Things to Do in Honolulu: Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay and Where to Eat

Early in the morning in Honolulu, hikers file up the switchbacks of Diamond Head while surfers paddle out below at Waikiki, and by lunchtime the smell of shoyu chicken and fresh poke drifts from plate-lunch counters all over town. This is a real city on a volcanic island, with a royal palace, a harbor full of history, a snorkeling bay in an old crater and a long evening of food and music. It suits first-time visitors, families and anyone who wants a beach vacation with something to do between swims.

What are the best things to do in Honolulu?

The best things to do in Honolulu mix one big hike, one deeply moving memorial, a day in the water and a lot of eating, all within a short ride of Waikiki.

• Hike Diamond Head for the view of Waikiki and the coastline.
• Visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, the most visited history stop on the island.
• Snorkel Hanauma Bay, a curved bay inside an old volcanic crater.
• Tour Iolani Palace, home of the last Hawaiian monarchs.
• Eat your way through Chinatown, from noodle shops to lei stands.
• Drive to the North Shore for Haleiwa, shave ice and the winter surf.
• Spend a lazy day at the calm lagoons of Ko Olina.

Sights and landmarks in Honolulu

Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial

A boat carries you across the water to the white memorial that straddles the sunken battleship, and the mood on board is quiet. Oil still rises from the wreck below. The visitor center and its museums on the shore give the story of December 7 before you go out on the water.

Pearl Harbor is about half an hour from Waikiki by car, and TheBus also serves it. Go early, since the boat programs fill up and standby tickets are limited. Leave bags behind, because none are allowed in the memorial or the visitor center. Plan a half day if you want the museums as well as the boat.

Iolani Palace and downtown

Iolani Palace was the official residence of King Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani, and it is the only royal palace on American soil. Inside, the koa staircase, the throne room and the electric lights Kalakaua installed show a kingdom that was very much part of the modern world. You can tour with a docent or follow an audio guide at your own pace.

The palace sits in downtown Honolulu, a short drive from Waikiki. The grounds, the statue of Kamehameha across the street and the old government buildings make an easy walking loop. Reservations are strongly recommended, and walk-ins depend on availability.

Chinatown and the neighborhoods

Beside downtown, Chinatown’s grid holds markets, lei stands, noodle shops, and bars. Mornings belong to the produce and fish stalls, with lei makers threading plumeria and orchids. Evenings bring the restaurants and a livelier crowd.

Kakaako, between downtown and Waikiki, adds big outdoor murals, breweries and food halls. The Nuuanu Pali Lookout, about half an hour from Waikiki, gives a windy view over the green cliffs of the windward side.

Beaches and outdoor things to do in Honolulu

Diamond Head

The trail climbs the inner wall of a crater that formed in a single explosive eruption about 300,000 years ago. You pass switchbacks, a lit tunnel and old military bunkers before reaching the summit lookout, with Waikiki on one side and the open Pacific on the other. The hike is 0.8 mile and gains 560 feet, and the park says to allow 1.5 to 2 hours.

Go in the early hours, when the trail is cooler and the light is soft. Bring water and a hat, as there is almost no shade. Non-residents need entry and parking reservations, and they are tied to a time slot.

Hanauma Bay

This crescent bay in a collapsed crater is a protected marine preserve, and the shallow reef is full of colorful fish. Every visitor watches a short educational video in the theater first, which sets the tone: look, do not touch, and keep off the coral. Sunscreen sold in Hawaii is regulated to protect the reef.

It is about 30 minutes from Waikiki. Reservations open two days ahead at 7 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time, so plan around that. The bay is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and entry runs in the morning, with everyone out by mid-afternoon. Come early for the calmest water and the fewest people.

Waikiki and the south shore

Waikiki Beach is the classic: long, busy and lined with hotels, with gentle rolling waves that have made it a place for first surf lessons and outrigger canoe rides. Sunsets here come with torches lit along the promenade and ukulele music from the open-air bars.

Box jellyfish can show up on the south shore, and the Waikiki Aquarium warns they may appear on any day of the year. Check the signs and the day’s surf and currents first, then wade in only near a lifeguard when one is on duty. Keep well away from sea turtles and monk seals if you meet them on the sand.

Day trips from Honolulu

The North Shore

Haleiwa is the surf town, with food trucks, surf shops and shave ice stands lined up along the main road. From there the beaches string out toward Waimea Bay and Pupukea. Haleiwa is about an hour from Waikiki and Waimea Bay about an hour and 15 minutes, traffic permitting.

The big-wave months run from November to February, with waves that can reach thirty feet or more, and watching from the sand is a show in itself. Summer is calmer and suits beginners. At Pupukea, the state says the water is generally calm from about May through October, while in winter currents and waves become extremely dangerous.

Waimea Valley is a botanical garden with a short walk to a waterfall. Check the posted warnings plus today’s surf and currents before you get in the water at this waterfall pool, swim only where a lifeguard is on duty and stay near that lifeguard, and life jackets are required.

Kailua and Lanikai

Kailua Beach is long and soft-sand, a base for kayaking and windsurfing. Next door, Lanikai is a narrow residential beach reached by public paths between the houses, with the two Mokulua islets sitting just offshore like a postcard.

Those islets are a state seabird sanctuary where wedge-tailed shearwaters nest and monk seals rest. Visitors must stay below the high-water mark, and the islets close from sunset to sunrise. Behind town, the Kawainui marsh is the first Ramsar wetland in Hawaii.

Ko Olina lagoons

On the leeward west coast, Ko Olina is a resort built around four man-made lagoons joined by more than a mile and a half of seaside paths. Rock breakwaters shelter the water, which is why it stays calmer than the open coast. It is the easy day for people who want a soft landing after a week of sightseeing.

The resort is about 45 minutes from Waikiki, traffic permitting. Public parking is limited to 111 stalls across the four lagoons, so arrive early. Walk the path between lagoons at sunset, when the light turns gold over the water.

Kualoa Ranch sits about 50 minutes from Waikiki, under jagged green ridges that have served as a backdrop in many films. It is a day for people who like scenery, and the coast road that leads there passes small beach parks and roadside fruit stands.

What to eat in Honolulu

Honolulu eats the plate lunch: two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and a main such as kalua pork, teriyaki beef or garlic shrimp. Poke, cubes of raw ahi tossed with shoyu, sesame oil and seaweed, is sold by the pound at counters and grocery stores.

Saimin, the island noodle soup, sits somewhere between ramen and Chinese noodles. Loco moco, a hamburger patty over rice with a fried egg and gravy, is the hearty breakfast. For something sweet there are malasadas, the warm Portuguese doughnuts, and shave ice with azuki beans or ice cream underneath.

Chinatown is where to graze on dim sum, manapua and fresh fruit. Local markets sell lilikoi, papaya and apple bananas, and a Hawaiian plate with laulau and poi shows the older cooking of the islands.

Things to do in Honolulu at night

Evenings in Waikiki start on the sand, watching the sun drop while torches are lit along the beachfront. Many hotels and open-air bars have live Hawaiian music, with slack-key guitar and hula as the soundtrack to a mai tai.

Chinatown is livelier after dark, with cocktail bars, small music venues and late restaurants. Kakaako has breweries and food halls for a more casual night. For something quieter, a stroll along Kalakaua Avenue or a late dinner of fresh fish by the water is plenty.

Things to do in Honolulu with kids

Children in Honolulu tend to love the Waikiki Aquarium, the reef fish at Hanauma Bay for those old enough to snorkel and the lagoons at Ko Olina, where the sheltered water is gentler than the open coast. Surf lessons on Waikiki’s rolling waves are a classic first.

Sun is the main challenge, so build in shade, hats and water breaks, and use reef-safe sunscreen. On the sand, hold children away from turtles and monk seals, and before entering the water look at the beach signs plus that day’s surf and currents, which shift between morning and afternoon, and swim near a lifeguard only at spots where one is on duty. Distances between sights are short, but traffic can stretch a simple drive.

Good to know before you go

Getting around is easy without a car for the main sights. TheBus W Line links the airport to downtown, Kakaako, Ala Moana and Waikiki, and the Skyline train also serves the airport. Hotels on Oahu add the state accommodations tax and a city tax on top of the room rate. Hurricane season in the Central Pacific runs from June 1 to November 30.

Sources

• NPS, Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Fees & Passes (nps.gov/perl/planyourvisit/fees.htm), checked September 25, 2026
• NPS, Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Basic Information (nps.gov/perl/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii DLNR, Division of State Parks, Diamond Head State Monument (dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/diamond-head-state-monument), checked September 25, 2026
• City and County of Honolulu, Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (honolulu.gov/dpr/hanauma-bay-nature-preserve), checked September 25, 2026
• Iolani Palace, official site, Visit (iolanipalace.org/visit), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii DOT Airports, HNL, The Bus and Skyline (airports.hawaii.gov/hnl/the-bus-and-skyline), checked September 25, 2026
• TheBus, TheBus Fares effective January 7, 2024 (thebus.org/Fare/TheBusFares20240701.asp), checked September 25, 2026
• HOLO, For Visitors (holocard.net/for-visitors), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, map Driving Times from Waikiki (gohawaii.com/sites/default/files/oahu_drive_map.pdf, edition 2010), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii Department of Taxation, Announcement 2025-03 (files.hawaii.gov/tax/news/announce/ann25-03.pdf) ; City and County of Honolulu, BFS, OTAT FAQ (honolulu.gov/bfs), checked September 25, 2026
• Waikiki Aquarium (Universite d'Hawaii), Box Jellyfish Calendar (waikikiaquarium.org/interact/box-jellyfish-calendar), checked September 25, 2026
• NOAA Fisheries, Viewing Marine Wildlife in Hawaii (fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/marine-life-viewing-guidelines), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii State Legislature, SLH 2018 Act 104 (data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/sessionlaws/Years/SLH2018/SLH2018_Act104.pdf), checked September 25, 2026
• NOAA, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Responsible Recreation (hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/visit/recreation.html), checked September 25, 2026
• 911.gov (National 911 Program, NHTSA), numero d urgence unique to the Etats-Unis, checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii Tourism Authority, Go Hawaii, North Shore Oahu (gohawaii.com/islands/oahu/regions/north-shore), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii Tourism Authority, Go Hawaii ; HVCB, map Driving Times from Waikiki (edition 2010), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii DLNR, Division of Aquatic Resources, Oahu – Pupukea MLCD, checked September 25, 2026
• Waimea Valley, Tickets & Hours (waimeavalley.net/admission), checked September 25, 2026
• Waimea Valley, pages Waterfall and FAQ (waimeavalley.net), checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii DLNR, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Oahu Offshore Islet Seabird Sanctuaries (dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/sanctuaries/oahuoffshoreislets), checked September 25, 2026
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, « United States Celebrates World Wetlands Day », February 2005 (fws.gov/story/2005-02) ; Ramsar site 1460, checked September 25, 2026
• Ko Olina Resort, Lagoons (koolina.com/destination/lagoons), checked September 25, 2026
• Ko Olina Resort, press release « City and Ko Olina Partner To Launch New Public Access Plan for Lagoons », October 15, 2020, checked September 25, 2026
• Hawaii Tourism Authority, Go Hawaii, itineraire « 4 Days in Waikiki and 3 Days on the Leeward Coast » ; HVCB, map Driving Times from Waikiki (2010), checked September 25, 2026
• NWS Honolulu / Central Pacific Hurricane Center, « 2026 Central Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook », weather.gov/hfo/hurricaneOutlook2026, checked September 24, 2026

To plan your stay

• Best Time to Visit Honolulu: Weather by Month, Surf Seasons, Crowds and Events
• Where to Stay in Honolulu: Waikiki, Downtown, Kailua, Ko Olina and the North Shore
• Honolulu Airport to City: TheBus W Line, Driving to Waikiki and Getting Around Town
• Know Before You Go to Honolulu: Reservations, Fees, Getting Around and Ocean Habits

Nearby places

• Waikiki Travel Guide: Surf Lessons, Diamond Head, Where to Stay and When to Go
• Diamond Head Hike: Crater Trail, Summit Views, Reservations and Best Times
• Pearl Harbor: USS Arizona Memorial, Visitor Center, Tickets and Getting There