Flying into Kona is one of the nicer arrivals in the country, and it catches people off guard. You come down over black lava, the door opens, and you walk outside. Kona International Airport is largely open to the air, with garden paths between the gates instead of corridors, so the first thing that happens is that the trade wind hits you and the trip starts.
After that it is logistics, and the logistics on this island are worth understanding before you land rather than while you are standing at a rental counter. We host guests on this coast all year, so here is everything we tell them about getting from the plane to the front door.
Which airport you want
The Big Island has two commercial airports and they are on opposite sides of a very large island. Kona International, code KOA, sits on the dry west coast and serves Kailua-Kona, South Kona, the Kohala resorts and everything we write about here. Hilo, code ITO, is on the wet east side, roughly two hours away over Saddle Road.
If you are staying anywhere on this side, fly into Kona even if a Hilo fare looks better. Two hours each way at the start and end of a trip is not worth the saving, and Saddle Road at night in the rain is nobody’s idea of a holiday.
Drive times from the airport, honestly
These are real times with real traffic, not what the map app promises at three in the morning.
Kailua-Kona town: fifteen to twenty five minutes. It is only about seven miles but the highway backs up in the late afternoon.
Keauhou: twenty five to thirty five minutes.
Kealakekua and Captain Cook, where two of our homes are: forty to fifty minutes, all of it on the Hawaii Belt Road climbing south through the coffee belt. It is a pretty drive in daylight and a dark, winding one after sunset.
The Kohala Coast resorts: twenty five to forty minutes north.
Waimea: about forty five minutes, and it is often ten degrees cooler and green when you get there, which surprises everyone.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: two and a half hours south. Do not attempt it on arrival day.
You need a rental car, and you should book it early
There is no useful public transit for visitors here, and the things you came for are spread across a county the size of Connecticut. Plan on a car for the whole stay.
The rental center is not attached to the terminal. You collect a shuttle from outside baggage claim and ride a few minutes to the counters, which adds fifteen to twenty minutes to your arrival that first time visitors rarely budget for.
Book well ahead. This island genuinely runs out of cars at peak times, and when it does the prices go somewhere silly. If you are coming in a busy stretch, and our month by month guide lays out which those are, reserve the car when you book the flights rather than later.
On four wheel drive: you do not need it. The only place it genuinely matters is the Mauna Kea summit road, and most rental contracts forbid you from taking their car up there anyway. A normal car handles every road you will actually drive, including the whole coast and the volcano.
A convertible is a heartfelt no from us. The sun here is serious and there is nowhere secure to leave anything.
Stop for groceries on the way, not tomorrow
This is the single tip guests thank us for most. Between the airport and town you pass the big stores, and stopping once on the way in saves a whole morning later. Costco and Target are both a short detour off the highway just south of the airport, and KTA Super Stores in town is the local one and has a proper fish and poke counter, which we get into in our guide to the best poke in Kona.
Buy coffee, breakfast things, water bottles and whatever you want for the first evening. If you are heading up the hill to South Kona, this matters more, because the shops down there are smaller and close earlier.
Fill the tank while you are at it. Gas is expensive on this island and the stations thin out considerably as you go south.
Landing late, and the dark
A lot of mainland flights land in the afternoon or early evening. Remember that this is the tropics, so sunset lands between roughly half past five in winter and seven in summer, and there is not much dusk afterward. It goes dark quickly and properly.
The road south to Kealakekua has no streetlights and a fair number of curves. It is perfectly safe and we drive it constantly, but if it is your first time and you are tired from a long flight, take it slowly and skip the scenic detours until morning. Arrival night is for groceries, something easy to eat, and bed.
Flying home
Two things nobody mentions until you are in the line.
First, all bags leaving Hawaii go through an agricultural inspection before you can check in. It is quick, but it is an extra step and the queue for it is separate. Do not pack fresh fruit, flowers or plant material without checking what is allowed.
Second, Kona is a small airport with mostly open air gates and limited seating and food. Arrive two hours early for a mainland flight, and once you are through, there is not much to do, so eat before you go rather than counting on the terminal.
If you have a late flight and a morning to fill, this is the ideal time for a last swim or a coffee farm. Our guide to things to do and our coffee stops list both have options within twenty minutes of the airport.
Frequently asked questions
What airport do you fly into for Kona, Hawaii?
Kona International Airport, code KOA, on the west side of the Big Island. It is about seven miles north of Kailua-Kona town and serves the entire Kona and Kohala coast.
How far is Kona airport from Kailua-Kona?
About seven miles, which is fifteen to twenty five minutes depending on the time of day. Kealakekua and Captain Cook are another twenty five minutes or so further south.
Do you need a rental car on the Big Island?
Yes. There is no practical transit for visitors and the island is enormous. Book it at the same time as your flights, because cars do sell out here.
Do you need four wheel drive on the Big Island?
No, unless you are driving to the Mauna Kea summit, which most rental agreements prohibit anyway. A standard car covers every road you are likely to want.
How early should you get to Kona airport for a departing flight?
Two hours for a mainland flight. Bags go through an agricultural inspection before check in, which is an extra queue, and the terminal has limited food once you are through security.
When you have worked out the flights, we are happy to talk through the rest. Our three homes are here, and if you would rather ask a person which one suits your plans, that is what we are for.