Neighbourhood guide
Waikīkī
The beach of the historic hotels, below Diamond Head.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand · CC0 via Wikimedia CommonsWaikīkī is two miles of beach and a mile of avenues: Kalākaua Avenue with the Moana Surfrider and the Royal Hawaiian on the sand, the surf schools and canoes off the beach, Kapiʻolani Park at the Diamond Head end.
Sights
Waikīkī Beach, Kapiʻolani Park and the Aloha Festivals each September.
Eating and drinking
La Mer and Orchids at Halekulani, Duke’s, Roy’s, Morimoto Asia, the Mai Tai Bar, House Without a Key and SKY Waikiki.
Staying
The Royal Hawaiian, Halekulani, the Moana Surfrider, Halepuna, ʻAlohilani, the Surfjack and the Laylow.
Take a surf lesson in the morning, before the wind gets up.
Our advice: stay at the Diamond Head end for calmer water and the park.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating and drinking
- Staying
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storyHawaiian 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.
The back storyWhere 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, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island: where to stay in Hawaiʻi.
The back storyReading 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 Hanauma Bay: how to read Oʻahu’s great sights.