Top things to do in Honolulu
Attractions, tours and activities in Honolulu
Recommended museums in Honolulu
Where to discover culture and the arts in Honolulu
Honolulu: the city's best neighbourhoods
Find a great area to stay in Honolulu
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Downtown Honolulu
In the city centre
It’s not all fun and games in Honolulu. Downtown is a case in point. The city’s financial district buzzes with footfall and business chatter from nine to five. Saunter past the salarymen and calmly stroll through Hawaiian heritage at Iolani Palace. Come nightfall, chow down on succulent pork belly at Luck Belly, then quaff craft beer at Bar 35.
Places to stay from £150 per night
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Waikiki
2.7 miles from city centre
Waikiki is all about sun, sea and splashing cash. Beach bums laze on the sand, while surfer dudes twist and turn in the froth. Meanwhile, shopaholics jazz up their wardrobes at Ala Moana Shopping Center. For classy cuisine, head to Sansei or Hau Tree Lanai. After dark, pop on your glad rags and whizz up to SKYWaikiki for cocktails, beats and views.
Places to stay from £34 per night
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Manoa
1.8 miles from city centre
Fresh and friendly. This quiet district is home to deep-rooted families that span generations. It also houses the private schools where a young Barack Obama once cut his academic teeth. Pick up a monogrammed UH sweater from the University of Hawaii, then head up to the Ko’olau Mountains. Manoa Falls and the Pali Lookout ooze island-paradise vibes.
Places to stay from £161 per night
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Western Honolulu
2.7 miles from city centre
Stand easy, soldier. This busy district’s known for its martial flavour. It’s home to a fully functional military base, as well as memorial sites around the infamous Pearl Harbor. Brush up on history, then tuck into home-cooked local grub at Helena’s. On matchday, cheer on the University of Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors Football Team at Aloha Stadium.
Places to stay from £83 per night
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Eastern Honolulu
7.5 miles from city centre
Views, views and more views. This swanky seaside district’s voluptuous vistas are something else. Hike up Diamond Head State Monument and drink in Pacific panoramas, then plunge into the crystal waters of Hanauma Bay. If you’re in town on a Saturday, don’t miss the good food and good vibes at Kapiolani Community College’s farmer’s market.
Places to stay from £385 per night
About Honolulu
Including tips for the best time to visit Honolulu
Honolulu, situated on the south shore of Oahu island, is the capital of Hawaii and is most travellers' entry point to the US island chain. Here you'll find the country's only royal palace, the world's largest open-air shopping centre and a plethora of impressive art museums. There's also a thriving food scene in the pan-Asian alleyways of Chinatown, palm-tree fringed beaches and forested hiking trails in the mist-covered Koʻolau Range.
The city of Honolulu itself is not short of things to see and do. For an insight into the region's wartime history, head to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial dedicated to the marines who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. You'll be able to see the ship's sunken remains and can learn the history of the attack. Other sites of interest include the ʻIolani Palace, the one-time royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and the Bishop Museum, which is home to the world's largest collection of Polynesian cultural artefacts and natural history specimens.
Ocean breezes rustle the palm trees of Honolulu, and for the best views of the Pacific, hike up to the top of Diamond Head – a 232-metre-tall volcanic crater and one of Hawaii's most famous landmarks. Outside the city itself, you can visit the cascading Manoa Falls, the Halona Blow Hole and Hanauma Bay – a stunning nature reserve that plays host to numerous green turtles and tropical fish.
Tonight
From £156 per night
This weekend
From £369 per night
Next weekend
From £388 per night
| Most popular time to visit | October–December |
| Cheapest time to visit | January–March |
| Local currency | US$10 = £8.11 |
| Language | |
| Average weekend price | £208 per night |
| Average weekday price | £209 per night |
| Typical stay | 3 nights |
Points of interest in Honolulu
Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Honolulu
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Pearl Harbor / WW II Valor in the Pacific National Monument
7.3 miles from city centre
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Ala Moana Center
1.4 miles from city centre
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International Marketplace
2.9 miles from city centre
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Aloha Stadium
6.5 miles from city centre
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Diamond Head -Leahi
4.5 miles from city centre
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Sand Island
1.4 miles from city centre
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Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
10.7 miles from city centre
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USS Arizona Memorial
7.1 miles from city centre
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Diamond Head State Monument
4.6 miles from city centre
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Aloha Tower
0.5 miles from city centre
Honolulu reviews
What other travellers say about Honolulu
Did not stay in Honolulu long just two days after a cruise.
22 April 2024
Did not stay in Honolulu long just two days after a cruise. I did a lot of Walking in Waikiki and went to the Pearl Harbor Museum. There are lots of opportunities for diving and snorkeling lots of restaurants.
I come every year to Honolulu for an annual conference at...
22 April 2024
I come every year to Honolulu for an annual conference at one of the big hotels. Honolulu is ok I suppose but it is really just like any provincial US city with beaches! I hear that the other islands are more pleasant. Personally, I would never bring the family for a vacation in Honolulu itself.
Great vibe- busy, very interesting, gorgeous views and felt...
17 April 2024
Great vibe- busy, very interesting, gorgeous views and felt very safe. Liked the Japanese feel- great food, etc. Lovely weather .However drinks and food aye expensive in Hawaii. I definitely go to Waikiki again.
Honolulu was great!
16 April 2024
Honolulu was great!!! First time there. There was so much to see and do!! Moreover the beach was right there!!!!!!! I could walk to everything!!! Lot of food and shopping!! Oh don't forget that the beach was right there!!!
Not really anything i liked.
14 April 2024
Not really anything i liked. Couldn't relax on the beach far too overcrowded. And apart from Pearl Harbor nothing much to do. Being a visitor and not having a car have to rely on local bus. We took the trip to the Dole Plantation it boast the largest Maize in the world it was closed . So a 2 hour on a freezing bus for nothing, as the restaurant was also closed. Its bassicaly a massive gift shop . Paid to go into the garden which we walked around in about 6 mins. Sorry to say Honolulu is not what it is portrayed at all. Run down shops , rubbish everywhere and more homeless sleeping rough than than i have ever seen in my life ... Sorry but its my honest opinion , i will never return nor will i recommend. I felt it was 5 days, out of my month long holiday wasted, i could have spent better else where .
Crowded, but fun.
9 April 2024
Crowded, but fun. Reminded us of a "smaller" version of the LV strip. Uber worked well for getting to Pearl Harbor and we used a private tour company for Hanauma Bay. Fun to walk by and visit the chichi stores, but then happy to visit the north shore and chiller Oahu sites.
Popular places to stay in Honolulu
Stay in some of the best accommodation Honolulu has to offer
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Paradise at Ehupua Eastern Honolulu, Honolulu
From £376 per night
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Lë'ahi Diamond Head Suite 1 Bedroom 1 Free Parking Waikiki, Honolulu
From £457 per night
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Amazing waikiki Beach condo 2Bed2Bath+free Parking Waikiki, Honolulu
From £603 per night
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Waikiki Sunset Waikiki, Honolulu
From £343 per night
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Ocean View Suite, Near Beach & Free Parking! Waikiki, Honolulu
From £335 per night
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