Oʻahu
In the shadow of Diamond Head, the former mansion of billionaire tobacco heiress Doris Duke is a sight to behold for art-lovers and celebrity hounds…
Must-see attractions in Oʻahu
Stones of Life of Kapaemahu and Kapuni
Waikiki
Near the police substation at Waikiki Beach Center, four ordinary-looking volcanic basalt boulders are actually sacred and legendary Hawaiian symbols…
Oʻahu
This impressive, little-known viewpoint is at the end of Lumahai St in Portlock, makai (toward the sea) from the traffic lights at the Koko Marina Center…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
This somber memorial is one of the USA's most significant WWII sites, commemorating the Pearl Harbor attack and its fallen service members with an iconic…
Honolulu
Hawaii’s version of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, the Bishop Museum showcases a remarkable array of cultural and natural history exhibits…
Honolulu
No other place evokes a more poignant sense of Hawaii’s history. The palace was built under King David Kalakaua in 1882. At that time, the Hawaiian…
Honolulu
This exceptional fine-arts museum is among the best of its kind anywhere. The collection is effectively a 'best of' summary of major art movements…
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
One of the USA’s most significant WWII sites, this National Park Service (NPS) monument narrates the history of the Pearl Harbor attack and commemorates…
Honolulu
With its vibrant, thought-provoking collections, this public art museum brings together traditional and contemporary art from Hawaii’s multiethnic…
Honolulu
Tropical plants you’ve only ever read about can be spotted in all their glory at this spectacular botanic garden, which took root in 1850. Among its…
Waikiki
With its Moorish-style turrets and archways, this gorgeously restored 1927 art deco landmark, dubbed the ‘Pink Palace,’ is a throwback to the era when…
Oʻahu
From an overlook you can peer into the translucent waters and see the outline of the 7000-year-old coral reef that stretches across the width of the bay…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
This beautifully arching beach invites you to spread out your towel and spend the day. Except for weekends and big surf days, you’ll likely have the place…
Oʻahu
Here the ocean usually heaves and thrashes like a furious beast. This is one of Oʻahu’s most challenging beaches, with a punishing shore break, a powerful…
Honolulu
The commercial heart of Chinatown revolves around its markets and food shops. Noodle factories, pastry shops and produce stalls line the narrow sidewalks,…
Waikiki
On the waterfront on Kalakaua Ave, this imposing statue of Duke Kahanamoku is always draped in colorful lei. The Duke was a true Hawaiian hero, winning…
Oʻahu
The extinct crater of Diamond Head is now a state monument, with picnic tables and a spectacular hiking trail up to the 760ft-high summit. The trail was…
Kailua
A wide arc of sand drapes around the jewel-colored waters of Kailua Bay, bookended by formidable volcanic headlands and with interesting little islands…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
Some say this is the best sunset spot on the island. It certainly has the right west-facing orientation and a blissfully scenic mile-long sandy beach. You…
Windward Coast
About 5 miles northeast of Honolulu, turn as indicated to the popular ridgetop lookout with a sweeping vista of Windward Oʻahu from a height of 1200ft. As…
Waikiki
Less crowded than adjoining beaches, this often-overlooked beauty extends along the shore of its namesake military facility. The water is usually calm and…
Windward Coast
Huge extended-family groups gather for weekend picnics on the wide, grassy field that fronts the narrow white-sand beach here. There’s good swimming, with…
Windward Coast
The dramatic ridged cliffs of the Koʻolau Range are arrayed in front of you like an Imax screen at Oʻahu’s largest botanical garden. It encompasses 400…
Windward Coast
Also known as Sherwood Forest, as a gang likening themselves to Robin Hood and his merry men operated here in the 1960s, this broad sandy beach backed by…
Windward Coast
A half-mile south of the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) main entrance, this is an excellent bodysurfing beach, but the shore break can be brutal, thus…
Oʻahu
Take your lover down for a roll in the sand at this sweet pocket cove made famous in the legendary wave-tossed scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah…
Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside Park
Honolulu
The best free view in Honolulu! At this hillside park, sweeping views extend from Diamond Head on the left, across Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, to the…
Oʻahu
From this small parking area there are fine views over Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park and up the coast toward Kahala. On the east side of the parking area, look…
Waikiki
Just south of Kuhio Beach, the namesake beach for the famous surf break is a great place for families as the waves are rarely large when they reach shore…
Windward Coast
Crashing surf, a lava arch and a slice of Hawaiian folk history await at Laʻie Point. The tiny offshore islands are said to be the surviving pieces of a…
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Windward Coast
You'll probably have seen Naoki's magnificent gyotaku (Japanese-style fish prints) all over Oʻahu in galleries, restaurants and bars, but there's nothing…
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Honolulu
Northeast of downtown Honolulu is a bowl-shaped crater, nicknamed the Punchbowl, formed by a long-extinct volcano. Hawaiians called the crater Puowaina (…
Honolulu
Beautiful walking trails wind through this highly regarded 200-acre arboretum managed by the University of Hawaiʻi. It was originally founded in 1918 by a…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
This military aircraft museum covers WWII and the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and beyond. The first aircraft hangar, number 37, features exhibits on the…
Kailua
Rich in stream-fed agricultural land, fishing grounds and protected canoe landings, Kailua was an ancient economic center that supported at least three…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
The last battleship built by the US (it was launched in 1944), the USS Missouri provides a unique historical 'bookend' to the US campaign in the Pacific…
Waikiki
Located on Waikiki’s shoreline, this university-run aquarium recreates diverse tropical Pacific reef habitats. You’ll see rare fish species from the…
Windward Coast
A cultural park owned by the Mormon Church, the PCC revolves around Polynesian-themed ʻvillages’ representing Hawaii, Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji,…
Honolulu
Opposite the Ala Moana Center mall, this city park boasts a broad, golden-sand beach nearly a mile long, buffered from passing traffic by shade trees. Ala…
Waikiki
Christened the Moana Hotel when it opened in 1901, this beaux-arts plantation-style inn was once the haunt of Hollywood movie stars, aristocrats and…
