5 days in Hawaii Itinerary

In many ways much more Asian than American, Honolulu is Hawaii's largest city and its center of government, transportation, commerce, and tourism.

Honolulu is known for historic sites, beaches, nature, wildlife, and museums. Your plan includes some of its best attractions: look for all kinds of wild species at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, discover the deep blue sea with a scuba or snorkeling tour, enjoy the sand and surf at Waikiki Beach, and explore the different monuments and memorials at USS Arizona Memorial.

For photos, other places to visit, more things to do, and tourist information, use the Honolulu attractions planner .

San Francisco to Honolulu is an approximately 7.5-hour flight. You can also do a combination of train and flight. The time zone difference moving from Pacific Standard Time (PST) to Hawaii Standard Time (HST) is minus 2 hours. Traveling from San Francisco in September, expect Honolulu to be somewhat warmer, temps between 88°F and 76°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 14th (Sat) early enough to travel to Kailua-Kona.

Thanks to its favorable location near a mountain range blocking the northeasterly trade winds, Kailua-Kona gets little rainfall, allowing adventure seekers and nature lovers a chance to enjoy over 300 days of sunshine each year.

Start off your visit on the 15th (Sun): fulfill a lifelong dream with a swim-with-the-dolphins experience and then see what you can catch with a fishing tour.

For photos, maps, ratings, and other tourist information, go to the Kailua-Kona travel planning website .

You can fly from Honolulu to Kailua-Kona in 4 hours. In September, daily temperatures in Kailua-Kona can reach 87°F, while at night they dip to 76°F. You'll have a few hours on the 16th (Mon) to wrap things up before traveling home.