You can fly from the Big Island of Hawaii to Maui in just 33 minutes. From Maui, Oahu is just 37 minutes away. To get from Oahu to Kauai, it’s another short 37-minute flight.

With the major islands so close together, surely you can island hop to experience Volcanoes Park on the Big Island, Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Maui’s heavenly Road to Hana and Kauai’s breathtaking Napali Coast all on one trip, right?

Not so fast.

Hawaii island hopping isn’t as breezy as you’d guess. If you’re not careful, FOMI — fear of missing islands — can turn your tropical escape into a blur of airport security checkpoints, rental car agencies and hotel staff telling you your room won’t be ready for three more hours. But if you have the time and you use it wisely, you may be able experience a multi-island vacation. And if you plan right, you can use or earn points or miles for your trip.

How many Hawaiian islands can you see on one trip?

You could easily spend two or three weeks on one of the major Hawaiian islands and never run out of things to see and do. Adding a second island means you have to sacrifice doing something on your first island. Plus, from the time you start packing up to check out of your first island hotel until you’re checked in and ready to explore your second, you lose almost half a day — a good chunk of it spent in traffic, airports and rental car company shuttle buses.

To make the most of your time and successfully travel between Hawaiian islands, plan to visit no more than one island per week. If you have your heart set on a Maui vacation, but absolutely must see Pearl Harbor or Volcanoes Park, you could squeeze them both into an eight-day trip.

For anything less than eight or nine days, pick one island and just say no to future regret.

Which Hawaiian islands can you hop to?

The Hawaiian archipelago comprises 137 islands, but only six host the bulk of overnight visitors. Of these, four are major islands that are connected to the U.S. mainland by nonstop flights:

Oahu, home to Waikiki and Pearl Harbor.

Maui, home to Haleakala Crater and the Road to Hana.

The Big Island of Hawaii, home to Volcanoes National Park and Mauna Kea Observatory.

Kauai, home to the famous Napali Coast.

There are two other islands that you can get to via departure points within Hawaii:

Lanai, home to two secluded Four Seasons Resorts.

Molokai, home to Father Damien’s 19th-century colony for individuals with Hansen’s disease, which was called leprosy at the time.

A few uninhabited islands and islets are popular for snorkeling and kayaking on short day trips. For example, Maui visitors can book snorkel excursions to Molokini Crater.

List of Hawaii island-hopping airlines

You won’t find many ferries braving the choppy seas between the major islands in Hawaii, so flying is the best way to travel between Hawaiian islands. Only three airlines operate scheduled flights between them: Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Mokulele Airlines. The latter is owned by Southern Airways Express (if you do a Google flight search for interisland routes and see Southern Airways’ name, it’s a Mokulele flight).

So, for Hawaii island hopping flights, your choices are limited.

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines operates interisland flights to:

Honolulu International Airport on Oahu.

Kahului Airport on Maui.

Lihue Airport on Kauai.

Kona and Hilo airports on the Big Island.

The pandemic caused Hawaiian to suspend flights to Lanai and Molokai in early 2021, and the airline does not plan to revive those routes anytime soon.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest flies interisland to:

Oahu.

Maui.

Kona and Hilo on the Big Island.

Kauai.

Mokulele Airlines

Mokulele, whose name means “island hopper” in Hawaiian, flies to:

Oahu.

Maui.

Kona on the Big Island.

Molokai.

Lanai.

Mokulele is the only option for air travelers to Molokai and Lanai. You can book a seat on one of its 11 Cessna 208EX Grand Caravan propeller planes or charter a flight for groups or private tours. Scheduled flights include some smaller airports where Hawaiian won’t take you, like Hana on Maui and Kamuela-Waimea on the Big Island.

Can you island hop in Hawaii by boat?

Most islands are inaccessible by ferry, but Lanai is the exception. You can make the short sea voyage to this unspoiled piece of paradise from Maui.

If you're determined to travel by boat, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise lines offer itineraries that start and end in Hawaii, stopping at different islands on seven-night itineraries.