Hawaii for 4 – How Much Did We ACTUALLY spend?
I always dreamed of making my way to the Hawaii islands – the crowned jewel of the Pacific Ocean. But for one reason or another, I always ended up elsewhere. Some of it was hearing how overrated it was or how costly it could be. But I thought, “You know what, I bet I could do it affordably!” But could we do affordable AND luxury?
So I planned a trip with two different hotels – Aulani Resort and Hilton Hawaiian Village. They have similar offerings, but pretty different experiences, so we could compare and contrast. We also did a couple of scheduled activities and tried restaurants at different price points. This part one of my Hawaii series is an overview of our itinerary as well as a complete transparent breakdown of cost. That way you know just what to expect and can make the best decision for your family and needs on your visit to Hawaii!
Day 1: Arrival in Paradise
◦ Flew Into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport by way of Southwest Airlines. We got super cheap flights a few months back & while it isn’t luxurious by any means, Southwest is my old faithful. Especially when you’re going somewhere that involves water activities and you have to take ALL the things for the kids. Can’t beat 2 free checked bags per person! *COME BACK SOON for a link to some must have items to pack for Hawaii.*
Flight cost for 4: $1,184
◦ Jeep rental from Megalodon Motors on Turo – $484 for 4 days including the liability insurance (HIGHLY recommended & they don’t have an affiliate/referral program but if you book with them, tell Rick I sent you!) Way cheaper than a rental car place, such a fun, well taken care of car, and it was a hybrid so great on gas. *COME BACK SOON for a full review.*
◦ Lunch at Ulu cafe @ Aulani – $75ish. 2 meals and 2 refillable souvenir mugs.
◦ Night 1 we stayed at Aulani Disney Resort and Spa. We got a Standard Poolside Gardens View room with two queen beds. – * COME BACK SOON for details and our full Aulani Review.*
Cost for 1 night at Aulani including taxes, parking and resort fee: $787 (note this was for a Thursday night stay. Prices significantly increased to about $1200 after taxes and fees per night on the weekend)
Total cost day 1 (excluding Uber to airport because cost varies.): $2,530
Day 2: Resort Relaxation:
◦ Character breakfast at Makahiki – $160
◦ Back to room to change, pack up and store luggage. Check out at 11:00 a.m. but you can stay and play at the resort ALL DAY!
◦ Eat, swim, repeat. – $50ish (dole whip, shaved ice, mozzarella sticks – refillable drinks already included)
◦ 5:30 p.m. – check in at Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort – Waikiki Beach
◦ 6:45 – fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian Village (attempted but due to wind, the show was cancelled the night we were there)
◦ Dinner at Aoki – Teppanyaki style Japanese restaurant owned by Steve Aoki – $160 (service was good but food NOT worth it – come back for that review)
Total Cost Day 2 (minus souvenirs because I always go overboard): $370
Day 3: Jurassic Park
◦ Breakfast from onsite Starbucks (fastest Starbucks I’ve ever been to in my life, but also the most expensive). – $46.65 and we got two Venti caramel Frappuccino’s, two tall dragonfruit drinks, and a muffin
◦ Drive to Kualoa Ranch for Movie Site Tour (famous for being the filming location of Hollywood favorites including Jurassic Park, Jumanji, Kong Skull Island, and more) – $52 per adult, $37 per child – $200 after taxes
◦ Lunch at Kualoa Ranch (HUGE portions, consider splitting meals) – $70
◦ Swimming at the lagoon + leftovers from lunch
◦ Ice Cream at Dave’s – $45 – delicious banana splits with fun Hawaii inspired flavors
Total Cost Day 3: $361.65
Day 4: The Most Beautiful Views From High & Low
◦ Breakfast at Bogart’s Cafe – $35
◦ Diamond Head Hike – MUST RESERVE SPOT – $20 for walk up reservation, $15 for parking
◦ Leonards malasadas! – $30 for 12 assorted
◦ Pictures with UV Vision Photography at Kailua Beach (Sacramento photographers who we love dearly and do AMAZING work) – PRICELESS (but really I believe the standard shoot is $550 and worth every single penny and then some!) NOT including this in total cost because price varies on location/photographer.
◦ Round Table for dinner – we were tired, hungry and had to pack – $30
Total Cost Day 4: $115
Cost of 3 night stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach – $1624 via Costco
Day 5: Departure
◦ Mahalo Hawaii!
Total Trip Cost: $5,000.65 – NOT BAD!
Is it pricey? Yes. But can it be done with a mix of affordability AND luxury? Also yes! If you’re looking for a general choice between the two resorts, it’s kind of hard because they’re two very different vibes.
Aulani is luxury, as expected with Disney. The rooms themselves don’t scream fancy, but they are very appropriate for the price point (we also got the cheaper room). The amenities and service, however, top notch. Cast members of course make you feel like royalty, and the convenience of everything being connected to your room card makes it so easy. Also because of its exclusivity and private beach, it feels super safe. As mentioned, a full review is coming soon with way more details! If you have the extra money and want somewhere to just relax and enjoy the on site amenities, absolutely go Aulani!
On the other hand, Hilton Hawaiian Village is in fact a Village within an even bigger village. It has easy access to everything in Waikiki, and had more of a party energy when we arrived on a Friday night. The resort itself is kind of like an open campus, though, so pretty much anyone can walk up from the beach at any time. The beaches are crowded but it is alive into the night so there’s always something to do. If I was going without kids, or even going for a resort vibe but had a lot of off-site activities planned, this would be my choice. Especially at the lower price point.
Or you can do what we did and get a mix of both worlds, just to experience it all! Absolutely not an overrated place to visit and God willing we will be back again sometime. I’ll be breaking all of these activities down so if you think of any questions that I can answer to help you plan, pleased do not hesitate to reach out on any of our social media channels! I hope that this was helpful and look forward to hearing about your visit to the wonderful Hawaiian islands. Mahalo!
