या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता| नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नम: ||
भरोसा रख माता रानी पे जो भी माँ की भक्ति दीवाना होता है वो हमेशा हर ग़म से बेगाना होता है सुबह-शाम श्रद्धा से जो ले माँ का नाम
पल में ही बनते उसके बिगड़े हुए काम सारा जहां है जिसकी शरण में, नमन है उस माँ के चरण में.जगत पालनहार है माँ, मुक्ति का धाम है माँ, हमारी भक्ति का आधार है माँ, सबकी रक्षा की अवतार है माँ .देवी माँ के कदम आपके घर में आयें, आप ख़ुशी से नहायें, परेशानियाँ आपसे आँखें चुरायें
Planning a trip to Hawaii with kids? In this step-by-step Hawaii vacation planning guide, I’m sharing tips on how to plan your dream family trip to Hawaii.
Down below you’ll discover what Hawaiian islands are best for families, how to search flights and accommodation, the best things to do in Hawaii with kids, and much more!
Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, Oahu
When you’re planning a family vacation, you deserve to go away and create priceless memories without stress in the trip planning process.
Hopefully, this guide will save you some time, money, and your sanity!
With a tropical climate and stunning beaches, breathtaking waterfalls, gorgeous scenery, and adventure activities, Hawaii is what many people consider paradise.
Ohana (family) is deeply important in the Hawaiian culture making it a perfect family travel destination.
The Hawaiian Islands are a natural playground with endless snorkeling, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, zip lining, and volcano exploration. Plus wildlife encounters with sea turtles, manta rays, whales and dolphins.
And then there are the cultural activities like learning to hula dance, attending a luau, and visiting important museums like at Pearl Harbor.
If you don’t know how to plan a trip to Hawaii, read on.
Table of Contents
PLANNING A TRIP TO HAWAII WITH KIDS
What is the Best Hawaiian Island for kids?
Lanikai Beach, Oahu
Step one in planning a Hawaii vacation with kids is deciding which Hawaiian islands or island you will visit?
There are six major islands in Hawaii you can visit: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and the Big Island.
Like any destination, it’s important to choose a location that meets your specific interests and budget!
The whole idea of taking a family vacation to Hawaii with kids is to have a memorable time, to have fun and relax, and not to spend your whole vacation time worrying about money.
Oahu
The third largest of the Hawaiian Islands, Oahu offers a little bit of everything from bustling city life to laid back surf towns.
Think relaxation, adventure, beaches, natural wonders, world-class dining (plenty of food options for fussy eaters) and shopping.
Highlights:
Learn to surf at Waikiki Beach
Snorkel at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
Explore a submarine at Pearl Harbor
Have a wild encounter at Sea Life Park, Waikiki Aquarium, or Honolulu Zoo
Play authentic Hawaiian games at The Polynesian Cultural Center
Navigate a massive garden maze at the Dole Plantation
Maui
Stand up paddle boarding in Kaanapali Beach, Maui
Possibly the best island in Hawaii for families who are visiting Hawaii for the first time.
Maui has been voted “Best Island in the U.S.” on numerous occasions and offers plenty for all members of your family.
It’s the second largest Hawaiian island and famous for beautiful white sand beaches, relaxation, incredible sunrises and sunsets, great food, sea turtles, humpback whales (November through April), and the Haleakala Volcano.
Highlights:
Snorkel with sea turtles at Black Rock Beach (Kaanapali)
Stand Up Paddle Boarding at Kaanapali Beach
Watch spectacular sunsets
Drive the road to Hana
Kauai
Photo from DepositPhotos.com
The fourth largest island and noted for laid-back atmosphere and rich culture found in its small towns, Kauai the place to get away from it all.
Draped in emerald valleys, sharp mountain spires and jagged cliffs with tropical rainforests, forking rivers and cascading waterfalls.
Highlights:
Play in the tide pools at Poipu Beach Park
Kayak the Wailua River
Snorkel on Poipu Beach
Zipline above Kauai’s lush valleys
Explore Waimea Canyon
Learn to hula dance at one of the many Luaua
Ride on the Kauai Plantation Railway at Kilohana Estate
Hawaii Island
Volcanoes National Park
The largest island and probably the best Hawaiian island for families that love adventure.
Hawaii Island has got volcanic wonders, black sand beaches, sea turtles, manta rays, waterfalls, rainforests and lush valleys of the Hilo and Hamakua Coasts.
Highlights:
See Green Turtles on Punalu’u (Black Sand Beach)
Swim with Manta Rays at Keauhou, Kona
Snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay
Volcanoes National Park
See Akaka Falls
MOLOKi is the fifth largest island and is home to the highest sea cliffs in the world and the longest continuous fringing reef.
A high percentage of its population is of Native Hawaiian ancestry, and Molokai is truly an island of outdoor adventure where Hawaii’s past comes alive!
Highlights:
Tour a macadamia nut farm
Play on Papohaku Beach (one of Hawaii’s largest white-sand beaches)
Visit Big Wind Kite Factory
Send a real coconut from Hoolehua Post Office
Lanai
Photo from DepositPhotos.com
The smallest inhabited island in Hawaii, Lanai is only nine miles from Maui yet a world away.
Known for luxurious resorts and bouncing along the island’s rugged back roads in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. A place to find serenity and adventure!
Highlights:
Tide pools at Hulopoe Bay
Horseback riding
Family picnic at Dole Park
Pool time at one of Lanai’s fine resorts
Still not sure what is the best Hawaiian island for family vacation? Consider island hopping.
Best Time to Visit Hawaii?
Waikiki Beach
Step two in planning a family trip to Hawaii with kids is knowing when you can, or should, travel to Hawaii.
Basically, anytime is a good time to visit Hawaii.
The average temperature is between 75˚–85˚ F (24˚-29˚ C) with summer (between April and November) being a little warmer and drier, and winter (between December and March) a bit cooler – but nothing like over on mainland USA!
Of course crowds play an important role when you plan your trip.
If you are able to be flexible in when you can take your Hawaii vacation, good for you! Avoiding peak travel periods is one of our best travel tips.
For accommodation and flights, generally the most expensive times to visit Hawaii are:
Peak Season (Dec 22 – January 3)
High Season (January, February, March)
Summer (June, July, August)
Keep in mind the major holiday periods in the US.
Your best chance of Hawaii travel deals can be:
Spring (mid-April to mid-June)
Fall (September to mid-December)
Flights to Hawaii
Once you have chosen your dates of travel, step three is to book your flights to Hawaii.
Depending upon where you depart from, if it’s a long haul flight, when traveling with kids I like to get to our destination as quickly as possible, with the most amount of comfort our budget allows.
If it’s your one-and-only dream trip for the year, and you only have 1-2 weeks vacation time, I recommend you pay the little bit extra for a premium airline and fly direct to Hawaii!
Tips for Searching Flights
I highly suggest you start searching for Hawaii flights as early as possible.
Airlines typically release tickets 11 months in advance, so once you know your dates for your trip to Hawaii start searching and continue to check at least once per week.
If you can, be flexible with your flight dates!
The best tactic for finding the best deal is to search a couple of days, or even weeks, either side of your preferred departure date.
But if you can’t play around with the date, play around with the time of day you fly which can change the prices significantly.
Typically, flying on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday can save you money.
Flights that depart the USA mainland late and arrive in Hawaii in the evening, and the overnight (red-eye) return flights, tend to be cheaper.
Hot Tip:
When searching for the best deal on flights to Hawaii, we always start with a comparison site like Orbitz.com that searches hundreds of flights from all the major airlines.
Plus, you can earn Orbucks the moment you book. $1 Orbuck = $1 off your next hotel. Earn Orbucks on top of your airline miles. The more you book, the more you get
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Snorkeling in Maui
Step four is an important one.
As soon as you have booked and paid for your flights, get travel insurance as it is designed to cover events such as trip cancellation.
Not having travel insurance on an overseas trip (or domestic) is not worth the risk. Anything can, will, and sometimes does go wrong. If it does and you are not insured, you can be up for a lot of money AND inconvenience.
When you are planning a trip, don’t shrug off this step.
As I like to say, “if you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel”. It’s that simple.
What happens if:
You need to cancel your trip unexpectedly
You get sick or injured on your trip
Your luggage is lost or stolen
You lose your passport
A hurricane damages your destination
There is a terrorist event
Which travel insurance is best for you? There are different levels of coverage depending on:
The plan
The insurance company you purchase with
The size of your deductible (excess)
Americans can check out trusted brands like Allianz Travel (we are ambassadors) and AMEX.
Accommodation in Hawaii
Again, book hotels in Hawaii as early as possible.
The further in advance you search for accommodation in Hawaii the more likely you are to get a deal.
Hot Tip:
When comparing prices and Hawaii family resorts to stay in, keep in mind that the dreaded resort fee is not typically included in advertised room rates.
Those Resort fees can add $15 to $30 plus tax to your daily bill.
Read the fine print to see what features the resort fee includes! Does it include free Wi-Fi, self-parking, bottled water, gym access etc?
Best Family Resorts in Hawaii
Enjoying the lagoon at Hilton Hawaiian Village, Waikiki
Researching the best kid friendly resorts in Hawaii can be time consuming and confusing.
I’ve hand picked a short list of the best Hawaii resorts for kids on the islands of Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.
These hotels and resorts offer kid-friendly facilities and activities like water parks and water slides, lazy rivers, family rooms, hula lessons, snorkeling, and beachfront access.
Also, many of these best hotels in Hawaii for families offer day camps for kids that give parents some much-needed time out. And take advantage of keiki (children’s) programs that range from lei-making to scuba lessons.
Oahu
Turtle Bay Resort
Photo credit Orbitz.com
Turtle Bay Resort is one of the best kid friendly resorts in Hawaii. Located on 5 miles of beachfront on Oahu’s North Shore, it’s one of Hawaii’s most unique destinations:
Kids stay free! Children stay free when using existing bedding
Family rooms
2 outdoor pools
Water slide
Snorkeling and stand up paddle boarding on site
Babysitting or childcare available
Horse riding/rental on site
The Polynesian Cultural Center is 4 miles away
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
Hilton Hawaiian Village, Waikiki
Another of the best family resorts in Hawaii is Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort.
Located on the shores of Waikiki Beach and on 22-acres, and features over 20 restaurants and lounges, 90 shops and boutiques, and a 5,000-square foot family activity pool.
5,000-square foot family activity pool
5 sparkling pools with waterfalls
Longest water slide in Waikiki
Kids club
Family-friendly lagoon
Friday night fireworks
Quieter end of Waikiki Beach (protected by a sea wall and a natural reef so swimming in the ocean is totally doable)
Sheraton Waikiki
Photo credit Orbitz.com
Located just one minute walk to Waikiki Beach and 4 miles from the Diamond Head Crater is Sheraton Waikiki.
It has two oceanfront pools, an adult-only infinity pool and Helumoa Playground featuring two fresh water swimming pools, and a 70 foot long water slide.
Children under 17 stay for free
2 outdoor pools (kids pool)
Close to popular attractions, Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium
Kids camp
Waikiki Shopping Centre is just 2 minutes’ walk away.
The third largest of the Hawaiian Islands, Oahu offers a little bit of everything from bustling city life to laid back surf towns.
Think relaxation, adventure, beaches, natural wonders, world-class dining (plenty of food options for fussy eaters) and shopping.
Highlights:
Once you have chosen your dates of travel, step three is to book your flights to Hawaii.
Depending upon where you depart from, if it’s a long haul flight, when traveling with kids I like to get to our destination as quickly as possible, with the most amount of comfort our budget allows.
If it’s your one-and-only dream trip for the year, and you only have 1-2 weeks vacation time, I recommend you pay the little bit extra for a premium airline and fly direct to Hawaii!
Again, book hotels in Hawaii as early as possible.
The further in advance you search for accommodation in Hawaii the more likely you are to get a deal.
Hot Tip:
When comparing prices and Hawaii family resorts to stay in, keep in mind that the dreaded resort fee is not typically included in advertised room rates.
Those Resort fees can add $15 to $30 plus tax to your daily bill.
Read the fine print to see what features the resort fee includes! Does it include free Wi-Fi, self-parking, bottled water, gym access etc?
