Hawaii has been identified as the happiest state in the US and the most mentioned destination for those with bucket lists of places to visit. If you’ve always wanted to go, but think you can’t afford Hawaii, let it go! I have created this Hawaii Big Island budget guide to share my Big Island insider tips, and some amazing free things to do on the Big Island, so you can have an amazing vacation without breaking the bank. If you are from the USA, you can feel like you are traveling internationally but there’s no need for a passport or messing with converting currency.
The island of Hawaii is usually just referred to as the Big Island. And, it is big…at 4,028 square miles, it is bigger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined!
The Big Island offers a more varied and laid back vibe than Oahu or Maui. It is home to the tallest (from the base at the ocean) volcano in the world, Mauna Kea. There are cowboys and cattle; coffee plantations; five volcanos, three of them classified as active; green, black, and white beaches; waterfalls and flowers. It is rightly called paradise!
I’m Joeann Fossland, a travel writer from Tucson, Arizona living in the beautiful Sonoran Desert. Surprisingly, Tucson and the west side of the Big Island both get about the same amount of rain each year: 7 inches. In most other ways, however, they are completely different. I’ve visited all the major islands of Hawaii and the Big Island is my ultimate happy place. Since 1992, my husband and I have visited over 20 times, staying 2-4 weeks each trip.
Creating memorable trips with my family, sometimes 10 or more, is one of my delights. One year, on a drive around the island, I insisted all screens get left behind. You can imagine the complaints, but Grandma was in charge! I created a contest and gave them all paper and pencils to count how many different animals they saw. When we were done, the four older kids had counted 23, 27, 28, 39. The youngest counted 256, counting EVERY cow or horse in the field he could see, instead of it being just one kind of animal! We laughed and I declared him the winner over the protests of the others!
Over the decades, I’ve learned to maximize the time we spend without it being crazy expensive. I do like luxury though. Careful planning leaves money left over to splurge on the really unique experiences. I know it is possible to visit the Big Island on a budget, and I want to help you make that happen. (By the way, if Oahu is more your style, Gypsy With a Day Job also has an Oahu Budget Guide!)
This Big Island Budget Guide includes:
- Getting the best deal on your flight to Hawaii.
- Lodging on the Big Island
- Eating on a budget in Hawaii
- Free things to do on the Big Island (and cheap things)
- Capturing your Big Island memories
So, how about you? Are you ready? Here are my Big Island insider tips so you can go too!
Getting the Best Deal on Your Flight to Hawaii
The cost to fly to Hawaii from Mainland US, or any other continent, will probably be one of your biggest expenses. Search at least two to three months out. Southwest Airlines started flying to Hawaii last year and the result has been the lowest fares in years.
There are direct flights into Kona and Hilo from the major departure cities in the US. However, flights with several legs or going through Honolulu will be cheaper. From Tucson, where we live, flying to Phoenix, Los Angeles, and even Seattle and then onto the Big Island can sometimes save a couple hundred dollars.On the other side of the world, flights from Australia have the best prices.
You can use your frequent flyer miles, if you have them. When I do that, I’ll book my flight at the best price I can find since I have Million Mile status on American and will get access to the upgraded seats. Then I use frequent flier miles for my husband. A phone call to customer service will get my husband upgraded at no charge since he is traveling with me. I reserve a window and an aisle seat and most of the time, no one sits between us. Don’t waste your frequent flyer miles when the airfare is really low!
Budget Tip: If you travel often and/or want to be kept up to date on great sales to locations all over the world, check outScott’s Cheap Flightsor Dollar Flight Club.Both offer a free and a premium version depending on what your needs are.
Budget Tip: Places to do searches for the best fares are: Skyscanner, AirFare Watchdog, Momondo, kiwi.com, Cheapoair, AirWander, JetRadar and, of course, Google Flights .
Budget Tip: If you want to use Frequent Flier Miles, lock them in about 6 months ahead. The available seats go away or get a lot more expensive closer to your stay.
Lodging on the Big Island
A hotel room, a bed and breakfast, an AirBnb (or other vacation rental), or a timeshare unit? I’ve stayed on the west coast, everywhere from Kona to Hawi, as well as a few nights in Hilo. The first years I visited, I searched for bargain hotels rooms. Then I stayed in a timeshare unit and got totally spoiled. Food is expensive in Hawaii. So, a kitchen saves lots of money. Coupled with private bedrooms, a laundry and extra room, a timeshare is a bargain.
The Big Island has lots of AirBnbs and Bed and Breakfast choices. What you often give up on the cheapest is the proximity to the beach. Check Google Maps for exact locations so you don’t end up 30 minutes or more from the beach. After all, I’m guessing time on the beach or snorkeling might be important to you.
Budget Tip: Timeshares….oh, the good, the bad and the ugly! Three times we have received a free week at a timeshare property and had a beautiful unit! These are 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units with kitchens, washer and dryers, and lanais (porches). If you qualify (based on credit and income) and get invited, this is a great deal if you can keep saying “NO” for 90 minutes. And….you MUST do that.
Budget Tip: When they are not full, timeshare inventory is available at inexpensive, fixed rates called Open Season. You can usually search these deals within a 30 day window of your stay.
If a timeshare option is not right for you, you can check the best prices on vacation rentals right now, and even make your reservation. Remember to check the map, so you are staying in a location near the experiences you want to have on the island.
Food on The Big Island
Food is expensive on the Big Island, especially in the restaurants. While you may want to splurge a few times to check out local eats, if you eat out three times a day, you can easily spend over $100 per person. Having that kitchen makes your entire trip much, much more affordable.
Budget Tip: After you get off the airplane, make your first stop the Costco a couple miles south of the airport. They carry fresh caught fish, poke, and all the chocolate covered macadamias you might need. Just be careful in assessing how much food you will eat during your stay. The first few times we did this, we bought way too much food. This must be common because one of the informational flyers in our unit indicated that unopened jars or packages would be donated to the local food bank.
On a typical day, I’ll cook a breakfast of fish and eggs and fresh pineapple and enjoy it on the lanai listening to the birds chirping. Then, a late lunch of a sandwich or salad from our kitchen and a Happy Hour for dinner. Sometimes, we make the lunch our meal out for the day. Then I like to drive to Waimea to get the best burger on the island at The Village Burger.
Splurge: If you’ve never experienced a luau, realize it will be expensive (over $100 per person). You are paying for the entire cultural experience as well as the food. You might decide this is a splurge worth doing.
Budget Tip: The Waikoloa Marriott’s Sunset Luau is held outside in the courtyard of the hotel. It coincides with happy hour time at the bar. Order a drink and some appetizers. Then, take them upstairs to the comfy couches in lobby balcony to watch the show. The sun turns the sky orange and pink as the sunset show begins. You might even see the green flash when the sun drops below the horizon. You can also walk over and sit on the lawn close by.
Budget Tip: Happy Hours abound. Two of my favorites are Seafood Bar and Grill and Tommy Bahamas Restaurant. There are several choices in Kona. Here are some of the best. You’ll get your Mai Tais for $5-$7 each at happy hour prices. Small dishes, called pupus, such as Oyster Shooters, Coconut Shrimp, and sliders will all give you a taste of the Island. I’m never hungry for dinner after this.
Getting Around on the Big Island
Booking a rental car a couple of months out is the best way to go. Unless you plan to just lie on the beach, you will need a car. If you want to be cool, you can get a Jeep for off road or a convertible. Renting an economy car is just fine for me. Often I am upgraded to a standard car because all their economy cars are out. Unless you plan to spend a lot of time driving around, go economy and splurge on other things. If there are more than 2 of you on the trip, don’t get a convertible because they can’t see anything from the back seat. I made this mistake with grandkids along one trip and ended up taking the car back the next day.
As we were driving into Kona one day, my husband says,”Look at that.” He was pointing to an old, long haired hippie peddling a bike loaded with stuff and even a trailer behind with more stuff. Next thing I knew, the car in front of me had stopped the traffic and I had rear-ended it.
There’s nothing worse on vacation to have to deal with replacing a car and being on the phone with claims, except to find out your credit card didn’t have the coverage you thought it did.
Budget tip: Review your credit card perks before you go and make sure you are using one that covers the deductible in any accidents. That situation cost me $1000 out of pocket because I THOUGHT my American Express covered that and it didn’t!
Budget Tip: is to use AutoSlash. Not just for Hawaii, but anywhere you might need a car, they will find you the best rate. Then they monitor it, so if the prices goes down between the time you’ve made the reservation and when you get there, you can rebook the lower rate. You pay when you pick up the car and can cancel if you need to.
Budget Tip: If more than one of you will be driving, book your car with Costco. Their rates are usually very competitive and a second driver is free.
Ah, The Many Free Things To Do on the Big Island
(And a few cheap things too.)
The Big Island is big and has so much to see. Many adventures and sites are free. Just being there is all I need to unwind and relax and I try not to overplan site seeing so I can do that. Don’t think you have to sign up for tours to enjoy all the Big Island has to offer. In fact, many of the tours will have you paying for something you can do for free on your own! You just need your rental car and a plan! At the airport, you’ll find many free guidebooks with maps, information and schedules of events and music. Most also include coupons to save you money.
Tennis on the Big Island
My husband and I are tennis players, and having somewhere to play is important wherever we travel. We have played on most of the courts near Kona and the Kolaha Coast.
Budget Tip: Play before or after the Pro Shop opens or closes. We got up and on the courts by 6:45 AM this year to save the $50 an hour charge at The Mauna Kea. We’ve also played on the Hilton Waikoloa courts after 4:30 in the afternoon when their Pro Shop closes. Neither of those courts get locked up, so it is easy to show up at the right time and play for free!
Golf on the Big Island
There are 16 golf courses on the Big Island. Plenty of them are really expensive, but you can golf affordably at the municipal course in Hilo or the Hamakua Country Club. Or, maybe this is a splurge for you.
Budget Tip: Hamakua Country Club is in the town of Honokaa an hour northwest of Hilo. Honokaa Country Club is over 90 years old and the second oldest on the island. It’s just $20 for the entire day, regardless of how many holes you play or how long you stay on the course. Kids under 17 golf for free, and if there’s no one manning the golf course clubhouse, just drop a $20 in the slot for your round since the greens fees run on the honor system.
Whale Watching on the Big Island
My favorite winter activity is watching the humpback whales jump and breech. From November until April, about 11,000 of these beautiful animals migrate here to give birth in the warm waters. A drive up the Kohala Coast from Waikoloa to Hawi during the winter months will usually result in one or more sitings from the shore. Keep on the lookout for spouts and splashes. (Please pull over or have your shotgun partner do the looking!) Seeing cars on the side of the road is a good indicator of whales to be seen. It is hard to catch on camera, but it is truly incredible!
Budget Tip: Bring binoculars from home, if you have a pair.
Splurge: This is one activity worth the splurge at least once in your life to see these majestic animals up close. Avoid the party boats, unless that interests you. Whale watching boats will take you out near the whales for about $100 per person. Kohala Divers out of Kawaihae has a good reputation.
Sunset and the Green Flash
As the sun dips below the horizon, the famous green flash can be seen on a day with the right conditions. I was staying at the Waikoloa Marriott with my daughter and granddaughter, Lily, who was about 12. I had told her about the green flash. The day had been exceptionally free of clouds. We sat on our balcony and watched the sun dip down until WOW! There it was! So, I spoiled her into thinking it was a common occurrence.
The truth is, a lot of people who live on Hawaii that have never seen it. In over 20 trips, I’ve only seen it twice. The first time was on a boat for a sunset cruise. Still, stopping at sunset and appreciating the beauty is worth the challenge, green flash or not.
A Day Trip to North Kohala
The drive on Highway 19 north up the Kohala Coast from Kona, brings you to the quaint and quirky town of Hawi. There is a 3 block long main street with local artists and wares, and yummy macadamia ice cream. One of the Island’s best restaurants, Bamboo Restaurant, has great island style cuisine, and live music many days.
A few miles beyond Hawi is Kapaʻau. there is a 9 foot tall statue and museum commemorating the birthplace of King Kamehameha the Great. (You may have already read about the Hawaiian royalty in our 7 Day Oahu Itinerary.) A few more blocks of fun shops with locally made jewelry, clothes and paintings. If you keep driving, you come to the Pololū Valley Overlook and trailhead to the half mile hike down to a black sand beach, and a bit further down the road, the Waipio Valley Lookout.
Big Island Beaches
Ah, yes…. then there are the beaches! This may be why you came. You’ll find, white, green and black sand beaches on the Big Island.
White Beaches
Hapuna Beach is big and beautiful with lots of white sand. Right off of Highway 19 with lots of parking. A $5 parking fee for the day is charged to non-residents. There is a restaurant right there with great fish tacos. We usually take a picnic from our Costco run. Bring (or rent) a beach chair and spend the day sunning and enjoying the surf.
Black Beaches
One of the most beautiful black sand beaches is Punalu’u beach, and, of course, up the Kohala Coast past Hawi is thePololu Valley hike .
Green Sand Beaches
Papakōlea Green Sand Beach is right past South Point, the most southern point in the US. This is a green sand beach populated with giant turtles. It take a 2.5 mile of a hike and then a climb down cliffs to get there.
All beaches in Hawaii are public, even in front of a gated hotel. You just have to be creative or walk a ways.
Budget Tip: For instance, Mauna Kea Hotel has a designated number of free parking spaces which get filled up quite early in the day. Once they are filled, they will turn you away at the guard gate. You can get through though by saying you are meeting someone or having lunch there.
Splurge: You may need to valet park, but the Mauna Kea beach is worth it.
Hiking on the Big Island
If you like to hike, you’ll find trails from easy to difficult, and they will lead you to stunning locations that can’t be accessed any other way. Hiking is one of the best free things to do on the Big Island. You can choose from caldera rims, desert-like lava fields, cave-like lava tubes, gorgeous lookout points, and lush rainforest. A favorite is the waterfalls.
There are 14 different state parks on the Big Island, most with hiking trails. (If you view their website, be sure to switch to list, rather than map, to get the full list.) Of those 14, 10 are free to enter, and 3 cost $5 per vehicle.
Farmers Markets
There is a farmer’s market on some part of the island almost every day. They are good place to get fruit, honey and coffee for your stay. My favorite is in Hilo on Saturdays and Wednesdays with over 100 vendors. Not limited to food and coffee, this market has lots of crafts, jewelry, and local clothes at the best prices.
Budget Tip: Get your souvenirs here instead of at the pricier tourist shops. Long strands of pearls can be purchased for $20, with earrings to match for $5. Island printed wraps can be found for $10 or $12
A Day Trip to Hilo, or around the Big Island
This will take about 4-5 hours driving, depending on which route you take and then additional time for the stops along the way. You will likely come across all sorts of beautiful places you would like to stop and explore, or take a few photos. Do this on a Wednesday or a Saturday so you can take advantage of the Hilo Farmer’s Market.
Kilauea Volcano
The most active volcano in the world is here on the Big Island. For over 30 years, it’s been venting an erupting. Right now after violent eruptions in 2018 that displaced over 600 families, the volcano is quiet. Check out the latest government updates before you go. A visit to the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is worth the time away from the beach.
It my be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you can’t miss it while you are here! Entrance to the park is $25 per vehicle for a 7 day pass. Beyond the surreal landscapes, visitors centers and trails, there are free ranger led programs and a Junior Ranger program,
Capturing Your Big Island Memories
When I get back home, I sometimes use the Shutterfly app to create photo books to capture those memories so we can document and remember the fun we had. If you have spent your life dreaming of your trip to Hawaii, you definitely want to remember it! (But you may find that it is so easy to visit the Big Island on a budget that you will be planning your next trip on the way home!)
Plan Your Hawaii Trip Now!
If Hawaii is on your bucket list, hopefully my Big Island insider tips have shown you that you can afford it! Put together an itinerary of the free things to do on the Big Island, set a date, and do it. Hopefully, we can meet on the beach some afternoon, filled with peacefulness, breathing in the flower scented air, watching the whales or the waves roll in, waiting to see the Green Flash!
Looking for other Hawaii Information?? We have lots!
- Spending a Week in a Oahu- a 7 Day Oahu Itinerary
- Fabulous things to do in Oahu North Shore
- Oahu Budget Guide!
- A Big Island Road Trip
- Visiting Maui- A 5 Day Maui Itinerary
- A Lifelong Dream of a Trip to Hawaii
- Cruising Kauai
- The Grand Canyon of the Pacific – Seeing Waimea Canyon
- A NaPali Coast Boat Tour
- Coming Soon- Visiting Kauai- A 5 Day Kauai Itinerary
We LOVE it when You PIN it!
About the Joeann Fossland
“If you’re not enjoying yourself, you’re doing it wrong” is Joeann’s motto. Bitten by the travel bug in the 70’s and she spent a year traveling the country with two small children. Since then, she has lived in a tipi at 8500’ with no running water or electricity for 18 months, explored 4 continents, 26 countries and dozens of beaches and islands. Seduced by her love of travel, Joeann loves to share travel insights and adventures to inspire others to make their dreams come true. You can find more from Joeann on her website, Joeann’s View, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.
