9 days in Hawaii Itinerary

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.

To see photos, other places to visit, and tourist information, read our Kailua-Kona online journey planner.

San Francisco to Kailua-Kona is an approximately 8.5-hour flight. The time zone changes from Pacific Standard Time (PST) to Hawaii Standard Time (HST), which is usually a -2 hour difference. Traveling from San Francisco in December, expect Kailua-Kona to be much hotter, temps between 82°F and 70°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 23rd (Mon) early enough to travel to Kula.

Kula is a district of Maui, Hawaii, that stretches across the "up-country", the western-facing slopes of Haleakalā, from Makawao to Ulupalakua. Start off your visit on the 24th (Tue): see some colorful creatures with a scuba or snorkeling tour and then get impressive views of Haleakala Crater. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: immerse yourself in nature at Iao Valley, then meet the residents at Maui Ocean Center, and then stroll around Lahaina Banyan Court.

To find other places to visit, more things to do, reviews, and tourist information, go to the Kula trip planning app.

Traveling by flight from Kailua-Kona to Kula takes 3.5 hours. December in Kula sees daily highs of 82°F and lows of 66°F at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 25th (Wed) early enough to travel to Honolulu.

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

Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Honolulu: Kailua Beach Park (in Kailua), Pu’u O Mahuka Heiau State Monument (in Pupukea) and Haleiwa (Sunset Beach Park & Waimea Bay). There's much more to do: explore the different monuments and memorials at USS Arizona Memorial, admire the sheer force of Manoa Falls, kick back and relax at Waikiki Beach, and go for a walk through Diamond Head State Monument.

For where to stay, ratings, maps, and other tourist information, read Honolulu trip itinerary builder site.

Fly from Kula to Honolulu in 4 hours. In December, daytime highs in Honolulu are 82°F, while nighttime lows are 69°F. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 30th (Mon) to allow time for travel back home.