Honolulu’s to-do list is bigger than the size of some smaller Hawaiian Islands.
Last updated: March 7, 2025
Why Honolulu?
I avoided Honolulu. The largest city on Oahu and the capital of Hawaii, it appeared too crowded, too urban, and too industrial for me. Travelers from all continents rave about Honolulu’s Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest open-air shopping center. Sandy beaches of Waikiki, a famous oceanfront neighborhood of the Hawaiian capital, have gathered surfers and every ocean worshiper for decades. Thousands of books are devoted to people, history, and iconic sites of Honolulu.
And yet I felt that unfathomed resistance to the city. Everyday matters, such as limited parking spaces and high prices on parking everywhere inside the urban area, further fostered my hesitancy. A non-city traveler would recognize this feeling. So I gave in to it. My Oahu itinerary deliberately kept sightseeings in Honolulu to a minimum.
Until we arrived in Oahu…
As fate would have it, we stayed in Honolulu longer, explored more sites, and ultimately saw more of the city than we had initially expected. From the bustling Waikiki area to deserted downtown Honolulu after the lunch rush and jungle hikes right on the outskirts of the city, Honolulu had everything one could possibly hope to find and much more.
Is Honolulu a Good Place to Visit for Everyone?
Yes and no. With all its vibrancy and conveniences, beautiful beaches for all tastes and preferences, Honolulu is still a big city. Roughly 400,000 people reside in Honolulu. Millions of travelers visit the city yearly. This certainly has its own appeal for city lovers. On the other end of the spectrum, however, and despite the almost non-existing border between all man-made and natural, Honolulu may feel too crowded for nature seekers.
But even those travelers that long for quieter experiences – yours truly included – can’t not fall in love with Honolulu at night when the descending sun colors the sky in all shades of red and hundreds of city lights illuminate the now less hectic, but never empty streets.
THE BEST THINGS TO DO AND PLACES TO VISIT IN HONOLULU
1. Explore the Beaches of Waikiki
A place where the ocean and sun come together to create a beach paradise, Waikiki is a dream destination for a memorable oceanfront vacation. The bustling neighborhood harbors some of Honolulu’s most prestigious hotels. Trendy restaurants, boutiques, and gift shops galore congregate right across the road from the sandy shoreline to please the crowds that are hardly ever an absent sight in Waikiki.
The popularity of the neighborhood is explicative. The consistent summer surf of the south shore of Honolulu paired with turquoise water and warm ocean have allured beachgoers and surfers for decades. Some of Hawaii’s most prominent ocean men and women have used these ideal conditions to master their skills.
Even the father of modern surfing, Duke David Kahanamoku, spent many days soaking up the warmth and beauty of this part of Honolulu.
2. Watch Hula at Kuhio Beach
Honolulu hasn’t forgotten its surfing hero and immortalized the legacy of its first aquaman in a bronze, nine-foot statue on Kuhio Beach.
One of the favorite beaches in Waikiki, this beautiful stretch of land is all you can picture when imagining a summer vacation in Hawaii. A white sandy beach. Warm waves with enough swells to appease beginner and professional surfers. Shops and restaurants just across the road from the beach.
Two times a week, Kuhio Beach transforms into a free, open-door arena for hula performances. Listening to the ocean music that merges with the chirpy tones of ukulele and watching hula dancers telling Hawaiian stories through their smooth movements is the ideal way to end day excursions in Honolulu.
3. Shop at Ala Moana Center
Free hula as well as great shopping and excellent dining options are the specialties of the Ala Moana Center. The largest shopping center in Honolulu, the place is conveniently located just minutes away from the bustling Waikiki. The Ala Moana Center amasses more than 350 shops and restaurants and is considered one of the social hubs of the city.
4. Watch More Hula at International Market Place
Similar experiences and plenty of shopping options await visitors at the International Market Place. One of the top shopping and entertaining centers in Honolulu, the open-air mall is located in Waikiki. Three times a week, it expands its agenda and delights Oahu’s locals and guests with hula shows that take place in Queen’s Court.
5. Eat in Downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu can be a busy business center in the morning and in the afternoon when office workers flood the streets to grab a cup of coffee or lunch. It slows down significantly between these hours and until the early evening when a new wave of shoppers and diners look for the best places to eat and go on a shopping spree.
We visited downtown Honolulu during those slow hours. Compared to the bustling Waikiki area, the historic center looked deserted. Even parking wasn’t that much of an issue.
TIP: You still have to look for paid parking as finding a free parking area in Honolulu is a mission almost impossible.
6. Shop Books at Native Books
With no crowds in sight, it was a perfect time to walk around and explore some of the landmarks of downtown Honolulu. It would be appropriate to say that this is how we stumbled upon Native Books. In reality, however, the bookstore was the main reason we immersed ourselves in the concrete jungle of Oahu.
One of the largest sellers of Hawaiian and Pacific literature, the store offers a great collection of adult and children’s paperbacks and hardcovers about Hawaii, its history, culture, and fictions written by Hawaiian authors or those that know the islands like their own backyard.
We spent nearly an hour in a small room filled with works of different genres and left with a full bag of books, mostly children’s reads. One of those treasures Dylan perused right away while walking to the next place in downtown Honolulu we highly recommend.
7. Dine at Kamana Kitchen
After a few days of eating out and trying new cuisines, we returned to our regular travel essentials, Mexican or Indian food. Born and raised in Nepal, Roshan finds dishes from these cuisines the most satisfying to his taste buds. Dylan also claims that one of his favorite foods is samosa, a popular dish in both Indian and Nepali cuisine. So the choice was apparent.
Kamana Kitchen was our impromptu discovery in downtown Honolulu. With still some customers dining in and others grabbing food to go, even during this slow hour the place lived up to our expectations.
Dylan had his favorite samosas and devoured rice with veggie curry like he’d never eaten anything like this before. Leftovers served as our dinner and early breakfast the next day before we boarded a plane to the Big Island of Hawaii.
8. Enjoy Honolulu View from Pu’u Ualaka’a State Park and Nu’uanu Pali Lookout
Honolulu from above looks even more spectacular. Don’t start calculating your budget to see if you can afford that famous Honolulu – Oahu helicopter ride. These certainly offer excellent opportunities to see the island, including some of the places inaccessible by road. Yet they come with a fixed schedule and a hefty price tag.
As an alternative and a rather informal way of admiring Honolulu from a bird’s eye view, drive to Puu Ualakaa State Park (early in the morning is the best time as there is nobody around) or the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout. Both places showcase the city and its surroundings in their full glory.
9. Visit Pearl Harbor National Memorial
The most significant wartime landmark of Honolulu, Pearl Harbor changed the course of the modern history of the U.S. The place took the first blow when Japanese fighter aircraft attacked Hawaii in December 1941, killing more than 1,000 people.
Today, Pearl Harbor National Memorial commemorates soldiers and civilians that died on that fateful day that marks the official entry of the U.S. into World War II.
10. Drive the Scenic H-3 Freeway
Short even for the island’s standards, H-3 Freeway transports you from the urban jungle of Honolulu to a dense rainforest. The route runs through the Ko’olau Mountains, presenting the sights you won’t see anywhere else on Oahu. On a day when grey clouds don’t hang heavily above the Honolulu area, you can even spot the infamous Stairs to Heaven trail.
TIP: Since you’ve exited Honolulu, continue on until you reach the Byodo-In Temple. Dedicated in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants in Hawaii, the place is one of the most elusive cultural and religious landmarks on the South Shore of Oahu.
11. View Honolulu from Diamond Head State Monument
We didn’t know what to make of Diamond Head State Monument. Iconic in both its origin and the views it bestowed on hikers that dare to conquer a short, but steep incline to the summit, this extinct volcano is one of the most crowded places in the Honolulu area.
Intrigued by its role in shaping the island, we decided to hike the Diamond Head Crater Summit Trail after all. Oahu, however, had different plans for us. Not only Diamond Head State Monument was packed – and so was the overflow parking – a prior reservation was required before entering the area. We didn’t have it.
I felt relieved to some extent at that point. After endless crowds in Waikiki and other popular neighborhoods of Honolulu, my soul craved a more serene experience.
12. Hike the Koko Crater Stairs
That opportunity presented itself along the Koko Crater Stairs. Less popular than Diamond Head State Monument, the Koko Head Trail is challenging and rewarding at the same time. A former railroad track, it runs up the face of the extinct volcano until it reaches its summit. The trail is approximately 0.8 mile long, one way.
At the top of the crater, you can see the entire Honolulu area, Aina Haina, and most of the South Shore of Oahu, including the iconic Diamond Head and picturesque Hanauma Bay.
13. Snorkel at Hanauma Bay
You can’t find a better snorkeling place in the entire Honolulu area than Hanauma Bay. The picturesque cove is nestled along Kalanianaole Highway, about 10 miles east of Waikiki. It’s famous for its unique underwater world that includes numerous species of fish, color reefs, and Hawaiian green sea turtles.
TIP: Similar to Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay requires a reservation. At least in this case, you can get a walk-in ticket upon arrival at the staffed entrance. (A reservation, however, is recommended.) Make sure to be one of the early birds to use this opportunity. Otherwise, grab a book and prepare to wait for a spot to open up before you’ll be allowed to enter the Hanauma Bay area.
14. Stop at the Halona Blowhole Overlook
Another Honolulu’s gem sits less than 2 miles northeast of Hanauma Bay. Halona Blowhole is a quick stop inspired by colossal “geyser’s” eruptions aka jets of water that, once escaped from an underwater cave, can shoot up to 30 feet in the air.
15. Hike to Manoa Falls
Manoa Falls is hands down one of the most popular natural attractions in the Honolulu area. The 150-foot waterfall sits at the end of the Manoa Falls Trails that itself looks like a site taken straight from a jungle book. Steven Spielberg recognized this remarkable similarity as well. In the 1990s, the Hollywood director used the Manoa Falls area as a shooting location for his blockbuster sequel Jurassic Park.
