Is 4 days on Big Island enough?

While the answer depends on your preferences and travel style, we recommend spending at least five to seven days on the island to experience its diverse attractions and activities fully. Ideally, as we noted above, you'd devote a week to 10 days to exploring the island.



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The Short Version of my 4-Day Big Island Itinerary
  1. Day 1 – Road trip around western/northern island.
  2. Day 2 – South Point for the Papakolea Green Sand Beach.
  3. Day 3 – Volcanoes National Park.
  4. Day 4 – Snorkeling in Captain Cook; daytime and nighttime manta ray snorkel.


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It takes a day or two at least to get used to that! I think your trip is too short and best be done when you have a few more days (based on jet lag alone!). On the other hand, 4 days is enough time to get a taste of the island. You can rent a car and drive around Oahu in one day.

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One Weekend on the Big Island Isn't Enough You can customize your 3-day Big Island itinerary based on what interests you. No matter what you're looking for, you'll find plenty of entertaining activities to create your own fun-filled, jam-packed adventure weekend on the Big Island!

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Whatever you reason, lots of travelers choose to spend just 5 days on the Big Island of Hawaii. Even though it's a much larger area (with slower driving) than you might expect, you'll cover a lot of ground with this Big Island itinerary for 5 days.

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Try and spend a minimum of five nights on any one Island and visit at least two Islands per trip. This timeframe allows travellers to explore multiple regions with ample time to engage in some of the many land, sea and air tours and activities available.

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A 4 day Maui itinerary will give you enough time to snorkel at the Molokini Crater or beach hop around the south and west coasts. If you can spend 5 days in Maui or more, you can add extra excursions like a day trip to Lanai or spend time relaxing on the beach.

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A 3-day itinerary for Oahu is the minimum time I would recommend unless you are just transiting through here on your way to another island. You could just as easily fill a whole week on Oahu if you're interested in doing more hikes, beach days or spending extended time at cultural sites and museums.

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The public (Hele-on) bus service is an alternative if you have plenty of time and want to avoid renting a car. The cheapest way to get around the Big Island after walking yourself is the public bus (Hele-on-Bus). This bus will get you to most places on the island, but transit times are long and connections infrequent.

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Kona offers better weather, the best beaches and snorkeling, newer resorts, more vacation rentals, and more nightlife compared to Hilo Town. Hilo is worth a visit but may not be worth staying for more than a night. Erica and I make Kailua-Kona our launching pad during our Big Island vacations.

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However, driving in Hawaii does come with its own set of challenges that you should be prepared for, including poor road conditions. While the more populated islands like O'ahu or the Big Island have decent roads, the more rural isles like Kaua'i have roads that are often unpaved and difficult to drive on.

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You should plan to spend around $250 per day on your vacation in Big Island of Hawaii, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, $106 on meals for one day and $38 on local transportation.

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But, that said, some months are still better when considering things like weather and your budget. The best times to visit the Big Island of Hawaii, taking into consideration the weather, how crowded, or not, the island is, and demand for accommodations are the month(s) of April, May, August, September, and October.

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I think this is a good minimum time for a trip, although 10-14 days is better if you want to visit multiple islands. Some visitors do visit Hawaii for 4-5 days, but it's a long way from the US mainland (or anywhere!) for a short trip, and you'll spend the first few days adjusting to the time zone change.

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If you're ready to trade the hustle and bustle for variety and adventure in your life, Maui probably sounds like the perfect escape. If you're looking for something quieter and family-friendly, with plenty of outdoor activities and natural beauty, Kauai is the ideal island paradise.

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Oahu: 4-6 Days. Mau'i: 5-7 Days. Kauai: 4-6 Days. Hawaii (Big Island): At least 5-7 Days, 7-10 is preferable.

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Restaurants, shops, beaches, activities and several major attractions (including the Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, Kapiolani Park and the U.S. Army Museum) are within walking distance of most hotels in Waikiki, so if you're not going anywhere else, you won't need a car.

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There are many other factors that affect the cost of living in Hawaii. But these three issues — high taxes, excessive land-use and zoning regulations, and the federal Jones Act — are some of the most important in explaining why Hawaii's cost of living is so high.

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The Big Island is definitely worth visiting! It has the most natural diversity of all the Hawaiian Islands, meaning that when you tour it, you'll never be bored with what's outside your car window. All this diversity gives you more than just pretty views!

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