Hawaii: Before You Go Guide (Printable + iPad)

Hawaii is easy to love, but it is expensive and full of rules that catch first-timers out: an agricultural declaration at the airport, reservations for the best sights, a new 2026 accommodation tax, and a hurricane season that just hit Kauai and the Big Island.

This printable guide puts everything you should know before a trip to Hawaii in one place, in short plain-English points, researched fresh in September 2026 with links to the official sites so you can double-check anything.

WHAT'S INSIDE

• Conditions right now: the September 2026 hurricanes, Kilauea and what is closed
• Entry, taxes and rules: ID, the agriculture declaration, reef-safe sunscreen law, the 2026 Green Fee and TAT, national park fees
• Getting there and between islands: airlines, inter-island flights, baggage, booking windows
• Getting around: rental cars, fees, buses, driving times and one-lane bridges
• Money, phone and power
• Ocean, weather and volcano safety
• Culture and etiquette: what to do and not do on the islands
• Eating local: plate lunch, poke, shave ice and how to eat like a local
• The four islands at a glance, and 14 mistakes first-timers make
• What things cost: 30 everyday prices, from plate lunch to helicopter tours
• A month-by-month calendar: weather, crowds, whales and events
• A pre-trip countdown checklist, a tick-box packing list and a first-day checklist
• 32 Hawaiian words and Pidgin phrases with pronunciation
• Emergency numbers, including the Coast Guard and each island's hospitals
• Two editions: a printable PDF and an iPad edition with a tappable contents page

PERFECT FOR

• First-time visitors to Hawaii
• Anyone who wants the practical details in one place
• Travellers who like to arrive prepared
• A thoughtful gift for someone with a Hawaii trip booked

PAIRS WELL WITH

The Hawaii Travel Guide (165 best things to do), or the Hawaii Travel Pack that bundles every Hawaii guide for less.

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

You'll receive 2 PDFs. No physical item will be shipped.

• Print edition (25 pages): US Letter, prints fine on A4
• iPad edition (30 pages): tappable contents, room to write

This guide is general travel information, not legal, medical or immigration advice. Entry rules depend on your nationality and situation: always confirm with the official sites before you travel.

PLEASE NOTE

Rules and prices were checked in September 2026 and are subject to change: admissions, fares, menus, hotel rates and taxes can change without notice, and conditions after the September 2026 storms are changing week to week. Please confirm important details with the official sites before you travel. Photos are illustrative. Researched and written with the help of AI tools.

Made by Global Trip Insight. For personal use only.