After arriving in Honolulu and exiting the airport, perhaps with a large suitcase, how would one go about getting to a hotel in downtown Waikiki?
The possible options are discussed in a separate article, but here we introduce the most readily available “airport shuttle”.
Honolulu’s airport shuttle service is a service that loads passengers and their luggage onto a shared-ride bus, which is delivered to the front of each user’s accommodation, and is represented by HIS and Roberts Hawaii. Fees are fixed, and reservations made in advance allow for a smooth ride into the city after entering the country.
In this issue, we present a report on the “LeaLea Shuttle” operated by HIS.
The shuttle, with the “LeaLea” logo painted on its bright white body, is a familiar sight in Honolulu and costs $23 per person one way. In Japanese yen, it costs from 3,670 yen (as of December 2025). Up to two pieces of luggage per person can be checked in free of charge.
Once you have decided on your itinerary, make reservations through the website. A list of hotels that offer pick-up and drop-off services is available (PDF), and all major hotels are covered, so there is no need to worry. If you don’t see your hotel on the list, just specify the nearest hotel.
When making a reservation, in addition to your name and contact information, there are fields to enter the name of the hotel where you will be staying (to be selected from a list), the local arrival date, and the flight number and departure date and time. The service is available for flights arriving in Honolulu between 7:00 am and 1:00 pm (on time). They will wait for 90 minutes after the plane’s arrival, so you can calmly head to the airport exit (the reception counter closes at 2:00 pm).
The biggest advantage of HIS’s LeaLea shuttle is that Japanese-speaking staff will be waiting for you right outside the airport. When you tell them your reservation name, they give you a numbered ticket and tell you by number when it is your turn to board. This time, the shuttle was dispatched within 5 minutes.
After depositing your luggage at the rear of the vehicle (the staff will take care of loading), you will be taken into the air-conditioned car. The rest of the time, all you have to do is just sit back and take in the scenery, and the bus will take you to your hotel. The driver will clearly tell you which hotel you are getting off at each stop, so you will never make a mistake in getting off at the wrong hotel. If you are new to this, it is a good idea to look at a map app on your smartphone.
There are two caveats: the driver is an English speaker and the service does not include a tip for the driver. The former should not be a problem even if you are not good at English, as there is no particular conversation in the car. As for tipping, it would be smart to give about $2.00 when you get off the bus and pick up your luggage, along with a thank you.
This time we used a one-way flight from the airport to the hotel, but HIS also offers a return flight from the hotel to the airport by LeaLea shuttle ($23) and a round-trip transfer ($46). Please make the best use of these options depending on your itinerary.
© Source travel watch