ALOHA!
You’re headed to Oahu on a budget and you’re looking to save some money on your trip to Honolulu!
So…
Is there public transportation on Oahu?!
Oahu does have a bus system that goes around the island.
This means that if you don’t want to rent a car, it IS possible to get to some of the top spots on the island of Oahu without a car.
Of course, taking the bus as your mode of transportation around Oahu means that it will take longer to get to places compared to a rental car.
Sometimes it’s just about managing expectations!
Just know that that taking the bus, especially over longer distances, requires TIME and PATIENCE.
With the frequency of bus timings less on some parts of the island, it could require some extra waiting time.
But as long as you’re mentally prepared for this, then the bus is no problem!
Consider that you are experiencing slow island life. 😉
Or, you can opt to take a bus to the places that are relatively close to where you’re staying.
Then maybe you can rent a car for a day or two to head to other parts of the island in order to save time on transportation.
If you’ve already decided that you won’t be renting a car when you’re on Oahu, then do still consider taking the bus from Waikiki to some of the best things to do in East Oahu or some of the best things to do on the North Shore!
Yes, going by bus around Oahu will take a long time. (Long in this case = 1 to 2 hours one way.)
But when you’re going around the island, even the bus ride to get there will be scenic!
In general, Oahu is considered the best island in Hawaii to visit without a car.
Be sure to see ideas for where to go by bus from Waikiki.
If you are looking into other Hawaiian islands without a car, also see about getting around Maui without a car.
More below with a bit of the visual of getting around Oahu by public transportation!
🌴
So then…
Is it easy to take the bus on Oahu?!
After you take the bus once or twice, you will feel like a pro! 😉
It’s pretty easy to manage the bus system on Oahu, and Google Maps makes that even easier.
Even the Oahu bus system (Honolulu County!) recommends using Google Maps to plan your Oahu bus trips.
Simply plug in your starting point and end point, click on the public transit icon, and your public transportation options are shown!
It’s a pretty reliable way of getting around Oahu by bus.
I basically used the bus exclusively during one trip to Hawaii when I had 2 weeks on Oahu without a car.
I have since been to Oahu a few times, and I have continued to take the Honolulu bus!
Now there is the HOLO card which makes it really easy to take the Honolulu bus too.
You should get the HOLO card!
👇 Oahu bus directions: How google maps makes it easy to know how to take the Oahu bus to Pearl Harbor for example! You can adjust the departure time to get a better idea of what bus timings will be available when you go. Explore the map.
How much does the bus cost on Oahu to go around the island?
A single bus ride costs $3. Confirm the Oahu bus fare.
This is from anywhere on Oahu to anywhere else on Oahu, no matter the time or distance of the bus ride.
If you want to get off the bus and then back on, it will cost you another $3.
There are no transfer passes that you can pay in cash for.
There used to be an Oahu bus day pass that you could buy in cash as soon as you got on the bus. That’s no longer the case. Now it’s $3 a bus ride. Confirm current info.
Instead of a paper bus pass, there is now the HOLO card.
If you will be taking the Oahu bus quite a bit during your stay on Oahu, then the HOLO card is there for convenience.
You can buy a HOLO card at select stores.
It is basically a cash card so you don’t have to carry around cash every time you want to take the bus.
You will load it with money ahead of time.
The HOLO card is still $3 per ride just like the cash price, but it also includes transfers for 2.5 hours. Confirm the included transfer.
There is also a “fare cap” that makes it so you will never pay more than $7.50 a day.
The HOLO card makes it so you can take the bus cashless.
How do you buy the bus ticket?
If you will be using a HOLO card, then you will tap the card immediately upon getting on the bus.
If you will be paying in cash, then you’ll pay the bus fare immediately upon getting on the bus.
There is a fare box next to the bus driver, and that’s where you’ll insert the cash.
It is cash only, and no change will be given to you. So make sure you have exact change.
You don’t need to do anything special as you’re getting off the bus in regards to the bus fare.
No matter how you pay, you will not be given anything (like a bus ticket).
Where are the bus stops located?
The easiest way to know where to walk to for the bus stop is to consult Google Maps.
Again, Google Maps is a reliable way for getting around Oahu by bus.
Once you’re ready to get on the bus, open up the Google Maps app on your phone.
Then, type in the destination you want to get to.
And then for the starting location, with your GPS location on, have the directions start from your “current location.”
Be sure to select the public transportation icon to get the directions.
And then it will give you bus directions, including how to get to the nearest bus stop!
What do the bus stops look like?
Bus stops on Oahu are easily recognizable.
You’ll just look for the yellow bus sign.
Side note! Read the reviews at partner websites below!
A fun way to experience Hawaiian culture is through a luau with a fire show, like at the Mauka Warriors Luau.
If you want to stay in Waikiki for a luau, then take a look at the Waikiki Beach Marriott luau.
The Polynesian Cultural Center island villages are fun daytime activities to experience the origins of Hawaiian culture.
Some of the most popular experiences on Oahu are the circle island tours, like the hidden gems island tour.
How to save money on your trip
I use hotels.com to look for the cheapest hotels. You can also try the expedia hotels site (good for car rentals too) or see if you like any of the vrbo vacation rentals.
/end side note
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Sometimes the signs will have the bus route numbers on them so that you can confirm that you’re at the right bus stop, as compared with what Google Maps tells you.
There’s also a phone number listed on the sign if you have any doubts about whether the bus is running on the regular schedule. (Maybe because there’s an event going on or some other special circumstance that results in road closures that alters a bus route or something.)
Hawaii area code 808!
Some bus stops will have a sheltered area…
Some bus stops will just have a bench…
And some bus stops may have no place to sit at all!
No matter what though, you’ll know it’s a bus stop because of that yellow sign.
The most important part though…!!!
Make sure you’re standing on the correct side of the road!!
Not that I’m speaking from experience… 😜
It could be good to confirm that you’re on the correct bus once you get on the bus with the bus driver.
What are the bus timings?
So same thing with the bus timings.
I feel Google Maps makes this the easiest.
But what if you’re not leaving right now, and you’re just in the planning stages and wondering how long the bus route will take?
Instead of using current location, you can type in your Waikiki hotel (or any location on Oahu) as your starting location, and then expand out the options to see how frequently the buses seem to come.
In this case, it could also be helpful to change the “departure time” to a time that might be around when you’ll leave.
Weekday vs weekends can make a difference too. Saturday schedules can be different from Sunday schedules too.
So if today is Sunday and you’re doing your Oahu bus research on Google Maps, it could be good to change the date to a Monday or something.
Otherwise, the default is “leave now”… and I have found that leave now is on the current Hawaii time, not your local time.
So again, if right now is like 2am in Hawaii, you might consider changing that to 9am or something.
If you really want to know the official bus timings schedule, you can see here.
But it can be a bit confusing and/or require extra effort to figure out, since you probably don’t know the specific regions or street names on Oahu!
So…
How do you actually take the bus?!
…aka how to get around Oahu without a car!
So you go to your bus stop.
Again, the main thing is to make sure you’re standing on the correct side of the street!
Then, Google Maps will tell you the bus route number, so you look for the bus with that number.
The number on the bus is big and bold so it’s hard to miss.
Okay, so your bus comes.
You get on the bus. It could be good to confirm with the bus driver that the bus will go to your intended destination.
👆 Sadly, the Oahu bus route 22 “The Beach Bus” from Waikiki to Hanauma Bay is no more. Oahu bus route 22 has been permanently discontinued. You can still take the bus to Hanauma Bay, as long as you don’t mind extra walking!
You pay for your bus fare in cash with exact change by placing money in the fare box that’s located next to the bus driver immediately upon getting on the bus.
Or, tap your HOLO card.
Then, you find a seat to sit down.
Or maybe you stand if it’s crowded. 😉
Then…
ENJOY THE RIDE!!
And then next…
So once you are on the bus, you can check Google Maps to keep track of how close you are to your destination.
If you expand out Google Maps, it will also tell you the name of the bus stops that are before yours.
The names of these bus stops will be announced, and they correspond with the names of the bus stop on Google Maps.
This can make it easy to keep track and know when your stop is coming up!
Then, once yours is the next stop…
There’s a wire thing along the window.
Pull that!
This will indicate to the bus driver that someone wants to get off.
Surely there will be people who will be getting off the bus before you, so you can just watch what they do.
Then, when the bus stops and it’s safe to get off…
The door may or may not open automatically.
If it’s not opening…
There’s a spot on the door that says TOUCH.
Touch that once the green light lights up.
Then the door will open, and you can get off the bus!
And then walk the rest of the way to your destination, and…
ENJOY HONOLULU!!
Bikes on the bus
The bus accepts bikes too.
Bikes ride the bus for free.
Each bus is equipped with 2-3 bike racks on the front.
During busy time, you do have the risk of the racks being full.
If you will be taking your bike for the first time, see the visual here (pdf) for how to secure your bike on the rack.
And that’s a little about taking the bus around the island on Oahu!
If you’ve decided to go with taking the bus around Oahu, also get ideas on where to go by bus from Waikiki!
PLUS: Things to do in Waikiki without a car!
Explore more of Hawaii without a car:
- Bike sharing on Oahu
- Getting around Maui by bus
- Maui to Lanai ferry
- Things to do on Lanai without a car
- Bike sharing in Kona
HAPPY OAHU BUS RIDE!
Plan your Oahu hiking day!
- Best Oahu hikes
- Diamond Head hike
- How difficult is the Diamond Head hike?
- How to get to Diamond Head from Waikiki
- South Shore Grill (food after Diamond Head!)
- Queens Beach snorkeling (post-hike nearby snorkeling!)
- Things to do in Waikiki (post-hike ideas!)
- Lanikai pillbox hike
- How to get to the Lanikai pillbox trailhead + parking
- Bus to Lanikai pillbox hike
- Lanikai Beach (post-hike nearby beach!)
- Kailua Beach (post-hike nearby beach!)
- Kailua Beach to Lanikai Beach walk
- Things to do on the east side of Oahu (post-hike ideas!)
- Ehukai Pillbox hike
- Things to do on the North Shore (post-hike ideas!)
- Best Oahu waterfalls
- Waimea Falls Trail
👇 Explore the Waikiki map on google maps!
See the list:
- Things to do on Oahu (for VIEWS!)
- Things to do in Waikiki (for VIEWS!)