Hawaii is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, welcoming upwards of 7 million visitors each year. Most of these visitors arrive in Honolulu and stay on the island of Oahu, but Maui has more than 2.2 million visitors each year, with the vast majority of them arriving from mainland United States and Canada. Low temperatures in the winter are still around 80°F, making this tropical archipelago a year-round destination.
Oahu is the busiest island with the most tourist attractions, home to more than 1 million residents and U.S. military personnel. The state capital of Honolulu is on Oahu, as is Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona memorial, and world famous beaches like Waikiki. The island’s rugged North Shore boasts internationally renowned surfing conditions and a laid-back rural culture, while downtown Honolulu teems with business and tourism alike.
Visitors can rent bikes and explore the sleepy beach town of Kailua (where President Obama’s “Winter White House” is located), snorkel in the clear waters of Hanauma Bay, and hike to the top of the volcanic Diamond Head crater.
Tourism in Maui is a little more laid back. The most popular destinations are the island’s black-sand volcanic beaches along Hāna Highway, Haleakalā National Park where you can hike to the summit of a dormant volcano, and the town of Lahaina with its restaurants and shops along Front Street.
There are several vacation passes available for Hawaii. Smart Destinations’ Go Oahu Card and Visiticket’s Honolulu Power Pass are similar. Both offer pre-paid admission to about 30 attractions across the island for a certain number of days. The Go Oahu Card has a little more flexibility since you can use it for any 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 non-consecutive days over a 14-day period. The Power Pass can only be used on consecutive calendar days so it’s more suited for visitors who want to see a lot of different attractions in shorter amount of time.
The Maui Value Pass includes a submarine ride and admission to three different attractions on Maui, with two full weeks to redeem all your vouchers so it’s a good option to combine with all the hiking, swimming, and snorkeling you’ll want to do.
Top Hawaii Tourist Passes
Go Oahu Card
No other Oahu attraction pass offers you the value of free admission to over 30 attractions, tours, and beach activities with the flexibility to use it over 2 weeks.
Honolulu iVenture Cards
Offer two passes to Oahu. The Honolulu Flexi Attractions Pass features a wide selection of things to do in Oahu. The Pearl Harbor Pass focuses on Pearl Harbor.
Passport to Pearl Harbor
Run by the visitors center, the pass is a great time saving way to see all of Pearl Harbor.
Maui Value Pass
The Maui Value Pass gives you four family-friendly attractions—including a submarine ride—on Maui for one low price.
These were great passes but have since been discountinued.
Honolulu Power Pass
From Pearl Harbor to the surf paradise of the North Shore, this pass saves busy visitors money all over Oahu.
Honolulu Meal Ticket
The Honolulu MealTicket from Visiticket is an easy, affordable way to pre-pay for a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options in Waikiki.