Must-see attractions in Oʻahu

  • Shangri La

    Shangri La

    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…

  • The Stones of Life - four stones on Waikiki Beach that were placed there as tribute to four legendary mahu.

    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…

  • There is a fisherman about to cast his line in the water over a tall cliff. Spitting Caves Hawaii is a hidden gem of East Oahu.

    Spitting Cave

    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…

  • Interior of Bishop Museum, main gallery with sperm whale hanging from ceiling.

    Bishop Museum

    Honolulu

    Hawaii’s version of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, the Bishop Museum showcases a remarkable array of cultural and natural history exhibits…

  • iolani palace honolulu hawaii usa

    ʻIolani Palace

    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…

  • The Honolulu Museum of Art

    Honolulu Museum of Art

    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…

  • Hawaii State Art Museum, Foundation on Culture and the Arts, gallery, paintings, sculpture, adult adults woman women

    Capitol Modern

    Honolulu

    With its vibrant, thought-provoking collections, this public art museum brings together traditional and contemporary art from Hawaii’s multiethnic…

  • Buddha Statue Daibutsu Replica The Great Buddha of Kamakura Foster Botanical Gardens Honolulu Oahu Hawaii. Oldest botanical garden in Hawaii established 1853.
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    Foster Botanical Garden

    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…

  • Popular snorkel beach Hanauma bay on island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA.
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    Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

    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…

  • Honolulu, Hawaii - January 1, 2022: View of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki.
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    Royal Hawaiian Hotel

    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…

  • Enjoying the waves at Sandy Beach Park.

    Sandy Beach Park

    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, HI / USA - January 26, 2020: People explore Chinatown in Honolulu. The neighborhood is known for its market, great food, and cool nightlife.
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    Chinatown Markets

    Honolulu

    The commercial heart of Chinatown revolves around its markets and food shops. Noodle factories, pastry shops and produce stalls line the narrow sidewalks,…

  • Duke Kahanamoku Statue in Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii

    Duke Kahanamoku Statue

    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…

  • People walking along the walking path up and down to the top lookout of Diamond Head State Monument.

    Diamond Head State Monument

    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…

  • Woman walk on the beach, near view

    Kailua Beach Park

    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…

  • Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA: beach and Fort DeRussy Boardwalk / Beach Park - Rainbow Tower in the center.
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    Fort DeRussy Beach

    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…

  • Halona Beach Cove, a small sandy beach surrounded by rocky cove at Oahu southeast.

    Halona Cove

    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…

  • Honolulu: Hawaii, Oahu, Honolulu, skyline view of downtown Honolulu, Diamond Head and Waikiki beach from Tantalus Lookout.  Oahu known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to about two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast.
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    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…

  • Honolulu, Hawaii - December 27, 2022:  Tourists hiking on the Diamond Head lookout trail.
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    Diamond Head Lookout

    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…

  • Queen's Surf Beach in Waikiki.

    Queen's Surf Beach

    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…

  • The Lady Columbia statue, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

    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 (…

  • Lyon Arboretum botanical gardens inland of Honolulu, Hawaii.

    Lyon Arboretum

    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…

  • Ulupo Heiau historic hawaiian religious site near Kailua on Oahu, Hawaii.

    Ulupo Heiau State Monument

    Kailua

    Rich in stream-fed agricultural land, fishing grounds and protected canoe landings, Kailua was an ancient economic center that supported at least three…

  • Waikiki Aquarium in Kapiolani Park.

    Waikiki Aquarium

    Waikiki

    Located on Waikiki’s shoreline, this university-run aquarium recreates diverse tropical Pacific reef habitats. You’ll see rare fish species from the…

  • Visitors crowd beaches at Ala Moana Beach Park, Diamond Head background

    Ala Moana Regional Park

    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…

  • Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki, Honolulu.

    Moana Surfrider Hotel

    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…

  • Kahanamoku Beach

    Waikiki

    Fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village, large Kahanamoku Beach is Waikiki’s westernmost beach. It takes its name from Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968), the…

  • Kaimana Beach

    Waikiki

    At the Diamond Head edge of Waikiki, Kaimana is a prime triangle of sandy stretch of oceanfront that’s far from the frenzied tourist scene. It’s commonly…

  • Princess Kaiulani Statue

    Waikiki

    Princess Kaiulani was heir to the throne when the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown in 1893. This statue of the princess feeding her beloved peacocks sits…

  • Tantalus–Round Top Scenic Drive

    Honolulu

    Starting 2 miles above downtown Honolulu, a narrow switchback road cuts its way up into the Makiki Valley's forest reserves and climbs almost to the top…

  • Lanaʻi Lookout

    Oʻahu

    Less than a mile east of Hanauma Bay, roadside Lanaʻi Lookout offers a panorama on clear days of several Hawaiian islands: Lanaʻi to the right, Maui in…

  • Marine Educational Center

    Oʻahu

    Past the park's ticket windows is an excellent educational center run by the University of Hawaiʻi. Interactive, family-friendly displays teach visitors…

  • Kalama Beach Park

    Kailua

    Kalama Beach Park, 1 mile north of Kailua Beach Park on Kalaheo Ave, is the best place to park for a great walk. Climb over the grassy lawn to a much more…

  • Makua and Kila Statue

    Waikiki

    A bronze charmer, this warm-hearted public art sculpture shows a young surfer (Makua) sharing a moment with a monk seal (Kila). It's inspired by the…

  • Kekaulike Market

    Honolulu

    Like a daily farmers market, the vendors inside have the full range of whole fish, dry goods, prepared foods and Hawaii's plethora of produce. Out front,…

  • Kuhio Beach Park.

    Kuhio Beach Park

    Waikiki

    If you’re the kind of person who wants it all, this beach offers everything from protected swimming to outrigger canoe rides, and even a free sunset hula…

  • Kawaiahaʻo Church

    Honolulu

    Nicknamed ‘Westminster Abbey of Hawaii,’ Oʻahu’s oldest church was built on the site where the first missionaries constructed a grass thatch church…

  • Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site

    Honolulu

    Occupying the original headquarters of the Sandwich Islands mission that forever changed the course of Hawaiian history, this modest museum is…

  • Sand Island State Recreation Area

    Honolulu

    A barely visited half-mile ribbon of sand hides in plain sight from much of Honolulu. Industrial Sand Island, sitting between the airport and the port, is…

  • US Army Museum of Hawai‘i

    Waikiki

    At Fort DeRussy, this museum exhibits an almost mind-numbing array of military paraphernalia as it relates to Hawaii’s history, starting with shark-tooth…