On the Honolulu side of the island, you can make a scenic side trip along a remnant of the Old Pali Hwy, now called Nuʻuanu Pali Dr. The road runs through lush vegetation and a cathedral of trees draped with hanging vines and philodendrons. You can make this interesting detour heading in either direction when traveling over the modern Pali Hwy. Look out for Nuʻuanu Pali Dr road signs pointing east of the new Pali Hwy.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
6.39 MILES
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…
Stones of Life of Kapaemahu and Kapuni
4.76 MILES
Near the police substation at Waikiki Beach Center, four ordinary-looking volcanic basalt boulders are actually sacred and legendary Hawaiian symbols…
9.66 MILES
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…
8.07 MILES
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…
2.97 MILES
Hawaii’s version of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, the Bishop Museum showcases a remarkable array of cultural and natural history exhibits…
3.33 MILES
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…
3.14 MILES
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
7.4 MILES
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…
Nearby Windward Coast attractions
1.01 MILES
In the heat and humidity of summer, Queen Emma (1836–85), the wife and royal consort of Kamehameha IV, used to slip away from her formal downtown Honolulu…
1.77 MILES
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…
3. Royal Mausoleum State Monument
1.9 MILES
Known as Mauna ʻAla, or Fragrant Hills, in Hawaiian, this is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families, the Kamehamehas and the…
4. Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside Park
2.14 MILES
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…
2.27 MILES
Embraced by tropical sculpture gardens, this art museum occupies an estate house constructed in 1925 for Oʻahu-born Anna Rice Cooke, a missionary…
2.39 MILES
Hidden on a private estate, the centerpiece of this unique site is the ancient, stone-walled Kūka‘ō‘ō heiau (temple). It's surrounded by beautiful…
2.45 MILES
The Lin Yee Chung Manoa Chinese Cemetery is on a knoll nestled on the eastern slopes of the Manoa Valley. Founded in 1852, with all the design elements of…
8. National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
2.56 MILES
Northeast of downtown Honolulu is a bowl-shaped crater, nicknamed the Punchbowl, formed by a long-extinct volcano. Hawaiians called the crater Puowaina (…