11 Top Things To Do In Honolulu Hawaii (Downtown & Beyond!)

Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, is also the largest city on any of the Islands.

Although it’s the largest Hawaiian city it really isn’t very large at all. Downtown Honolulu is more business focused, but the Honolulu region on O’ahu includes a lot more than just the city centre.

These are my top things to do in Honolulu Hawaii region from downtown, to Chinatown, Manoa, Ala Moana, Kaka’ako and more!

P.S. Waikiki Beach is in Honolulu but I did a separate post on my top things to do in just Waikiki Beach.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

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Top 11 Things To Do in Honolulu Hawaii

My top things to do in Honolulu Hawaii are also included in my O’ahu travel planner. Stay organized while on vacation and don’t miss a top thing to do around the Island. You can print it out or use it digitally on the go. I’ve included tips and advice, as well as different checklists for the different regions around the Island, as well as a food and souvenirs checklist!

1. See Royal Statues: Queen Liliuokalani & King Kamemhameha

There are two prominent historical statues downtown: Queen Liliuokalani & King Kamemhameha.

The statue is of King Kamehameha I, who was the first king of Hawaii (there were five!). King Kamehameha I conquered and united the other Hawaiian Islands. His statue is a beautiful black and gold figure, and he’s wearing traditional royal Hawaiian clothes.

His statue also stands in front of the Supreme courthouse of Hawaii (or Aliʻiolani Hale). Aliʻiolani Hale hosts a free museum about different aspects of Hawaiian political history.

The second statue to visit is Queen Liliuokalani, next to the Hawaii State Capitol. Queen Liliuokalani was the only queen to rule Hawaii, and the last sovereign monarch of Hawaii, when she was overthrown. She also wrote Aloha ‘Oe which is a farewell to Hawaii.

a vertical photo of queen liliuokailani looking powerful and she has old floral leis around her neck, showing how much locals still love here. There's a large banyan tree behind her, and palm trees framing her from above

2. Tour Iolani Palace (preferably on a Friday)

Iolani Palace is a must do, not just in Honolulu, but on the entire island of O’ahu. This is the old residence of the Royal Hawaiian family, and where Queen Liliuokalani was imprisoned by the U.S. military when the monarchy was overthrown.

There are tours going through the palace giving a more in depth history of Hawaii (p.s. their favourite fact about the palace is that they had electric lighting before the White House!). It is recommended to book tickets for Iolani Palace in advance, although they do leave some slots open for walk-ins.

If you can, try to visit the palace on a Friday. Most Fridays, they host free outdoor concerts from the Royal Hawaiian Band (the longest state running band!), where you’ll hear local and traditional Hawaiian music.

an old style building from the 1800s, but its confused on the style, it looks baroque but isn't beautiful. It's very grey and cement like. It has a tower in the center, with covered balconies on either side. The sky above it is bright blue with a few scattered white clouds. This is Iolani Palace in the middle of downtown honolulu

3. Kawaiahao Church & Tomb

I wouldn’t normally suggest visiting a church, but this one is quite unique… and something you won’t find anywhere else. This was the first church on O’ahu (from 1842), and it’s actually made out of coral.

P.S. while you’re in the area, you’ll be close to the tomb of King Lunalilo. He was the sixth monarch of Hawaii. Instead of being buried in the family grounds, he made himself his own mausoleum.

You might be interested in…

You might be interested in a walking tour of Downtown Honolulu, I did this free walking tour. Our guide brought us to all these points of interest and gave us some extra information at each location.

what seems like a simple church design, brick building, with slanted roofs towards a steeple, but one that isn't very tall. There are column below the steeple, but they are attached to the brick building. There's a black clock in the centre of the steeple. Upon further inspection, the brick look a bit odd, they are slightly misshapen and curvy thats because they are made out of coral. The left of the image is shaded by a lovely bright tree where some leaves are brighter being hit with some sunlight. One side of the steeple the sky is completely grey covered with clouds, the other is still bright blue with only a few clouds spotted around.

4. Admire Local Art at Capital Modern

A visit to the Capital Modern is a a good way to escape the hot Hawaiian sun for a bit and give your wallet a break. It’s a free art museum that focuses on Hawaiian art, both old and new.

If you’re looking for what to do in Honolulu at night, they also host free night time events every second Friday. Usually at these events, the museum is also open for you to peruse.

unique hawaiian masks are on display at the capital modern art museum in downtown honolulu

5. Walk Around Chinatown

Chinatown is next to downtown Honolulu. In Chinatown, the main spots to visit are the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, and the Maunakea Marketplace.

Keep an eye out for Chinese / Hawaiian delicacies, like manapua, a stuffed bun adapted from the Chinese baozi. And Chinatown is also a good place to shop for some Hawaiian souvenirs.

a street in chinatown honolulu. A large three story building is on the corner of the street, it has a circular tower no one side. It's painted white, with a green roof, and gold decals. The roof is a curved pattern. Across the street is more typical buildings that you would see in downtown honolulu

6. Shop at Ala Moana Centre

Ala Moana Centre is a large shopping mall in the centre of town.

Unlike typical shopping malls though, the corridors don’t have a roof… So it’s a nice mix of an indoor/ outdoor Honolulu activity. If you want to see still feel like you’re outside, but want quick access to shade and air conditioning, there’s no better place to go.

Although you’re wallet might not be too happy… the shopping mall has every store imaginable. From popular department stores, upscale shops, to local Hawaiian brands. I recommend stopping by ALOHA Collection to pick up a dry bag for your trip and as the ultimate Hawaiian souvenir.

The Ala Moana mall is also not shy to local food. You can pick up a bite from one of the restaurants in the food hall, or check out Food Lands to get local groceries. P.S. See all the Hawaiian food you have to try in my post.

On top of the shopping and food opportunities, the Ala Moana Centre also host a few daily, weekly, and monthly events. The most popular is their daily Hula show and music concert. But they host a bi-weekly farmers market. See the full list of events on their website.

a vertical image of inside a shopping mall hallway that isn't inside at all. You can see the storefronts on either side of the hall, people are walking in the middle. There are plants all around. And you can also see the blue skies above. There's a walkway on the second level adding a bit of shade, connecting both side on the second level.

7. Ala Moana Beach & Magic Island Peninsula

Ala Moana Beach is across the street from the Ala Moana shopping centre. It’s a large beach park with a small inlet of sand. But it’s way less crowded and more local than Waikiki Beach… plus you get a pretty neat view of downtown Honolulu, the harbour Waikiki Beach, and Diamond Head in the background. The best place to see the view is actually from the Magic Island Peninsula.

The Magic Island Peninsula is actually manmade with a lagoon and a seawall. This is the perfect place for safer swimming, for families with young kids, or if you want to scuba diving for the first time, you can book beginner scuba diving lessons.

a gorgeous view from the magic peninsula in Ala Moana Regional Park in Honolulu Oahu. You're on land, on grass, there's a bench in the middle, and two trees on either side. There's a man sitting on the ground under the tree on the right in the shade. He's admiring the view of the ocean as it meets the full harbour of boats. The cityscape is behind it with tall buildings. And all the way on the right edge of the land is diamond head crater sticking out above.

8. Admire Kaka’ao Street Art

Kaka’ao district of Honolulu isn’t exactly the most picturesque, or at least it wasn’t in the past. Kaka’ao was, and still is, the industrial part of Honolulu, littered with warehouses. Although the warehouses are still there, beautiful murals have graced this industrial part of town, and their all legal!

Kaka’ao is the perfect place for a stroll, stopping and finding all the different and unique works of art. Plus some of them also make for some great photo opportunities! P.S. A lot of the murals are in parking lots, so for the best photo opportunities, visit on the weekend so there are less cars in the way of your photos.

P.S. Visiting on a Saturday? Check out the Kaka’ao Farmers Market

If you happen to be visiting on a Saturday, you have to check out the Kaka’ao Farmers Market. This is one of my all time favourite farmers markets!

For starters, it was huge, it felt like it never ended. You could spend an entire day here eating at all the food stalls and buying beautiful locally made items.

I especially love the contrast of farmers market pop up tents with the high rises downtown in the background.

kaka'ao farmers market in honolulu. The image showcases the contrast of new and old. Pop up tents with white covers and poles holding them up for shade, stand in a nice row lining the image from front to back. People are gathered at each stall looking at the produce. In the background, towering above are high rise buildings.

9. See The View From Tantalus Lookout

Tantalus Lookout was a complete surprise to me, and I almost entirely missed it.

I had Punchbowl Crater on my list of places to go for a view… let’s just say I went so you don’t have to… Instead, you want to drive a bit farther to the Tantalus Lookout in Puu Ualakaa State Park.

This might be the best view of downtown Honolulu. You get in all on in the view: downtown Honolulu, Waikiki Beach, the ocean, and you also have Diamond Head too! And you can even see the other side of the city as well, like Pearl Harbour and Aloha Stadium.

a panoramic image from tantalus lookout. On the left is diamond head, it leads all the way to a lot of tall buildings in the centre, the land ends and the ocean begins and leads your eye right to the horizon where it meets the sky.

10. Lyon Arboretum and Mānoa Falls

The Lyon Arboretum and Manoa Falls are part of the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve. Although the Forest Reserve is much larger, these are the two most popular Honolulu activities in the area.

The Forest Reserve was created out of desperation because they were quickly loosing trees, vegetation, and most importantly water streams in the area. So in the late 1900s, the forest became protected under law, and an effort was made to replant it.

Thanks to those efforts, the area you walk through today is bountiful with trees and flora of all kinds. A lot of the native Hawaiian plants were lost, so different species were important from around the world to regrow the forest to what it once was… and that’s what makes this area so unique…

The Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve is now a mish mash of all different plant species from around the world. In the Lyon Arboretum you can see each species up close and learn more about them.

Or you can go on the Manoa Falls hike, to admire them in their natural element. On the hike to the waterfall, you’re transported somewhere else entirely based on the trees around you. You can be in Africa one moment, to the depths of the jungle the next!

P.S. there is a visitors centre with some food and bathrooms. I also recommend going inside the visitors centre to see the photographs of what this area used to look like.

If you don’t have a car, you can book this guided Manoa Falls hike tour that also includes a healthy lunch!

a couple stand in workout attire, with their backs to the camera. The mans arm is wrapped around the woman's back. They are both looking at a small waterfall stream that's over rocks, but surrounded by green lush vegetation. You can see a snippet of the sky above.

11. Tour Queen Emma’s Summer Palace

If you’re looking for more things to do in Honolulu Hawaii that are related to the royal family and their history, visit Queen Emma’s Summer Palace. It’s just outside downtown Honolulu, in the Nu’uanu Valley.

It’s similar to Iolani Palace, but this was the families escape from the city centre and court life. Queen Emma was the wife of King Kamehameha IV, and after his death, she was considered for the throne.

The Palace has select opening hours, so just be sure to check them before going.

P.S. Go To Waikiki Beach, Honolulu Oahu

If you’re staying in downtown Honolulu, you should still visit Waikiki Beach as one of the top things to do in Honolulu Hawaii.

This is the main beach in the area, and the big tourist epicentre. But it’s so much more than that, read my full guide on Waikiki Beach and see the top things to do in that area of Honolulu.

a wide rainbow takes over the sky from behind the buildings all the way to the horizon where the ocean meets the sky. You can also almost make out a second, larger, rainbow above the other one. It's even more faint though. The beach is empty, as it's still early in the morning. The water is calm. Employees are started to set up beach chairs. Palm trees are all along the beach opposite the water before you start to see the buildings and hotels of Waikiki beach in the distance.

Where To Stay In Honolulu?

If you’re looking to stay in downtown Honolulu, the AC Hotel by Marriott Honolulu is very centrally located in the city centre. I’ve stayed at this hotel brand before and have enjoyed my stays.

The main area to stay near Honolulu is Waikiki Beach, and this is where I stayed. I stayed at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, and would highly recommend it. It’s centrally located, the hotel offers cultural resort activities, and I was able to upgrade my room to have a Diamond Head View!

If yo want to stay in between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, you can stay in the Ala Moana area at the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel and Spa. You’re across the street from the Ala Moana shopping centre, and close to the Ala Moana beach. Depending on the length of your stay, you might also be able to book a room with a small kitchenette.

Or see more hotels around O’ahu on Booking.

Printable O’ahu Travel Guide

Make the most of your first trip to O’ahu with my printable and portable travel guide. Includes 14 pages to plan the perfect trip to Hawaii, and stay organized while you’re there.

I’ve provided tips and advice for travelling on O’ahu, common phrases, and even the weekly market schedule. Plus there’s a checklist for every region on the island, food to try, and souvenirs to buy!

Start planning your perfect O’ahu vacation today, purchase on Etsy.