Honolulu

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Top 10 things to do in Honolulu

The Hawaiian capital is a small city within a big landscape. Whether you're visiting Honolulu for its volcanic beaches, vibrant wildlife, or hedonistic cuisine, you'll find no shortage of enticing things to see and do. Here are 10 of the best!

  • Diamond Head

    1. Diamond Head

    Honolulu is a hiker's paradise and one of its best trails for scenic sightseeing is the one ascending Diamond Head, Waikiki's emblematic dormant volcano!

  • Nuuanu Pali State Wayside

    2. Nuuanu Pali State Wayside

    The Koolau is a very unusual mountain range! The remaining half of this former volcano provides spectacular views, best seen from the Nuuanu Pali State Wayside lookout.

  • Pearl Harbor

    3. Pearl Harbor

    The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a major turning point in the course of World War II. The naval base is still active and gives free tours if you arrive early enough to bag a ticket!

  • USS Arizona Memorial

    4. USS Arizona Memorial

    1,177 were killed when the USS Arizona was sunk by Japanese bombs in 1941. This USS Arizona Memorial straddles the submerged battleship, allowing visitors to peer down into the wreckage.

  • Polynesian Cultural Center

    5. Polynesian Cultural Center

    This top attraction has been offering tourists an enthralling Polynesian cultural experience for half a century, from replica villages to arts, crafts, and Luaus!

  • Iolani Palace

    6. Iolani Palace

    Built by the last king of Hawaii in an effort to make the island nation appear more prestigious, tours of the Iolani-Palast provide a fascinating insight into the short-lived kingdom.

  • Bernice Pauahai Bishop Museum

    7. Bernice Pauahai Bishop Museum

    Established to preserve the heirlooms inherited from the founder's Hawaiian wife, the museum boasts the world's largest collection of Polynesian artifacts and natural specimens.

  • Hanauma Bay

    8. Hanauma Bay

    This scenic nature reserve is one of Hawaii's premier snorkeling spots. Its reefs, which are swarming with sealife, are so popular that they have to limit visitors - arrive early!

  • Honolulu Zoo

    9. Honolulu Zoo

    Built across part of Kapiolani Park – the largest and oldest park in Hawaii – the zoo is home to over 900 mostly tropical species. Don't miss the fierce Komodo Dragons!

  • Waikiki Aquarium

    10. Waikiki Aquarium

    If you can't make it to Hanauma Bay then check out Waikiki's aquarium instead. It's a small one but nonetheless a great place to discover Hawaii's local sea creatures!

Planning Your Visit

  • When to visit?

    There isn't really a bad time to visit Honolulu, but December to March brings mercifully cooler temperatures than the summer, even if the trade off means a higher chance of it raining. If you can, go during the school months. The off-season dip in tourism will see even the best beaches more secluded and the limited-space attractions, like the USS Arizona Memorial, easier to access.

  • How many days?

    Don't stress yourself trying to hurry through a packed itinerary. Hawaii is definitely not the place for that! Book your stay in Honolulu for at least a week, especially if you plan on seeing more of Oahu island.

Good to know

  • Language
    English
  • Currency
    USD ($)
  • Time Zone
    UTC (-10:00)
  • Country Code
    +1
  • Best time to visit
    All year round

Top Attractions in Honolulu

Things to Do in Honolulu

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What people are saying about Honolulu

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 1,482 reviews

The crew was absolutely amazing and accommodating towards everyone on the boat. I would give them 10 stars if I could! There were plenty of Galapagos Sharks swimming nearby the cage, just within an arms reach. On the ride there and back we were able to see a couple of giant sea turtles popping their heads above the water and dolphins jumping out the water. It was definitely a surreal experience that I enjoyed. I do plan to go careless shark diving soon so this definitely warmed me up! I will definitely be coming back to do this again with my sister! Book now, you won’t regret it!

Oahu: Incredible 2-Hour Shark Dive on the North Shore Reviewed by Anonymous, 2/24/2021

I was misled from your website thinking this included tickets to the Arizona. I think you should specify that as a disclaimer that is very visible so others like me don’t miss out on that experience! Your site says USS Arizona all over but when we went to see it we were turned away!! Very upsetting and frustrating!!

Oahu: Official USS Arizona Memorial Narrated Audio Tour Reviewed by Anonymous, 2/27/2021

The weather wasn’t very cooperative (rainy, windy, lots of large waves) and we understand that wasn’t their fault but it made for a very tough experience. The guides were very friendly, kind, and wanted everyone to have a good experience however, and kept checking in with everyone. The music was a bit loud.

Waikiki Beach: Eco-Friendly Morning Whale Watching Excursion Reviewed by Anonymous, 3/2/2021

The crew was wonderful. We has a great time. But we didn't get to snorkel and they only offered my 20% off if we paid for another trip. That's not what we paid for. The wind was too much and i understand that but I feel like we should have gotten a choice to go.

Oahu: 3-Hour Waikiki Snorkel & Sailing Adventure with Lunch Reviewed by Beverly, 2/27/2021

Audio tour comes with a paper guide but you also need to pay attention to the sites to find all the points of interest. We did not get that direction, we figured it out on our own and missed some of the points we passed before we figured it out.

Oahu: Official USS Arizona Memorial Narrated Audio Tour Reviewed by Anonymous, 2/23/2021

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