Himanshi

We are travelling for 2 weeks in April with our 2 kids (6 Years & 2 years old). Following is our draft itinerary. We will be flying in HNL and flying out from Maui. Need some feedback/advice on the below itinerary:

Sunday, April 20th: Fly from EWR@7:30 AM
HONOLULU- 3 NIGHTS
Day 1: Sunday, April 20th: Reach HNL at 2:30 PM; Check-in the Hotel; grocery; dinner and sleep

Day 2: Monday, April 21st
• Visit Waikiki Beach and Hanauma Bay
• Get ready and visit Polynesian Cultural Center - Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC): www.polynesia.com General Admission about $50 or the luau buffet package ($80). They also have an optional buffet (no entertainment) for $15. The evening 'Horizons' show is the best Polynesian show in all of Hawaii. It comes with all ticket price options. The higher priced ticket packages get the better seating for 'Horizons'. Also the earlier you get there, the better the seating is for 'Horizons'. The Ali'i Luau Show that is part of the luau package is also a good Polynesian show. IMAX, Canoe Pageant, Samoa and Tonga villages and Canoe ride are the best other attractions (these are included with any type ticket). Plan on this as an all day event. Get there by 1pm (earlier if possible), leave around 9:30pm. When I take visitors, I try to keep on this schedule: IMAX 1:30, Canoe Pageant 2:30, Samoa 3:00, Tonga 4:00, Canoe Ride around 4:30, regular buffet or Ali'i luau buffet 5pm and 'Horizons' at 7:30. The other villages are nice also, but there is not enough time for all of them. You will have time to do some shopping or looking around between the buffet or luau and 'Horizons'. Closed on Sundays. You can go back for free for two days. Check with PCC employees for instructions before leaving the Center if you want the extra days.
• Coupon in Entertainment Book to save $36.

Day 3: Tuesday, April 22nd
• Diamond Head crater in the morning - Diamond Head Summit: Drive right into the crater and hike to the top. ($5 per carload or $1 each if you walk into the crater). I prefer to drive in. Awesome 360 degree view from the summit. Best time is around 8am or around 4pm. In between it can get hot walking to the top. Takes about 1 - 1 1/2 hours roundtrip.
• Visit Pearl Harbor in later afternoon
• Arizona Memorial: (free) get there early, preferably by 8am. Opens at 7:30am. If you get there after 10am the lines can get long and you may spend 1-2 hours in line. Battleship USS Missouri and Submarine USS Bowfin are in the same area. These are about $15 each so you can go or skip them. Look for coupons in brochures for two for one. You can take pictures of them from Arizona Visitors Center and the Arizona tour ferry. Go on the lawn behind the Visitor's Center (Circle of Remembrance) for great pictures. You can also walk around the Bowfin Memorial area for free without taking the tour. Its worth the time. The Swap Meet is only a couple blocks from here at Aloha Stadium.

Day 4: Wednesday, April 23rd
• Check out; fly to KONA; check in; visit Historic Kailua Village (Kailua-Kona) and Keauhou (Heart of the Kona Coast)

BIG ISLAND- 5 NIGHTS
Day 5: Thursday, April 24th
• Black Sand Beach in Naalehu, HI. Beautiful black sand beach on the way from Kona to Volcano National Park. Sea turtles can often be found there
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Kilauea Iki hike is a must; Jaggar Museum. Beyond the park, take a trip to Punaluu Black Sand Beach in Kau to feel black sand between your toes.
• If possible- rent a hotel for just 1 night and then go back to the other HILO hotel the next day

Day 6: Friday, April 25th
• On way back stop at Mauna Kea – Kids cannot go up to the Observatory but we should go up to the visitor center at 9000 ft; join their free tour of the summit at 1 pm on Saturday or Sunday; take lots of snack and food- no place nearby. ( Roota/Aquino took both kids- Kian was 2 month old)
• Drive back to KONA

Day 7: Saturday, April 26th
• Waipio Valley – make a reservation with Waipio Valley shuttle
• Visit South Kona; Visit Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park; Tour a Kona coffee farm in south Kona; take a road trip to Ka Lae (South Point), the southernmost point in the United States.

Day 8: Sunday, April 27th
• Book Blue Hawaiian Helicopters for a tour
•

Day 9: Monday, April 28th
Check out; fly to MAUI; check in

MAUI- 4 NIGHTS
Day 10: Tuesday, April 29th
• Visit HALEAKALA- helicopter ride (Sunrise at Haleakala if possible – 3:00 Am tour)
Day 11: Wednesday, April 30th
• Drive to HANA (A few of the most popular areas to see on the Road to Hana are Twin Falls, the Garden of Eden, the Bamboo Forest, Wainapanapa State Park and Black Sand Beach, Hana Bay, and the Seven Sacred Pools.)
Day 12: Thursday,May 1st
• FEAST AT LELE LUAU or Old Lahaina Luau
Day 13: Friday, May 2nd
• Fly back from Maui at 8:45 PM

Day 14: Saturday, May 3rd
Reach EWR at 2:30 PM

taitai

Is the plan for the 2 year old to do all these activities?

Pearl Harbor can be a full day. Not sure I would wait until later afternoon to go. Also, get tickets ahead of time so you don't have to wait in a really long line for the Arizona.

The Big Island is huge and you have a LOT of driving planned. Are your kids good in the car for hours at a time? Looking at your itinerary I have a feeling you don't really appreciate the vast distances on the Big Island and the amount of driving.

I would ditch the Kailua Kona accommodations and find a condo up in Kohala. You will be closer to the better beaches and will be able to cook and have more room.

You have two black sand beaches on your VNP day. This really detracts from time in the park and black sand is just that…black sand. Really no need to see two. One is over-rated. The KI hike takes about 2 or 3 hours. The terrain can be uneven and the lava can be quite sharp. Will you have the 2 year old in a carrier? What about the Chain of Craters Road? Much more time in the car but there are some great sites and small hikes along the way. Many feel that 2 years is too young to visit VNP due to all the fumes. Check the park website for what they recommend and then make a call.

Double booking a hotel room in Volcano makes sense for this day so you can stay and see the crater glow from Jagger and not have to drive back at night (not advised).

The Mauna Kea is your call. Kids shouldn't go up due to all the side effects of the altitude. It really isn't on the way to anyplace. How are you planning to get there from Volcano? The North Route (in which case I would skip Mauna Kea and instead maybe do Akaka Falls and the Waipio Lookout)? Or the Saddle?

Saturday doesn't really make much sense. The drive from your hotel to Waipio will be about 1.5-2hrs. Spend some time there and then you are going to drive all the ways back and then some to Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park AND see a coffee farm? With little kids? Rethink this.

Helicopter tour of what? Maybe do this from Hilo when you are over there to see VNP?

You are missing some great activities. No beach time or snorkeling on this itinerary of the Big Island. I would definitely visit Kuana'oa, Hupuna, Wailea, Kukio Point or any of the other fabulous Kohala beaches. Little kids tend to like to play in the sand and run in the shore. VIsit the Mauna Lani and see the ancient fishponds.

Won't comment on Maui as I don't know that island as well.

Good luck planning.

taitai

FInal thought on your Mauna Kea day. The only rental cars allowed to go to the summit are from Harpers. So, you would need to rent a 4WD from them. Not sure where you would fit this into your itinerary. You void your contract on all other rental cars by bringing them to the summit. The tours won't take little kids so would they stay at the Visitor Center with one parent while the other goes to the Summit? Whoever is left at the Visitor Center with the kids is going to have 2-2.5 hours to kill. How will you keep them entertained?

ChiSue

taitai -- You are so gentle in your response.

This is a nightmare plan. I hope it isn't all 'set in stone'. It's too many islands for the time. It's too much time in airports. It's too many 'tours' per island. It's too, too much for any couple, even traveling without young children.

msteacher

When are you going to just relax on the beach? That is the most important thing to do in Hawaii.

Tomsd

It's an ambitious plan - mostly doable IMO - but so much depends on your kids.

I too like to see/do a lot - and taitai has given you some good "tailoring" suggestions.

Hawaii is so pretty and the whole atmosphere/weather is so great that some people don't have to just veg out on the beach - but can do many other things as well.

And as you may know - on Maui - the road to Hana has some 600 curves - so not sure if that it a good trip this time with the two young ones? That may be a good day for some beach time?

chepar

I don't understand how you are going to do both Diamond Head and the Arizona Memorial on the same morning (Day 3).

Your plan for that day - Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor and swap meet is already full without trying to squeeze in Diamond Head too.

FaceInTheCrowd

>

I agree, and with this itinerary, I think they'd be happier staying home with grandma. Seriously!

Shar

relax....way too much planned driving with kids. Glad I am not in the car. I go to Hawaii to see a few things, hike a bit, bike ride and swim. Do you like the beach? I am sure the kids would love a few days of doing nothing but then maybe not. As has been said, depends on your kids. I think people try to put too many things into a trip, thinking they will never come back. Once in Hawaii, you will want to come back. I was on a tour in Greece (1 of the rare times I take a tour) and so much was crammed into it, that I couldn't remember half of what I saw. was sitting at dinner with friends who were with me and I found a ticket stub from a museum and none of us could remember what we saw there! I suggest you take time to smell the plumeria...

nelsonian

We have a similar trip planned about a month later, in that we are also doing three islands in 14 days. However as far as what we do each day, is not planned at all, except one day we will do the Road to Hana, and maybe the sunset (not sunrise on Haleakala). Will also do Diamond Head at some point and drive to the northern end of Ohau but nothing is set in stone.

I agree there seems to be too much planned without any down time for your children.

wekewoody

And where where you planning on going to relax after you come back?

Sorry to sound harsh, but your trip sounds like a forced march.