UltimateIsland Guide Hawaii
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Diamond Head rising over the shore of Waikīkī and the outrigger canoes moored off the beach The pastry case at Leonard’s Bakery The pink façade of the Royal Hawaiian behind its lawn and palms ʻIolani Palace, its towers and verandas under a blue sky Waikīkī’s hotels and palms across the clear shallows of the bay

The city guide to Hawaiʻi, USA

Best of Hawaiʻi · This week

Article of the weekHawaiʻi fun factsFun facts about Hawaii, each with its source: ʻIolani Palace, the only official royal residence in the United States; the Royal Hawaiian of 1927…Read the article In depthHawaiian FoodKalua pig, lau lau and poi at Helena’s, malasadas at Leonard’s, shave ice at Matsumoto’s, Kona coffee and the poke counter: what to eat in Hawaiʻi.Read the article In depthWhere Hawaiʻi sleeps: the grand hotels of Waikīkī and the resorts of the islandsThe Royal Hawaiian of 1927 and Halekulani on Waikīkī Beach, the Kahala beneath Diamond Head, the North Shore’s Ritz-Carlton and the resorts of Maui…Read the article In depthReading Oʻahu: a palace, a crater and a harbour of memoryʻIolani Palace, the only official royal residence in the United States, Diamond Head’s crater, the memorials of Pearl Harbor, the Bishop Museum and…Read the article Coming upChristmas in HawaiʻiChristmas and New Year in Hawaii: humpback whales from November to April, the winter surf of the North Shore, the hotels’ festive seasons and the…Plan your Christmas

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyCondominiums, beach houses, FIRPTA and Oʻahu’s rental rules

Hawaiʻi, from Waikīkī to the volcanoes

Oʻahu is the gathering place of the islands: Waikīkī’s beach below Diamond Head, ʻIolani Palace, built in 1882 for the last reigning monarchs of Hawaiʻi, the memorials of Pearl Harbor, and the North Shore’s country and surf. Here are the grand hotels and the boutique ones, the tables from Helena’s Hawaiian Food to La Mer, the museums, the trails and the beaches, and the neighbour islands: Maui’s Haleakalā, Kauaʻi’s Nāpali cliffs and the volcanoes of Hawaiʻi Island. Every listing is checked against the venue’s own website or an official source, and anything we can’t confirm is left out.

The crater of Diamond Head seen from the air, with Honolulu around it

In depth

Reading Oʻahu

Oʻahu·In depth

ʻIolani Palace, Diamond Head’s crater, the memorials of Pearl Harbor and the Bishop Museum: how to read the island.

Read the story

Oʻahu, neighbourhood by neighbourhood

Seven neighbourhoods of Oʻahu, each with its own guide: Waikīkī, downtown and Chinatown, Kakaʻako and Ala Moana, Diamond Head and Kāhala, the North Shore, the windward coast, and Pearl Harbor and the west.

Neighbourhood guideWaikīkīThe beach below Diamond HeadHawaiian Hall at the Bishop Museum, its galleries rising round a canoe and a thatched houseNeighbourhood guideDowntown & ChinatownThe palace and the old townMana Nalu, John Pugh’s trompe-l’œil wave mural in KakaʻakoNeighbourhood guideKakaʻako & Ala MoanaMurals and the open-air centreThe white walls and gardens of Shangri La, Doris Duke’s houseNeighbourhood guideDiamond Head & KāhalaThe crater and the quiet eastSurfers on the lip of a huge winter waveNeighbourhood guideThe North ShoreSurf and country

Waikīkī or beyond

For a first visit, stay in Waikīkī and walk; keep the North Shore or Kāhala for the last nights.

  1. Neighbourhood guideKailua & the windward coastCliffs and beaches
  2. Neighbourhood guidePearl Harbor & the westMemory and the wild coast

History & heritage

The palace of the Hawaiian monarchs, the plantation kitchens, the memory of 1941, the surf of Duke Kahanamoku and the islands of today.

History & heritageHawaiʻi: from the palace of the monarchs to the islands todayThe monarchs, the plantations, Pearl Harbor and the islands today

Before you go

US entry rules, the sights you must reserve, ocean safety, the HOLO card and the itineraries that work for a first visit.

Before you goHawaiʻi essentialsEntry, reservations and the oceanA Skyline train on its elevated track in the west of OʻahuGetting aroundGetting aroundBy bus, rail, car and island hopThe USS Arizona Memorial above the sunken battleship in Pearl HarborItineraryOʻahu in three daysDiamond Head, Pearl Harbor and the North ShoreItineraryA day of Hawaiian cultureThe palace and the Bishop MuseumThe open-air galleria of Ala Moana Center, its escalators and levels of shopsLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addresses

Book ahead

Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay and the USS Arizona Memorial all need reservations: book them before you fly.

  1. ItineraryThe Gold weekendHalekulani and La Mer
  2. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendThe Kahala and Maui

Our advice

Diamond Head at opening time

Reserve a 6am entry on the State Parks site, climb before the heat, and carry water. Diamond Head

The ULTIMATE letter

Hawaiʻi in your inbox

An occasional email with new places, events, island guides and our latest in-depth articles. No spam, ever.

The neighbour islands

Maui’s summit and the Wailea coast, Kauaʻi’s cliffs and Hanalei Bay, and the volcanoes of Hawaiʻi Island, each a short flight from Honolulu.

Sunrise over the clouds and cinder cones of Haleakalā’s craterThe neighbour islandsMauiHaleakalā and WaileaThe fluted cliffs of the Nāpali Coast above a turquoise seaThe neighbour islandsKauaʻiThe Nāpali cliffsThe neighbour islandsHawaiʻi IslandThe volcanoes

Our advice

Give a second island time

Fly to a neighbour island for at least three nights, and book the car with the flight. Maui

In depth: the stories of the islands

Oʻahu’s great sights, the islands’ table from Helena’s to La Mer, the arts from hula to Islamic art, the grand hotels, getting around and what a buyer from abroad should know: the stories behind Hawaiʻi.

Whales and winter surfChristmas in HawaiʻiChristmas morning on the beach, and the humpbacks offshoreA humpback whale breaching off the coast of MauiIn depth: nature & wildlifeWild HawaiʻiSeals, turtles and whalesThe back storyHawaiʻi at the tableFrom the poi bowl to the tasting menu

At the table

Eat one Hawaiian plate, one tasting menu and one shave ice; then you have tasted the islands.

  1. The back storyHula, opera and Islamic artHawaiʻi’s arts
  2. The back storyWhere Hawaiʻi sleepsWaikīkī and the islands

The Pacific and North America with the ULTIMATE guides

Hawaiʻi joins Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and the rest of North America among the ULTIMATE guides, with Tokyo and Sydney across the Pacific.

Tokyo Tower lit orange among the towers of Minato at nightULTIMATE TokyoTokyoAcross the PacificThe Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge across the water on a clear dayULTIMATE SydneySydneyThe harbour city

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

See all North America

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coastUSAULTIMATE CaliforniaSan Francisco, Napa and Sonoma, Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego, Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe and the national parks.A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key WestUSAULTIMATE FloridaOrlando and the theme parks, Palm Beach, Tampa Bay, Sarasota, St. Augustine and Scenic Highway 30A.The Las Vegas Strip at duskNevadaULTIMATE Las VegasThe Strip and its shows, MICHELIN dining, Sphere and Fremont Street’s neon, with Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon beyond.Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel MountainsCaliforniaULTIMATE Los AngelesHollywood and the Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills’ grand hotels, the Sunset Strip, the Getty and the beaches from Santa Monica to Malibu.The Palacio de Bellas Artes at duskMexicoULTIMATE Mexico CityThe Templo Mayor and the Zócalo, Bellas Artes and the murals, Pujol and Quintonil’s two stars, Día de Muertos, and day trips to Teotihuacan and Puebla.Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami BeachFloridaULTIMATE MiamiSouth Beach and the Art Deco district, Wynwood’s murals, the Design District, Little Havana’s cafecito and the beaches of Key Biscayne.

See all 91 guides

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and residents talking about Hawaiʻi, its beaches, trails, Hawaiian food, the North Shore and the neighbour islands.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    This week's pick

    Diamond Head State Monument

    Diamond Head·Crater and trail

    Reserve a 6am entry on the State Parks site, climb the crater before the heat, and be back in Waikīkī for breakfast at Leonard’s.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    The Kahala Hotel & Resort above its beach of loungers and palmsItineraryA real estate viewing day: Kakaʻako, Kāhala and the North ShoreOne day

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Hawaiʻi at the table: from the poi bowl to the tasting menuOʻahu · In depth
    2. 2Hawaiian FoodHawaiʻi · In depth: food
    3. 3La Mer at HalekulaniWaikīkī · Restaurant
    See all 16

    Cafés

    1. 1Honolulu CoffeeWaikīkī · Café
    2. 2Kona Coffee PurveyorsWaikīkī · Café
    3. 3ArvoKakaʻako · Café
    See all 6

    Bars

    1. 1Mai Tai Bar at the Royal HawaiianWaikīkī · Bar
    2. 2House Without a KeyWaikīkī · Bar and terrace
    3. 3Lewers LoungeWaikīkī · Cocktail bar
    See all 6

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Hawaiʻi sleeps: the grand hotels of Waikīkī and the resorts of the islandsOʻahu · In depth
    2. 2The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection ResortWaikīkī · Historic hotel
    3. 3HalekulaniWaikīkī · Hotel
    See all 15

    Sights

    1. 1Reading Oʻahu: a palace, a crater and a harbour of memoryOʻahu · In depth
    2. 2Hawaiʻi: from the palace of the monarchs to the islands todayHawaiʻi · In depth: history and heritage
    3. 3Waikīkī BeachWaikīkī · Beach
    See all 12

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Hula, opera and Islamic art: Hawaiʻi’s artsOʻahu · In depth
    2. 2Bishop MuseumKalihi · Museum
    3. 3Honolulu Museum of ArtDowntown · Museum
    See all 17

    Parks

    1. 1Wild Hawaiʻi: Monk Seals, Green Turtles, Humpback Whales and the Sea Birds of KaʻenaHawaiʻi · In depth: nature & wildlife
    2. 2Hanauma Bay Nature PreserveEast Honolulu · Nature preserve
    3. 3Kapiʻolani ParkWaikīkī · Park
    See all 8

    Walks

    1. 1The Diamond Head summit trailDiamond Head · Hike
    2. 2Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse TrailEast Oʻahu · Walk
    3. 3The Kaʻena Point walkWest Oʻahu · Walk
    See all 5

    Shopping

    1. 1Ala Moana CenterAla Moana · Shopping centre
    2. 2Royal Hawaiian CenterWaikīkī · Shopping centre
    3. 3Ward VillageKakaʻako · Neighbourhood
    See all 6

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 911Hawaiʻi · Emergency number
    2. 2Ocean safetyHawaiʻi · Advice
    3. 3The Queen’s Medical CenterDowntown · Hospital
    See all 8

    Real Estate

    1. 1Buying in Hawaiʻi: condominiums, beach houses and the rulesOʻahu · In depth
    2. 2FIRPTA: when a foreign owner sellsUnited States · Rules
    3. 3Short-term rentals on OʻahuOʻahu · Rules
    See all 5

    Developments

    1. 1Skyline: Honolulu’s railway, Segment 2Oʻahu · Railway
    2. 2Ward VillageKakaʻako · Neighbourhood
    3. 3Lahaina: the rebuildingMaui · Recovery
    See all 5

    Cars & drivers

    1. 1Hiring a carHawaiʻi · Car hire
    2. 2Taxis and ride appsOʻahu · Taxi
    3. 3Biki bike shareHonolulu · Bike share
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Getting around Hawaiʻi: by bus, rail, car and island hopOʻahu · In depth
    2. 2Honolulu’s airport (HNL)Honolulu · Airport
    3. 3Flying between the islandsHawaiʻi · Flights
    See all 6