The Ultimate Guide on What to Pack for Hawaii

You’ve booked your trip to Hawaii, and you’re thrilled just thinking about all the amazing things you’ll see and do. You’re likely looking forward to relaxing beach days, luaus, sightseeing tours, hiking, sunset cruises, and more. With all these different activities planned, you may be wondering what to pack for your upcoming vacation. Well, never fear! Here’s your essential packing guide!

First, understand that Hawaii is a tropical – and casual – paradise, so leave your extravagant dresses and mile-high stiletto shoes at home! Hawaii has an “Aloha” spirit and relaxed vibe, so keep that in mind when you pack!

You’ll also want to consider your vacation priorities. Do you envision going on daily hikes? If so, pack plenty of hiking gear, like sturdy boots, athletic clothing, and bug repellant. Is your main goal to sit on the beach sipping fruity cocktails? Then, you can leave the hiking boots at home, but pack extra bathing suits and cover ups.

Here’s a list of what to pack for Hawaii:

The First Things to Pack

Travel Documents

Whether you’re flying or cruising into Hawaii, you’ll need valid ID, such as a driver’s license and/or passport. Also, compile all documents like boarding passes, travel itinerary, hotel information, including address, phone number, and confirmation number, transportation information, like details for the rental car or private transportation company, tour and dinner reservations, etc. Keep this information together and organized, either electronically on your smartphone or as hard copy documents. That way, you’ll have these essential details right at your fingertips when you need them.

Bathing Suit, Coverup, and Water Shoes

Bring comfortable bathing suits that you can move around in, since you’ll likely be active during your trip, swimming, surfing, paddleboarding, and kayaking. (This advice is also valid for anyone chasing small children on the beach or at the pool!) You’ll want to feel secure in your swimwear – and not be distracted trying to prevent a wardrobe malfunction! Ideally, bring at least two bathing suits so you can wear one while the other is drying. Also, pack a rash guard or wetsuit for water activities, which offer more sun protection than a bathing suit alone. Consider bringing water shoes, as well, especially for keiki (children) who will be exploring the beaches and ocean. Don’t bother bringing beach towels – your hotel will provide them.

Sunscreen, Sunglasses, and Wide-Brimmed Hats

The weather is gorgeous year-round in Hawaii, so you’ll be spending considerable time out in the sun. Since Hawaii is close to the equator, the sun’s rays are stronger here, so you’ll need proper sun protection to avoid getting sunburned. Bring (or buy) reef-safe, broad-spectrum sunscreen. Note that sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate are prohibited in Hawaii. Additionally, pack sunglasses with a UV400 rating or 100% UV protection, which blocks more than 99% of UVA and UVB radiation, as well as a wide-brimmed hat to protect your head, face, and neck from the sun.

What to Wear in Paradise

Casual Clothing

When packing your clothes, focus on casual, comfortable, lightweight items, like t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, and sundresses. It can get cool once the sun goes down, so pack a lightweight sweater or jacket for evening activities. Also, plan outfits according to the activities you’ll be doing. For instance, the fun Waikiki Luau at the Royal Hawaiian Center is an amazing, must-do experience, and attendees often wear tropical attire for this event. Pack Hawaiian shirts – locally known as “Aloha” shirts – or buy some when you get here, and you’ll fit right in at the luau. People tend to elevate their look a bit for cocktails, dinner, and nightlife, but they don’t get too dressed up. Khakis and a button down or golf shirt are perfect for men, and cute sundresses are ideal dinner attire for women. Tip: rather than packing items at random, plan outfits that you can mix and match. Stick to a basic color scheme so all your pieces coordinate. This gives you more options for outfit combinations. If you plan to hike, golf, sightsee, and/or workout, bring comfortable, sweat-wicking outfits. And don’t forget comfy pajamas or loungewear.

Comfortable Shoes

Pack casual, comfortable footwear, such as flip-flops for the beach, plus sturdy sneakers or walking shoes for full day sightseeing tours, like Royal Star Hawaii’s Ultimate Pearl Harbor Tour and Grand Circle Island Tour. You’ll need sturdy, closed-toe shoes if you’re going horseback riding, ziplining, or riding ATVs. Break in your hiking boots and golf shoes before wearing them here. And plan to wear loafers (for men) and sandals (for women) for dressier occasions.

Bring the Right Gear

Beach Bag, Backpack, and Cross-Body Bag

Bring a foldable (ideally waterproof) beach bag to transport whatever you’ll need for the day at the beach, like sunscreen, water, a book, and a hat. Hikers should bring a backpack for snacks, sunscreen, a water bottle, and other necessities. Many people use a small cross-body bag or fanny pack for sightseeing, shopping, and exploring the islands.

Rain Gear

While it’s mostly sunny in Hawaii, don’t get caught unprepared for wet weather, especially if you’re hiking, golfing, sight-seeing, or enjoying other outdoor adventures. A lightweight rain jacket and small umbrella will fit easily in your luggage. Keep in mind that the weather isn’t always perfect, as evidenced by the 200 Hawaiian words for rain.

Kids’ Stuff

Traveling with young children? Pack their diaper bag with extra diapers, wipes, snacks, bottles or sippy cups, books, and toys. Bring water safety gear, like life jackets or water wings, plus goggles and small pool toys, like dive sticks. If you’re traveling with infants or toddlers, make your life exponentially easier by renting gear like strollers, wagons, beach umbrellas, and coolers from Paradise Baby Co., a baby equipment rental company in Oahu.

More Essential Items You’ll Need

Toiletries

Hotels will provide the basics – soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion – so you can skip packing those items. Pack all other toiletries, including toothbrush/toothpaste, deodorant, razors, hairbrush, hair ties, hair styling products, contact lens solution, extra pairs of contact lenses, lip balm, face lotion, and feminine hygiene items. Bring minimal makeup because most people prefer a casual look in Hawaii. Hotels will have hairdryers, so no need to pack those, but if you need a hair straightener, curling iron, or other styling tools, pack them. Plus, bringing small packets of detergent makes it simple to handwash swimsuits and other items in the hotel sink.

Jewelry

Take a “less is more” approach with your jewelry. If you plan to accessorize, be sure your jewelry is waterproof and not valuable or sentimental in case it gets wet or lost during your island adventures. Keep your accessories casual to match the island vibes. Leave valuable and irreplaceable jewelry at home.

Medications

Bring prescription medications in your carryon luggage in case your suitcase gets misplaced during travel. Pack basic first-aid supplies like Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), stomach remedies (Tums, Imodium, Pepto-Bismol), allergy meds (Claritin, Zyrtec, Benadryl), Band-Aids, aloe lotion, bug spray for hikes, and calamine lotion for bug bites. Of course, you can buy anything you need in Hawaii, but it’s good to have the basics on hand so you won’t have to spend your precious vacation time running to the pharmacy for supplies. There are several ABC Stores throughout Waikiki however which are just footsteps away from all major hotels.

“Nice to Have” Extras

Organizational Items

Like The Home Edit team, we love a good organizational system! Packing cubes help organize your belongings, using different cubes for underwear, t-shirts, pajamas, etc. Then, when you get to your hotel, you can just place the full cubes into the dresser drawers for the easiest unpacking ever. Alternatively, consider packing an entire outfit – shirt, shorts, undies, socks – per cube so you have premade “kits” to grab daily, making it simple to get dressed and out the door. Decant daily medications into a travel pill case, so you can leave your full medicine bottles at home. Contain your jewelry with a compact travel case. Use a waterproof toiletry case with a hanger attachment that can hang from a bathroom hook, making everything easily accessible. Get small pouches to keep chargers and electronic cords organized, tangle-free, and tidy. Online sites like Amazon will have all the organizational gear you’ll need.

All the Extras

Don’t forget essential items like a phone charger or your prescription eyeglasses. Bring the “extras” to make your trip more enjoyable, like books or an e-reader, headphones, and a deck of cards. Bring a reusable water bottle (which will need to be empty to go through airport security). Toss pre-packaged snacks, like nuts, trail mix, and granola bars, into your carryon for the flight, but know that bringing fresh fruits and veggies into Hawaii may not be allowed. Other “nice to have” items include an air tag (put it inside your luggage to track it if your bag goes missing), a waterproof phone case (so your smartphone won’t get wet or damaged on the beach), and an underwater camera (to capture the vibrant marine life).

 Try not to overpack. You’ll want to avoid the dreaded overweight luggage fees at the airport, and you don’t want to be bogged down with big, heavy bags on your journey. Plus, leave some room in your luggage for Hawaiian souvenirs! Relax, knowing that if you forget something, you can buy it in Hawaii. And get excited for a wonderful vacation in our tropical paradise!