Marshall Islands 7 Day Itinerary
The Marshall Islands sits atop more World War II shipwrecks than almost anywhere else on earth, yet fewer than 6,000 tourists visit each year. Most people who show up are divers chasing the Prinz Eugen or researchers tracking nuclear contamination. If you are neither, the islands reward curiosity in ways that no resort destination can.
Visa and Entry
Most nationalities, including US, EU, and Australian passport holders, can enter visa-free for up to 90 days. There is no tourist tax on arrival. The single point of entry for international flights is Amata Kabua International Airport (MAJ) on Majuro, served mainly by United Airlines’ Island Hopper route (Honolulu to Guam with multiple stops). Book this flight well in advance; seats sell out months ahead and the plane only comes through a few times a week.
Getting Around Majuro
Taxis from the airport to downtown Delap cost around $5 USD. There are no meters and no fixed tariff, so agree on the price before you get in. The Marshall Islands Resort and Robert Reimers Hotel both offer airport shuttles for $10 to $20. Once in town, shared taxis called “jitneys” run the length of the atoll road for $1 or less. Renting a car is possible through a handful of local operators at roughly $60 per day, though the entire paved road on Majuro is only about 35 km.
Day 1: Arrival in Majuro
The atoll is long and narrow, essentially a single road connecting three main districts: Delap, Uliga, and Djarrit (locals call this strip “DUD”). Your flight will likely arrive in the afternoon after a long connection via Honolulu, so keep day one light.
Check into the Marshall Islands Resort (MIR) in Delap, the most comfortable option on the island, with rooms running $75 to $90 per night. The pool has been out of service for some time, but the beachside location is genuine and the staff are consistently helpful. Budget travellers can look at the Pacific Traveler’s Inn in Djarrit, which offers clean, no-frills rooms at lower rates.
For dinner, the MIR’s Enra Restaurant is the most reliable option in town, with a menu that covers seafood, grilled meats, and a few Marshallese dishes. Prices are higher than elsewhere on the atoll but the consistency is worth it on an arrival night. Skip the takeaway stalls near the port on your first evening until you get a sense of the area.
Day 2: Majuro Sightseeing and Local Life
Start the morning at the Marshall Islands National Museum in Uliga. The collection is small but covers the nuclear testing era and traditional navigation canoes (wa) in detail that you will not find condensed anywhere else. Entry is a few dollars. Ask staff about the stick charts (rebbelib and mattang) used by Marshallese navigators to read wave patterns across open ocean. These are one of the most sophisticated wayfinding tools ever developed and the museum has originals.
In the afternoon, head to Anijan Beach Park for swimming. The lagoon side of Majuro is calm and safe; the ocean side has stronger currents and is better left to experienced swimmers. Local vendors near the park sell coconuts and fresh breadfruit, which is more interesting than it sounds when cooked properly.
One thing generic itineraries miss: Laura Beach, at the far western end of Majuro, is the best beach on the atoll. It is about 45 minutes by car or jitney from Delap and sees very few visitors on weekdays. Go here instead of Anijan if you only have one afternoon for a beach day.
Day 3: Runit Dome and Enewetak Atoll (or Jaluit)
Getting to Runit Dome on Enewetak Atoll requires either a domestic flight on Air Marshall Islands or a charter. The dome itself, a concrete cap over a 350-foot crater filled with 85,000 cubic metres of radioactive debris from 43 nuclear tests conducted between 1948 and 1958, has developed visible cracks and is considered structurally compromised. You can walk on the dome, which feels unsettling in a way that no interpretive sign can adequately prepare you for. There is no visitor fee. The locals on Enewetak are welcoming; bring small gifts if you are visiting a village.
If Enewetak is logistically out of reach this trip (domestic flights are infrequent and sometimes cancelled), substitute Jaluit Atoll as a day trip or overnight. Jaluit was the Japanese administrative capital of the Marshall Islands during World War II and still has rusting Japanese infrastructure visible near the water. The lagoon diving here is excellent, with coral formations largely unaffected by major bleaching events. The Jaluit Island Resort is the only formal accommodation option; expect basic rooms and bring your own supplies from Majuro.
Day 4: Wreck Diving or Snorkelling in Majuro Lagoon
The Marshall Islands offers some of the most accessible wreck diving in the Pacific. In Majuro lagoon alone, there are Japanese and American vessels from the Battle of Kwajalein that sit at recreational depths. Marshall Divers is the main dive operator in Majuro and runs guided wreck dives as well as reef dives. A two-tank dive costs roughly $100 to $120. Book the day before and confirm early, as trips depend on weather and minimum group size.
Non-divers should not feel left out. The lagoon snorkelling near Uliga Pier is genuinely good, with clownfish, parrotfish, and the occasional reef shark visible in clear water without needing any equipment beyond a mask. The pier itself is a social hub in the early evenings, worth visiting even if you are not going in the water.
Day 5: Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Atoll
This requires planning. Ebeye is the only part of Kwajalein Atoll accessible to civilian visitors; the main island is an active US Army missile test facility and access requires personal sponsorship from a resident. To reach Ebeye, fly from Majuro to Kwajalein’s Bucholz Airfield on Air Marshall Islands, then take the ferry across. You will go through both Marshall Islands immigration and a US Army security check before boarding the boat.
Once there, Hotel Ebeye is the sole accommodation option and doubles as a base for wreck divers targeting the Kwajalein lagoon, which holds WWII Japanese fleet vessels including the Prinz Eugen, a German heavy cruiser transferred to the US after the war and sunk during nuclear tests in 1946. The Prinz Eugen lies partially submerged with its propeller visible above the waterline, which is a strange and compelling sight even from a boat.
Ebeye itself is one of the most densely populated islands in the Pacific, housing Marshallese workers who service the US base. The contrast between the maintained American base across the water and the resource-strained Marshallese community is impossible to ignore and worth understanding before you visit.
Day 6: Return to Majuro, Handicrafts and Culture
Fly back to Majuro in the morning and spend the afternoon exploring local markets and shops. The handicraft most worth buying is the traditional woven mat (jaki-ed), made from pandanus leaves and produced by women’s cooperatives. These take weeks to make; prices start around $30 for small pieces and rise to several hundred for large exhibition-quality work. The cooperative near the civic centre sells certified-origin pieces, which matters because cheaper imports do exist.
Shell money (kiroji) is commonly sold as a souvenir but has cultural significance as a traditional form of exchange. Buy from a local seller rather than a tourist shop if possible, and ask about the piece’s origin.
Dinner at a local Marshallese home is possible if your hotel can arrange it through their network. This is worth asking about. Typical food includes breadfruit prepared multiple ways, coconut crab (when available and expensive), and reef fish. If you cannot arrange a home dinner, the restaurant at Robert Reimers Hotel (RRE) is a solid alternative to Enra for your last night on island.
Day 7: Final Morning and Departure
Flights out of MAJ typically depart in the morning or afternoon depending on direction. United’s Island Hopper towards Honolulu departs early; the Guam direction leaves later. Confirm your departure time the day before because schedules shift.
Use any remaining time before departure to walk the road between Uliga and Djarrit early in the morning, when locals are selling fresh fish off the boats that come into the dock. This small, unremarkable routine is more representative of daily Marshallese life than any attraction on the official circuit.
One practical note for departure: the airport is small and check-in can take longer than expected when the Island Hopper is full. Arrive at least two hours early and keep your receipts from any cash exchanges, as customs occasionally asks about large amounts of US currency being taken out.