They didn’t exactly put Hawaii in the most convenient location, but that’s part of the draw to the island chain. If you’re flying from the west coast of the US expect to spend about five to six hours in an airplane. This is a great time to get to know the person next to you just a little bit more 
I actually met a few great people on my trip over so why not make some friends along the way?
If that fails, or if you’re a bit shy, you can always bring a good book or listen to your whole ipod.
The long wait is worth it because as you depart your airplane you’ll be greeted by the warm air of the Pacific and the open air concept of the Honolulu International Airport. You’ll immediately feel like you’ve entered Hawaii because of the sea of flowered shirts, lays awaiting your newly arrived neck, and the rush of humidity as you enter the airport.
The airport is open air which means that there aren’t too many glass walls blocking you from the outside. As you make your way to the baggage claim you’ll notice an impressive courtyard garden in the middle of the airport with lush vegetation.
Right now let’s talk about how to get your jet lagged and eager self to the Waikiki area.
There are a ton of different options to get you into the Waikiki area. Busses, taxi (called cabs here), shuttles, or even walking if you’re super ambitious. The trek is about 9 miles and can be seen via the map at the bottom of this page. When I arrived I simply hailed a cab (this was at about midnight and I still had no issues) and told him my stay destination in Waikiki.
The total came out to about $45 for the cab ride into Waikiki. If you want to call ahead visit the cab website for contact info.
There are a plethora of options which I’m not going to list on here, but the Honolulu airport website has the whole list of options with phone numbers listed on their website. Check it out if you want to explore your options for transportation to Waikiki Beach from the airport.
Use the map below to see your travels from the Honolulu International Airport into Waikiki Beach.
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It’s about a 9 mile journey from the airport into Waikiki so you’re probably not going to walk it with all of your luggage!
Once you’ve landed realize that you’re almost there. Only baggage claim and a 15 minute cab ride are between you and your paradise stay!
If you have any stories or advice for getting to Waikiki Beach from the airport please feel free to share below.