Taking a hookah on a plane: rules and packing

On holiday you want your own shisha with you. But anyone searching for taking a hookah on a plane mostly finds rules about water bottles and sunscreen. About the hookah itself, the glass base, the charcoal tongs and the charcoal, there is hardly anything.

Below you read what may go in your carry-on and suitcase, what you better leave at home and how to pack your hookah so it arrives in one piece. Want to take something smaller? Have a look at the hookah bags or at the travel models further down.

Can you take a hookah on a plane?

Yes. A hookah is not on the lists of prohibited items we checked. It does not appear on the Eindhoven Airport list, and in the United States the TSA even says literally that it may go in carry-on and checked baggage.

You do need to know two things. Airport security may always refuse an item itself, even if it is not on any list. And according to the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, every airline may have stricter rules. So check your airline's website beforehand.

Carry-on or checked baggage?

Preferably pack your hookah in your checked baggage. A long metal stem and pointed charcoal tongs can raise questions at security, and the glass base is better protected between your clothes in the suitcase. If you do take a small hookah in your carry-on, make sure it is completely empty and dry.

What security can stop

In carry-on baggage, items with a sharp point that could injure someone are prohibited, and so are tools with a blade or shaft longer than 6 centimeters. That is why charcoal tongs with pointed tips belong in the suitcase. Water in the base is not allowed either: in your carry-on each container may hold at most 100 ml, in a clear 1 liter bag.

Charcoal on a plane: better not

Leave your charcoal at home. Charcoal burns, and many airlines list it among the flammable materials that may not go in carry-on or checked baggage. Quick-light charcoal also contains a lighting agent. The chance that your charcoal ends up in the bin at security is high.

Buying charcoal at your destination

Buy your charcoal on the spot instead. Choose natural charcoal, such as coconut charcoal: it burns long and evenly. The difference with quick-light charcoal is explained in this guide to coconut charcoal or quick-light charcoal. If you bring an electric charcoal burner, check whether you need a plug adapter at your destination.

A gas charcoal burner

A gas charcoal burner works with a gas canister, and flammable gas may not go on a plane. On holiday you are better off with an electric charcoal burner, or buying gas on the spot.

Lighter and matches on a plane

A lighter may come along, but only on your body. According to the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, one box of matches or one gas lighter for personal use may go in your trouser or jacket pocket. It may not go in your carry-on or your suitcase.

An electric charcoal burner in your suitcase

An electric charcoal burner has no battery, so the rules for batteries and power banks do not apply to it. Pack it clean and cooled down in your checked baggage. If in doubt, ask your airline beforehand.

How to pack your hookah for the suitcase

A hookah rarely breaks at the stem. It is almost always the glass base. With a few simple steps it arrives in one piece.

The glass hookah base

Empty the base and let it dry completely. Wrap it in a sweater or towel and put it in the middle of your suitcase, with clothes around it. That way there is a buffer on every side between the glass and the suitcase.

Stem, bowl and charcoal tongs

Take the hookah completely apart. Wrap the stem in a towel and put the hookah bowl in a sock, so it does not knock against the glass. The charcoal tongs and any HMD go loose in the suitcase.

Hookah hose and mouthpiece

Roll a silicone hookah hose up in a wide circle, without kinks. Let it dry well first, or it starts to smell musty in your suitcase. For on the road, bring hygienic mouth tips, handy when you smoke with friends. How to arrange that for a whole group is in organizing a shisha night.

A travel hookah: small and easy to take along

If you do not want to pack your big hookah every time, a travel hookah is handy. They are small, often come with their own bag, and are quick to assemble.

• DUM Accordion, 23 cm: the base is made of silicone and folds up. So there is no glass that can break. With LED lighting and a carrying bag.
• Aladin 2Go, 23 cm: an aluminum stem on a glass base, with its own bag. The Aladin 2Go comes in six colors.
• Oduman N2 Travel, 21 cm: thick glass and stainless steel, with a storage bag. The parts click together. See the Oduman N2 Travel.
• Oduman Micro, 18 cm: the smallest, with a red carrying bag. Note: the Oduman Micro does not come with a bowl.

A bag for your shisha

If you take your regular hookah, use a sturdy shisha bag. The Wawa transport bag measures 45 by 25 centimeters and has a padded inside. The DUM carrying bags come in three sizes: small for hookahs of 20 to 45 centimeters, medium from 45 to 65 and large from 65 to 120. All bags are in the hookah bags.

Buying a hookah on holiday and taking it home

If you buy a hookah on holiday, the customs rules apply when you return. Coming from outside the EU, according to Dutch Customs you may bring goods worth up to 430 euros in total tax-free when you travel by plane or boat. Above that, you declare them and pay import duties and VAT.

That amount applies per person. You may not add up the purchases of your travel companions. If you buy the hookah within the EU, this limit does not apply.

Back in your suitcase

The same rules apply on the way back as on the way out. Empty the base, pack it between your clothes and leave charcoal and gas canisters behind. At your destination and back home you set it up as always; the steps are in shisha for beginners.

Rules at your destination

Every country has its own rules on smoking and on what you may bring in. Before you leave, check the government travel advice for your destination, under laws and regulations. That is where you find what to leave at home. And check your airline's list: it can be stricter than the general rules.

Travel hookahs and hookah bags at ShishaTabak

At ShishaTabak you find everything to take your shisha on a trip: small travel hookahs such as the DUM Accordion and the Aladin 2Go, sturdy hookah bags in three sizes, electric charcoal burners for at your destination, washable silicone hookah hoses and hygienic mouth tips.

Ordered before 18:00, delivered the next working day (NL), and from 89.99 euros we ship for free (NL). We also ship to Belgium and the rest of Europe.