Honolulu, United States

Things to Do in Honolulu: 24 Ideas by Area

Honolulu at a glance

Things to do in this guide: 24
Areas and themes covered: 12
TRIPLR journeys including Honolulu: 1
TRIPLR suggested stay: 3 days

Things to do in Honolulu

Photo by Thomas Leemon on Unsplash
Halona Blowhole Lookout
Halona Blowhole Lookout is a fast, high-impact stop where waves push through a lava tube and burst upward through the rock shelf. The viewing area also opens onto a rugged section of East Oahu coastline, with the sea, cliffs and nearby cove all visible from one compact roadside platform.
- East Oahu Scenic Coast
- Free
Photo by Theresia Hent on Unsplash
International Market Place
International Market Place is Waikiki’s polished open-air retail and dining complex, built around landscaped walkways, upper-level terraces and a prominent banyan tree at its centre.
- Waikiki Beach & Resort Core
- Mid-range
Photo by User_Pascal on Unsplash
House Without A Key Sunset Dining
House Without A Key is a classic oceanfront Honolulu evening built around open-air dining, cocktails, Hawaiian music, hula and the soft transition from afternoon light to Waikiki night.
- Luxury Honolulu
- Cost band: luxury
Photo by Austin Schmid on Unsplash
Kakaako Street Art Walk
The Kakaako Street Art Walk leads through a changing urban canvas of large murals, painted warehouse walls, graphic façades and smaller pieces tucked into side streets around the arts and dining district.
- Ala Moana & Kakaako Waterfront
- Free
Photo by Nico Smit on Unsplash
Aliiolani Hale
Aliiolani Hale brings travellers into the civic heart of the Hawaiian Kingdom and modern Honolulu. The building’s dignified façade, arched windows and prominent position behind the King Kamehameha Statue make it one of the district’s defining views.
- Downtown Honolulu & Iolani District
- Free
Photo by Kenjiro Koya on Unsplash
Oahu Market Exploration
Oahu Market is a historic public market where fresh produce, seafood, flowers, meat counters and everyday shopping activity bring Chinatown’s food culture into clear focus.
- Chinatown & Urban Food Scene
- Budget-friendly
Photo by NMG Network on Unsplash
Halekulani Hotel
Set directly on the quieter edge of Waikiki Beach, Halekulani is less about spectacle than precision: open-air public spaces, ocean-facing terraces, polished service and a restrained design language built around light, water and calm.
- Luxury Honolulu
- Cost band: luxury
Photo by User_Pascal on Unsplash
Waikiki Turtle Canyon Snorkel Cruise
This snorkel cruise heads from Waikiki to Turtle Canyon, a popular offshore reef area known for sightings of Hawaiian green sea turtles and reef fish.
- Sunset Cruises & Ocean Experiences
- Splurge
Photo by Slobodan Tomic on Unsplash
Aloha Tower
Aloha Tower marks Honolulu’s historic harbourfront, where ships once delivered many visitors to the islands before air travel reshaped arrival in Hawaii. The visit is less about a single exhibit than about reading the waterfront: the tower, harbour basins, cruise and maritime activity, and the older edge of downtown.
- Downtown Honolulu & Iolani District
- Free
Atlantis Submarine Waikiki
A shuttle boat from Hilton Pier carries passengers offshore to board a real submarine for a guided descent beneath Waikiki’s surface. Through large viewing ports, the tour reveals reef structures, tropical fish and artificial reef sites that are normally out of reach for non-divers.
- Sunset Cruises & Ocean Experiences
- Splurge
Photo by dhk on Unsplash
Battleship Missouri Memorial
Aboard the Battleship Missouri, travellers move through the decks of a vast Iowa-class battleship, from gun turrets and crew areas to the surrender deck where Japan’s formal surrender was signed.
- Pearl Harbor & Historic Hawaii
- Mid-range
Photo by Blake Wisz on Unsplash
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is a long, open North Shore beach where the mood changes dramatically with the season: powerful winter surf and competition energy give way to broader, calmer summer beach time.
- North Shore Day Escape
- Free
Photo by Nico Smit on Unsplash
Kuhio Beach Hula Show
The Kuhio Beach Hula Show brings Hawaiian music and hula to an open beachfront setting near the heart of Waikiki. When scheduled, the performance gathers visitors around a simple outdoor stage area, with dancers, musicians, ocean air and evening light creating a cultural pause amid the resort district.
- Waikiki Beach & Resort Core
- Free
Photo by Braden Wagner on Unsplash
Diamond Head Sunset Viewpoint
Diamond Head Sunset Viewpoint turns the South Shore into an evening scene, with the volcanic outline, open Pacific and changing sky carrying the experience. Depending on conditions, the view can shift from gold light on the water to a darker silhouette of the headland.
- Diamond Head & South Shore
- Free
Photo by William Zhang on Unsplash
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve combines a volcanic crescent bay, reef ecosystem and structured visitor management into Honolulu’s most recognisable snorkelling setting. Travellers typically begin at the upper overlook, descend to the beach and spend time in shallow reef areas where fish are often visible close to shore.
- East Oahu Scenic Coast
- Mid-range
Photo by KADM Creations on Unsplash
Nuuanu Pali Lookout
Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout sits at a wind-scoured mountain pass where the Koʻolau cliffs open toward Oʻahu’s windward coast. The visit is brief but powerful: a high ledge, fast-moving clouds, strong gusts and a sweeping view over Kāneʻohe, Kailua-side landscapes and ridgelines.
- Manoa & Rainforest Hawaii
- Free
Photo by User_Pascal on Unsplash
The Kahala Hotel and Resort
The Kahala Hotel and Resort offers a more secluded version of Honolulu luxury east of Waikiki, with beachfront lawns, a quieter residential setting and a polished resort atmosphere associated with privacy rather than spectacle.
- Luxury Honolulu
- Cost band: luxury
Queen Emma Summer Palace
Queen Emma Summer Palace, also known as Hānaiakamalama, is a royal residence in Nu‘uanu Valley that preserves the intimate domestic world of Queen Emma and Hawai‘i’s monarchy.
- Hawaiian Culture & Museums
- Mid-range
Photo by Benjamin R. on Unsplash
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park
The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park combines entry into a preserved submarine with exhibits on undersea warfare and the Pacific submarine campaign.
- Pearl Harbor & Historic Hawaii
- Mid-range
Photo by Vincent Dörig on Unsplash
Diamond Head Lighthouse Viewpoint
Diamond Head Lighthouse Viewpoint frames one of the South Shore’s classic coastal compositions: the white lighthouse below the volcanic headland, cliffs dropping towards the Pacific, and open water stretching beyond. The stop is brief but visually rich, especially in clear morning light.
- Diamond Head & South Shore
- Free
Photo by Nico Smit on Unsplash
Iolani Palace
Iolani Palace is the central historical experience in downtown Honolulu: a royal residence, political landmark and carefully interpreted symbol of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Travellers move through restored rooms, galleries and palace grounds that reveal court life, diplomacy, sovereignty and the monarchy’s overthrow.
- Downtown Honolulu & Iolani District
- Mid-range
Photo by Meg von Haartman on Unsplash
Waikiki Sunset Catamaran Cruise
A sunset catamaran sail along the Waikiki Coast puts the city’s most recognisable seafront into motion: trade-wind breezes, open water, hotel lights beginning to glow and Diamond Head shifting in profile as the boat moves offshore.
- Sunset Cruises & Ocean Experiences
- Splurge
Photo by User_Pascal on Unsplash
Royal Hawaiian Hotel
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, known for its pink façade and beachfront presence, is one of Waikiki’s defining architectural and hospitality landmarks. Travellers can appreciate its exterior, garden approaches, public-facing corridors and beachside setting, where historic resort glamour meets the modern energy of Waikiki.
- Waikiki Beach & Resort Core
- Cost band: luxury
Photo by Braden Wagner on Unsplash
Manoa Falls Trail
Manoa Falls Trail leads from the upper valley into dense rainforest, following a popular path of roots, mud, bamboo, vines and towering green walls before reaching the waterfall basin. The walk is not remote, but it delivers one of Honolulu’s clearest introductions to a wet tropical valley.
- Manoa & Rainforest Hawaii
- Free