Planning a Hawaii Vacation? Do These 7 Things Before Booking Anything Else
Planning a Hawaii vacation can get overwhelming fast, especially when you start with hotels, activities, restaurants, and reservations before deciding the bigger pieces of the trip.
✅ Free Hawaii Trip Planning Checklist
In this episode, I’m walking through the 7 decisions I would make first when planning a Hawaii trip, and the order I’d make them in.
You’ll learn how to:
- Set your trip guardrails before you start booking
- Choose the right Hawaiian island, or islands
- Decide how many nights you actually have to work with
- Pick your home base before choosing a hotel
- Identify the reservations that are hardest to move
- Build the skeleton of a realistic Hawaii itinerary
- Add activities, food, transportation, and open time without overplanning
Whether this is your first Hawaii vacation or you’ve visited before, this episode will help you plan in a way that makes the whole trip fit together better.
Free Hawaii Trip Planning Checklist
If you’re looking for practical Hawaii travel tips, Hawaii vacation planning advice, and realistic itineraries, follow Hawaii’s Best so you don’t miss the next episode.
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Full show notes available here.
🎙️ Got a Hawaii question you’d like answered? Send me a short voice message. Your question may be answered on an upcoming episode of Hawaii’s Best.
Related Episodes:
- How Early Should You Plan a Hawaii Trip?
- How to Build a Hawaii Itinerary That Actually Feels Like a Vacation
- How Many Days You Actually Need in Hawaii?
_Related Article:
- What is the Best Island to Visit in Hawaii? Take the Quiz
- Hawaii Reservations and Fees 2026: What You Need to Book
_Chapters:
- 2:50 Decision One Guardrails
- 4:19 Decision Two Choose Island
- 6:48 Decision Three Count Days
- 8:15 Decision Four Pick Base
- 9:56 Decision Five Book Anchors
- 12:11 Decision Six Itinerary Skeleton
- 13:53 Decision Seven Fill Details
- 15:31 Recap
Episode sponsored by Terraformation.
Terraformation is restoring a native Hawaiian forest at ʻIole in North Kohala on Hawaiʻi Island (the Big Island). Your support helps native trees grow from seed to canopy. As the forest takes root, it helps restore habitat and protect Hawaiʻi’s water and reefs.
🌳 Help grow the forest: hawaii.startaforest.com
Use promo code BEST for 15% off your first month or first year.
_🌴 Plan Your Hawaii Trip With Bryan
About Your Host: Bryan Murphy is the founder of Hawaii’s Best Travel & a Hawaii Destination Expert through the Hawaii Tourism Authority, since 2020. An HVCB member since 2019, he helps first-time & repeat visitors plan respectful Hawaii vacations w/ clear, prac
