Honolulu

Understand

History The name Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter" in Hawaiian, and its natural harbor catapulted this humble village to importance when King Kamehameha I moved his royal court from the island of Hawaii to Oahu in 1809, shortly after conquering Oahu to unite the Hawaiian Islands. In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the kingdom's capital from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu. Honolulu's ideally located port made the city a perfect stop for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia, and through the 1800s, descendants of missionaries who arrived in the early 1800s established their headquarters in Honolulu, making it the center of business and the main seaport for the Hawaiian Islands. The late 1800s and early 1900s brought the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and subsequent annexation by the United States. Under American rule, Honolulu saw the rise of tourism and the first hotels were constructed in Waikiki. The U.S. military also built numerous bases in the islands, including nearby Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor later became known for the surprise attack by the Japanese in 1941, which brought the U.S. into World War II in the Pacific. Statehood for the islands brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu, with all the state's major businesses headquartered in the city, the Honolulu airport as the primary entrance point for visitors, and Waikiki as the center of the island's tourism industry.

Climate

Honolulu has a moderate warm to hot climate, with very little change of temperature throughout the year — the average high is 80-90°F (27-32°C) and the average low is 65-75°F (19-24°C) any time of the year. The summer months do see some humidity alongside the heat, with typical heat indices in the late summer averaging around 92 °F (33 °C) during the day and 77 °F (25 °C) at night. Heat indices seldom rise above 98 °F (37 °C), though there are a few nights where heat indices don't go below 80 °F (27 °C) in the late summer. Water temperature averages 82°F (27°C) in the summer months and 77°F (25°C) in the winter months. Daylight hours also do not see any significant variation either, with sunrises and sunsets occurring at 5:50AM and 7:15PM in the summer months, and 7:10AM and 5:50PM in the winter months. The only noticeable variation in seasons is in terms of rainfall. Honolulu is on the sunny, leeward side of the island, and where you are in the city will affect the chances for rain — areas like Waikiki, downtown, and the western side of the city will usually be sunny, while the hills or eastern side of the city may get some passing clo

Getting there

By plane 1 Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL IATA). The main aviation gateway for the Hawaiian Islands. Terminal 2 (formerly the Overseas Terminal) is served by most major American airlines from the mainland U.S., and by many international airlines from other countries around the Pacific Rim. Terminal 1 (formerly the Interisland Terminal) is the home base of Hawaiian Airlines which offers frequent local service to the other Hawaiian islands. The walk between terminals is quite long, so be sure to take the free Wiki-Wiki Shuttle that runs every few minutes. It's easy to miss it so be sure to ask somebody where it is. The Airport Waikiki Express provides shuttle service to hotels in Waikiki every half hour ($9/$15 one-way/round-trip). The local city bus company (known simply as "The Bus") operates Route W, which comes through the airport every 15 minutes, going through downtown and on to Waikiki. There are no machines to buy tickets from. Exact change is required, $3 per ride, bills and coins accepted. You can catch Route W at bus stops on the upper level of the airport access road outside Terminals 1 and 2. Large luggage is not permitted; these are standard city buses, without luggage racks. Lelepaua station of the Skyline light rail is located between the domestic and international parking buildings, connected to both Terminals 1 & 2 by an elevated walkway (5-10 min walk). However, the line only serves Western Honolulu, with an extension towards Downtown not expected to be completed until 2031 at the earliest. Major rental car companies operate out of a consolidated rent-a-car (CONRAC) facility located within walking distance of Terminal 2. A shuttle bus system links Terminals 1 and 3 to the CONRAC. The best way to get to Waikiki by rental car is to follow signs for H-1 east, then follow H-1 east about 2 miles to exit 18A (Waikiki/Nimitz Highway). Follow Nimitz Highway (which turns into Ala Moana Boulevard past downtown Honolulu) straight into Waikiki. You will pass through Honolulu's industrial district, along Honolulu Harbor, and past downtown Honolulu and the Ala Moana Shopping Center. You can also follow H-1 east into downtown Honolulu, take either exit 22 (Kinau Street) or 23 (Punahou Street), and follow signs to Waikiki.

By ship Cruise ships frequently travel to Honolulu from the U.S. mainland. These voyages are designed for tourists, and are rarely used as one-way passenger service. As of Jan 2023, there is no regular interisland ferry service.

Getting around

Navigating Unlike many cities on the U.S. mainland, Honolulu is not laid out in a strict compass-point grid. Its street system conforms in large part to the shorelines, valleys, and ridges, with lots of twists and turns. It can be confusing for people used to straight grid systems. However, at the same time, it is not that difficult to navigate in, as long as you are familiar with the major arterials and terminology below. Because it is difficult to differentiate north and south on an island, directions are normally given in terms of local landmarks. The most common terms that you will run into are mauka (Mow-kah) meaning "toward the mountain" and makai (mah-KAI) meaning "toward the sea". In the case of Honolulu, which is on Oahu's south shore, "mauka" is a rough north, and "makai" roughly south. You will also hear Ewa-bound (Eh-vah) and Koko Head-bound used a lot, in relation to downtown Honolulu, the former roughly means "west" (toward the town of Ewa on the southwest shore of Oahu) and the latter roughly means "east" (towards the volcanic crater Koko Head in East Honolulu). People who live in the western suburbs may also use "Town-bound" (east towards Honolulu; locals refer to Honolulu proper as "town"). Highway signs, however, will use standard compass directions, so if you are asked to go Ewa-bound on the freeway, look for the on-ramp to H-1 west. Streets in Honolulu can be extremely narrow compared to the mainland. Locals are used to this lack of space on roads but if you are coming from the mainland and are used to wide roads, prepare yourself for driving very close to the cars around you. Just take a little extra caution and you should not have any problems. Once outside of Honolulu proper, the roads will be a bit wider. Many intersections on busy streets in town prohibit left turns, especially intersections on Kapiolani Boulevard, due to flow of traffic and other various reasons. If coming from the mainland, speed limits on roads in Honolulu are generally lower than you may be used to. For example, six-laned King Street is 25–30 miles per hour for its entire length. Most streets are no more than 25 miles per hour. In addition to this, many people disregard the speed limit, instead driving slower, which may be frustrating. In fact, even the speed limits on Interstate highways will be lower than you'd find on the mainland. For instance the stretch of H-1 through downtown Honolulu has a speed limit of only 45 mph, and even parts of H-3 out in rural areas have lower-than-average speed limits. During periods of rain at night, the lane marki

See

See the districts articles for more listings. Also see Oahu for details on attractions outside of Honolulu.

Beaches

Naturally, when most visitors think of beaches here, they think of the famous Waikiki Beach. As the tourist center of the Hawaiian Islands, this white sand beach, framed by hotels and Diamond Head as a backdrop, is easily the most crowded. Waikiki is popular with a wide crowd, as it's an excellent place for swimming, sunbathers, catamaran and outrigger canoes, as well as a great spot for beginner surfers and body boarders (and there are plenty of surf schools set up in Waikiki for lessons). Remarkably, even in Waikiki, you can find a fairly quiet beach; it's just a matter of knowing where to look. But if you really need to get away from the crowds, there are plenty of other beaches. Just to the west, near Downtown, is Ala Moana Park, a green space with plenty of trees and grass as well as a nice sandy beach that's popular with the locals and is perfect for families or a calmer swim. The area surrounding Makapu'u Point in Eastern Honolulu has several excellent beaches, the most popular being Hanauma Bay, which is set in the crater of an extinct volcano, now open to the sea and filled with a coral reef. This is not the place for a good swim and certainly not the spot for surfing, but the calm water and abundance of marine life makes it excellent for snorkeling and scuba diving. Even if you don't get in the water, the scenery makes it a great place to sunbathe or picnic, although you may find parking to be an issue. Just near Hanauma Bay is the Halona Beach Cove, known as "the Peering Place". It is a small, rocky cove that has good swimming when the surf is calm, but no lifeguards here means it's at your own risk. Nearby Sandy Beach does have lifeguards, and has been popular with surfers and bodyboarders for decades. On a calm day, it can be good for a fun day of swimming. Makapu'u Beach, just a little further up the road, is quite scenic. It tends to have very large waves, meaning it may not be the best place to swim but a fantastic place to surf.

Military memorials

Pearl Harbor, in Western Honolulu, is well-remembered for 7 December 1941, a day that lives in infamy, when an attack by Japanese forces killed over 2,000 personnel and brought the U.S. military into World War II. Today the harbor, still functioning as a Navy base, is the site of several memorials honoring the fallen of that day and the rest of the war. The centerpiece is the USS Arizona Memorial, which was built over the sunken hull of the USS Arizona battleship; the

Do

Outdoor recreation

On land Hawaii's year-round tropical weather provides perfect running weather all year, so bring your running shoes. Kapiolani Park and Ala Moana Beach Park are where most joggers in Honolulu congregate; the 4-mile 6.4-km) loop around Diamond Head is also a popular and scenic route. If you're up for a challenge, Tantalus Drive above Makiki is a winding, two-lane road that is relatively safe for joggers. The Honolulu Marathon, held annually on the second Sunday in December, is a huge event that attracts from 20,000-25,000 runners annually. Cycling around Honolulu's streets and bike paths can be a great way to see the city and stay in shape. There are several bike shops in the city that rent various types of bikes. You can also take Highway 72 to Waimanolo, east of Honolulu, if you want to get out on the open road. Ice skating is probably the last thing you'd expect to be able to do in a tropical city, but the Ice Palace in Western Honolulu makes for the perfect getaway if the hot climate is too much for you.

On water There are great surfing beaches around Waikiki. For lessons, beach boys give private surfing lessons daily at Waikiki Beach. A one hour lesson includes dry land and in-the-water instruction. Instructors teach paddling, timing and balance skills. No reservations required, just sign up at the stand on the beach at Diamondhead of the Waikiki Police Station. You can also try one of the many surfing schools in Waikiki.

Performing arts In addition to the traditional luaus and hula shows, Hawaii has a thriving scene of theatre, concerts, clubs, bars, and other events and entertainment. Honolulu has two major theatre complexes. The oldest and most popular one is Diamond Head Theatre. They have been entertaining audiences with broadway style performances since 1919, and has been called "The Broadway of the Pacific". Another theatre is the Hawaii Theatre in Downtown Honolulu. They have similar performances to that of Diamond Head Theatre and have been performing since 1922. Other performances are also held at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena and Concert Hall, and the Waikiki Shell.

Buy

See the Districts articles for more listings. There are several shopping centers in Honolulu, ranging from your typical large strip malls to more unique areas popular with tourists. The International Market Place in Waikiki is one such spot, filled with market stalls and shops laid out amongst a jungle-like backdrop of banyan trees. Also in Waikiki is the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, the duty-free T Galleria by DFS, and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, also very popular with tourists. Downtown also has a few shopping areas. The Aloha Tower Marketplace on the harborfront next to Aloha Tower is popular with tourists. Between Downtown and Waikiki is the Ala Moana Center, the largest shopping mall in Hawaii and the largest open-air shopping center in the world. There are also the Victoria Ward Centers. For something truly unique, Chinatown has food and seafood markets, as well as many Lei (the ornamental flowered necklace) makers on the street corners. Eastern Honolulu has a couple of regional malls, Kahala Mall and Koko Marina Center, with various large stores and movie theaters. In Western Honolulu, Aloha Stadium is home to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, and offers a chance to buy from local merchants and artists and get things for far cheaper than you can anywhere else. Past Western Honolulu in the suburb of Aiea is the Pearlridge Center, the largest indoor mall in the state, with the upscale outlet center Waikele Premium Outlets further afield in the suburb of Waipahu.

Eat

See the Districts articles for more listings. For general information on the kind of food available in Hawaii, see the Eat section in the Hawaii article. Honolulu and Waikiki in particular offer a vast array of dining options for tourists. The local farmers markets are a great place for fresh and local food. Scattered around Oahu are various locations of the local Zippy's chain. It's the island equivalent of Denny's; but much more popular with the locals. They provide a wide variety of food, including plate lunches at reasonable prices. Most are open 24 hours and as such are very popular late-night spots to hang out. Zippy's signature dish is their chili, which they prepare in many different ways: such as served over rice, or over a burrito, or over french fries. Another popular chain is Genki Sushi, a Japanese-style eatery with employees shouting "irrashaimase!" when you enter, which is the Japanese word for "welcome." Very popular with the younger crowd; the eatery offers many types of sushi, often served on a sushi conveyor belt.

Drink & nightlife

See the Districts articles for more listings. There are several places open till 2AM. Some are open until 4AM. Most of Honolulu's bars and night clubs can be found along Kuhio Avenue and are covered in the Waikiki article.

Sleep

See the Districts articles for more listings. Not surprisingly, most hotels in Honolulu are found in Waikiki or its vicinity. Generally Hawaii is most popular when the weather is the worst on the U.S. mainland. High season in Hawaii is mid-December to March (high rates and tight booking), and June to September (high rates but somewhat easier booking). Low season is from spring (April to June) and fall (September to mid-December), when the best bargains are available.

Go next

Don't spend all your time on Waikiki Beach; the whole island of Oahu, with more secluded beaches, hiking opportunities, and the sight of huge waves in the winter, awaits you. Most of the island's major attractions can be seen in a day trip, or spread out over several days. Check out:

Kailua - Lanikai beach is a much quieter and beautiful alternative to Waikiki