūhiō, Queens and Kapiʻolani Park sections from 8 am to 6:30 pm daily; Kūhiō Beach has two swim basins, where state sand-restoration work was set to begin in fall 2026.
- Possible construction: Kūhiō Beach swim-basin restoration aimed to start fall 2026
- Lifeguard list page footer reads '© 2024'; hours may have changed
- No managing-agency visitor page; tourism-bureau pages not used
Run by State of Hawaii DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (shoreline restoration); park and lifeguard management not stated on pages read

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening times and prices here are quoted from each operator’s own page on the date we read it, and both change without notice. Where this list says an operator does not publish their hours or their price, that is what we found on their page — 1 of these publish no hours and 1 state no price. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”, so ring ahead where it matters. Every name above links to that page.

Venues and Annual Events

7 across Hawaii, by town.

Where to see something

Hawaii TheatretheaterHonolulu
Hours
Box office Tue-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 12-4pm
Tours
docent tours offered
Address
1130 Bethel St., Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone
(808) 528-0506 (box office)
Capacity
1,760 (at 1922 opening)
NRHP 1978
Maui Arts & Cultural CenterKahului
Hours
Box office hours not listed; gallery Tue-Sat 10am-4pm
Address
One Cameron Way, Kahului, HI 96732
Phone
808-242-7469 (box office)
Multi-venue arts campus

What is on, and when

Merrie Monarch Festivalcultural festivalHilo
Usually
Spring (week after Easter), over several days
Held at
Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium
Since
1964
Honolulu Marathonsports-motorsportHonolulu
Usually
December
Since
1973
Maui Fair — some details below are unconfirmedfairKahului
Usually
Late September–early October
Held at
War Memorial Complex
* We could not confirm: anything beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
Ironman World Championshipsports-motorsportKailua-Kona
Usually
October (fall), over several days
Held at
Kailua-Kona race course
Since
1978 (Kona since 1981)
Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair — some details below are unconfirmedfairLihue
Usually
August
Held at
Vidinha Stadium grounds
* We could not confirm: anything beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. 2 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.

What to wear in Hawaii

Illustrated outfit board for Hawaii: four seasonal panels of clothing with average temperatures.

Spring 83°/70°F (28°/21°C)

Spring is warm at low elevations, with showers varying by location.

Wear: Choose a breathable tee or aloha-style shirt with lightweight shorts, pants, or an easy dress. Carry a light rain shell and an evening layer.
Shoes: Walking sneakers or secure sandals for paved stops; grippy trail shoes for muddy paths.
Pack: light rain shell
sun hat
sunglasses
light evening layer
swimwear and cover-up if needed

Summer 88°/75°F (31°/24°C)

Summer is warm at low elevations; breezes and showers still call for a light layer.

Wear: Wear a breathable shirt or tee with shorts, airy pants, or a relaxed dress. Add a light layer for breezy evenings and indoor stops.
Shoes: Walking sneakers or secure sandals; trail shoes for uneven paths.
Pack: sun hat
sunglasses
light layer
packable rain shell
swimwear and cover-up if needed

Fall 86°/74°F (30°/23°C)

Fall stays warm near sea level, with wetter conditions possible toward winter.

Wear: Wear a breathable shirt or tee with shorts, airy pants, or a relaxed dress. Add a light layer for breezy evenings and indoor stops.
Shoes: Walking sneakers or secure sandals; trail shoes for uneven paths.
Pack: sun hat
sunglasses
light layer
packable rain shell
swimwear and cover-up if needed

Winter 81°/68°F (27°/20°C)

Winter stays warm at low elevations, with more wet-weather potential.

Wear: Choose a breathable tee or aloha-style shirt with lightweight shorts, pants, or an easy dress. Carry a light rain shell and an evening layer.
Shoes: Walking sneakers or secure sandals for paved stops; grippy trail shoes for muddy paths.
Pack: light rain shell
sun hat
sunglasses
light evening layer
swimwear and cover-up if needed

Adjust for your route. Windward areas are generally wetter. High summit visits are a separate cold-weather trip: bring warm insulation, long pants, gloves, and closed shoes as local guidance requires.

Climate background: NOAA State Climate Summary

See what to wear in every state →

Keep exploring

See It in the Book

Explore Hawaii

Locations in Hawaii

Hilo

Honolulu

Kahului (Maui)

Kailua-Kona

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

Pearl Harbor National Memorial

National parks and federal sites in Hawaii

State parks in Hawaii

Long Bike Trails

Ke Ala Hele Makalae

Zoos and Aquariums

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & GardensHilo

Honolulu ZooAZA-accreditedHonolulu

Waikiki Aquarium* — some details below are unconfirmedHonolulu

Maui Ocean Center* — some details below are unconfirmedWailuku (Maalaea)

Sea Life Park Hawaii* — some details below are unconfirmedWaimanalo

Water Parks

Wet'n'Wild Hawaiiwater parkKapolei

Sea Life Park HawaiiWaimanalo

Wineries and Distilleries in Hawaii

MauiWine

Ko Hana Distillers

Volcano Winery

Historic Sites and Attractions

Waikīkī (beaches of Waikīkī, Honolulu)Public spaceHonolulu

Venues and Annual Events

Where to see something

Hawaii TheatretheaterHonolulu

Maui Arts & Cultural CenterKahului

What is on, and when

Merrie Monarch Festivalcultural festivalHilo

Honolulu Marathonsports-motorsportHonolulu

Maui Fair* — some details below are unconfirmedfairKahului

Ironman World Championshipsports-motorsportKailua-Kona

Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair* — some details below are unconfirmedfairLihue

What to wear in Hawaii

Spring 83°/70°F (28°/21°C)

Summer 88°/75°F (31°/24°C)

Fall 86°/74°F (30°/23°C)

Winter 81°/68°F (27°/20°C)

Keep exploring

Waikiki Aquarium — some details below are unconfirmedHonolulu

Maui Ocean Center — some details below are unconfirmedWailuku (Maalaea)

Sea Life Park Hawaii — some details below are unconfirmedWaimanalo

Maui Fair — some details below are unconfirmedfairKahului

Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair — some details below are unconfirmedfairLihue