Hawaii
Closer, warmer, and still not cheap
8 nights from Salt Lake City. The picture is the island. The decision is where we sleep.
Oahu · first trip
Waikiki with Diamond Head in the frame
Easiest island. Walk to the beach, hike Diamond Head or Koko Head, one day on the North Shore for Ke Iki. Stay here all 8 nights.
Day trip, not the hotel
North Shore is a drive, not a stay
Surf, shrimp trucks, then Ke Iki Beach. Legal rentals up there are tight. Sleep in Waikiki, rent a car for this day.
North Shore · Ke Iki Beach
The beach on the North Shore day
Ke Iki sits between Shark's Cove and Pipeline. Wide sand, fewer people than the county parks. Swim and snorkel in summer. In winter, watch the shorebreak from the sand. No lifeguard tower. Street parking on Ke Iki Road, get there early.
If we go bigger · Maui
Haleakala, then the beach towns
Same week, about $2,000 more than Oahu. Stay in Kaanapali or Napili, not Wailea, unless the budget stretches.
Where to stay
One condo. Kitchen. All week.
Best first book · Waikiki condo
Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites, or Castle Waikiki Shore (the only condo on the sand). 1BR with a kitchen. About $250–$400 a night.
Easier hotel
Queen Kapiolani or an Outrigger. No kitchen, simpler. Mid-range room plus resort fees. Fine for a shorter week.
Skip for stay 1
North Shore houses (legal supply is thin). Ko Olina unless we want a resort bubble and a car every day.
Maui instead
Honua Kai on Kaanapali, or Napili Kai if we want smaller and quieter. Condo still beats a resort for food cost.
The number
$5,000–$7,500Two people, 8 nights on Oahu, mid-range, from SLC. 2026 planning range.
Maui for two, same length: about $7,000–$11,000. Hotel plus tax (about 14%) is the line that moves.
Mid-range for two, Oahu
Where the money goes
| Line | Low | High |
|---|
| Flights SLC–HNL (2) | $900 | $1,400 |
| Condo or hotel, 8 nights + tax | $2,000 | $3,400 |
| Rental car (4–5 days) | $350 | $700 |
| Food | $1,050 | $1,700 |
| Activities | $400 | $1,000 |
| Parking, tips, misc | $200 | $400 |
| Total | $4,900 | $8,600 |
Open questions
Decide these before booking
- Oahu condo first, or go straight to Maui
- Ilikai / Waikiki Shore vs a simpler hotel
- Car only for the North Shore day, or the whole week
- Just us, or this is the trip we take other people on
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (Waikiki, Diamond Head, Hawaiian coast, Pupukea sunset, Haleakala). Costs are 2026 ranges, not live quotes.