Thinking of Traveling to Hawaii with a Dog? Here’s What to Know

Interested in traveling to Hawaii with a dog? This is one of the most complicated topics to cover, especially when you consider all the love we have for our four-legged family members. But it’s an important thing to talk about!

Hawaii Aloha Travel is a Hawaii-based travel company that has been designing custom vacations for more than 20 years. We also live here and book Hawaii trips every day. So we’re able to focus on details that travel sites skip, like real-world flight issues, insider secrets, and overwhelming ideas, like bringing your dog with you to Hawaii. 

Let’s take a look at dog-friendly Hawaii vacations and whether it’s the right option for you. 

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Traveling to Hawaii With Your Dog: 5 Things to Know

Before we get into the thick of it, let’s lay out 5 key things to know about traveling to Hawaii with your dog:

• Hawaii is a rabies-free location, and has strict quarantine rules to keep it that way. 
• Pets either need to quarantine for 120 days or go through a lengthy and complicated process to get approved for Direct Release (or release in 5 days or less). 
• If you plan to go through the Direct-Release Program, it’s good to budget $1000 – $2000 for the fees, tests, and supplies.
• You also need to begin the Direct-Release process about 4 months before your trip. 
• Because it’s so pricey and complex, most people don’t bring their dogs with them to Hawaii.

Is Hawaii a Dog-Friendly Destination?

Families in Hawaii love their dogs, and there are great places for pooches to run and play. But there are lots of hurdles for locals and vacationers to overcome if they want to have a dog in Hawaii. 

In fact, Honolulu was recently ranked the least pet-friendly city in the U.S. Families face high service costs, a housing crisis, and other hurdles. Plus, there are the challenges of getting pets into Hawaii. 

For vacationers, these challenges compound and can make traveling to Hawaii with a dog difficult. And once you’re here, you may be surprised by the places where you dog isn’t allowed. 

So is Hawaii dog friendly? People here love dogs, but systems and policies can make it difficult to have a vacation with your pet. 

Hawaii Animal Quarantines

The biggest obstacle that vacationers face is the pet quarantine requirements in Hawaii. As a standard, pets entering Hawaii must quarantine for 120 days. This is to ensure Hawaii remains a rabies-free state. 

But there is good news: it is possible for your pet to be quarantined for 5 days or less, and they can possibly leave the airport with you when you arrive. This process is pricey, time-consuming, and complicated. 

For this reason, most people don’t travel to Hawaii with their dogs. 

Still considering bringing your dog along on your vacation? Keep reading for more info. This may be the best option if…

• You’re staying in Hawaii for an extended amount of time. 
• You have considered the effort and cost of keeping your dog at home and decided it’s best to bring it on vacation. 
• Your dog is your travel companion, no matter what. 

We do help people plan vacations with their dogs. Sometimes they come along on family vacations, or they’re a companion for a solo trip to Hawaii. Either way, we can help you decide whether you should bring your dog to Hawaii. 

What about traveling to Hawaii with a service dog? A trained service dog who performs tasks for the benefit of someone with a disability. If your dog is a service dog, you’ll still have to complete the many requirements for a Direct Release from quarantine, which we’ll outline below. 

Bringing a Dog to Hawaii without Quarantining

If you want your pooch to join you in Hawaii right away, you’ll need to qualify for the Direct-Release Program, which allows pets to be quarantined for 5 days or less. Often this allows pets to leave with travelers directly from the airport – with no quarantine at all. 

Here’s the basics you need to know about the Hawaii Direct-Release Program for dogs:

• You’ll need to begin the process at least 4 months before your trip
• The fee is $185 for Direct Release on Oahu
• You’ll need to pay $165 on neighbor islands PLUS a vet permit fee, which is at least $350-$400
• Your dog needs to be fully vaccinated for rabies
• You need to microchip your pet
• Dogs need to pass a FAVN rabies antibody test at least 30 days prior to arriving in Hawaii (so pass the test, and then wait another 30 days to travel). 
• Your dog needs a health certificate from your vet back home (this is usually an airline requirement no matter where you fly). 
• The dog also needs to be treated for flea and ticks

You have to do everything in the right timeframe too. For example, some paperwork needs to be sent to the state at least 10 days in advance, but you also need to travel with a health certificate that was issued no more than 10 days in advance. 

The specifics do change from time to time, and there are a lot of caveats, so if you’re still with us and ready to travel with your pet, you can get all the details directly from the state at this link:

https://dab.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/aqs-info/

*If you’re arriving to Hawaii from the mainland for a vacation, you’ll want to look at the “5 Day or Less Checklist (For pets located outside Hawai‘i)”

5 Day or Less vs Direct Release for Hawaii Pets

When I first started researching the specifics for bringing dogs to Hawaii, I was a little confused by the “5 Day or Less” program and the “Direct Release” program. Here’s what I found out:

The 5 Day or Less Program is the major program for avoiding the 120-day quarantine. The Direct-Release is part of the “5 Day or Less” program. So you don’t necessarily have to choose between the two. 

If you complete all your paperwork in time, testing, vaccines, etc AND pay the fee AND arrive at the airport while the inspection station is open, your pet can leave the airport with you — that’s the Direct Release.  

The “5 Day or Less” program allows your pet to still go through the abbreviated 5-day-or-less quarantine if you miss out on the 4 pm cutoff for Direct Release or don’t get your paperwork in quite on time. 

You don’t have to pay for BOTH Direct-Release and 5-Day-or-Less, but if your dog isn’t directly released, you’ll have to pay the higher 5-day fine. 

So basically, if you apply for the “5 Day or Less” program, your ultimate aim is for direct release. 

Neighbor Island Direct Release For Pets

Here are some questions we get a lot:

How do I fly to Maui with my dog?

What do I need to do to travel to the Big Island (Hawaii Island) with my dog?

Can my dog fly with me to Kauai? 

Hawaii Island (AKA the Big Island), Maui, and Kauai are all considered neighbor islands. These islands have smaller airports, smaller populations, and different rules than Oahu. And they all have flights directly from the mainland. 

If you are flying into Honolulu, you will have a “simplified” process for your Direct Release, because you don’t have to get additional clearance from an on-island vet. You can get approved for release directly with the state, and only pay the $185 fee (in addition to the fees you paid back home for testing, and in addition to the airline fees to bring your pet on the flight). 

Yes, neighbor islands will incur an additional fee: about $400 to have an on-island vet approve your dog for Direct Release. And that cost will go even higher if you arrive after hours, on the weekend, or at a different time than planned.

One small plus side to that fee is that you will have a point-of-contact here in the islands who can fully walk you through the process for Direct Release. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are island-hopping, you don’t have to pay multiple fees for each island. Once your dog has been released at your first airport in Hawaii, they are free to travel with you throughout the state without any other testing or permits. 

Airlines in Hawaii do charge a fee for interisland travel with pets. For example, the pricing for Hawaiian Airlines was $35 for a pet in the cabin and $60 for a pet traveling as checked baggage. 

SO – if you are traveling to a Hawaii neighbor island with a dog, is it better to do the cheaper Direct Release in Oahu or the neighbor island program? 

Here’s the math:

• A one-way trip between Oahu and a neighbor island is about $50-$80, and it’s $35-$60 to add your dog to that flight. 
• It costs at least $380 more to complete the Direct Release program at a neighbor island. 
• Direct flights from the mainland to neighbor islands are roughly the same price as flying to Oahu. 

So on paper, you could compare the cost of getting your entire travel group from Oahu to the neighbor island on an additional flight vs simply flying direct to and paying for the additional vet approval. 

But there’s more than just math. Direct Release could take more time on Oahu, and then there’s the time to take the additional flight. So you’ve likely lost at least 4 hours of your vacation. 

And what if your flight from the mainland is delayed? On neighbor islands, vets charge an after-hour fee to Direct Release your pet after 4 or 5 pm. 

On Oahu, your pet will be quarantined overnight until the inspection station opens back up the next morning. So at least one person from your group will need to stay behind to pick the dog up the next day. 

It’s a lot of moving parts to get your pet Direct-Released on Oahu and then connect on to a neighbor island. 

HOWEVER, if you plan to island hop anyway and would like to spend a couple days on Oahu, it would work out well to arrive to Oahu and complete the Direct Release process there as part of your planned vacation, then continue on with the rest of your Hawaii travels after a couple of days there. 

Here’s more info about traveling between islands in Hawaii!

Dog Friendly Hotels in Hawaii

Ok, so you are STILL with us. You’ve decided to go through the process to travel to Hawaii with your dog. We are excited for you. Like we said, Hawaii families love their dogs, and it’s such a special place to share with your four-legged friends. 

But you still need a place to stay. 

There are pet-friendly hotels in Hawaii. They will charge a fee and have rules to follow, but otherwise they will welcome your pets and have amenities that will make their stay comfortable. Here are a few places we’d like to highlight:

Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach welcomes dogs up to 75 pounds for a $125 fee. 

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa charges a fee per stay for up to 2 dogs, and dogs can stay in the room without their owner. There are relief areas throughout the resort. Their weight limit for one dog is 50 pounds, so that’s a larger limit than other hotels with a 25-pound limit. 

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay welcomes dogs with no additional fee and provides special services to pets, including a stock of essentials and a special treat. They don’t have a listed weight limit, so you or your Hawaii travel agent can confirm your dog is welcomed under their policy.

The Fairmont Orchid on Hawaii Island charges a per-night pet fee that includes a special bed for your dog during their stay. Pets can’t be left alone in the room, but they can help book a pet sitter if needed. 

Taking Your Dog to the Beach in Hawaii

Many people are surprised that some beaches in Hawaii don’t allow dogs. Many Oahu beaches only allow dogs in certain areas, and some don’t allow dogs at all. Here is a detailed outline about where dogs are allowed on Oahu. 

On neighbor islands, you’ll want to keep your dog out of any state or county beach parks. 

And at beaches where dogs are allowed: you must keep them on a leash. 

Keep in mind that there are places where people don’t follow the leash laws, which could create a dangerous situation for you and your pet. Always pay attention to your surroundings and watch for unleashed pets who may be drawn to your dog. 

Other Dog Friendly Places in Hawaii

Dogs are a common sight in Hawaii’s off-beach parks and walking paths, where you’ll want to keep your pooch on a leash and enjoy the beautiful tropical weather with other pet-lovers. Many parks also have dog parks where you can let Fido off his leash to run around a bit. 

Hawaii has fewer pet-friendly restaurants than other cities, but you will find some patios welcoming dogs who are on their leash. 

There are also many dog groomers around the islands, which will be welcome after your pet splashes in the salt water, rolls in the sand, hops in the grass, and soaks in all the fun of a Hawaii vacation. 

Do We Recommend Traveling to Hawaii With Your Dog?

As a general rule, we’d say it’s not worth bringing your dog to Hawaii for a vacation. It’s such a complicated and expensive process, and once you’re here you’ll have limited activities to do with your dog. 

But, we know that many dogs are part of the family, and you can’t imagine parting with your pooch. We get it, and we’re here to help. If you’d like to plan a dog-friendly Hawaii vacation, our team at Hawaii Aloha Travel can help. Because you definitely don’t want to go through this process alone!

Remember, if you want to travel to Hawaii with your dog:

• Budget wisely
• Start planning early
• Work with a local Hawaii travel agency

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