Things to do in Honolulu

Honolulu is the main city on the island of Oahu and indeed in the Hawaiian archipelago, and it offers numerous attractions. The most obvious attractions being the fantastic beaches, of which Waikiki Beach is the best known, while palaces, towers and other historic buildings abound, along with some stunning natural attractions, museums and galleries.

Aloha Tower

The Aloha Tower rises out of the very popular Aloha Tower Marketplace shopping centre and has been a major landmark and symbol of all Hawaii since its construction in the 1920s. The tower stands over 180 feet tall and features a clock face and the greeting ‘Aloha’ on every side as well as an observation deck on the top floor. Views of the harbour and the town are outstanding from the observation deck and once provided the highest view in all of Hawaii for many years.

Foster Botanical Gardens

Honolulu's botanical gardens provide the perfect respite from the heat of the beaches and the bustle of the city, with their idyllic setting within downtown. The 12-acre gardens hail from the mid-1800s and feature some beautiful ancient trees that are as old as the park as well as some delightful tropical plants of the region. The gardens can be found just to the northeast of Chinatown.

Diamond Head

Located just to the southeast of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head is one of the big natural attractions of Oahu providing fantastic views over the ocean and part of the island. It was actually created from a volcanic eruption on the island about 100,000 years ago and was originally used as a US defence fort. You could walk to the volcano or take a bus to the base, from where a tunnel and spiral staircase will lead you to the summit.

Honolulu Zoo

In between Waikiki and Diamond Head is the Honolulu Zoo, just north of Kapiolani Park. The zoo offers a great bunch of exotic animals and attractions, and includes a huge African Savannah region where the animals can roam at their leisure. In addition, Hawaii's state bird can be seen at the Kipuka Nene Sanctuary, while the petting zoo is great for kids. Twilight tours of the zoo are also given, if you are really interested in seeing the animals at their most active.

Kahaloa and Ulukou Beaches

If you are into the beach life but can’t handle the overcrowding at Waikiki; Kahaloa and Ulukou beaches, located in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, are also very beautiful. The swimming at these beaches is just as good as on Waikiki and plenty of family activities are available including the obligatory surfing as well as catamaran and outrigger canoe hire.

Iolani Palace

Located in a park in downtown Honolulu, the Iolani Palace is perhaps Hawaii’s grandest structure. The restored palace was built by King Kalakaua in the 19th century and wows visitors with its grand exterior, elaborate interior and spectacular grounds. You can discern the beauty of the palace and its European furniture on a standard tour and catch a Royal Hawaiian Band performance at the Kalakaua Coronation Bandstand on Fridays. The Tomb of King William Chas Lunalilo is another worthwhile attraction on-site.

Kawaiahao Church

The Kawaiahao Church is even older than the Iolani Palace and is just south of it on Punchbowl Street. Dating as far back as the 1830s, the church is on the National Register of Historic Places and was built using coral blocks. The architecture is fairly imposing, with four large columns adorning the entrance and a lofty tower with a clock face on each side. Although the interior is fairly stark, there is an interesting portrait gallery which can be seen on a free tour of the church.

Punchbowl Crater

The Punchbowl Crater is another of Honolulu’s superb natural attractions and is located just to the east of the harbour and downtown Honolulu. The volcanic crater is now extinct and was used as a ‘hill of sacrifice’ and a burial ground for royalty, although today, it is purely used for benign reasons, being the National Memorial Cemetery and the final resting site of over 33,000 US service men and women.

Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Affectionately known as the Pink Palace of the Pacific, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a Waikiki Beach institution, complete with vaulted archways, turrets and a totally pink paint job. If you are lucky enough to afford a room here, you will be blown away by the sheer elegance and ambience of the place as well as the fantastic sea views and lovely stretch of beach in front.

State Capitol Building

Not far from Honolulu’s original seat of government, the Iolani Palace, just off Punchbowl Street, the State Capitol Building has been constructed to represent the volcanic islands, with its cone-like central structure and the surrounding pond representing the Pacific Ocean. On a tour of the building, look out for the sculptures in the legislative chambers that represent the sun and the moon.

Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach is perhaps the world’s best known beach, with its dazzling white sand and stretch of upmarket hotels. Waikiki is the closest beach to downtown Honolulu and it stretches between the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Prince Khulo Beach Park, where there are great picnic facilities. Waikiki Beach itself is loaded with bronzed and bronzing bodies, and it offers all types of water-based activities including swimming, canoeing, surfing and snorkelling.

Museums
There are several impressive museums and galleries in Honolulu, the pick of the bunch being the USS Missouri, which saw much action throughout and after WWII, and is moored near the sunken USS Arizona. Additionally, the 19th century Bishop Museum showcases the history of the island chain, while the excellent Hawaii Maritime Center covers Hawaii’s rise through the seas.

Honolulu’s art galleries include the brilliant Contemporary Museum, with its six galleries exhibiting work from the 1960s, and the Hawaii State Art Museum in the State Capitol Building, showing off its many works of Hawaiian art.