- Poke (the raw-fish bowls)
- Plate lunch (two scoops rice, mac salad, the local plate)
- Shave ice (Matsumoto's on the North Shore)
- Loco moco (the comfort classic)
Honolulu Guide
Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head beyond. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Honolulu is the Pacific's great city: Waikiki's beach and Diamond Head's crater, Pearl Harbor's memorials, and the only royal palace on US soil. It's the gateway to the islands and a destination in its own right.
Beyond Waikiki: the North Shore's surf, Hanauma Bay's snorkeling, the Pali Lookout's wind, and the island's plate-lunch shacks.
What to do in Honolulu
The city
- 1
Waikiki Beach The famous beach; surf lessons at the Royal Hawaiian. - 2
Diamond Head The crater hike; reservations required. - 3
Pearl Harbor The USS Arizona Memorial; book ahead. - 4
Iolani Palace The 1882 royal palace.
The island
- 1
North Shore Winter surf at Pipeline and Waimea. - 2
Hanauma Bay The snorkeling bay; reservations required. - 3
Nuuanu Pali Lookout The windward cliffs view.
Honolulu Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Honolulu. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Where to eat
Getting there and around
HNL is the gateway. TheBus covers Oahu cheaply; Waikiki is walkable. Inter-island flights connect the other islands.