Trip Overview
This two-week loop moves at a deliberate, island-time pace, letting you taste arrowroot pudding scooped from woven baskets, snorkel over B-24 Liberator wreckage, and watch coconut husks smolder into night-time mosquito coils. You will island-hop by small plane and fiberglass boat, spend two full days on Bikini Atoll’s ghost fleet, and end with a sunset barbecue on Laura Beach. Marshall Islands weather stays warm year-round; the only decision is whether you want tradewind-cooled mornings or glass-flat lagoon afternoons.
Pace
Moderate
Daily Budget
$150–220 per day
Best Seasons
Late October to early May for calm seas and dry skies
Ideal For
First-time visitors, Ocean history lovers, Snorkelers, Slow travelers
Day-by-Day Itinerary
1
Touchdown in Majuro
Delap–Uliga–Djarrit (D–U–D), Majuro Atoll
Emerge from the runway into salt-sprayed air and settle into lagoon rhythms.
Morning
Arrival and Lagoon Lookout walk
Land at Amata Kabua International, then stroll the causeway toward the old Japanese lighthouse. Watch waves slap against rusted WWII gun emplacements and smell diesel mixed with drying reef fish.
Lunch
Ritidian Restaurant
Afternoon
Alele Museum & Cultural Center
Trace stick-chart navigation and feel the coarseness of hand-woven jaki-ed mats. The scent of pandanus leaves lingers in the air-conditioned halls.
Closed Sunday; no advance ticket needed
Evening
Sunset drink at Tide Table bar
Order a green-coconut mojito while hermit crabs click across the deck
Where to Stay Tonight
Delap, near the causeway (Hotel Robert Reimers)
Easy walk to tomorrow’s boat dock and the lagoon-facing rooms catch sunrise light
Exchange dollars at the airport kiosk; banks close at 3 p.m. sharp
Day 1 Budget: 170 USD
2
Coral Gardens & Coconut Hands
Arno Atoll day trip from Majuro
Glass-bottom boat to Arno’s outer reef for technicolor snorkeling and a village ukelele session.
Morning
Private boat to Arno
Leave Delap dock at 7 a.m.; the twin 40 hp engines roar, spraying cool mist. Watch flying fish skip across gun-metal water and smell the diesel-salt mix.
Book through Robert Reimers dock office the day before
Lunch
Family cookout in Ine village
Afternoon
Snorkeling at Longar Point
Drift above lettuce coral where Moorish idols flicker like neon markers. Feel the warm current tug gently at your fins.
Bring cash to tip the boat captain
Where to Stay Tonight
Same as Day 1 (Hotel Robert Reimers)
Simple checkout tomorrow for the outer-island flight
Pack reef-safe sunscreen; local shops sell zinc in tiny tubs
Day 2 Budget: 140 USD
3
Ghost Fleet of Bikini
Bikini Atoll
Fly northwest to dive the world’s only accessible nuclear fleet and camp under equatorial stars.
Morning
NITKA Air charter to Bikini
Board the 10-seat Islander; propellers drone over endless cobalt. Land on the crushed-coral runway and taste metal from the prop wash.
Reserve 30 days ahead via Bikini Atoll Divers
Lunch
Crew mess tent: spam musubi and fresh papaya
Afternoon
Check-out dive on USS Saratoga
Descend past the aircraft carrier’s looming deck where sea anemones pulse like crimson fists. Hear only the mechanical hiss of your regulator.
Bring Advanced Open Water card
Evening
Beach bonfire with dive guides
Grilled wahoo and stories of 1946 test Able and Baker
Reef shoes essential; coral rubble is razor sharp
Day 3 Budget: 950 USD (dive day premium)
4
More Wrecks, Less Words
Bikini Atoll
Second day on the ghost fleet: Nagato battleship and lagoon night dive.
Morning
Dive battleship Nagato
Swim past the pagoda mast now encrusted with violet soft corals. Feel the 35 °C water turn cooler as you drop beside the hull.
Lunch
On-boat ramen with canned tuna
Afternoon
Shark briefing & safety stop at Saratoga reef
Gray reef sharks circle overhead while you hover at 5 m, exhale silver bubbles into the sunlit blue.
Evening
Stargazing on Bikini sand spit
No light for 300 miles: Milky Way drips like white paint
Charge cameras at the generator; shuts off at 10 p.m.
Day 4 Budget: 400 USD
5
Return to Majuro & Local Bites
Majuro Atoll
Morning flight back, then wander the central market tasting Marshall Islands food staples.
Morning
Bikini–Majuro flight
Prop-plane descent reveals Majuro’s pencil-thin silhouette. Smell jet fuel replaced by pandanus once you step onto the tarmac.
Lunch
Marshall Islands food stalls at Mile Market
Afternoon
Laura Beach run and swim
Shared taxi 40 km south on the single road. Feel soft coral sand squeak underfoot and taste salt spray carried by steady trades.
Taxis leave when full; depart by 2 p.m.
Evening
Dinner at Yvonne’s Restaurant
Order the smoked eel in coconut milk; ask for extra lime
Where to Stay Tonight
Delap (Hotel Robert Reimers or equivalent)
Convenient for early ferry tomorrow
Buy woven baskets at roadside stands before Laura; prices rise closer to town
Day 5 Budget: 180 USD
6
Atoll Hop to Jaluit
Jaluit Atoll
Small-plane hop southeast to explore WWII ruins and meet master canoe-builders.
Morning
NITKA flight to Jaluit
Low-level flight skims over pearl farms and turquoise reefs. Land on the WWII coral runway still pockmarked by shrapnel.
Pay cash at airport counter; cards often offline
Lunch
Fisherman’s table at Jabor dock
Afternoon
Jabor WWII relics walk
Stroll past rusted Japanese seaplane ramp and smell diesel soaked into coral from 1944. Intact Zero fighter cockpit lies in jungle shade.
Ask at the dock for ‘Uncle Jim’, the retired teacher-guide
Evening
Sunset on lagoon dock with coconut toddy
Sweet sap ferments by afternoon; sip slowly
Bring small gifts—fishing line or school pencils—for generous hosts
Day 6 Budget: 160 USD
7
Canoe Carving & Reef Drift
Jaluit Atoll
Hands-on morning with master carvers; lazy afternoon drift snorkel inside the pass.
Morning
Outrigger canoe workshop
Shave breadwood with adze blades; smell fresh sap and feel wood fibers curl beneath calloused hands.
Arrange through motel owner the night before
Lunch
Home-cooked taro and reef fish in Auntie Lina’s kitchen
Afternoon
Snorkel drift at Imroj Pass
Float with incoming tide past brain corals while juvenile trevally flicker like silver coins in a stream.
Best tide 2 hours before high
Evening
Storytelling circle in village maneaba
Listen to chants about fearless navigators who read wave patterns
Slather coconut oil on skin; locals swear it repels no-see-ums
Day 7 Budget: 140 USD
8
Mili Atoll: Forgotten Fortifications
Mili Atoll
Fly or cargo ship to Mili and explore massive coastal guns left by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Morning
Small-plane hop or supply ship to Mili
Prop buzz over endless reef rings. Touch down on a coral strip lined with flame trees dropping red petals on the tarmac.
Flights twice weekly; ship schedules are rumors—be flexible
Lunch
Pastor Ken’s porch: ramen with fresh octopus
Afternoon
Coastal gun battery trek
Hike inland through screw-pine forest to 8-inch guns now draped in morning glory vines. Smell rust and damp earth.
Ask at church compound near airstrip
Evening
Campfire on windward beach
Cook breadfruit in coals and watch bioluminescence shimmer in surf
Where to Stay Tonight
Mili village homestay (Family house with floor mats)
No commercial lodging exists
Bring a lightweight hammock; yards have perfect breadfruit tree spacing
Day 8 Budget: 120 USD
9
Lagoon Kayak & Coconut Grating
Mili Atoll
Paddle mirror-calm shallows then learn to wring coconut cream the old way.
Morning
Kayak to inner reef patch
Rent fiberglass kayak, glide over staghorn gardens. Hear only paddle drip and distant frigatebird screech.
Boats tied behind Pastor Ken’s house
Lunch
Village cookhouse: arrowroot pudding drizzled with palm syrup
Afternoon
Coconut processing with village women
Grate white flesh on sharkskin rasp, squeeze cream through woven strainer. Hands smell sweet for hours.
Just show up; hospitality is instant
Evening
Games with kids under breadfruit tree
Learn stick-and-ball ‘anang’ until stars come out
Solar chargers work on the school roof; ask permission
Day 9 Budget: 110 USD
10
Ebeye Day & Outer Kwajalein
Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Atoll
Take public ferry to Ebeye for a slice of urban Marshall Islands life, then snorkel off a causeway.
Morning
Ferry from Mili to Kwajalein, then water taxi to Ebeye
Ride swell in open fiberglass boat; taste salt on lips and see missile-tracking radars on distant USAKA base.
Ferry departs when boxes are loaded; patience required
Lunch
Jenro’s Take-Out: fried reef fish and rice
Afternoon
Ebeye cultural walk & causeway snorkel
Stroll crowded lanes smelling diesel and drying laundry. Jump off causeway into 30 °C bathtub water alive with electric-blue damselfish.
Bring passport; Kwajalein base security may glance at it
Evening
Sunset from Peace Park memorial
Watch rays of orange light bounce off rusting WWII barges
USA dollar coins are king; bring quarters for payphone-style internet
Day 10 Budget: 160 USD
11
Kwajalein Wreck Dive & Big Lagoon
Kwajalein Atoll
Dive the Prinz Eugen atoll wreck, then beach barbecue on deserted islet.
Morning
Boat dive on Prinz Eugen
Descend beside the German cruiser rolled onto its side. Engine rooms echo with metallic groans; feel thermocline shivers at 25 m.
Book through Kwajalein Scuba Club; military clearance takes 24 h
Lunch
Packed sandwich by dive crew
Afternoon
Sandbar picnic and drift snorkel
Anchor on a white ribbon of sand. Snorkel drift across coral heads while juvenile blacktips shadow you in knee-deep water.
Evening
Return to Ebeye, dinner at Captain’s Table
Try the soy-marinated wahoo poke
Bring a dry bag; splash from bow is constant
Day 11 Budget: 200 USD
12
Flight Back to Majuro & Island Drive
Majuro Atoll
Return flight to Majuro, then circle the atoll by shared taxi.
Morning
Kwajalein–Majuro flight
Board 19-seater; prop wash rattles the tin shed terminal. Smell jet fuel mix with frangipani blossoms from departing garlands.
Book seats at Ebeye Air office day prior
Lunch
DAR Coffee Shop: tuna melt on home-baked ciabatta
Afternoon
Full-atoll taxi loop
Ride with locals from Rita to Laura, 60 km single road. See children wave from tin houses, smell burning coconut husks every few kilometers.
Flag shared taxi near Tide Table bar
Where to Stay Tonight
Delap (Hotel Marshall Islands Resort)
Pool and reliable Wi-Fi to regroup before last days
Photograph the mile markers; each one is a different painted buoy
Day 12 Budget: 190 USD
13
Laura Beach & Hand-Craft Day
Laura, Majuro Atoll
Spend a slow day learning to weave and swim on the longest sandy stretch in Marshall Islands.
Morning
Coconut frond weaving workshop
Sit under breadfruit tree with Auntie Emlain; smell sap on green fronds as you twist them into a simple basket.
Ask hotel to call the night before
Lunch
Beach barbecue run by Laura Youth Group
Afternoon
Lazy swim and sandbar walk
Wade across glass-clear shallows to a sandbar; feel warm water knee-high for hundreds of meters, tiny clams crunching under toes.
Bring reef shoes
Evening
Sunset bonfire with ukulele songs
Locals teach three-chord ‘Iakwe’ chorus
Where to Stay Tonight
Laura Beach bungalows (Two-room thatch bungalow)
Wake to sunrise over empty lagoon
Charge devices before departure; no power after 10 p.m.
Day 13 Budget: 130 USD
14
Farewell & Last Souvenirs
Majuro Atoll
Return to town, buy final keepsakes, and savor one more plate of Marshall Islands food before departure.
Morning
Beach sunrise & taxi back to D-U-D
Watch orange disk lift from the horizon; taste toasted coconut handed by bungalow host. Shared taxi back to town smells of fresh pandanus leaf parcels.
Set time with bungalow caretaker night before
Lunch
Reimers Enterprises Café: last bowl of poke with chili-lime
Afternoon
Souvenir hunt at EC Trading
Browse woven jaki-ed mats dyed in indigo, smell pungent turmeric soaps, and run fingers over polished kukui-nut leis.
Bargaining accepted but smile first
Evening
Airport departure
Grab a final coconut cookie for the plane
Airport departure tax 20 USD—pay in cash only
Day 14 Budget: 80 USD
Practical Information
Getting Around
Inter-atoll travel is by NITKA 19-seat planes and occasional cargo boats. On Majuro, shared taxis ($2–5) and hotel shuttles cover the single road. Pack reef shoes; all islands require wading from boat to shore.
Book Ahead
Bikini Atoll dive package 30 days ahead, NITKA flights one week ahead, Bikini flight seats immediately after booking dives.
Packing Essentials
Reef-safe sunscreen, dry bag, reef shoes, quick-dry clothes, 2-pin US adapter, lightweight hammock, cash in small bills.
Total Budget
2,200–2,800 USD for 14 days excluding international flights
Customize Your Trip
Budget Version
Replace Bikini flights with two more nights on Jaluit, camp on village land, eat family meals, and hitch rides on cargo boats instead of charter flights.
Luxury Upgrade
Upgrade to Bikini live-aboard yacht, book beachfront suite at Marshall Islands Resort, and arrange private seaplane transfers to outer islands.
Family-Friendly
Skip advanced dives, add calm lagoon snorkeling, choose bungalows with adjoining rooms, and pack inflatable pool toys for Laura Beach.
Book Activities for Your Trip
Tours, tickets, and experiences in Marshall Islands