4 Essential Tips That Will Save You Money When Visiting Oahu (Hawaii)
(Updated September 2012)
Regarded as one of the most attractive islands to visit in the Pacific Hawaii is no budget friendly destination, for obvious reasons: everything has to be imported and they are, after all, the most isolated islands in the world. You’ve probably heard stories about the price of milk, how much hotels cost or how expensive it is to rent a car. But how much of this is true?
Budget Friendly Accommodation in Honolulu
I finally made it to the archipelago in September 2011 (which by the way meant that I had won the bet that I did with my brother ten years ago, earning 50 euros. You see, he stated that despite being a surfer I wouldn’t visit Hawaii within the next 10 years; turned out he was wrong- but barely!) and right off the bat I realized that the first hurdle to overcome would be to find affordable accommodation. From what I researched online the best bet would be to purchase a flight plus hotel deal with Expedia or Travelocity which would save me a couple hundred dollars during our ten day stay. Flights from LA, San Diego or Phoenix are actually quite affordable, at 350-450 USD for a return ticket, but finding anywhere to sleep in for under 85 USD per night was proving to be a challenge. The flight+hotel deals would mean we’d be paying around 75 USD/ night for the cheapest hotels I could find online, and 25 USD per bed in a dorm room at a hostel was out of the question. So just as I was about to succumb to this I read an ad in Tripadvisor that stated something like ” Save money on your trip with short term home rentals”. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
I quickly discovered that fully furnished apartments were at the same rates as hotels or less, with the bonuses of having more space and being able to cook every now and then to save a bit more money too. After some further research and bargaining I was able to rent a recently renovated apartment 2 blocks from Waikiki Beach for 65 USD/night. Fully furnished, with kitchen, bathroom, living room, 1 bedroom, AC, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, 2 TVs and free internet, it was perfect for Liza and I yet big enough to fit a third person (just remember that dorm beds in a hostel run at 25 USD!). Once there the place did not disappoint: superbly located we couldn’t think of a better place to stay as it was 1 minute away from the International Market Place on Kuhio Boulevard, 5 minutes away from Waikiki beach, with plenty of shops and places to eat right by (this is the place). I highly recommend this option as you can save a good chunk of money and are more independent; check sites like www.tripadvisor.com, www.homeaway.com or www.vrbo.com , and don’t forget about the advantages of couchsurfing!
This is the kind of budget accommodation I like
Where to find cheap food in Waikiki
Sure. you can find very expensive restaurants in Honolulu, but the myth of not being able to eat a full meal for less than 20 USD/ person is baloney. In fact I was surprised to find that restaurants cost about the same as they do anywhere in the US, sometimes even cheaper! You’ve got McDonald’s and Burger King on Kalakaua Avenue overlooking the ocean with combos at 6 USd, buffets starting at 20 USD, plenty of nice restaurants of all kinds where plates run at 15 USD, the list goes on. But of all the places we found there are two we kept going back to that I highly recommend: the food court at the International Market Place and Duke’s, right on Waikiki Beach.
The International Market Place is the -uh- place where you’ll find all the souvenirs you’ll want to take back home and more. Located between Kuhio Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue it has plenty of stalls and shops where you’ll find everything from aloha shirts to ukeleles… including t-shirts made of dirt (i’m not kiding, they sell t-shirts painted with red dirt, and even have a signature line for for Discovery Channel’s hit show “Dirty Jobs”!). And then there is the food court at the center, open 6 pm to 10 pm where you’ll find all sorts of exquisite food including Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino plus pizzas, burgers and the rest with most dishes at around 8-9 USD. Fantastic flavors at very fair prices…and portions are generous too!
If you want to kick it up a notch and enjoy a great atmosphere plus good food without paying over your head then make your way to Duke’s. This very successful restaurant is right on Waikiki beach and is reached though a passage from Kalakaua Avenue. It is actually quite big yet we always found it full or almost full, without feeling overcrowded. I owe it’s success to the location itself, live music, friendly prices, good food…and even better cocktails! The open air tables are illuminated by torches ( I highly recommend you come here for dinner) and with the small surf crushing just a stone’s throw away I guarantee you’ll have a good time. Definitely one of the top Oahu restaurants in my list!
You better head here for a nice dinner at affordable prices
Is there cheap transportation in Oahu?
Different sources told me that Oahu has the best public bus system in the USA, and I think I agree. There is a very efficient network that can take you pretty much anywhere in the island; with tickets running at 2.5 USD/ person this should be your choice of transportation when visiting Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay and Pearl Harbor (the latter can take quite a while because of traffic though). If heading to the North Shore or elsewhere along the east or west coast time can become an issue as it can take a good 2 hours to get there because of traffic and the multiple stops. This is particularly inconvenient if you want to join a shark encounter cage swim or some other tour that starts early in the morning.
So what if you want to rent a car? Car rentals are usually expensive, and in Hawaii a bit more. We rented with another couple one for a day at Hertz and it cost us 56 usd (after shopping around) with insurance. 3 days later however we walked from Waikiki to the top of Diamond Head (a 5 hour stroll) but the sun was too strong to walk back so as we were making our way to the bus stop at the bottom of the hill a taxi driver offered to take us back to Waikiki. We bargained a bit and hopped in, and on the way back he told us about what he said is the cheapest car rental company in Honolulu (or Oahu). I conspicuosly joted the name an number and called the following day. The result? Look no further, this is the real deal. Avis, Budget, Hertz…all these rent cars for no less than 50 USD/ day (without insurance) but at Cheap Rent a Car you can rent a car for 21 USD, ready to drive!!! This is by far the cheapest car rental company in Oahu (Honolulu). The cars might not be new but are in very good condition- don’t be picky now if you’re going to save 30-40 usd/day! Call them at (808) 596 8828 or visit their website www.crchawaii.com .
This gorgeous beach is just 25 minutes from Waikiki
If You’re In Hawaii, You Have to Surf
Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing, otherwise known as the sport of kings. Captain James Cook first spotted people riding waves here in the 17 hundreds, and three centuries later it has become one of the fastest growing sports as well as a multi million dollar business. Hawaii’s North Shore is the meca for surfers, with Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Backdoor and Waimea being some of the most famous big-wave spots in the world. Beginners should stay away from these places though and instead take their first steps in Waikiki, where the outer reefs make the surf smaller, gentler, slower and less dangerous. The waves can also be fun for intermediate and advanced surfers without the risks involved in the North Shore.
But which is the best place where to rent a surfboard? As a surfer myself I obviously shopped around. Some hotels charge ridiculous amounts like 80 USD/day, and most places on the beach charge around 20 usd per hour. But notice I said most. Max ( a Chilean who’s been calling Oahu home for the last 25 years) rents boards at 10 bucks per hour (longboards), droping the price the longer you rent it for. There is no phone number or website for his place, but walking along Kalakaua Avenue towards Waikiki beach it is the first stall you’ll see on your right once you reach the beach, with well over 100 boards. Easy going and friendly, he’ll have you up and running in no time and can organize lessons with his staff or have pictures taken of you with a telephoto lens. Not a bad souvenir!
If you’re a bit pickier and know what you want to ride, another option is that you book a board before getting there with www.rentasurfboard.com. You can choose from many shapes and sizes available and pick it up on arrival or on the arranged date. I rented a fun 7 footer through them and took it to the North Shore…but didn’t get to try it because it was flat! I thus had to switch it for a longboard and surfed Waikiki again instead.
About to surf Waikiki on a small day
Go Oahu Cards
If planning on visiting many parks and museum, joining tours and overall participating in paid-for activities you might want to consider buying a Go Oahu Card. These cards include the entrances to 37 parks, tours and museums in the island (including the Grand Circle Island Tour I did) and will certainly save you a good chunk of money if these are the things you like to do. The price of the card varies depending on the number of days you want to validate it for or you can also customize it for the specific activities you want to do. Do your math and check how long the activities are to make sure it’s really worth it- for example, the Grand Circle Island tour lasts almost a full day and at 60 USD it costs the same as the card, thus it wouldn’t make sense to buy a 1 day card for the tour. I prefer the second option, where you decide what you want to do, find out the regular prices and then how much it would cost you with the card. To learn more or buy click here –>Go Oahu Card (by using this link to buy the card I could make a little bit of money, but it won’t cost you anything and you’ll help me keep sharing great tips via this travel blog- it’s a lot of work!)
Hawaii might be expensive, but less than Vanuatu or French Polynesia and certainly not as bad as you might think. These tips will save you a good chunk of money, and the rest is up to you and what you do when there. Aloha Hawaii, mahalo for everything and I’ll be back!
Have you visited Oahu? How expensive did you find it?Do you have any tips you can share that will save other travelers some money? And please, don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy a meal at any of these two places? Share your tips below, and this post too if you liked it!
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Category: Advice & Downloads, Hawaii, latest, Pacific Islands
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[...] you out. Hopefully I will be getting more comments like this one after publishing an article on how to save money when visiting Oahu in Hawaii: Thanks so much for posting this info! You saved me a ton of money on the rental car for my [...]
Nice tips for me because i travel need to save money… gud job thnx
I will be traveling with a group of friends to Honolulu in 2 weeks! flight, condo and rental car is already paid for….do you think i could realistically get by on around $350 total in spending money for 6 days? i plan to surf once (we’ll likely get a group rate for that) and i’m sure we’ll hike diamond head & visit pearl harbor….but otherwise we’ll be eating and drinking cheap and just lounging on the beach mostly. so again, based on your experience is $350 for 6 days realistic? thanks in advance!
Hi Candy
Absolutely. Diamond Head and Pearl Harbour are free to visit, and if you rent the board with the people I recommend you’ll save a good chunk of money. If you don’t spend it in alcohol you should be fine. No luxuries, but it can easily be done.
[...] in paid-for activities you might want to consider buying a Go Oahu Card (or read my article with 4 essential tips that will save you money in Oahu). These cards include the entrances to 37 parks, tours and museums in the island (unfortunately not [...]
Thanks so much for posting this info! You saved me a ton of money on the rental car for my wedding/honeymoon!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Hey Krystal, I’m very pleased to hear this! You just brought a big smile to my face
Have a wonderful wedding and honeymoon!
Hi my family member! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and come with approximately all important infos. I’d like to peer extra posts like this .
thanks for this really wonderful idea… I like it…
Coming back from Hawaii a few weeks ago, I have found that you need to check websites such as Groupon and Travelzoo. You can find amazing deals on these sites that allow you to save up to 60% The cool thing about this is that you can download the coupons almost instantly.
Thanks for the tip Hannah
I believe that not only Hawaii but even if you think of traveling somewhere else you need to have a good idea of the places to which you will travel. A pre planned trip would always help you to have a good idea of which places you can save money and at the same time have a pleasurable and an enjoyable experience out there.
Hawai is my dream destination and i wish that one day i could go there…..though its too expensve but u really gave some good information to save the money.
Thanks
Glad you found the post useful
Yes since the place is something that is worth watching I think it would be a great idea to join yourself in the league. I want to spend some time in Hawaii but since the packages for it are not affordable and very expensive I don’t feel like spending money over it. Let’s see! May be I will plan to go somewhere else if not Hawaii.
My daughter lives on Oahu. Whilst public transport is cheap, she has found every thing else to be more expensive than mainland USA. For example the price she paid for a single 12 oz bottle of she could have bought a whole case of water on the main land. there are add on charges that make product more expensive.
Groceries are expensive, yes, but as a tourist things to not have to be as bad…going anywhere in the US is not cheap anyhow and I didn’t find Oahu to be as expensive as I expected it to be.
Surfing has been my thing since high school. In fact, it’s one of the top three reasons why I travel
Thanks for the wonderful “online trip” to Hawaii. It’s on my destinations next year.
I’ll be visiting Hawaii next year with my husband.. Can’t wait to get there! It looks so wonderful!
You will have a blast Eliza!
How i wish i could visit Hawaii..This is my dream..Even its too expensive there’s a lot of beautiful places..Thanks for sharing this beautiful photo..
Pamie, it isn’t that bad, really. In fact I found it can be surprisingly affordable, and I´m a budget traveler.
Thanks a lot for the article. I’m thinking of travelling there in the next year or so – can’t wait!
Hope this saves you some cash!
I was in Oahu earlier this year as well. Since there were 7 of us traveling, the hotel rooms were reasonable, and we actually rented a limo one day to do the circle island tour — it was much cheaper than if we had to pay for individual tickets for the mini-bus tour. |
Wow that accommodation looks great and the sea is just perfect. Thanks for bringing you Hawaii experience to us and these tips will come in handy when I get there. Did you enjoy your overall stay?
I absolutely did!
How I wish i could go to Hawaii..I want to learn surfing..But I think going to Hawaii it expensive..
Hey Marquitta, thanks for stopping by! Depends on where you are flying from, but you can find return flights from LA or San Diego for 350 USD…not bad I’d say
Living on the Pacific Coast, Hawaii is one of those places everyone seems to go, but when you can only travel on a small budget it sure feels out of reach. I am so glad you shared this because there is definitely the stigma that you can’t go to the Hawaiian Islands without spending an arm and a leg.
Glad this helps, it really isn’t that bad!
We went to Oahu for the first time earlier this year, and I was surprised by how much more affordable it is than the other Hawaiian isles!
We were told that Maui is the most expensive!
I had actually written off the possibility of visiting Hawaii due to expense. Maybe I need to re-think that.
I suggest you do
You look so happy with your surfboard! Yes, I found Hawaii totally affordable — but expensive to get there!
Hehe… I was looking forward to that session!!
I was in Oahu earlier this year as well. Since there were 7 of us travelling, the hotel rooms were reasonable, and we actually rented a limo one day to do the circle island tour — it was much cheaper than if we had to pay for individual tickets for the mini-bus tour. Plus we got to bring booze.
Ha! Yup, the more the cheaper! How long were you there for?
We were strongly considering moving there for a few months before this trip we were on. Was looking into it and you can totally live there on smaller budget. Looks like you definitely took advantage!
It is not as bad as they say, and we now know we will head back! How come you didn’t take a short trip though?
I visited Hawaii this past February, and also found it to be totally affordable! I stayed with a friend (yay free bed!), and bought a 4-day bus pass that was good for unlimited rides on TheBus. And then I stuck to a lot of the free or cheap sightseeing options that are abundant. Pearl Harbor was fantastic (and free), the North Shore was fun to go beach hopping, and Hanauma Bay was a very cheap way to spend a great afternoon snorkeling.
Free accommodation…great deal! TheBus is a great option yoo, though getting to the North Shore takes very long, or even to the west coast. Totally agree with the two trips you mention, though I have to admit that I expected more from Pearl Harbor…
These are great tips! I always forget about renting a place for short-term travel!
I recommend you don’t…I have found very good deals in soooo many places!
Wow, looks like you had a good time in Hawaii, definitely won’t forget to surf when I am there. You are right about accommodation and food, these two can prove to be the most expensive and I totally agree dorm room in a hostel, no matter how cheap is out of question. One way to cut down these costs is voluntourism, help someone out with something and in return get food and accommodation. I think it’s a good bargain because mixing with the locals is definitely going to help you explore places not otherwise listed in travel guides. I’d suggest you check out http://volunteerstays.com/. Offers a lot of similar opportunities.
That can indeed be another option, thanks for sharing!