How bad is jet lag flying to Honolulu?

It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 20 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 13 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Honolulu there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Honolulu?

Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.

How long does it take to get over jet lag in Honolulu?

A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.

Jet lag when you fly to Honolulu

Honolulu is on Pacific/Honolulu. How much jet lag you get depends entirely on where you start — how many time zones you cross, and in which direction. Travelling west is the easier direction. Stay up later than usual before you go and get evening light once you arrive.

Jet lag to Honolulu by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Sydney	20	← west	8,166 km	10½ hours	~13 days
Tokyo	19	← west	6,206 km	8 hours	~13 days
Singapore	18	← west	10,813 km	13½ hours	~12 days
Mumbai	16	← west	12,899 km	16 hours	~11 days
Dubai	14	← west	13,736 km	17 hours	~9 days
Paris	12	← west	11,970 km	15 hours	~8 days
Johannesburg	12	← west	19,205 km	23½ hours	~8 days
London	11	← west	11,632 km	14½ hours	~7 days
São Paulo	7	← west	13,012 km	16 hours	~5 days
New York City	6	← west	7,982 km	10 hours	~4 days
Los Angeles	3	← west	4,120 km	5½ hours	~2 days

Distances are great-circle; flight times are rough nonstop estimates. Recovery uses ~1 day per zone east, faster west.

Beating jet lag in Honolulu

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between Honolulu and where you flew from, the longer it takes to catch up — roughly a day for each time zone when you travel east, and somewhat faster when you travel west, because it is easier to stay up late than to force yourself to sleep early.

A few days before you fly, nudge your sleep schedule toward Honolulu time — earlier if you are heading east, later if west. On arrival, get outside: daylight is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. Morning light helps after an eastward trip; evening light helps after a westward one. To see the exact current offset, check the current time in Honolulu.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Honolulu?: It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 20 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 13 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Honolulu there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Honolulu?: Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.
How long does it take to get over jet lag in Honolulu?: A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.