# Honolulu: map, what to do and when to go

The capital of Hawaii, with Waikīkī beach, the Diamond Head crater, Pearl Harbor and the history of the Hawaiian kingdom at its center

Canonical: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/
Language: en. Extended author commentary and itinerary notes may remain in Portuguese. Dates below belong to individual sources; this is not live availability.

## Direct answer
- **Honolulu: How do you get from the airport to Waikīkī?** The Skyline metro connects the airport to the west of the island and to Middle Street, in Kalihi, but it does not yet reach downtown or Waikīkī: the section to downtown is scheduled for 2031.
- **Honolulu: How many days should you plan?** I'd stay four days in Honolulu, sleeping in Waikīkī every night.
- **Honolulu: When should you book Hanauma Bay?** The bay is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, on Christmas and on New Year's Day.

## Diamond Head early and the Waikīkī waterfront
Up to 30 days ahead, book the 6 a.m. slot at Diamond Head at gostateparks.hawaii.gov: US$5 admission per person and, if you go by car, US$10 parking.
- Diamond Head State Monument
- Kapiʻolani Park

## Pearl Harbor in the morning and the historic center in the afternoon
Do this day between Tuesday and Saturday, when there are visits to ʻIolani Palace, and book both beforehand: the USS Arizona on Recreation.gov (56 days ahead, at 3 p.m., or the day before, at the same time) and the palace at iolanipalace.org.
- Pearl Harbor National Memorial
- ʻIolani Palace
- Chinatown Historic District

## Hanauma Bay and the Makapuʻu lighthouse
Do this day between Wednesday and Sunday and book Hanauma Bay exactly two days ahead, at 7 a.m. Hawaii time: US$25 per person plus an online fee, children up to 12 are free.
- Hanauma Bay
- Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail

## The Bishop Museum and the Honolulu Museum of Art
Do this day from Wednesday to Friday: Helena's is open Tuesday through Friday, and the Honolulu Museum of Art, Wednesday through Sunday.
- Bishop Museum
- Honolulu Museum of Art

## Waikīkī Beach
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-waikiki-beach
Honolulu · Half a day or more
Honolulu's urban beach, with Diamond Head in the background, is made up of eight stretches separated by breakwaters, from Fort DeRussy to Kaimana Beach. The long, regular wave suits beginners at surfing and longboarding, and half of the strip of water is reserved for surfers. At Kūhiō Beach stands the bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku, from 1990, the Olympic swimmer who made surfing popular around the world. From mid-September to the end of March, the sun sets over the sea, visible from the sand.
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## Diamond Head State Monument
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-diamond-head-state-monument
Honolulu · One to two hours
The Lēʻahi crater has a trail built in 1908 for coastal defense: 1.3 km from the crater floor to the summit, with a 171 m climb, steep stairs, a 69 m lit tunnel and the fire-control command post completed in 1911. From the top you can see the coast from Koko Head to Waiʻanae and, in winter, sometimes humpback whales. Anyone who doesn't live in Hawaii needs a reservation at gostateparks.hawaii.gov, made up to 30 days ahead: US$5 admission per person and US$10 parking per car, card only. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the last slot is 4 p.m., with entry until 4:30 p.m. The parks agency recommends allowing 1.5 to 2 hours for the climb and descent, with water, a hat and sturdy shoes.
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## Pearl Harbor National Memorial
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-pearl-harbor-national-memorial
Havaí · One to two hours
The memorial to the attack of December 7, 1941 has a visitor center and two free museums, open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the USS Arizona program: a Navy boat takes you to the memorial built in 1962 over the sunken hull, where 1,102 of the ship's 1,177 dead remain, and oil still rises to the surface. It takes about 45 minutes, with 10 to 15 at the memorial; boats leave every 15 minutes, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m. The ticket is booked on Recreation.gov, with a US$1 fee, 56 days ahead at 3 p.m. (Hawaii time), with an extra batch the day before, at the same time. Bags that hide their contents are not allowed (clear plastic bags are permitted), paid bag storage is next to the entrance, and parking costs US$7 a day. The submarine Bowfin, the battleship Missouri and the aviation museum are run separately and charge admission.
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## ʻIolani Palace
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-iolani-palace
Honolulu · One to two hours
The residence of the Hawaiian kings from Kalākaua to Liliʻuokalani, completed in 1882, the palace is the only official residence of a monarch on American soil. After the overthrow of 1893 it served as the seat of government until 1969 and, in 1895, held the deposed queen in an upstairs room. Restored, it opened as a museum in 1978. The visits, guided or with audio, cover both floors, take 60 to 90 minutes and run Tuesday through Saturday; booking is strongly recommended, and anyone who arrives without one depends on availability.
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## Bishop Museum
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-bishop-museum
Condado de Honolulu · One to two hours
Founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, last heir of the Kamehameha dynasty, it is the largest museum in Hawaii and holds the largest collection of Polynesian cultural objects in the world. It is the place to understand Hawaii before the foreign ships, and the natural history collection exceeds 24 million specimens. It is in Kalihi, away from the Waikīkī circuit; it is open every day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
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## Hanauma Bay
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-hanauma-bay
Condado de Honolulu · One to two hours
A bay formed about 32,000 years ago inside a crater open to the sea, it has been a nature preserve and marine conservation area since 1967, with about 400 species of fish and green sea turtles. It is open Wednesday through Sunday; visitors enter from 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and everyone watches an educational video before going down. For non-residents, admission costs US$25 plus an online fee, children up to 12 are free, and parking is US$3, cash only. Reservations open two days ahead, at 7 a.m. Hawaii time, and sell out; there are a few tickets without a reservation, handed out when the gate opens.
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## Chinatown Historic District
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-chinatown-historic-district
Up to half an hour
The neighborhood of Chinese workers who left the plantations was destroyed by fires in 1886 and 1900 and rebuilt with the low brick buildings that make up the historic district today. Oʻahu Market, from 1904, still sells fish and vegetables in an open hall divided into stalls, and on the surrounding streets are restaurants and, to the east, the cultural institutions of the arts district.
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## Honolulu Museum of Art
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-honolulu-museum-of-art
Honolulu · One to two hours
The museum on Beretania Street has the largest collection of Asian and Western art in Hawaii, in galleries around courtyards. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Fridays until 9 p.m.; admission is US$25 for adults. On Thursdays and Fridays, at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., it is the starting point for tours of Shangri La, Doris Duke's house devoted to Islamic art, near Diamond Head: US$45 per person, with transportation, and booking is required. On Saturdays, at the same times, the tours leave from the Bishop Museum. Tickets are released on the first Thursday of each month, at 10 a.m. Hawaii time, and Shangri La closes in September.
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## Kapiʻolani Park
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-kapi-olani-park
Honolulu · Up to half an hour
The largest public park in Hawaii, with 121 hectares at the foot of Diamond Head, was inaugurated by King Kalākaua on June 11, 1877. It holds the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Shell amphitheater, and it is where the Kamehameha Day and Aloha Festivals parades end. It works well as a walking route between Waikīkī and the crater.
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## Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-makapu-u-point-lighthouse-trail
Havaí · One to two hours
At the east tip of Oʻahu, an old access road to the lighthouse has become a paved trail of 3.2 km round trip, climbing to 150 m in elevation, with sun, wind and no shade, water or restrooms. From the top you see the 1909 lighthouse, which is not open to visitors, Waimānalo Bay and, from November to May, humpback whales, with more sightings from January to March. The area opens at 7 a.m.
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## Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/honolulu/#g-lugar-nu-uanu-pali-lookout
Honolulu · Up to half an hour
A lookout at 366 m in elevation on the edge of the Koʻolau range, with views over the whole windward coast, from Kāneʻohe to Kailua. The wind is often strong enough to lean into. It was in the Nuʻuanu valley that Kamehameha I won the battle of 1795. It is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and parking costs US$7 per car for non-residents.
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**Honolulu: How do you get from the airport to Waikīkī?**
The Skyline metro connects the airport to the west of the island and to Middle Street, in Kalihi, but it does not yet reach downtown or Waikīkī: the section to downtown is scheduled for 2031. To get to Waikīkī, the options are TheBus, a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a rental car.

**Honolulu: How many days should you plan?**
I'd stay four days in Honolulu, sleeping in Waikīkī every night. I'd make the reservations weeks ahead: without them, Diamond Head and the USS Arizona can drop out of the trip.

**Honolulu: When should you book Hanauma Bay?**
The bay is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, on Christmas and on New Year's Day. The reservation opens only two days ahead, at 7 a.m. Hawaii time: anyone planning the week needs to leave a day from Wednesday to Sunday free for it.

**Honolulu: What is the day trip to the North Shore like?**
From Waikīkī to Haleʻiwa is about an hour by car without traffic. From November to March is the season of waves and competitions, to watch from the sand; in summer, Waimea Bay is usually calm, but enter the water only according to the day’s conditions and lifeguard guidance.

**Honolulu: When is the best time to go?**
April, May and September are the driest months, with 13 to 22 mm of rain, and they fall outside the visitor peaks of summer, the end of the year and the spring school break. From November to March it rains more, but that is the season of the big North Shore waves and of humpback whales.


## In the Nilo app
- Plan these 4 days on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/guide/honolulu/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-itinerary
- Mark your hotel on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/map/honolulu/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-stay

## Full editorial guide (Portuguese)
https://nilopelomundo.com/llm/honolulu.md