What to Know Before Visiting Hawaii This Summer in 2026

Is your Hawaii trip this summer already locked in, or are you still guessing at what things actually cost and what's happening on the islands right now?

Prices, crowds, ocean conditions, and even the volcano have all shifted since spring, and traveling without that current picture can cost you real money and real frustration.

👉 Hit play now and get a clear, current breakdown of summer 2026 in Hawaii so you can plan smarter before peak pricing and peak crowds fully kick in.

If you've ever wondered how to stretch your budget and avoid the rookie mistakes during peak season, this episode is for you. I walk through the real numbers and real conditions so you leave knowing exactly what to expect and what to book first.

In this episode of Hawaii's Best, I break down the current state of the islands this summer so you can travel smarter, spend less, and stress less.

👉 In this episode, you will:

• Understand where hotel and rental car pricing actually stands island by island right now
• Learn what the volcano, ocean conditions, and hurricane season mean for your trip
• Know which reservations you need to lock in before you land

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Scroll up ⬆️ and hit play now to get the honest, current summer 2026 Hawaii travel picture before your trip.

🎧 Related episodes:

• Kauai Travel Guide
• Oahu Travel Guide
• Maui Travel Guide
• Big Island Travel Guide
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Itinerary

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💻 Related blog posts:

• 2026 Trip Planning Calculator
  
  

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🤓 Chapters:

• 1:23 Timing the Value Window
• 2:51 Hotel Price Reality
• 4:39 Rental Car Crunch
• 5:52 Kilauea Eruption Update
• 7:08 Ocean Safety and Swells
• 8:28 Hurricane Season Outlook
• 9:34 Flight Routes and Deals
• 10:49 Crowds Spending and Reservations
• 13:18 Wrap Up

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👉 Book a Hawaii Travel Consultation

About Your Host: Bryan Murphy is the founder of Hawaii’s Best Travel & a Certified Hawaii Destination Expert through the Hawaii Tourism Authority, since 2020. An HVCB member since 2019, he helps first-time & repeat visitors plan unforgettable Hawaii vacations w/ clear, practical advice & authentic cultural insight.

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Hawaii travel podcast helps you plan a trip to Hawaii with clarity. Discover practical travel tips, island itineraries, & local insight to help you explore Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island.

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Transcript

240_What to Know Before Visiting Hawaii This Summer in 2026

[00:00:00] Summer 2026 Snapshot

[00:00:00] Bryan Murphy: As I'm putting together this episode, Kila Wela just wrapped up its 49th episode of its eruption, and the prediction is that the next episode could kick off just right around the corner as the time of this episode goes live. That's the kind of right now detail that matters. With Hawaii travel planning, the islands are literally alive and what's true, and may might not be true in June.

[00:00:22] Bryan Murphy: So in this. Episode, I want to give you the real current picture of what's happening in Hawaii this summer, where the crowds are, where the prices are, what the volcano and the weather are actually doing, and a few things to know if you were booking a trip to Travel Smart this summer to Hawaii.

[00:00:41] Bryan Murphy: Loha, and welcome to Hawaii's Best. I'm Brian Murphy, Hawaii, destination expert, and your personal guide to planning an unforgettable trip to Hawaii. If this is your first time joining me on this. Podcast. Welcome. I'm so glad you're here. And if you've been here for a while, welcome back. Today's episode, I guess, is kind of one of those state of the islands check-in moments.

[00:01:01] Bryan Murphy: I like to do these a few times a year because Hawaii travel is not static. Prices, shift conditions change, and what was a great deal in April can be sold out by July. So let's get into exactly where things stand heading into the heart of this summer 2026. Because I know many of you are probably gonna be visiting the island sometime this summer.

[00:01:23] Timing the Value Window

[00:01:23] Bryan Murphy: So tip number one, we're kind of at the edge of this quote value window. So if you're still deciding when to go, here's something useful I think that would be helpful, is that travel data is showing that visitor volume. Pricing start ramping up like right after June 20th, and that builds towards a peak around 4th of July.

[00:01:45] Bryan Murphy: So if you're booking for say the next week or two, you're still catching a bit of a, maybe a little bit break of price before things to get into full summer. Mode. I said it before, like early June can kind of be like a sleeper cell, if you will, because crowds aren't really at peak summer yet, and chances are, if you have family like I do, kids are out already by that time and that first week or 2nd of June might be a great time to go.

[00:02:13] Bryan Murphy: I know we're already past that win for this year, but if you're planning for 20, 27 or beyond, that's something to kind of keep in the back of your mind. Really after that, after 4th of July, you're in peak season pricing and peak season crowds through early August kind of easing up once schools get back in session on the islands and on the continent.

[00:02:34] Bryan Murphy: So this matters because Hawaii doesn't really have an. Off season really anymore the way that it used to. But there are definitely some ebbs and flows throughout the year. So if your dates are flexible at all, even shifting a week or two can really make a difference.

[00:02:51] Hotel Price Reality

[00:02:51] Bryan Murphy: Alright, number two, talking a little bit about hotel and resort pricing reality throughout all the island's.

[00:02:57] Bryan Murphy: Average nightly hotel rate. Currently, from what I've seen with the data, is somewhere around $370 a night during this summer. Now that's average. I know I've stayed at many places well above that maybe you have as well. And I've also stayed at places that are below that, depending on the time of year, but that.

[00:03:17] Bryan Murphy: Number hides a lot of variation by islands. So on Oahu it tends to run a little bit lower, especially staying in Waikiki area. The average there is, what I'm seeing is, is around 250 to $300 a night just because there's more inventory and a wider mix of property. You can get usually a better deal if you're staying in Waikiki.

[00:03:41] Bryan Murphy: Now, Maui, on the other hand, has been running, you know, considerably higher. So we're talking about at least 500 plus a night on average in a lot of, you know, of those resort areas because Maui's overall room supply is still smaller. Maui's just more expensive. It's more sought after it's thought of a more luxury type of island.

[00:04:03] Bryan Murphy: But also the inventory isn't as much. So now these are averages. Don't come after me. These, these aren't quotes or anything like that. Your actual rate depends on the property, the island, and how far out in advance you book. If you put in a budget together, these are ranges that kinda give you a good ballpark.

[00:04:21] Bryan Murphy: I also have a 2026 trip planning calculator that I'll link below in the show notes too. That will be helpful. It's free to use, no need to give me your email or anything like that. Just go ahead, follow the link below and you can just type in your numbers and just keep running that calculator until it makes sense and the math, maths.

[00:04:39] Rental Car Crunch

[00:04:39] Bryan Murphy: Number three is we see this usually around high peak seasons and rental cars are tight again this summer. Really rental car are one of those things that catches a lot of first time Hawaii visitors off guard, and really this summer is no exception. During these peak weeks, daily rates can run anywhere between like 200 to $300 a day, depending on the island, depending on the type of car, and on islands with less rental.

[00:05:05] Bryan Murphy: Supply like Kui or the big island, that squeeze is even tighter this year. So outside of peak weeks, you can sometimes find rates down as low as 40 to $85. I think the lowest I've ever paid is like maybe 60, $65 a day. So that kinda shows you how much the price can fluctuate. So my advice on this hasn't changed.

[00:05:28] Bryan Murphy: Book your rental car as. Early as you possibly can, because availability, we've seen this over the past years, especially on Maui. I think it was a couple years ago where supply was way down. So the risk is, is real. And especially on islands like Maui, Kui or the big island, you definitely need to get a rental car.

[00:05:48] Bryan Murphy: So get that in, lock that in as. Fast as you can.

[00:05:52] Kilauea Eruption Update

[00:05:52] Bryan Murphy: Alright, number four, KI in Hawaii. Volcanoes National Park on the big island has been in this episodic, so kind of start and stops eruption pattern for, for months now. It's been short, intense eruptive episodes. Some of these huge fountains. You've probably seen some of the pictures, some of the videos.

[00:06:08] Bryan Murphy: Really cool. And as of mid-June, the volcano is in one of those pause periods sitting in a quote advisory alert right now. So scientists are watching that. But here's the thing to kind of take from this is, you know, don't feel like, don't be worried. You don't, you don't need it canceled or it. Your trip to the big island, there isn't any advisory risk to that.

[00:06:29] Bryan Murphy: If you don't wanna see lava though, you just need to keep in mind that the best time for viewing lava is gonna be early morning or you know, in the evening time because, well, you can see the glow and the, the lava, but you can still see it at night. If there's a fountain, big old fountain going, you can still see it.

[00:06:45] Bryan Murphy: But keep in mind, if there's lava, there's crowds, especially during summer, it is just gonna be more waiting and bigger lines. So. Be aware of that. Plan a full day if you do wanna go over to the national park, I just did a full episode about that, so I'll link that below. Spending one day in the park and also, uh, kind of a big island travel guide.

[00:07:06] Bryan Murphy: Both will be linked below.

[00:07:08] Ocean Safety and Swells

[00:07:08] Bryan Murphy: The next one is. Really important, especially visiting Hawaii for the first time. And it's just understanding ocean conditions. So high surf and, and tides are a real factor, especially on the south facing shores. This swell starts to pick up a little bit. There's been this high surf advisory for the last little while and King Tide events this season that have made certain beaches more dangerous than they look.

[00:07:33] Bryan Murphy: So summer in Hawaii often means South facing shores. Picking up swell. And this combined with these king tides, which are just like these unusually high natural tides, you can easily surprisingly get strong shore break and currents even on days that look calm and sunny. So my advice here applies to, to both is one, you never want to turn your back on the ocean.

[00:08:00] Bryan Murphy: That's just like one on one. Never turn your back to the ocean. Respect posted warning flags and signage and if. A lifeguard or local tells you a spot isn't safe that day. Believe them. They don't want to go out and have to rescue you even if the everything looks calm, they know. So heed their warnings.

[00:08:21] Bryan Murphy: Hawaii's beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world. Maybe you're going to Hawaii just for the beaches, and they also deserve real respect.

[00:08:28] Hurricane Season Outlook

[00:08:28] Bryan Murphy: Next when I did an article recently about the hurricane season, it's in Hawaii. It's, it's officially underway and it is projected to be an above average hurricane season.

[00:08:39] Bryan Murphy: I did a post all about that and uh, it went semi viral on social media, and it's not to scare anybody, it was just. Reading what forecasters are saying. So basically what they're saying is Central Pacific hurricane season, it runs basically from like June through November, and this year forecasters are calling it an above average season.

[00:09:02] Bryan Murphy: So that's something like a 70% chance. Of above normal activity with an expected range of five to 13 named hurricanes in the Central Pacific. So that doesn't mean Hawaii is expected to get a direct hit. In most years, the islands track a season without hurricane hitting island, but it does mean it's smart to keep an eye on the news during your trip.

[00:09:26] Bryan Murphy: I'll do my best to update that as well if there's anything in the forecast, but that says something to just be aware of.

[00:09:34] Flight Routes and Deals

[00:09:34] Bryan Murphy: For flights this summer, there's a lot more options, especially if you live in SoCal like I do. Southwest has been kind of making a run towards, uh, just kind of competing back in the Hawaii game, competing against with Alaska.

[00:09:47] Bryan Murphy: And they've opened up new routes, actually won pretty local to me and Ontario. They, they now have a direct Ontario, California to Honolulu, you know, so if you want, if you're a fan of Southwest or if you just want a cheaper way to get there, that might be. Good looking at Alaska, Hawaiian have also opened up some new routes at Burbank.

[00:10:06] Bryan Murphy: So if you're in the valley, those are some options as well. Actually did a full post all about the new flights, but one of my friends just texted me, he said he is, he got like a really great deal and he is going to Maui in like two weeks. So they're out there. I know Southwest just did a big deal, a big, uh, week of Wow or something.

[00:10:25] Bryan Murphy: I think that's what they're called. But honestly, your biggest spin for your Hawaii trip isn't gonna be flights. It's gonna be your hotel, your resort. So just keep that in mind. I know a lot of attention gets made on flights and getting good flight deals, that's important and that's good, but really it's gonna be about your hotel and where you're gonna kind of make home base.

[00:10:49] Crowds Spending and Reservations

[00:10:49] Bryan Murphy: Now the bigger. Picture. I've seen conflicting reports where visitor numbers are down, but spinning is up. I've also seen reports saying that visitors are, are up and spinning is up. The gist of it is spinning is obviously up because things are more expensive. I think a lot of people read those reports or maybe the officials report and like, Hey, people are spending more money.

[00:11:11] Bryan Murphy: Well, I think the, the reality is, hey, it's just more expensive. So when you see those numbers, it feels like a lot of people aren't traveling as often to Hawaii, at least from what I'm picking up on. And just kind of like on the ground conversations on the ground, meaning like dms and emails and stuff like that.

[00:11:29] Bryan Murphy: You see a lot of people in forums and in groups saying like, yeah, I'm, I'm not gonna be traveling to Hawaii anytime soon. Because they just don't have it in the budget or they're kind of getting tired of all the new rules and and reservation requirements. And I've done episodes on that and, and that's a real thing.

[00:11:48] Bryan Murphy: Maybe sometime I'll dive more into that because I'm seeing more exhausted travelers. Mainly repeat people who have been going to the islands like I have for like, you know, 20 plus years seeing the change and seeing more hoops. Now I'm glad to learn the hoops and jump through the hoops, but it can be exhausting and we're once to not pack our itinerary.

[00:12:10] Bryan Murphy: So if you are visiting this summer, you do want to make sure that. You know, if you are wanting to go to Diamondhead or if you want to go to HA and State Park, those types of places are gonna be requiring advanced reservations. You know, Halala Sunrise is gonna be advanced reservations, so that's something you're gonna want to check.

[00:12:31] Bryan Murphy: Any activity that you want to do that's on your itinerary, just double check that. You know, you don't need a reservation for it because I would hate for you to get all the way to Hawaii and just, you know, get turned away. You get up early and you go do Akala sunrise, and you get turned away at the gate.

[00:12:48] Bryan Murphy: I don't want that to happen to you. So everything you do, just double check with official sites, what reservation you need, when you need to make it, and how you need to make it. I've been doing my best at creating like a tool that helps you do that. A lot of it is changing, so I'm kind of waiting The next, uh, month or two I'll be releasing that, but I'm just kind of waiting for some of these things because there are some new reservations coming.

[00:13:13] Bryan Murphy: And, uh, once I have that out, I will let you know to help you with your trip planning.

[00:13:18] Wrap Up and Aloha

[00:13:18] Bryan Murphy: So if you are traveling to Hawaii this summer, I would love to hear from you. Go ahead and send me a dm. At Hawaii's best on Instagram and uh, be happy to, uh, answer any of your questions that way. So thanks again for joining me on this episode.

[00:13:35] Bryan Murphy: I hope, I hope that it was helpful for you if you're planning to visit Hawaii this summer or any summer. And if it was just go ahead and hit follow on your podcast app and then you will get notified the next time I release an episode, which will be this coming Tuesday. Alright, so until next time, as always, live with Aloha

[00:14:00] Bryan Murphy: Mahalo for listening to Hawaii's Best. If you found today's episode helpful, make sure to hit follow on your podcast app so you don't miss future episodes. You can find all links and resources mentioned today in the show notes below. Hawaii's Best is produced by Shore Break Media Group. Edited by Easy Podcast Solutions and with music by our friends.

[00:14:18] Bryan Murphy: Stick to.