There was a time when a Hawaii flower lei didn’t need to be budgeted. Whether it was handed over by family or friends at the gate, offered by a tour greeter, or picked up from the curbside lei stands outside Honolulu Airport, it was simply part of being here—a fragrant welcome, a flash of color, and a visual expression of Hawaii’s aloha.
Now, that same lei might cost more than your expensive dinner, and the airport lei stands, well, they’re mostly gone.
As Hawaii enters another peak travel season, the soaring price of leis is one more reminder that the islands are changing fast. Things that once felt effortless and welcoming now come with a price tag that many visitors—and even some locals—find hard to justify.
What happened to the airport lei stands?
Not long ago, flower stands were a familiar sight not far from baggage claim outside of Honolulu Airport. The fragrance alone was unforgettable. Local families and visitors stopped to grab a lei before picking up loved ones. Visitors, drawn by the scent of plumeria and tuberose, wandered over to buy one before heading to their hotel. That welcoming moment used to be an integral part of arriving in Hawaii.
The tradition goes back to the 1940s, when lei sellers lined Lagoon Drive with flowers sold from car trunks. In 1952, the state built permanent thatched-roof huts at HNL to support what had already become a defining part of Hawaii’s first impression. Over the years, the huts were replaced by concrete structures and moved to their current location in the 1990s. For decades, those lei stands have stood as a significant symbol of the islands, offering travelers a fragrant, human-sized welcome that no brochure or hotel desk could match.
But years of airport changes, modernization projects, and shifting travel behavior have taken a toll. Permit restrictions, construction, and the long pause during the pandemic pushed many vendors out. While a few stands still operate today, like Sophia’s and Gladys’ Lei Stand, the walk-up experience is now limited and often missed entirely by travelers rushing through. It’s one more tradition that quietly disappeared, and with it, the kind of welcome that once made Hawaii feel different. What will become of those old thatched huts isn’t yet clear.
Why are lei prices rising?
A single strand of basic orchid lei we found at Costco in Honolulu recently sold for $19.99. We bought that exact lei for two at $12.99 not long ago. Once considered a splurge at $50, a coveted maile lei now regularly costs $100 and up—if you can find them. Maile lei, combined with tuberose or orchid, often reserved for weddings or milestone events, now typically range from $140 to $200. For many, a maile lei remains the gold standard of Hawaiian celebration—but its price now puts it out of reach for everyday use.
Many of the flowers used in lei are imported from Thailand, South America, and beyond. According to the University of Hawaii, that number is about 90%.
Tariffs, labor shortages, shipping delays, and climate-related disruptions have all driven prices up. Even local flower growers deal with higher input costs, unpredictable weather, and increased demand.
The result is a sharp price jump that has caught visitors and longtime residents off guard.
A tradition that means more than money.
In Hawaiian culture and Hawaii tradition, the lei is more than just a necklace of flowers. It’s a symbol of love, welcome, remembrance, and connection. Lei are given for arrivals and departures, weddings, birthdays, graduations, and other celebrations. Each “handmade” lei is crafted with intention, and giving one is often as meaningful as the lei itself.
It’s a way to say, “I see you,” “I honor you,” or “I’m with you.” When prices rise, it’s not just a consumer frustration. For many, it feels like something sacred is slipping out of reach.
Some longtime residents say they’re giving fewer leis, turning instead to ti leaf, kukui nut, or even homemade paper or fabric lei to honor the tradition without breaking the bank. Others save fresh flower leis for the most meaningful occasions and quietly mourn how things used to be.
What visitors are saying.
Visitors are starting to notice—and feel—the change. One traveler told us they spent $50 on two basic lei at a convenience store. Another described it as symbolic: even aloha now feels like a luxury good. A repeat visitor shared that their family skipped buying lei this time, shocked at how much prices had risen. For longtime Hawaii travelers, it’s not just about the flowers—it’s about what their absence now represents.
Chinatown may still offer a better option.
Some say Honolulu’s Chinatown remains one of the best places to find fresh lei at lower prices for those willing to venture beyond the resort areas. Longtime shops like Cindy’s and Lin’s continue to offer beautiful selections, especially if you arrive early. The air is thick with floral scent, and you’ll find rows of vibrant orchid lei, ti leaf garlands, and delicate tuberose strands. Cash is still preferred, and selection is best before noon.
Around graduation or holidays, even Chinatown prices rise. But it’s still reported to be far more affordable than what you’ll find at hotel gift shops or the few airport vendors still operating. We’ll check out the lei at Chinatown shortly to let you know.
The cost of sending aloha.
Shipping a lei to the mainland has also become significantly more expensive. Sending a fresh lei from Hawaii to California typically costs between $65 and $75 after packaging, cooling materials, and overnight delivery. Some vendors charge more for Saturday arrivals or multiple leis in a single box.
With prices like that, many families now turn to mainland florists using local flowers, silk versions, or skip the tradition entirely. Some Hawaii florists have reported a noticeable drop in lei-shipping orders this year. The cost, they say, has changed the tradition.
What Hawaii visitors can do.
For travelers who still want to honor the lei tradition without overspending, there are still accessible options. Simpler styles like ti leaf or kukui nut can be affordable and long-lasting. Some hotels and cultural centers offer lei-making classes, often at no cost. Ordering in advance from local florists may also help avoid steep markups, especially compared to last-minute purchases at airports or resort shops.
Others are adapting the tradition in new ways. Some now choose homemade paper or fabric lei, or reserve fresh flower lei for the most meaningful occasions. Longer-lasting options like kukui nut or shell lei are also becoming more popular as meaningful keepsakes from Hawaii.
The gesture still matters.
The lei isn’t just a tradition—it’s a gesture of connection. In Hawaii, that gesture matters more than ever. It’s not about the flowers. It’s about the giving. And that still means something.
Have you noticed the cost of lei rising on your Hawaii vacation?
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Since when has tradition meant more than money in Hawaii. So tired of it. There’s a great big earth to see. After 10 visits to five different Islands I’m never going back to Hawaii! Completely clueless and further blinded by their greed. I mean you just can’t enjoy a visit over there anymore so why would I pay all that money?
Hawaii very expensive. Taxes higher on rentals. Auto is $50-100 a day without insurance and fees. Cost of rental vehicles and lodging high. Parks charging $10 a car , $5 a person. Going on Na Pali coast tours $225 pp and pay to park at boat dock. Luau $159-205 pp. Average meal for two $40 without drinks. Cost of flying is way up. Instead of coming over every year or two I will probably stretch to q 3 years. Stay cation looking a better choice. Just the way it is these days.
The parking charges are a pure money grab. When you go to places you visited in 2012 and never paid parking and now they are $10 with plenty of open spaces. Hotels with giant lots (not in the city) charging $30 a day to park! Bad Mana!
Yes, the increase is real. My wife & i recently celebrated our 25th anniversary for a week right off of waikiki beach/honolulu. We loved our time there overall but would definitely make some changes if we ever went back. Everything we did or ate was more expensive than we were told or heard. We were fine because we didn’t have kids with us but families that do would be more impacted if they don’t properly budget for increases ov erall.
Even the hight prizes of Leis, I still will have one when I arrive in November 12, 2025 for my 85th birthday. Greetings from Melbourne, FL.
It used to be Covid but now the Tariffs are the “reason” everything is going up, I call bs….its all a money grab, and yeah while there’s a sucker born every day in the mean time others finally wake up. Everything nowadays is a money grab, sad world we live in.
The elected “leaders” of the state continue to gouge the residents and the tourists, continuing to bleed the state. It’s high time for real change. The general mindset of “don’t rock the boat” needs to change to “no more!” California was given 24 billion to combat homelessness, yet the problem increased substantially. Time to find out where all the money is really going.
Been visiting since 1969. Many wonderful local friends.
Haole come leave money go home.
Not Aloha now a fight for every dime.
My first trip was June 1979. The International Market Place was a quaint cozy batch of shops, not a heartless ice cold mall. You could walk along the sidewalk on Waikiki Beach and actually see the beach.
Hawaii allowed the extensive growth that takes away from the aloa spirit. Blame the elected officials over the past 40 years. Mahao, Hawaii, for many beautiful trips.
The only guarantee we have is change. My grandma grew vanda orchids in her yard, so when we needed leis, we went to her house, together we would pick flowers and sew leis made from her plumeria and vanda flowers. Miss my sweet grandma, mom and aunty’s!
The only guarantee we have is change. My grandma grew vanda orchids in her yard, so when we needed leis, we went to her house, together we would pick flowers and sew leis made from her plumeria and vanda flowers. Miss my sweet grandma and aunty’s!
Life is so dismal these days, can’t even get lei’d in Hawaii anymore.
Leis are itchy and wasteful – destined for the landfill once they wilt.
Treat your arriving passenger(s) with a hug and a smile instead – it’ll last longer.
Sorry but Hawaii shot themselves in the foot. I grew up on Oahu and it will always be home to me but I live on the mainland now. I go home to visit friends and relatives and am lucky enough to be able to borrow a friend ‘s Haleiwa house but when that ends. My visits will be far fewer due to cost, traffic and lack of aloha. There are so many amazing vacation spots that it feels like Hawaii is becoming a choice if the past .
They are doing everything they can to turn hawaii into just another beach town with a concrete jungle and rodeo drive stores. And then they wonder why people complain about high cost and it is not what they expected.
We just came back from Maui yesterday. We have been going there most every year for 13 years. In the last 4 years every thing cost wise has gone up so much. It’s not really worth it anymore. It’s time for a new vacation destination. Time-consuming say good bye to Maui. Just to expensive, not good food anymore. $17 dollar Mai Tai. and overpriced rooms…..
Fiji is the new Hawaii! Way more value for money and taking an overnight flight means you wake up in happiness that won’t break the bank!
My wife and I got back from maui 3 weeks ago and one day I wanted a nice breakfast so we went to the
I.H.O.P (international house of pancakes)) mom wasn’t hungry. So I ordered one breakfast and two cups of coffee . The bill came to $32.98 next time I go I will get an efficiency room at a hotel so I can make myself a nice breakfast but the pay $32 for two eggs two pancakes two pieces of bacon and home fries is a little ridiculous.
We usually order a locally handmade lei for family and friends joining us for the first time at our annual timeshare -but after the last time we spent 250.. for two adult and two child leis, we have been ordering the cute kikui nut leis on Amazon to welcome our guests. The kids love the colorful necklaces and the adults appreciate the gesture. I am sad, though. I remember my first lei many years ago and it made me feel so special.
Aloha Michelle
Sadly with inflation, Our Lei’s have escalated as well, the cost$$, the labor, even shipping. Our Aloha is always stretch beyond its limits. Let’s just hope for the better, that cost for everything in our islands eventually become affordable?
Keep Aloha Alive
I remember going down the the stands at HNL and buying a maile lei and a “cigar lei” that happily was in my high school’s colors to send my sister for her high school (same school) graduation.
I seem to remember that in 1988 they didn’t allow her to wear it during the ceremony. Nowadays it seems like you can wear anything.
I had a two week trip to Maui paid for in November, after this tax was implemented I cancelled it. Good luck, taxation is not the way to say welcome. I have zero sympathy for all the liberals on the Islands. You will starve because of your elected officials.
My first trip to Hawaii was in 1966 to visit local relatives I had never met. I remember marveling at the perfume in the air when I got off the plane, and even in Waikiki. There were beautiful plumeria trees everywhere and the scent of those flowers was so enchanting. Each time that I returned there were fewer and fewer plumeria and the Hawaii perfume was no longer in the air.
We make our lei’s from neighbors plumeria tree. Otherwise its money, candy or color coded like graduation. Too expensive to buy.
Yes they smell and look amazing, however so does my hard earned $$, so even tho everything isn’t about money….lets just say it’s about priorities!!
Most kukui nut leis, like those found in ABC stores, are imported from the Philippines and are made of plastic.
An authentic hand-made kukui nut lei will set you back $$$ due to the time and effort needed to clean real kukui nuts, which are heavy and have a distinctive smell.
A ti-leaf lei also takes time and effort, as the leaves must be stripped and softened before being woven. I can knock one out in a few minutes, but only after the leaves have been stripped from their stems and softened by steaming, ironing, or freezing them overnight.
The “aloha” comes from the time and effort spent hand-making a lei. Sadly, the tourist industry has commoditized leis to the point where almost all aloha has been stripped from them.
Why has Hawaii become more expensive? Like many parts of the world, housing is the main driver. We all have to share the added cost of housing with almost every expense, including lei’s. A 60 year, one party rule in Hawaii hasn’t helped.
Incidentally, most tariffs on fresh cut flowers is 10%, up from 5-7%. However, the US has specific flower trade agreements with some countries like Columbia (who furnish 80% of our flowers), which may or may not be affected by any new tariffs. In any event, the new number is 10% in most cases for flowers, a 3% increase. More to come on that. It is significant to note that “tariffs,” per se, are by no means the main killer of Hawaii’s lei business, which has been in steady decline for years.
My wahine started making lei’s back in the 80s when she took classes (I think at Kapiolani Park). When visitors come on shorter notice we’d get them at Gladys stand at the airport (although we remember when they were ALL open and we could “shop” the lei stands).
Haven’t bought them in Chinatown since we were shopping there awhile ago. I Truly believe that HT&T should do something about the visitors access upon arrival. I think the stands belong closer to the actual Baggage Claim carousels for the different airlines, and let individuals partake in a lottery to rent the stands so it’s not “fixed bid rigging.” Also, being where visitors are still walking makes it more likely they won’t miss the stands. The current lei stand location is probably missed by 50% of visitors.
We are heading to Kailua in June. Will check Costco but I think buying a good Mai Tai will have to be the new tradition.
I’ll drink to that!
That’s what we do when any friends come with us. Check in, drop everything in the room and head down to the Barefoot Bar at the Hale Koa for the best Mai Tai on island. Then watch the sunset. (still free)
I used to buy my “going home” leis at the lei stand in Lihue airport next to the 2 gift shops. Plumeria cost about $15 before COVID. During that, they closed down and never reopened. Was always so disappointed that I couldn’t enjoy that heavenly smell when I got home. I have about 20 carefully preserved dried lei hanging in my bedroom. Gives me such pleasant memories of my time there. Bring back the lei stands please.
Better enjoy that ‘free’ sunset while you still can before Hawaii charges you for it !
Don’t be silly, you’ll still be able to watch sunset, but it’ll mean waking up at 4am every day for weeks before your trip to compete for the privilege of paying $40 to ride the sunset shuttle (note: locals will be allowed to do what they like without the sunset fee).
And don’t forget to watch the fireworks at the Hilton Hawaiian on Friday evening…