My husband and I went to Big Island of Hawaii for five nights over a long Memorial Day weekend. We ate out, we swam with sea turtles, we watched some of the most incredible sunsets I’ve ever seen…and getting and staying there only cost $675. Yep—with flights and accommodation together, we spent $675 for two people over five nights. We then ate, drank, and entertained ourselves in savvy ways, so the whole trip got nowhere near breaking the bank. Hawaii has a reputation for being super expensive but I’ve put together the below guide on how we traveled to Kona on a budget so that you can, too!
Kona on a Budget | Cheap Airfare
As I discussed on my Airfare Hacks for the Savvy Traveler post, finding cheap flights is the key to keeping travel costs low. For our trip to the Big Island, we spent $675 on two round-trip flights by using the $99 (+ taxes & fees) companion ticket that comes with the Alaska Airlines credit card.
Where to Stay in Kailua Kona on a Budget
Since no one travels to Hawaii to spend the entire time in their hotel room, I wasn’t looking for a 5-star resort. I wanted to find an affordable place to stay on the Big Island that would be within walking distance of restaurants, coffee shops, and other things to do, which is why I decided to stay in the Kailua-Kona area. Kona is the most popular tourist destination on the Big Island because it’s on the “sunny side” of the island and it has the most things to do in a central location.
I was looking for an affordable Kona hotel that was oceanfront and had a pool. I was also looking for a hotel that had low or no daily resort fees (since Kona apparently thinks they are Las Vegas now and has started charging those!) because those fees add up very quickly!
Royal Kona Resort
I ended up booking the Royal Kona Resort, which checked all the boxes for a cheap Kona hotel. Its oceanfront location provided a beautiful view from our room’s balcony; it had both a pool and private lagoon to lounge by during the day; its central location made it very easy to walk to nearby restaurants, coffee shops, and bars; and it didn’t charge resort fees!
Now, if you’ve been reading carefully and are familiar with basic addition, you may be wondering how we only paid $675 for both our flights and hotel when I mentioned above that we paid $675 for our flights alone. Well, we were able to do Kona on a budget because we got our hotel room for free! In true budget-savvy fashion, I redeemed credit card rewards points for a free 5-night stay in Kona.
Savvy tip: I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card which is what I consider the best travel rewards credit card. It’s the card I used to redeem our free stay at the Royal Kona Resort.
Other Big Island Cheap Hotels
I came across several other cheap hotels in Kona during my search that met most, if not all, of my criteria. While I haven’t personally stayed at any of these so I can’t recommend them in the same way I recommend the Royal Kona, I think they should be considered by anyone wanting to visit Kona on a budget:
- Courtyard by Marriot King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel
- Aston Kona by the Sea
- Kona Reef Hawaii by Raintree
- Royal Sea Cliff Kona by Outrigger
Kona on a Budget | Transportation Around the Big Island
Save Money by Not Renting a Car
I’ve rented a car when I’ve visited other islands in Hawaii, but to assist in my plan of traveling to Kona on a budget, we did not rent a car for this trip. Since there are several low-cost transportation options available for those staying in Kona (see more about that below), I couldn’t justify the added several hundred dollars it would’ve been for a rental car and the nightly parking fees at the hotel.
Uber in Kona
Good news—Uber operates on the Big Island! The cost to take an Uber between the airport and Kona was only $25 each way. We also took an Uber a few other times when we went to places that were not in walking distance, but those rides were always around $8-$15. By the end of the trip, we had spent about $100 on Uber rides (which was a lot cheaper than a rental car and hotel parking fees would’ve been).
Kona Trolley
Kona has an open-air trolley that stops at several resorts, stores, restaurants and even breweries in the area (many of which are included in this guide!). A ride on the Kona Trolley is only $2/person.
Kona Bikeshare
As I mentioned in my NYC Tips post, I’m a big fan of bikeshare options. I was excited to see that Kona has a bikeshare option with three stops on the main road, Ali’i Drive, in Kona. A single ride of up to 30 minutes is $3.50 and you can return the bike to any of the three stops on Ali’I Drive.
Downside to Not Having a Rental Car
I have to be honest, there is a downside to not having a car on the Big Island. The Big Island is massive (which you probably figured out from its name) and without a car, it’s impossible to explore the island beyond the area in which you are staying unless you take crazy-expensive Uber rides (not very budget-friendly). With that being said, since there were plenty of things to do in Kona for our 5-night stay, it was worth the cost savings to not rent a car to explore the rest of the island.
If you were going with more people on a couples’ trip or something, it might make sense to rent the car and split the cost among more people.
Kona on a Budget | Cheap Eats & Drinks
While it only cost $675 for our flights and hotel, we knew that our expenses could quickly add up while in Kona if we weren’t careful. We planned ahead to keep low when it came to eating and drinking in Kona; here are my tips so that you can save money there, too.
Stock Up on Groceries
I made sure our hotel room had a fridge so that we could buy alcohol, bottled water, and snacks to store in our room. Buying these essentials at a grocery store upon arrival kept costs low; we didn’t have to pay restaurant or bar pricing for every drink and snack that we wanted.
There are several grocery stores in the Kailua-Kona area (Safeway, Walmart, and Target, to name a few), but they weren’t within walking distance from our hotel. Instead, we decided to stock up at an ABC Store, which are located on basically every block in Kona. We know that ABC Stores can be a little more expensive than a traditional grocery store, but we figured that the money we saved by not paying to take an Uber to somewhere farther made up for it . It was extra convenient since the ABC Store we went to was across the street from our hotel (like I said, they are basically on every corner)!
Cheap Eats in Kona
We didn’t do any fine dining while in Kona to help keep our costs low, but we did eat at lots of great budget-friendly restaurants! Here are my recommendations for cheap eats in Kona:
Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse
Humpy’s is open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.; it’s a great place to go regardless of the time of day. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night bites, their menu options will not disappoint. I personally recommend going to Humpy’s for breakfast—we liked it so much that we went back twice during our trip!
Huggo’s on the Rocks
Huggo’s on the Rocks is the casual counterpart to the steak-and-seafood-serving Huggo’s, located next door. While Huggo’s on the Rocks has a more casual environment, its pub-style food menu has something for everyone, and the prices are more budget-friendly.
Huggo’s on the Rocks opens daily at 11 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays. We ate there for dinner and did discover something that was not-so-budget-friendly: they charge a $0.50 premium on all alcoholic drinks after 6 p.m. because there is live music. Even though that was annoying, I still highly recommend eating there.
Huggo’s on the Rocks is one of the few actual waterfront restaurants in the Kailua-Kona area (most are ocean view from across the street) and it has one of the best sunset views around.
Splasher’s Grill
Located on the opposite end of the “main drag” (Ali’i Drive) from Humpy’s & Huggos, Splasher’s Grill is a great option for open-air casual dining in Kona. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., so it’s another great option for cheap eats all day long. We ate at Splasher’s Grill for dinner and I recommend the calamari on their appetizer menu!
Foster’s Kitchen
The closest thing to fine dining that we experienced in Kona was eating at Foster’s Kitchen. While the environment was classier than the other restaurants we ate at in Kona, its prices were actually very budget-friendly! Their dinner menu included salads, burgers, sandwiches, and pizza all ranging between $10-$20. The entrees were more expensive ($20+) but my husband and I found the more affordable options on the menu quite good and didn’t feel the need to order off the entrée menu.
Foster’s Kitchen is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., making it a great option for both lunch and dinner. In addition to happy hour pricing from 3 to 5 p.m. daily, they also have happy hour from 9 to 10 p.m., making it a great place to go for late night drinks. If you want to eat at Foster’s Kitchen for dinner, like we did, then I recommend making a reservation online in advance.
Kona Brewing Company
My husband and I are both huge craft beer fans and we always seek out local breweries on our travels. Being that Kona Brewing Company is distributed nationwide, we were excited to visit the flagship brewery where it all began. Kona Brewing is not just a brewery; it also has a large full-service restaurant with delicious, affordable food.
Since the restaurant is next to its production facility in Kona, it’s not on the main road of Ali’i Drive, but is within walking distance (or a cheap Uber ride away, if you’re not up to the walk). The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and it’s almost always busy, especially for dinner, so plan to wait for a table.
Even though the restaurant is not by the beach, it’s such a cool space with palm trees and tons of outdoor seating. We were able to get a seat at the bar while we waited for our table which gave my husband and I the chance to order a taster tray of their beer samples. Once we got a table for dinner, we ordered a pizza (which is what they are known for) and it was definitely worth the wait!
Cheap Drinks in Kona
Believe it or not, it was fairly easy to find cheap drinks in Kona! Most restaurants and bars have happy hour pricing from 3-5 p.m. daily, but even outside of those hours, there are always cheap drinks to be found! Below were my favorite places to get cheap drinks in Kona and be sure to check out my post on the best Kona coffee shops if you are looking for non-alcoholic options.
Oceans for $4 Mai Tais
You can’t go to Hawaii without getting a Mai Tai, and the cheapest place I found them was at Ocean’s, which is located behind Humpy’s.
Humpy’s for $4 mimosas
Humpy’s was our go-to place for breakfast in Kona, and their $4 mimosas made mornings even better! You can pick between OJ, cranberry, POG, pineapple, guava, or grapefruit juice to accompany your champagne in your morning mimosa.
Bongo Ben’s for $5 pints
Next to Humpy’s on Ali’i Drive, Bongo Ben’s was our go-to place for cheap beer. They had a fairly large selection of beers on tap so we ended up there for drinks three of the nights we were in Kona. Not only were the pints cheap but their Mai Tai’s were only $5 too!
Kona on a Budget | Free Things to Do
Honestly, I travel to Hawaii so that I can relax and lay by the beach / pool while reading a book and sipping on an adult beverage. Lounging poolside is the best free thing to do in Kona, but if you are looking for more to do than just that, here are a few suggestions (and if you have any more, feel free to leave a comment below!):
Related: Heading to a different Hawaiian island? Check out free things to do in Maui!
Visit Ai’opio Beach to hang out with sea turtles
While Ai’opio Beach is not within walking distance of downtown Kona, it’s a cheap Uber ride to this public beach that is home to many sea turtles that enjoy basking in the sun beach-side.
Watch the Ironman World Championship
If you happen to be visiting Kona during mid-October, you may be able to witness the Ironman World Championship that takes place each year. Known as one of the most brutal races on Earth, athletes from around the world travel to Kona to participate in the championship.
While flights and accommodations to Kona during the Ironman championship are not going to be very budget-friendly, being able to witness the incredible athleticism of the participants is one of the coolest free things to do in Kona!
Check out the Kona Farmer’s Market
The Kona Farmer’s Market is located in a central location on Ali’i Drive and is a great place to browse for locally-grown produce, flowers, and handmade arts and crafts. The large outdoor farmer’s market is open Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Note: while visiting the farmer’s market is free, you will actually need to pay for anything you’d like to purchase—bring your wallet!
Magic Sands Beach
The Big Island isn’t known for luscious, white-sand beaches; instead there’s a lot of lava rock. It’s hard to find a resort in Kona that has a sandy beach with access to swim in the ocean, but not impossible. If you’re looking for a sandy beach with ocean swimming and snorkeling, I recommend visiting Magic Sands Beach, which is about three miles south of downtown Kona on Ali’i Drive. Pro tip: one of the Kona bikeshare stops is at the Magic Sands Beach, so you can easily bike between downtown Kona and the beach!
I know that a lot of people say that it’s expensive to vacation in Hawaii, but in true One Savvy Wanderer fashion, I’ve found a way to vacation on the biggest Hawaiian island without breaking the bank. So now that you are privy to all of my secrets on how we did Kona on a budget, have fun planning your trip! Cheers!
