There Are No Bridges in Paradise

One of the first surprises for visitors is that you cannot drive from one Hawaiian island to another. The islands are separated by deep ocean channels, some of them rough and famous in their own right, so every trip between islands happens by air or by sea. The good news is that crossing between islands is part of the adventure, and there are more ways to do it than most people realize. Here is the full picture, from the everyday flight to the ancient voyaging canoe.

By Air: The Everyday Way

For almost every visitor, flying is the answer. The hops between the main islands are short, often well under an hour, with many departures a day. Three airlines carry travelers between the islands today, and each one fills a different need.

  • Hawaiian Airlines flies Boeing 717 jets on the most inter-island departures of any carrier, connecting the major airports many times a day.
  • Southwest Airlines flies 737 jets between the five biggest airports: Honolulu, Kahului on Maui, Lihue on Kauai, and Kona and Hilo on the Big Island.
  • Mokulele Airlines flies small nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravans into the airports the jets skip, like Hana and Kapalua on Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. The low cruising altitude turns the trip into a scenic ride of its own.

Short flights are the practical backbone of island hopping. They are the reason a guided day trip from one island to another is even possible, since a quick morning flight can put you on a whole new island before the day really gets going.

By Sea: Ferries and Cruise Ships

Hawaii once had more ferries, but today only one passenger ferry still connects two islands. Expeditions runs the Maui to Lanai ferry across the Au Au Channel, a ride of a little over an hour each way. There is no public ferry between the larger islands, so do not count on a boat shuttle from, say, Oahu to Maui.

If you want to see several islands from the water, a cruise is the other option. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America sails a round-trip loop from Honolulu and is the ship known for spending a week visiting Maui, the Big Island, Kauai, and Oahu. Private boat and sailing charters can also be arranged between some islands for travelers with the time and budget.

By Helicopter

Helicopters are best known in Hawaii as a way to see a single island from above, but charter flights between islands are possible too. A private helicopter charter is the most expensive way to island hop, yet for a special occasion the views across the channels are unforgettable.

The Old Ways: Canoe, Paddle, and Swim

Long before airplanes, Hawaiians crossed these same channels in voyaging canoes, double-hulled wa’a guided by the stars, wind, and waves. That tradition is alive today through vessels like Hokulea and the revival of Polynesian wayfinding.

The channels are still crossed by human power every year. Teams race outrigger canoes from Molokai to Oahu across the powerful Kaiwi Channel in events like the Molokai Hoe, and a small number of athletes have even paddled and swum between islands. These crossings are a reminder of how demanding, and how respected, the water between the islands really is.

The Easiest Way to Actually See Two Islands

Knowing the options is one thing. Pulling off a smooth island-to-island day is another, especially when you only have a week and do not want to change hotels. That is where a guided inter-island day tour comes in. We handle the flights, the timing, and the guiding, so you can fly over in the morning, explore with a local guide, and be back the same night.

Our signature routes do exactly that: Oahu to the Big Island for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Oahu to Maui for the Road to Hana, and the Big Island to Oahu for Pearl Harbor. You get the best of a second island without the planning headache.

Pick Your Way Across

From a quick jet hop to a week-long cruise, from a private helicopter to a paddle across an open channel, there is a way between the islands for every kind of traveler. For most visitors who want to see more of Hawaii in the time they have, a guided inter-island day trip is the simplest and most rewarding way to do it. However you choose to cross, the moment a new island rises out of the blue never gets old.