Stand at the edge of Waikiki Beach at first light and you will see the water already busy: outrigger canoes heading out beyond the break, a few surfers paddling for the gentle rollers, and Diamond Head rising behind the hotels as the backdrop to the whole scene. Later in the day the same sand is packed with sunbathers and beginners taking lessons, which tells you most of what you need to know about Honolulu: the famous spots are famous for good reason, and the rest of the island rewards a little planning.
Honolulu suits travellers who want a city and a coastline in the same trip. You can spend a morning in a palace or a museum downtown and an afternoon snorkelling in a volcanic crater, then eat your way through a food scene shaped by Asian, Western and Pacific traditions. It is a place where the history is close to the surface, from the monarchy to the Second World War, and where the scenery is never far away.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth building a trip around, with practical notes on timing and what to pair with what. It draws on the places listed for the city and the Wikivoyage sections on seeing and doing, so you can plan a day or a week from it.
Top things to do in Honolulu
1. Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach is the white sand beach at the centre of the tourist district, framed by hotels with Diamond Head as a backdrop. It is the most crowded beach in the islands, but it is also the most versatile: good for swimming and sunbathing, for catamaran and outrigger canoe rides, and a fine spot for beginner surfers and body boarders, with plenty of surf schools set up along it for lessons.
Go early if you want space, and note that even here you can find a fairly quiet stretch of sand if you know where to look. Combine it with the rest of Waikiki on foot, since the hotels, shops and nightlife run along Kalākaua and Kūhiō Avenues.
2. Diamond Head
Diamond Head is the ancient volcanic crater that dominates over Waikiki, and the top offers an incredible view over the city. The trail up leads to a World War II-era bunker and includes two sets of stairs, one with 99 steps and the other with 76, so the climb can be challenging.
Schedule an early hike and bring water: apart from a 225-foot unlit tunnel there is no shade on the route. The four-mile loop around Diamond Head is also a popular and scenic running route if you would rather see it from the road.
3. Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial
Pearl Harbor, in Western Honolulu, is remembered for 7 December 1941, when an attack by Japanese forces killed over 2,000 personnel and brought the U.S. military into World War II. The harbour still functions as a Navy base and is the site of several memorials. The centrepiece is the USS Arizona Memorial, built over the sunken hull of the USS Arizona battleship and the resting place of many who died that day.
The memorial is accessed after an introductory movie and a short ferry ride, and lists the names of those lost as well as offering a chance to view the wreck. Plan a half day here and see the other harbour sites while you are on the ground.
4. Battleship Missouri Memorial
On Ford Island in the middle of Pearl Harbor, the Battleship Missouri Memorial is the ship best known as the site where World War II ended, when the Japanese government formally surrendered to the Allied forces. The ship is open for tours and watches over the USS Arizona, marking the end of the war at the site where it began for the United States.
Pair it with the USS Arizona Memorial in a single visit to Pearl Harbor, since both sit within the same harbour area.
5. USS Bowfin
Next to Pearl Harbor's visitor centre is the USS Bowfin, a WWII submarine open for tours. It offers a glimpse at life aboard a submarine, which makes a useful counterpoint to the larger ships and memorials around the harbour.
It is an easy addition to a Pearl Harbor day, and worth doing while you are already at the visitor centre rather than as a separate trip.
6. Pacific Aviation Museum
Ford Island is also home to the Pacific Aviation Museum, which has plenty of WWII fighter planes to view. It suits anyone who wants the aviation side of the Pacific war alongside the naval story told elsewhere in the harbour.
Combine it with the Battleship Missouri Memorial, which is on the same island, to make one efficient loop of Ford Island.
7. ʻIolani Palace
On the state capitol grounds downtown, ʻIolani Palace was the official residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom's last two monarchs and is now open for tours. It is the historic heart of the Capitol District, which also holds the State Capitol, Honolulu Hale, the State Library and the statue of King Kamehameha I.
Pair it with the nearby Mission Houses Museum, which has three 19th century Honolulu houses restored for viewing, and with the Hawaii State Art Museum on the same capitol grounds.
8. Bishop Museum
The Bishop Museum in Western Honolulu is a complex of buildings with a large collection of Hawaiian artifacts, and no other museum in the city approaches its size. Much of it is dedicated to Hawaiian history, with a growing number of science-based exhibits including a planetarium, a large natural history hall and an area centred around volcanology.
The museum is huge, so give yourself a few hours to take it all in rather than squeezing it between other stops.
9. Hanauma Bay
Hanauma Bay sits in the crater of an extinct volcano, now open to the sea and filled with a coral reef. It is not the place for a good swim and certainly not for surfing, but the calm water and abundance of marine life make it excellent for snorkelling and scuba diving. Even without getting in the water, the scenery makes it a good place to sunbathe or picnic.
Parking can be an issue, so plan around that. It is near Halona Beach Cove and Sandy Beach if you want to make a day of the eastern shoreline.
10. National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific lies in the Punchbowl Crater near Downtown, just above Makiki. It is the final resting place of over 45,000 Americans who served their country, and it has a memorial to those missing in action in World War II as well as panoramic views of Honolulu.
The memorial contains a series of time-line and map-based wall paintings that tell the story of the Pacific Theater of WWII. Because it sits in the crater, it also works as a viewpoint without a long hike.
11. Honolulu Museum of Art
In Makiki, the Honolulu Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the city and houses one of the largest collections of Asian art in the United States, along with an impressive Western collection that includes Van Gogh, Picasso, Gauguin, Cézanne, Monet and Modigliani.
Makiki has two major art museums worth a look, so pair this with Queen Emma's Summer Palace further east along the Pali highway, the summer home of King Kamehameha IV and his family, now a museum.
12. Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout
The Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout is six miles north of Downtown on State Route 61, the Pali Highway. The scenic vista, set between two incredibly high cliffs, provides a panoramic view of Windward Oʻahu.
The overlook is often buffeted by high winds, but the view is more than worth it. It makes a natural stop if you are heading over the Pali to the windward side.
13. Puʻu Ualakaʻa State Wayside
Above Makiki along Tantalus/Round Top Drive, Puʻu Ualakaʻa State Wayside is the site of a lookout with a sweeping view of southern Oʻahu from Diamond Head to Pearl Harbor, including Honolulu and Mānoa Valley. Picnic shelters are available, and trailheads for a network of hiking trails can be found at various points along the drive.
It is the easier alternative to Diamond Head if you want a wide view without the stairs, and Tantalus Drive itself is a winding two-lane road that is relatively safe for joggers.
14. Makapuʻu Point and Halona Blowhole
The rocky shoreline of the Makapuʻu Point area is an excellent bet for ocean scenery. The Makapuʻu Point State Wayside is a roadside stop with a view of Makapuʻu Point and the Windward Oʻahu coast, and in the winter months you may spot offshore humpback whales. Hike the Makapuʻu Point trail for views of the offshore islets and the historic red-roofed Makapuʻu Lighthouse.
Nearby is the popular Halona Blowhole, one of the many blowholes in this area but the easiest to view, from the large parking area overlooking it. Makapuʻu Beach, a little further up the road, is scenic but tends to have very large waves, so it is a place to surf rather than swim.
15. Foster Botanical Garden and Liliuokalani Botanical Garden
Near Downtown are two gardens worth an hour. The Foster Botanical Garden has a collection of rare and beautiful plants from the tropical regions of the world, while the nearby Liliuokalani Botanical Garden is the only one of the five botanical gardens that contains only plants native to Hawaii. Portions of the garden belonged to Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning Monarch of Hawaii.
Note that the status of the Liliuokalani Botanical Garden is uncertain, as a recent visit in April 2025 found its gate closed, so check before you build it into your day.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start early at Diamond Head, before the heat and the crowds, and bring water for the stairs and the unlit tunnel. Come down and spend the rest of the morning on Waikiki Beach, swimming or watching the outrigger canoes, with the surf schools set up along the sand if you want a beginner lesson.
Afternoon: Head west to Pearl Harbor and give the afternoon to the memorials. See the USS Arizona Memorial, which is reached after an introductory movie and a short ferry ride, then add the USS Bowfin next to the visitor centre and, on Ford Island, the Battleship Missouri Memorial and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
Evening: Return to Waikiki, where the hotels, shops and nightlife run along Kalākaua and Kūhiō Avenues. If you have energy left, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl Crater offers panoramic views over the city, and the Capitol District downtown is a short drive away if you would rather end the day with ʻIolani Palace from the outside.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to hike Diamond Head?
Schedule an early hike and bring water. Other than a 225-foot unlit tunnel there is no shade on the trail, and the climb includes two sets of stairs, one with 99 steps and the other with 76.
Is Hanauma Bay good for swimming or surfing?
Neither. It is not the place for a good swim and certainly not the spot for surfing, but the calm water and abundance of marine life make it excellent for snorkelling and scuba diving.
What can I see at Pearl Harbor in a single visit?
The USS Arizona Memorial is the centrepiece, accessed after an introductory movie and a short ferry ride. Next to the visitor centre is the USS Bowfin, open for tours, and Ford Island holds the Pacific Aviation Museum and the Battleship Missouri Memorial, open for tours.
Can I visit the Liliuokalani Botanical Garden?
Its current status is uncertain. A recent visit in April 2025 found its gate closed, so check before you go. The nearby Foster Botanical Garden has a collection of rare and beautiful plants from the tropical regions of the world.
Start with the places that anchor your days, whether that is Diamond Head at dawn, a Pearl Harbor afternoon or an evening on Waikiki Beach, and build the rest of your Honolulu trip around them.