Arrive at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu and welcome to Hawaii. Collect your rental car and proceed to your hotel for the start of this wonderful Hawaiian holiday.

Home to the State Capitol Building, Honolulu is the vibrant epicentre of the Hawaiian Islands. Here you’ll find everything from historic landmarks and treasured monuments to world-class shopping and a flourishing arts and culture scene.

Be sure to explore the downtown district. Next to the skyscrapers of the island’s main business district, you’ll find important landmarks like the Iolani Palace, the King Kamehameha I statue, the Kawaiahao Church and the Aloha Tower.

Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort or similar

The best beaches on O’ahu Island are undoubtedly in Waikiki. From Duke Kahanamoku Beach to Kaimana (San Souci) Beach, enjoy the best the ocean has to offer. Whether it’s surfing, a nice swim or just a lazy day at the beach, your time in Waikiki you can have it all. Whilst in the area, shopaholics will find their heart’s desires at the Ala Moana Centre, the biggest open-air shopping mall in the United States.

For those who enjoy more active pursuits, make a trip to Diamond Head State Monument, a volcanic tuff cone, and one of the most iconic landmarks of O’ahu. You can hike from the trailhead to the summit, indulging in spectacular views along the way.

Alternatively, drive to the northern coast. Along the way, visit the famous Dole Pineapple Plantation before arriving in Haleiwa. This historic surf town, is the cultural hub of the North Shore and a dream for the surfers among us with cool surf shops, local restaurants, and plantation-era buildings.

Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort or similar

Whilst on O’ahu, a must-visit is Pearl Harbor. Named for the pearl oysters that were once harvested there, it is the largest natural harbour in Hawaii, a National Monument and a United States naval base.

Here you can visit the poignant USS Arizona Memorial, USS Oklahoma Memorial, USS Utah Memorial, and parts of Ford Island and Battleship Row, and learn about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the subsequent entry of the United States into World War II.

Just a 30 minute drive further east, is Kualoa; a private nature reserve, as well as a popular tourist attraction and filming location for movies such as Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, Jumanji and Jurassic Park. Tours are available at the park where movie buffs can learn about the filming locations as well as the stunning natural environment of Kualoa.

Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort or similar

Leave O’ahu behind and fly to the Island of Hawaii, the largest island in the archipelago. Hawaii Island is large enough to have various types of climate zones. This extraordinary feature guarantees days of great variety; You can start your day at the Ka’u desert (home to dried lava remnants, volcanic ash, sand, and gravel desert) and end up in a tropical rainforest later the same day.

Most of the population live in West Hawaii and it is here that your Hawaii Island adventure begins. Famous for sport fishing, snorkelling, sunsets and coffee, which is cultivated on the slopes of Mount Hualalai, there is plenty to do in Kailua-Kona, and because the mountains block the north easterly trade winds, Kona gets very little rain and enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year.

Royal Kona Resort or similar

Prepare for a day in Kailua-Kona with a cup of coffee, brewed with locally grown beans. Kailua Kona’s quiet beaches are perfect for sunbathing. As well as being a great spot to see turtles, the snorkelling is particularly good in this area.

If you want to relax without getting your feet wet, then Ali’i Drive is the place to go. Here you can find shops selling souvenirs and t-shirts, fashion and convenience stores. There is more to see though as it is here you can also find Hulihe’e Palace, a museum that was once a vacation house for royalty or stop at Ahu’ena Heiau; a temple that is dedicated to the Hawaiian god, Lono.

Remember to leave time to head out in to the beautiful landscapes of Hawaii Island. Take the Saddle Road; a scenic drive crossing the island, with breathtaking lookouts along the route.

Royal Kona Resort or similar

90 minutes east of Kailua-Kona is Mauna Kea. Measured from its base (at the sea floor) to the top, it is the tallest mountain in the world and is simply wondrous to experience. Some of the clearest skies on the planet can be found here, which means the star gazing at night is mind blowing. Take a tour and make a stop at the Onizuka Centre for International Astronomy to learn more and to get acclimated to the altitude.

If you can, a helicopter ride is highly recommended. These one-of-a-kind tours can show you the island in a whole day while you will be able to see amazing places that would otherwise be difficult to reach over land. Another way to get a whole new perspective is through ziplining, an activity offered all over the island. The longest zip line can be found in Hilo/Kona and is 2,400 feet long (731m).

A trip to Hawaii Island is not complete without a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, located in the southeast of the island. Founded in 1916, this park is home to two volcanoes including the most active volcano on earth; the Kilauea volcano. You will find hiking trails through volcanic craters, petroglyphs as well as a museum.

Royal Kona Resort or similar

This morning fly to Maui, the second largest island of Hawaii, and collect your hire car for a spectacular coastal drive to your hotel.

Maui is primarily known for its diverse natural landscapes; a result of a unique combination of geology, topography and climate.

Maui flawlessly combines eco-tourism with resort-like vacationing and offers countless possibilities for both adventurers, families and those who just want to unwind. An oasis of majestic ocean hideaways, lush green mountains and picturesque beaches, the island of Maui epitomizes mythical wonder.

Add to that the genuine Maui culture, which locals would love you to partake in. There are over 30 beaches and bays to snorkel at around the island and you’ll find even the locals hitting the waves to surf.

Wailea Beach Resort or similar

The Road to Hana, is a curving route around mountains, passing by black sand beaches and waterfalls. It is one of Maui’s signature adventures. In the case of this adventure, it is just as much about the journey as it is the destination.

Along the way, major attractions are the Seven Sacred Pools and waterfalls of Ohe’o Gulch. Although there are no big distances to travel on Maui, it is advised to use an entire day exploring the Road to Hana. With its many curves and lookouts, it does take some time to see it all.

Wailea Beach Resort or similar

Visit the sprawling Haleakala National Park that encompasses the island’s highest peak, volcanic Haleakala, with the famous crater on the summit. The park is known for its unique volcanic features, rare endemic flora and fauna, its long scenic drive with numerous overlooks, and the unusually clear views of the night sky as well as amazing sunrises.

Wailea Beach Resort or similar

Head to Ka’anapali Beach, one of the main attractions on the island with an entire street of shops and restaurants which leads to a wharf where many set out for a sunset cruise or whale watching journey.

Maui is the whale watching centre of the Hawaiian Islands due to humpback whales wintering in the sheltered ‘Au’au Channel. The whales migrate approximately 3,500 miles (5,600 km) from Alaskan waters each autumn and spend the winter months mating and birthing in the warm waters off Maui, with most leaving by the end of April.

Wailea Beach Resort or similar

Today you can relax and really enjoy the Hawaiian hospitality. You can relax by the pool at the hotel or head to the beach. Alternatively you can choose to visit the Hana Cultural Centre and Museum to learn a little more about traditional life on the Hawaiian Islands.

Enjoy your last night in Maui with a luau, a traditional Hawaiian party with local food, music and hula.

Wailea Beach Resort or similar

Enjoy your last moments in Hawaii and depart for the airport at leisure. Why not add a stopover in Los Angeles or Las Vegas to break the flight home?