Honolulu/Waikiki

Waikiki was the favorite playground of Hawaiian royalty in the 19th century, when it was an area of wetlands fed by streams from the valleys above Honolulu. That all changed in the 1920s when the government decided to build what would become the Ala Wai Canal, which would drain the wetlands and pave the way for later development.

These days, this 1.5-mile (2.4-km) stretch of white sand beach is the nucleus of Hawaii's tourist industry, packed full of high-rise hotels that promise to treat you like a king, some of which may also require a king's ransom for admission. Although it is often criticized for its concrete-jungle appearance, large crowds, and touristy feel, there is a lot to enjoy here and you can still find a quiet spot if you know where to look.

For information on getting to Honolulu, see the Get in section of the Honolulu article.

From the airport, there are plenty of options for getting to Waikiki. There are various airport shuttle services to hotels in Waikiki starting at $12 per person (Nov 2021). Some are full coach buses, and if your hotel is on the eastern end of Waikiki, it will take the shuttle just as long to get through all the other hotels and traffic as it did to reach Waikiki from the airport. If you are a party of multiple people, it's better to take a cab.

Additionally, city bus #20 ($3 in bills, coins, or Holo card; no change given) connects Waikiki to the airport once every half-hour, passing through Downtown. You can catch them on the outside second level of the international and domestic departure terminals. The bus only allows luggage that fits on your lap and under your seat. If you have more luggage than this, consider other options.

If coming to Waikiki by car from the airport or points west, follow signs for the H1 freeway east, then follow H-1 east about 2 miles (3 km) to the Waikiki/Nimitz Highway exit and follow the Nimitz Highway (which turns into Ala Moana Boulevard past Downtown) straight into Waikiki. Another option is to stay on H1 east and take exit 25A (King Street); after merging onto King Street, stay to the right and take the second right onto Kapahulu Avenue and follow Kapahulu into Waikiki. If coming from the east, take H1 west to the Kapiolani Blvd exit and follow to Kapiolani Blvd to McCully Street and make a left into Waikiki.

When getting directions in Hawaii you're more likely to hear "mauka", "makai", "ewa", and "diamond/koko head" rather than north, south, west or east. Mauka means towards the mountains. Makai means towards the water, in this case the ocean. Ewa means toward Ewa Beach, or roughly west, and Diamond/Koko Head means roughly east in the direction of Diamond Head. This means that directions are dependent on where you are on the island. In the case of Waikiki and Honolulu, which are located on the south shore of Oahu, mauka roughly means north, and makai roughly means south.

In Waikiki, the three main streets, from makai to mauka, are Kalakaua Avenue (one way Ewa to Diamond Head, along Waikiki Beach), Kuhio Avenue (two-way), and Ala Wai Boulevard (one way Diamond Head to Ewa, along the Ala Wai Canal).

Everything in Waikiki is within easy walking distance of each other. Another option is to use a moped - around Waikiki, numerous stands can rent mopeds (small motor scooters). Prices vary greatly, so look around a bit before deciding. These bikes generally cannot exceed 35 mph (56 km/h), allowing for easy travel on city streets. A couple of rules to remember and locals will respect you better:

1. Stay to the right! At all times stay as far right as possible, and if turning, stay to the far right of the lane you are in (moving to the far right side of the road as soon as you can).
2. It is illegal to ride double, so avoid having a passenger on your bike.
3. Don't park your bike on the sidewalk -- police will ticket.
4. Unless experienced, don't ride the bikes in at night in dark areas -- it is very difficult for you to be seen.

• Kapiolani Park. A large public park at the east end of Waikiki (toward Diamond Head), home to the 🌍 Waikiki Shell amphitheater and the Honolulu Zoo. Right across the street on the shore is the Waikiki Aquarium.
  • 🌍 Honolulu Zoo, 151 Kapahulu Ave (cnr of Kapahulu Ave and Kalakaua Blvd), ☏ +1 808-971-7171. 10AM-4PM. Lovely zoo with lots of exotic animals and plenty of the big-name ones like elephants, rhinos, lions, zebras and giraffes. Parking is $1.50/hour, but free parking is available at the Waikiki Shell across the street. $19/adult, $8/residents/military, $11/child. (updated Nov 2021)
  • 🌍 Waikiki Aquarium, 2777 Kalakaua Ave, ☏ +1 808-923-9741. 9AM-4:30PM. The third oldest aquarium in the US, has many of species of marine life from Hawaii and the Pacific, including sharks, octopus, jellyfish, colorful reef fish, and coral. The outdoor exhibit of Hawaiian monk seals is temporarily closed. Face masks and proof of vaccination are required. $12/adult, $8/residents/military, $5/child/seniors. (updated Nov 2021)

First time visitors should be sure to book at least one luau. Some are better than others, check with your hotel concierge for recommendations.

• Waikiki has excellent surfing for beginners and old hands alike. It doesn't have the killer waves like Pipeline, but it has nice small longboard waves right off the beach which is where the beginners lessons are. A bit of a paddle will bring you out to some moderate sized waves. There are several places to rent boards and hire lessons right on the beach, all of which open early, and there are countless cheaper places to rent off-beach.
• 🌍 Atlantis Submarines, Hilton Hawaiian Village, toll-free: +1-800-548-6262. Daily 9AM-3PM. Submarine tours off the coast of Waikiki, getting up-close to marine life, coral reefs, and shipwrecks. Adult $99, child $45. 

At the west end of Waikiki you can find the ridiculously expensive stores like Armani, Tiffany's, and Bvlgari.

• ABC Stores. These ever-present stores are located so that most hotels are within no more than a one-block walk. In fact, many locations are located in the shopping areas of the major hotels. They provide all manner of convenience store food, souvenirs, and merchandise, but the convenience does come at an extra cost. If you're looking for Hawaiian bath & body products, you'll find a variety of Forever Florals products at ABC Stores. 
• 🌍 Longs Drugs, 2155 Kalakaua Ave, ☏ +1 808-922-8790. Open 24 hours. General merchandise stores popular with locals with locations throughout the islands. Longs Drugs ("Longs" for the locals) should be on your list of places to go if you're going to be in town for more than a few days and don't want to eat out every night, as groceries here are cheaper than just about any grocery store on the island, with very few exceptions. Because of this, Longs is a popular place to shop and lines to check out can get very long very fast, and some stores are best described as hectic. The wait is well worth it, however. Another important note is that if you are from the mainland and need a refill on prescriptions, Longs is now owned by CVS/pharmacy. 
• 🌍 International Market Place, 2330 Kalakaua Ave, ☏ +1 808-753-5714. Anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue. (updated Jul 2019)
• 🌍 Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalakaua Ave, ☏ +1 808-922-2299. The main shopping mall in Waikiki, with levels of many tourist-oriented shops and restaurants. Includes more than 100 shops and restaurants ranging from Cheesecake Factory to high-end boutiques (Hermes, Fendi, Cartier, etc.), to art galleries and lei stands. 
• 🌍 T Galleria Hawaii by DFS, 330 Royal Hawaiian Ave, ☏ +1 808-931-2700. One of the largest duty-free shops in the state. Due to its duty free nature, it is very popular with foreigners, especially Japanese. However, Americans can buy anything here as well, just be prepared to pay the tax as you normally would. 
• 🌍 Waikiki Shopping Plaza, 2250 Kalakaua Ave, ☏ +1 808-923-1191. It has five levels of small shops, including a rooftop restaurant. 

Almost all bars in Waikiki also serve good food and sometimes it's hard to draw the line between pub and restaurant. Any of these places should also be considered a good place to get dinner.

• 🌍 Hula's, 134 Kapahulu (on the second floor of the Waikiki Grand), ☏ +1 808-923-0669. The oldest and best-known gay-friendly nightspot showcasing a glassed in dance floor. Excellent cocktails, especially mai tais. Music videos are shown on big screens, and are all by request on Monday nights. Open to the air. 
• Waikiki Brew Pub, 1945 Kalakaua Ave, ☏ +1 808-946-6590. M-Th 11:30AM-11PM, F Sa 11:30AM-midnight, Su 8AM-11PM. Daily happy hour from 2-5PM and 8PM-close. (updated Nov 2021)
• 🌍 Kelly O'Neil's, 311 Lewers St, ☏ +1 808-926-1777. Energetic pub atmosphere with live music playing every night. 
• 🌍 The Yard House, 226 Lewers St, ☏ +1 808-923-9273. Not only does it have a wonderful food menu, but they offer over 130 draft beers from all over the world, the huge island bar protects the 4 walls of taps within. If you were wondering how they can have so many beers on tap, just take a walk over to the double pained 2-inch-thick Plexiglas wall that allows you to observe the elaborate tap system. It may take you longer to pick out a beer than to actually drink it. 

There are many hotels in Waikiki. Try to find a place that's close to the center of town and has decent amenities and has been recently renovated. Don't bother eating at the hotel restaurant unless it's one of the famous high-end ones like Duke's. The usual hotel booking websites all do a pretty good job here, although don't be surprised to find that the name of your hotel has changed since you booked your reservation.

• If you are not familiar with this climate, at times you may feel like you are about two inches from the sun. The cool breezes or convertible you are driving may offset the heat, but not the ultraviolet sun rays. Take appropriate care and keep the convertible top up, until evening or early morning.
• Do not pick up strangers, regardless of whether they act friendly and say they really need a ride.
• Be careful when you're in the ocean. Never underestimate the power of the currents and the waves, and don't swim alone. If in doubt, ask a lifeguard about the current conditions. If there are signs posted, heed them. Jellyfish sometimes float near shore — if you get stung, head to a lifeguard station. The lifeguard will spray vinegar on the stings.
• Although certainly safer at night than Chinatown, exercise caution when walking in Waikiki at night. A potent mix of drug dealers, prostitutes and drunken tourists can explode into a bad situation.
• Theft is rampant on Waikiki Beach. Never leave items unattended.

There is an internet cafe, 🌍 Blue Hawaii Mobility Internet, at 2463 Kuhio Ave. Also in same building there is a little shop to get a prepaid SIM card for your mobile, Dakine Cellular. Tiny place, but helpful staff.

• 🌍 Hoku Wireless Ohana East Hotel, 150 Kaiulani Ave, L17, ☏ +1 808-5201100, larry1@hokuwireless.com. 8AM-10PM. Prepaid SIM card: AT&T, H2O, T-Mobile, and Verizon. (updated Apr 2018)

Waikiki is a pleasant place, but there is much more to see in the rest of Honolulu and other parts of Oahu. Definitely consider making it your base, but unless all you want to do is be on the beach in Waikiki during the day and have dinner and cocktails there at night, don't spend all of your time there.