12 Tips To Travel Honolulu On A Budget

12 Tips To Travel Honolulu On A Budget

Honolulu On A Budget

Welcome to Honolulu, the capital city of Hawaii on the island Oahu. Hawaii has been on the top of my bucket list for USA destinations ever since I was a little girl and my parents spoke of honeymooning in Honolulu. I’m sucker for mountains by the ocean and certainly a fan of Hawaiian culture and weather! So after traveling Australia for a month, we purchased the cheapest flight out- which just happened to be to Hawaii!

Our flight from Australia to Hawaii was less than $200, which was a bargain! But as you might know, Hawaii itself is one of the most expensive places in the USA. But if you’re on a backpacker’s budget, don’t let the high price tag completely deter you from visiting! Here’s how to do Honolulu on a budget.

10. Have Flexible Travel Plans

I use Momondo and Skyscanner to compare dates and fly on the cheapest day whenever possible!

In the U.S., Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday are often cheapest. (With Friday and Sunday always being the most expensive!) For international travel, you’ll want to fly weekdays whenever possible!

I also love the “Everywhere” option on Skyscanner. This is how we ended up in Hawaii in the first place. Just enter where you are beginning your journey and Skyscanner will show you all the cheapest places to fly!

9. Opt for Cheap Accommodation Like Hostels

Honolulu offers a number of different hostels within a backpacker’s budget that offer free Wifi, great location, plenty of affordable activities and the chance to meet other travelers.

Check out the following hostels:

THE BEACH Waikīkī Boutique Hostel by IH

Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki

Waikiki Beachside Hostel

The Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki

We opted to split a private room at The Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki and loved the location. The rooms were clean but basic. Since we were spending most of our time outside in the beautiful weather, we didn’t mind at all. The lobby had a kitchen for open use, plenty of hammocks for lounging around and the property was only a block from the beach.

Honolulu On A Budget — Tour & Activities offered by The Polynesian Hostel Beach Club

8. Try Couchsurfing for Free Accommodation

If you really want to keep your costs low and the idea of staying in a local homestay might appeal to you, you can always create a profile on CouchSurfing.

While it’s not going to be for everyone, I’ve found it to be a very enjoyable way to travel on budget. And often so much more than just a couch. I’ve had my own room in a house, a key to come and go plus a local to show you around or give you recommendations!

We couchsurfed 3 of the nights we were in Honolulu and found it to be a great way to cut costs and have a local show us around the island! Our host took us surfing, grilled out with us in the evenings and drove us around the island to show us a few great spots.

Our couchsurfing host even took us out for free surf lessons!

Read my couchsurfing guides here:

7. Get Around Using Public Transit

While the other Hawaiian islands aren’t as easily accessible by public transit, Oahu has a great bus system. The Honolulu bus system is actually ranked as one of the best transit systems in the entire world. And obviously, super budget friendly!

Only $5.50 for an unlimited all day pass!

Adults – $2.75/ Ride or $5.50 / Day Pass
Children 5 years of age – Free w/ paid riding passenger
Youth ages 6 to 17 – $1.25/ Ride or $2.50 / Day Pass
Seniors over 65 and Handicap Fare- $1.00 with
Bus Senior Card or valid US Medical Card, $2 for Day Pass

8. Download: Moovit App

My new favorite navigational app is Moovit which provides the best routes for all public transit in major cities.

If you want to save a lot of money, I urge you skip Uber & Lyft and take the bus here. It’s really easy to navigate. Especially with the app, Moovit. You can use Google Maps but we found it was missing a few bus routes and would suggest that we take an Uber when there was in fact, an available route.

9. Look for Great Deals On Groupon

From whale watching excursions to catamaran rides, you can certainly find a variety of discount deals in Honolulu on Groupon. It might be worth scrolling to see what is available at the time of your trip!

10. Download the Hawaii Happy Hours App

This app is fantastic and will tell you all of the happy hours happening around the island so you can hop from one restaurant to the next without paying full price. It’ a great way to go for drinks or a bite to eat and still keep in budget! We found several new great bars and restaurants this way!

Our favorite happy hour discovery: SKY Waikiki for great drinks and beautiful views of Honolulu from high above!

“All of Hawaii’s Happy Hours in one place!”

“Download the Hawaii Happy Hours App to have instant access to exclusive deals, special pricing, and local events at your fingertips!”

11. Book at luau at The Polynesian Cultural Center for best value

If you’re looking to do a luau while on Oahu, I can’t recommend The Polynesian Cultural Center highly enough. For roughly the cost of your average luau, you can also get a full day at the cultural center plus the evening fire show which is worth the price of admission alone.

Expect to spend a full day here! With so many cultural demonstrations, live shows and tasty food to sample- you’ll want to arrive right when it opens to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

I recommend doing the “ali’i luau package“

Time 12:00-9:00 pm

Adult $122.95

Child $98.36

Enjoying a canoe tour at the Polynesian Cultural Center

12. Skip Expensive Tours and Go For Free Activities Around Honolulu

With no shortage of breathtaking view around Oahu, you could stay in Honolulu and spend the majority of your time taking in the scenery- just hiking and snorkeling for almost free!

Check out the great (free!) options I’ve included below:

Visit Pearl Harbour

A must-do when you visit Honolulu and even better if you’re on a budget because the USS Arizona Memorial is free and open to the public.

Great, Easy Hike: Diamond Head ($1 entrance)

Diamond Head is an incredibly popular hike here on Oahu and while it isn’t the best hike the island has to offer, it’s still a must do! It’s a very easy hike with much of the path entirely paved but the payoff is fantastic.

Pro Tip: Do this hike at sunrise. Not only is is a fantastic spot to watch the sun come up but if you wait to do this hike, it will be packed with tourists. Even by 9am, the trail will be swarming. So do yourself a favor and beat the rush!

Rainbows over Honolulu from my sunset hike up Diamond Head

Another great hike: Pillbox

Again, I recommend doing this hike at sunrise. The views are spectacular and while it’s further away from Honolulu, it’s still only approximately 90 minutes round trip.

Free Public Friday Night Fireworks

10-minute show, beginning at 7:45 p.m

Great Places To Watch the Fireworks:

Right on the beach– thousands will gather on Waikiki Beach and in the warm ocean water to watch the display above.
Barefoot Beach Cafe– a laid back spot with awesome views of the fireworks, skyline and Diamond head.
Mount Tantalus– head up this extinct volcano to watch the fireworks with an epic view!