Hawaii Honeymoon: Best Islands, Resorts, Real Costs and Getting Married

A Hawaiʻi marriage licence costs $65, needs no blood test and no residency, and is valid for 30 days from the moment the two of you collect it. That’s the easy part of a Hawaii honeymoon. The harder part is everything the glossy brochures skip: which island actually suits you, what a week costs once a resort fee and roughly 18.7% in lodging taxes land on the bill, and which famous resorts genuinely earn their rates.

The short version: Maui for most couples, the Big Island for volcanoes and stars, Oʻahu for food, culture and an easy start, Kauaʻi for the adventurous once its state parks reopen, and two islands if you have ten days or more. Prices, booking windows and rules were checked in September and October 2026.

Hawaii Honeymoon: Which Island Is the Most Romantic?

Maui is the classic for good reason. It has the widest choice of beachfront resorts, on the dry, sunny Wailea coast in the south and around Kāʻanapali and Kapalua in the west. It has the sunrise from Haleakalā’s 10,023-foot summit, the Road to Hāna, and, from mid-December to mid-May, more humpback whales than anywhere else in Hawaiʻi, gathered in the sheltered channels between Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. Two things to know before you book. Maui County bans the use, not just the sale, of non-mineral sunscreen. And Lahaina is still rebuilding after the 2023 fire: Front Street reopened to traffic on 1 August 2026, but the historic core is mostly empty lots and construction fencing. Eat at the favourites that have reopened outside the burn zone, such as Star Noodle and Mala Tavern, and leave the recovery areas to the people rebuilding them.

Hawaiʻi Island, the Big Island, is the honeymoon for couples who’d rather do things than lie by a pool. The Kohala Coast resorts sit on sunny, lava-framed beaches; from Kona you can snorkel with manta rays at night; Maunakea’s summit has some of the clearest skies on Earth; and Kīlauea, erupting in episodes since December 2024, is a long but unforgettable drive away. The trade-off is distance. The island is bigger than all the others combined, and you’ll spend real time in the car.

Kauaʻi is the most dramatic of the four: the Nāpali coast’s fluted cliffs, Hanalei Bay, the sunny south shore at Poʻipū. In a normal year it would be many couples’ first choice, but Hurricane Lowell hit it hardest in September 2026, and by mid-month every Kauaʻi state park, Waimea Canyon, Kōkeʻe and Hāʻena included, was closed until further notice. By DLNR’s 13 October update, Hāʻena was reopening on 15 October, but Kōkeʻe Road and most other Kauaʻi state parks, Waimea Canyon included, remained closed. If you’re booking for the coming months, check the Division of State Parks’ closure list first, and confirm any boat or helicopter tour is running before you pay a deposit.

Oʻahu is the underrated honeymoon island. It has the best restaurants in the state, Waikīkī’s grand old hotels, sunrise on the windward coast and a North Shore that’s lake-calm in summer, and it’s the one island where you don’t need a car. It works brilliantly as the first three nights of a two-island trip: land, shake off the flight among good food and culture, then fly on. Our guide to where to stay in Oʻahu compares every area.

Then there’s Lānaʻi, with two Four Seasons resorts and very little else, which is exactly the point. It’s the most private option in the islands, at prices to match.

With ten days or more, two islands beat one. The classic pairing is three nights on Oʻahu and a week on Maui; Maui and Kauaʻi is the scenery lover’s version. Interisland flights take 35–55 minutes and typically cost $70–120 each way, though peak Honolulu–Kahului fares have been running $150–300 in 2026, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays are consistently the cheapest days to fly. Our comparison of which Hawaiian island to visit goes into each island in depth.

When to Go on Your Honeymoon

September is the best month for most honeymoons, and late April to May is a close second. Both are warm, dry and quiet. September had the fewest visitors of 2025 (690,858 statewide, against 903,891 in March), and the average hotel rate fell to $315 a night, against $379 in February; late-spring rates typically run 20–40% below peak. The catch with September and October is hurricane season, which runs June to November and peaks in August and September. Direct hits are rare, but Hurricane Lowell’s near miss in 2026 closed parks across the state, so buy travel insurance and book refundable rates.

Winter brings the whales and the North Shore’s giant surf, but also the highest prices, the most rain (December is Honolulu’s wettest month, with 2.55 inches on average) and the biggest crowds, from mid-December to March. July and August are busy with families. A June wedding is good news: June is Honolulu’s driest month, at 0.57 inches, and comes before the summer rush. Month-by-month detail is in our guide to the best time to visit Hawaiʻi.

The Most Romantic Things to Do in Hawaiʻi

These are the fifteen experiences couples rate above everything else, island by island, with the booking details that make or break them. For the full Oʻahu list, see our guide to things to do in Oʻahu.

1. Sunrise from Haleakalā (Maui)

Watching the sun climb out of a sea of cloud from Haleakalā’s summit is the most romantic thing in the islands, and it takes planning. Any private vehicle entering the summit area between 3am and 7am needs a sunrise reservation from recreation.gov, released 8 weeks ahead in 10-day blocks. Each customer can book one every three days, and the photo ID at the gate must match the booking. It’s near freezing up there before dawn, so pack winter layers. Miss out on a reservation and go for sunset instead, when none is needed.

Cost: $1 reservation fee plus the park entrance fee (see nps.gov/hale) · Book: recreation.gov, 8 weeks ahead · Drive: about two hours from Wailea or Kāʻanapali, much of it switchbacks · Allow: half a day, and a nap afterwards

2. The Road to Hāna and Waiʻānapanapa (Maui)

The Hāna Highway’s waterfalls, bamboo forest and black-sand beach make a beautiful day if you treat it as a slow one. Start early, pull fully off the road to let residents pass, and never stop where signs say no parking or kapu, which means do not enter. The black-sand beach and sea arches at Waiʻānapanapa State Park need a reservation. Better still, book a night in Hāna and drive back the next morning, when the road is quieter and the light is softer.

Cost: Waiʻānapanapa $5 per non-resident plus $10 per vehicle · Book: up to 30 days ahead at gostateparks.hawaii.gov · Drive: leave before 7am · Allow: a full day, or an overnight

3. Snorkelling Molokini (Maui)

Molokini, a half-sunken crescent of a crater off Maui’s south coast, has some of the clearest water in the islands, and the early boats are the way to see it. PacWhale Eco-Adventures’ Molokini and Turtle Arches trip starts at $174.95, with breakfast and a barbecue lunch included. Take the first departure of the day, before the afternoon wind picks up. Snorkelling is involved in nearly 30% of visitor drownings in Hawaiʻi, so wear the flotation the crew offers, stay together and tell the crew if you feel unwell.

Cost: from $174.95 per person · Book: a week or more ahead in peak season · Drive: boats leave from Māʻalaea Harbor · Allow: 5 hours

4. Whale season from the water

From 15 December to 15 May, humpback whales gather in Hawaiian waters to breed and calve, and the channels around Maui are the most reliable place to see them. January to March is the peak, and 7am to 10am usually brings the best sightings. Any of the cruise operators on Maui will find them; on Oʻahu, the Star of Honolulu’s whale-watch cruise costs $78.81 for its 2027 season, from 2 January to 20 March. You can also spot them free from the shore, from the Makapuʻu and Hālona lookouts on Oʻahu or almost anywhere along Maui’s west and south coasts.

Cost: Star of Honolulu $78.81; shore watching free · Season: 15 Dec–15 May, peak Jan–Mar · Allow: 2–3 hours

5. The Nāpali coast by boat (Kauaʻi)

No road reaches the Nāpali coast, which is exactly why seeing it from the water feels like discovering it. Catamaran and raft trips from Port Allen and Hanalei run four to seven hours and cost $130–280 a person. The north-facing coast is calmer in summer, and the rafts get closer to the sea caves than the big boats can. After Hurricane Lowell, confirm your operator is sailing before you pay a deposit.

Cost: $130–280 per person · Book: ahead, then reconfirm · Drive: Port Allen on the south-west coast or Hanalei on the north · Allow: 4–7 hours

6. A doors-off helicopter flight

For a once-in-a-lifetime splurge, nothing beats the islands from the air. On Kauaʻi, flights of 50 to 90 minutes cost $280–450, and Jack Harter’s doors-off Hughes 500, which carries just four passengers, is $399 for about an hour; check that Kauaʻi operators are flying normally after Lowell. On Oʻahu, Blue Hawaiian flies from $399 for 50 minutes with the doors on, and Rainbow Helicopters’ doors-off flight is $490 for 45 minutes. Book a morning slot and keep a spare day in case the weather cancels it.

Cost: $280–490 per person · Book: a week or two ahead, with a weather day spare · Allow: 2 hours including check-in

7. Manta rays at night (Kona)

Off the Kona coast, boats shine lights into the water after dark, plankton gathers in the beams, and manta rays glide up to feed, somersaulting just below you. It’s one of the great wildlife encounters anywhere. You float at the surface holding a lit board while the mantas do the work, but you should still be comfortable in open water at night. Most trips cost $90–130 a person, with a few up to about $170. Look, don’t touch.

Cost: $90–170 per person, most $90–130 · Book: a few days ahead · Drive: boats leave from Keauhou Bay and Honokōhau Harbor · Allow: 3 hours

8. Stars from Maunakea (Hawaiʻi Island)

Maunakea’s summit, home to some of the world’s largest telescopes, has some of the darkest, clearest skies on the planet, and the mountain is sacred in Hawaiian tradition, so treat it that way. The Maunakea Visitor Information Station, at about 9,200 feet, is as high as most couples should drive themselves: above it you need four-wheel drive in low range, and anyone pregnant or in poor health shouldn’t go higher. A guided sunset-and-stars tour handles the driving, the altitude and the warm clothes.

Cost: free at the visitor station · Hours: daily 09:00–21:00 · Drive: 4WD required above the station; set off with at least half a tank of fuel · Allow: an evening

9. Kīlauea after dark (Hawaiʻi Island)

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park never closes, and its caldera-rim viewpoints at Uēkahuna, Kūpinaʻi Pali and Keanakākoʻi are busiest at sunset and almost empty after 10pm or in the hour or two before dawn. Kīlauea has been erupting in episodes since December 2024, with fountaining phases separated by pauses. When one is under way, the glow is extraordinary; when it isn’t, the stars are. Check the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory before you drive, stay out of closed areas, and know that vog, the volcanic haze, can be hard on anyone with asthma.

Cost: $30 per vehicle, valid 7 days · Hours: open 24 hours · Drive: about 45 minutes from Hilo · Allow: an evening, ideally staying nearby

10. A Waikīkī sunset sail (Oʻahu)

An hour and a half on a catamaran off Waikīkī as the sky turns orange and Diamond Head glows is the easiest romantic evening on Oʻahu. Holokai’s sunset sail costs $80 and leaves at 5pm from October to February and 5:30pm from March to September; the Maitai’s is $79. Both launch straight from the sand in front of the hotels, so there’s no transfer to arrange.

Cost: $79–80 per person · Hours: 17:00 Oct–Feb, 17:30 Mar–Sep · Book: a day or two ahead · Bus: on Waikīkī Beach · Allow: the early evening

11. Lanikai at sunrise, then a paddle to the Mokulua (Oʻahu)

On the windward coast the sun rises straight out of the sea behind the two Mokulua islets, and the Lanikai Pillbox trail, about 1.8 miles return, puts you above it all. Since 1 July 2026 parking has been banned along Mokulua and Aʻalapapa Drives, so park free at the Kailua Beach Park boat-ramp lot and walk 10–15 minutes. Afterwards, rent kayaks in Kailua and paddle to Moku Nui, the larger islet: landing needs a $3-per-person state permit and is allowed Monday to Saturday only, and Moku Iki is always off-limits. More windward walks are in our guide to the best hikes on Oʻahu.

Cost: free; single kayak $74 for a half day; Moku Nui permit $3 · Bus: 67 to Kailua · Allow: a morning

12. The Kāneʻohe sandbar (Oʻahu)

At low tide a sandbar in the middle of Kāneʻohe Bay rises to within a few inches of the surface, with the Koʻolau cliffs behind and nothing but turquoise water around you. You need a boat to get there; Captain Bruce’s sandbar tour costs $180 and runs Monday to Saturday. It’s the kind of place that makes the photos look fake.

Cost: $180 per person · Book: Monday–Saturday trips, ahead in busy weeks · Allow: half a day

13. A lūʻau worth the money (Oʻahu)

The Royal Hawaiian’s ʻAhaʻaina, on the ocean lawn of the “Pink Palace”, is the most refined lūʻau on Oʻahu, at $240–265 a head. Ka Moana Lūʻau at Aloha Tower runs from $129 for its Classic package to $199 for the Celebrity, and the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Aliʻi Lūʻau package, at $197.95, includes an afternoon in its villages. Expect the buffet to mix traditional Hawaiian dishes such as kālua pig and poi with local-style favourites, which are a different thing. Our guide to Oʻahu tours compares every lūʻau.

Cost: $129–265 per person · Book: a week or more ahead · Allow: 3–4 hours

14. Dinner at La Mer (Oʻahu)

La Mer at the Halekulani is Hawaiʻi’s only restaurant holding both AAA’s Five Diamond and Forbes’ Five-Star ratings, and its open-sided room above the ocean at sunset is about as romantic as dinner gets. For something less formal, Honolulu has the best food in the state: MW Restaurant won a Hale ʻAina gold award in 2025, and Ed Kenney’s Mud Hen Water in Kaimukī is a local favourite. Our guide to the best restaurants in Honolulu has dozens more.

Book: before you fly, and ask for a sunset table · Bus: in Waikīkī · Allow: 3 hours

15. Shangri La, Doris Duke’s house by the sea (Oʻahu)

On the ocean side of Diamond Head, the heiress Doris Duke built a house filled with Islamic art, tilework and gardens, with a terrace above its own little cove. It’s now a museum, and the small-group tours, which begin at the Honolulu Museum of Art, make one of Honolulu’s most memorable afternoons. Tours have cost $45, with tickets released on the first Thursday of each month at 10am Hawaiʻi time, and they go quickly; check the current schedule before you plan around it.

Cost: $45 per person · Book: first Thursday of each month, 10:00 HST · Bus: tours start at the Honolulu Museum of Art · Allow: half an afternoon

Two Honeymoon Itineraries

Both plans assume an afternoon arrival and keep at least one day completely free. The honeymoons couples regret are the ones scheduled like a tour.

Seven nights on Maui

• Day 1: Land at Kahului, collect the car and drive to Wailea or Kāʻanapali in time to watch the sun go down from the sand.
• Day 2: Molokini on the first boat out of Māʻalaea, then an afternoon by the pool and an early night.
• Day 3: Haleakalā sunrise, booked eight weeks ahead. Breakfast upcountry on the way down, then sleep.
• Day 4: Nothing at all. Beach, spa, long lunch.
• Day 5: The Road to Hāna, with your Waiʻānapanapa reservation, and a night in Hāna.
• Day 6: Drive back in the quiet morning, stopping at ʻĪao Valley ($5 each plus $10 for the car, booked ahead).
• Day 7: A morning whale watch in season, then a sunset sail or a lūʻau for the last night.
• Day 8: Fly home, or on to a second island.

Ten nights on Oʻahu and Maui

• Day 1: Land in Honolulu. A sunset sail off Waikīkī if you have the energy, dinner close to the hotel if you don’t.
• Day 2: Sunrise from the Lanikai Pillbox, kayaks out to Moku Nui (Monday to Saturday), lunch in Kailua.
• Day 3: Diamond Head at 6am, an afternoon on the beach, dinner at La Mer.
• Day 4: Fly to Maui, ideally on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and settle in.
• Days 5–10: Follow the Maui plan above, dropping one day.
• Day 11: Fly home from Kahului.

Prefer Kauaʻi to Maui? Swap the second half for Poʻipū and a Nāpali boat trip once the island’s parks and operators are back to normal. A fuller plan for the first half is in our Oʻahu itinerary.

Hawaii Honeymoon Costs: Three Budgets, Line by Line

Every honeymoon budget in Hawaiʻi lives or dies on two numbers: the room rate, and what gets added to it. Lodging taxes add roughly 18.7%. That’s the state’s 11% transient accommodations tax, which since January 2026 includes a new 0.75% “green fee” on visitors, plus a 3% county tax and about 4.7% of passed-on general excise tax. Resort fees of $50–60 a night are common, and they’re taxed too. The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea shows the effect: a $765 room worked out at about $908 a night all-in, and that was while its resort fee was waived.

Here are three seven-night honeymoons for two, costed from published 2026 prices:

Lean ($2,803). Waikīkī without a car is the cheapest honeymoon that still feels like one: a $250 room a few blocks back from the beach, TheBus everywhere on seven-day passes at $45 each, and a week of activities that costs $220. That buys a Maitai sunset sail ($158 for two), Diamond Head at sunrise on foot ($10), the Honolulu Museum of Art ($50) and the USS Arizona Memorial ($2 in reservation fees). The Saturday hula show at Kūhiō Beach, the Friday fireworks and the beaches cost nothing.

Middle ($4,504 plus a car). A resort room on Maui at around $450 a night, a hire car, and Maui’s big three: Haleakalā sunrise ($1), the Road to Hāna with Waiʻānapanapa ($20 for two plus the car), ʻĪao Valley ($20) and a Molokini snorkel trip ($349.90 for two). This is the honeymoon most couples picture, and the car is not optional.

Splurge ($7,204 plus a car and extras). The same week at the Four Seasons Maui, at the sample rate of $765 a night plus the $55 resort fee charged from July 2026, leaving room for a helicopter flight ($280–490 each) or a private charter. Couples who go higher are paying for space: Montage Kapalua Bay was quoting $1,069 for a November 2026 night.

Where to spend and where to save. Spend on location: a room on a calm, swimmable beach changes every day of the trip, while a bigger room facing the car park doesn’t. Spend on one unforgettable experience, whether that’s a helicopter, a manta night or La Mer. Save on almost everything else. Haleakalā’s sunrise costs $1 in reservation fees, the beaches are free, and some of the best lunches in the islands come in a paper box. When you compare hotels, add the resort fee and parking before you decide; a room $40 cheaper can easily cost more.

Flights aren’t in the table because fares move by hundreds of dollars a seat with the season; price them first, and book them in the names on your current IDs, not your married names. A second island adds interisland fares of $70–120 each way and, on Hawaiian Airlines, $25 for the first checked bag booked ahead ($35 at the airport). Food is the other big variable. State figures put average visitor spending at $296 per person per day in July 2026, and luxury trips commonly run past $1,000 per person per day. Lunch is where to save: a poke bowl at Ono Seafood in Honolulu is $11.75. Our guide to planning a trip to Hawaiʻi covers budgeting in more depth.

Which Resorts Justify Their Rates

A resort earns its rate in Hawaiʻi with three things: the beach in front of it, quiet, and service. Lobbies, logo-shaped pools and a cultural programme don’t count. By that test, here’s our honest take on the names that come up most.

Halekulani, Waikīkī

Yes, with one caveat. Halekulani charges no resort fee at all, which almost no other luxury hotel in Waikīkī can say, its La Mer is the state’s most decorated restaurant, and the service is famously polished. The caveat is the beach: the stretch in front, Gray’s Beach, has virtually no dry sand left. You’re paying for the view, the orchid-mosaic pool and the calm, not a towel on the sand, and for many couples that’s a fine trade.

The Royal Hawaiian, Waikīkī

Partly. The pink landmark that opened in 1927 has history, a broad beachfront lawn and the ʻAhaʻaina lūʻau on its doorstep, and its resort fee is $52 a night. You’re paying for the name and the setting, which is fine if that’s what you came for. If you want quiet, look elsewhere; this is the busy heart of Waikīkī. Our Waikīkī Beach guide maps each section of the strip.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Yes. Sample rates for 2026 dates ran $755–765 a night, about $908 all-in while the resort fee was waived, and from July 2026 that fee is $55 a night. For it you get one of Wailea’s best beaches, polished service and an adults-only pool, which on a honeymoon is worth more than any spa menu.

Montage Kapalua Bay

For a long stay, yes. It’s built as 50 suites of one to four bedrooms, all with full kitchens, so a $1,069 night buys an apartment on the bay rather than a room. Kapalua, at Maui’s north-west tip, is greener and more exposed to winter wind and showers than Wailea, so weigh that if you’re travelling between December and March.

Hotel Wailea

The most honeymoon-specific hotel in Hawaiʻi: adults-only, small and a member of Relais & Châteaux. It sits on a hillside above Wailea rather than on the sand, so ask how beach days work before you book. We couldn’t confirm 2026 rates.

Grand Wailea and Hilton Hawaiian Village

Skip them for a honeymoon. Both are excellent at what they do, which is huge pool complexes, water slides and families. Grand Wailea’s rooms run roughly $650–800 plus a $55 resort fee; Hilton Hawaiian Village charges a resort fee of about $59 and $72.25 a night to self-park. Couples paying that much deserve somewhere quieter.

The quieter alternatives

On Oʻahu, Ko Olina’s lagoons and Turtle Bay on the North Shore are the calm alternatives to Waikīkī, 40 minutes and about an hour from Honolulu respectively. On the Big Island, the Kohala Coast resorts sit on the state’s sunniest beaches and suit couples planning manta nights and Maunakea. On Kauaʻi, wait until the post-Lowell picture is clear before paying a non-refundable luxury rate.

Getting Married in Hawaiʻi: The Licence, Step by Step

Hawaiʻi is one of the simplest places in the United States to marry legally, whether or not you live here. The whole process is run by the state Department of Health, and its marriage licence page is the authority. In order:

1. Apply online. Complete the application together on the Department of Health’s electronic marriage and civil union system and pay $65 by card: a $60 licence fee plus a $5 portal fee. Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Hawaiʻi since 2013, and civil union licences go through the same system.
2. Appear together before a licensing agent. Once you’re in the islands, you both appear in person before an authorised agent with valid government photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence. No proxies are allowed. There’s no residency or US citizenship requirement, no blood test and no waiting period, and the minimum age is 18.
3. Marry within 30 days. The licence is valid anywhere in the state for 30 days from the day you collect it, and void after that. Collect it early in the trip rather than the day before.
4. Use a licensed officiant. Whoever performs the ceremony must hold an officiant’s licence from the Department of Health. Any reputable planner arranges this.
5. Order certified copies. After the ceremony the officiant registers the marriage with the state, and you order certified copies of the certificate from the Department of Health. You’ll need one for any change of name.

Beach weddings: the permit nobody mentions

Hawaiʻi’s beaches are public, but a wedding involving anyone you’ve hired is a commercial activity. On state beaches that requires a right-of-entry permit from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, booked through the state’s Wiki Permits system for a specific zone of a specific beach. It costs 10 cents per square foot per event per day, with a $20 minimum, and needs a certificate of liability insurance. Established planners and officiants hold these routinely, so ask to see it. County beach parks have their own rules, and the beach stays public throughout: expect an audience of sunbathers.

Eloping or renewing your vows

Most couples who marry in Hawaiʻi do it small: the two of you, an officiant, a photographer and perhaps a handful of guests. Sunset is the popular slot, and the beaches are busiest then. An early-morning ceremony gets softer light, calmer wind and an emptier beach, and you’re at breakfast by nine. Resort lawns and private venues avoid the permit question and the sunbathers, at a price. Whatever you choose, have a wet-weather plan, because showers blow through even in the dry months, and keep the licence clock in mind: 30 days from pickup. Vow renewals need no licence at all, but a hired officiant and photographer on a state beach still need the right-of-entry permit.

A Honeymoon Booking Timeline

• Six to twelve months out: flights and rooms, especially for Christmas, March and the summer holidays.
• Eight weeks out: Haleakalā sunrise reservations open on recreation.gov, and on Oʻahu, USS Arizona Memorial tickets are released 56 days ahead at 3pm Hawaiʻi time.
• 30 days out: Waiʻānapanapa and ʻĪao Valley on Maui ($5 per person plus $10 per vehicle each), and Diamond Head on Oʻahu.
• Two to four weeks out: special dinners, lūʻau seats, boat trips and helicopter flights.
• 48 hours out: Hanauma Bay, released at 7am Hawaiʻi time, if you want to snorkel it.
• Your first day: collect the marriage licence together, with photo ID.

Practicalities for Newlyweds

Names and ID. Book every flight in the name on the ID you’ll be carrying. A REAL ID or passport has been required for US domestic flights since 7 May 2025; travellers without one can use the TSA’s ConfirmID identity check for $45, valid for 10 days. Visitors from Visa Waiver countries need an ESTA, which has cost $40.27 since 1 January 2026.

Sunscreen. Hawaiʻi bans the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate, and Maui County bans using anything but mineral sunscreen, so pack zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

Insurance. Hurricane season runs from June to November. After Hurricane Lowell, Kauaʻi’s state parks closed and tours paused, so a policy that covers trip interruption and named storms, plus refundable room rates where you can get them, is money well spent.

Say it’s your honeymoon. Tell the hotel, the boat crew and the restaurant when you book. Nothing is guaranteed, but it costs nothing, and the people who work here genuinely enjoy looking after newlyweds.

The ocean. Drowning is the leading cause of death among visitors to Hawaiʻi, and honeymooners are not immune to the rip currents, shorebreak and winter surf that cause it. Swim at lifeguarded beaches (Oʻahu alone has 44 towers, staffed from 8am to 6:30pm daily), stay off north-facing shores in winter, and never snorkel alone. Our guides to the best beaches in Oʻahu and Oʻahu snorkelling name the safest spots.

Respect. Stay 10 feet from green sea turtles and 50 feet from Hawaiian monk seals, take no lava rock or sand home, and treat kapu signs as what they are: do not enter. Places like Lahaina, Maunakea and the heiau you’ll pass are not backdrops. Our guide to Hawaiian culture and history explains why they matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Photo Credits

• Kāʻanapali Beach sunset: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
• Map: honolulutourism.org; coastline data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
• Haleakalā sunrise: scott1346, CC BY 2.0
• Waiʻānapanapa State Park coast: Christoph Strässler, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Molokini crater: Bossfrog, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Nāpali Coast: MEBurkhart, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Manta ray off Kona: Steve Dunleavy, CC BY 2.0
• Sunset sail off Kāʻanapali: Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, CC BY 2.0
• Halekulani: ErgoSum88, public domain