Hawaii holds a distinction no other US state can claim: it has no rabies. At all. While the CDC estimates around 100,000 Americans get preventive treatment for rabies exposure every year, visitors to the islands can hike, swim and beach-hop without a second thought about rabid animals. That status is no accident. Hawaii has enforced strict animal quarantine rules since 1912, and it has worked — with a single exception, a rabid bat found back in 1991.

For holidaymakers, the payoff is obvious. The state drew more than 9 million visitors in 2025 alone, and its six main islands pack in highlights like Lanikai Beach on Oahu and the volcanic scenery of Haleakalā National Park on Maui, which National Geographic recently named among the world's best places to travel in 2026.

The catch? Getting a dog or cat into Hawaii is a serious undertaking. The standard rule is a 120-day quarantine on arrival, but the state also runs a Five Day or Less Program that can shorten — or in some cases skip — quarantine entirely. That route requires an up-to-date rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody blood test, a stack of documentation and fees, with exact requirements depending on which island you're headed to. Every box must be ticked before your pet lands, not after. It's famously doable: the Obamas' dog Bo made the trip in 2010 without quarantining.

A couple of other things worth knowing. Rabies-free doesn't mean risk-free — leptospirosis, a bacterial infection, does occur in Hawaii, so take the usual precautions around freshwater. And if you love this idea, note that Hawaii isn't alone: Australia and Guam, the US territory in the western Pacific, are also rabies-free, and both apply similar quarantine regimes to incoming pets.

Why it matters: if you've been dreaming of a Hawaiian holiday where you can explore trails and coastlines without worrying about animal-borne disease, this is the one US destination that offers it. Just be aware that if you want your pet along, you'll need to plan months ahead — the paperwork timeline for the reduced-quarantine program starts well before your flight.