Must Do in Honolulu - Olivia Michelle

Honolulu is the biggest city on the island of Oahu, and for good reason! There is a ton to do and see in Honolulu from history, to fun activities like the zoo, and hiking. Here are some things you must do if you are visiting Honolulu!

Pearl Harbor
If it’s your first time visiting Oahu then I highly suggest visiting Pearl Harbor. While it’s a sad part of United States History it is moving to go and see the actual memorial. The U.S.S. Arizona is still underwater, leaking drops of oil to this day. You’ll hear the story and history of World War ll. We went on our previous trip in 2015 and did not visit again in 2019. I feel like it is a one time see.

Getting into Pearl Harbor is a bit tricky, and this is why I suggest booking a tour. Tickets into Pearl Harbor are free, however, they only release a certain # of tickets per day on a first come first serve basis. This is why I suggest booking a tour because it includes your ticket (as well as transportation from Waikiki)

There are many different tours you can choose from that include different combinations of things to see and do. We booked the Pearl Harbor & Honolulu City Tour and it drives you through many famous spots downtown (no stops just drive by) including the Palace, Statue of the King, and more. The tour is $53 per adult and includes round trip transportation. The tour we booked was directly through Pearl harbor’s website.
To view the Pearl Harbor Tours, click here.

We visited Iolani Palace on our 2021 trip and did a docent led tour. Read my full post on our trip to the Palace HERE.

Upon arrival at Pearl Harbor you will walk through the museum and exhibits. This is a new museum that has been added in the past ten years. Once you have walked through you can line up for the movie. The movie is 21 minutes long and you have to watch it before boarding the boat to the memorial. It talks about the history of World War ll and the battle of Pearl Harbor.
To view more info on Pearl Harbor, click here.

You’ll board the boat and take a less than five minute trip over to the memorial. The memorial is the white building you see in the background. It actually floats over top of the U.S.S. Arizona (sunken battleship).

Oil still leaks from the U.S.S. Arizona and hundreds of sailors bodies are still trapped inside. Many people bring leis to drop and leave in the water.

On the memorial all of the names of those that died in the attack on Pearl Harbor are listed inside.

There are other memorials and Ships to tour here at Pearl Harbor. It just depends on the tour package you book whether you have time and tickets to view them.

For more info on Pearl Harbor, click here.

Diamond Head State Monument
Here is one of the most popular hikes in Honolulu, Diamond Head. This 300,000 year old crater was once an active volcano. It has some of the best views of the city from the top. The trail is rated as Moderate and though its only 0.8 of a mile it has 540 feet of elevation gain. There is lots of uneven rocks and there is a part of 99 stairs up to the top at the end. Cost to enter is $1 per individual or $5 per car. The hike takes approximately 1.5-2 hours and nobody is permitted to enter the trail after 4:30 pm (park closes at 6 pm).

We hiked Diamond Head the first trip we did as a family back in 2015. We just about died carrying Aurora up the entire way as she was only two at the time and did NOT do the hike herself.

The view of Waikiki Beach are stunning at the top. Make sure to bring plenty of water and use the bathroom beforehand, because there is nothing on the trail itself.

To view more info on Diamond Head State Monument, click here.

Honolulu Zoo
I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m listing the Zoo. You can visit Zoos in almost every city around the world but I’m listing it in case you’ve got the kiddos with you, if you have some extra time to kill, or if you just enjoy Zoos!

Ticket prices are listed above. Notice that U.S Military receives a generous 50% off discount of General admission!
To view visitor info, click here.

We went to the zoo to kill time since our flight was not leaving until 10:30 pm but I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the zoo, it is big! They do have strollers available for rent if you did not bring yours on vacation.

The Honolulu Zoo actually has a really good variety of animals. They have species native to Hawaii as well as African animals like elephants and zebras.
To view the list of animals, click here.