HONOLULU · OAHU · HAWAII
Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, the slow drive around.
Day trips, beaches, Pearl Harbor and the loop around Oahu. Waikiki, Diamond Head, the North Shore, Pali Lookout, and the quieter corners of the island in between.
The island loop
If you only have one day on Oahu, do the loop.
Oahu's full circle in a single day. The first thing most travellers book, and the reason most travellers come back.
The classics
Honolulu's Most Popular Day Tours
Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, the Circle Island loop, turtle snorkelling off Waikiki. The day trips most travellers book on Oahu.
Around the island
Pick a corner of Oahu.
Waikiki for the strip and the longboards. Pearl Harbor for the history. Diamond Head for the climb. The North Shore for the surf. Polynesian Cultural Center for the night. Dole for the train and the maze.
Pearl Harbor
Plan the day at Pearl.
Three sites, one morning. The memorial where the attack began, the battleship where the war ended, and the city tour that links them with downtown Honolulu. Most travellers do all three in a single half-day.
- 1 Where it began USS Arizona Memorial The hull of the battleship sunk on December 7, 1941 still rests on the harbor floor. The white memorial straddles it. Free with reservation, half a morning if you queue. See 50 Arizona tours →
- 2 Where it ended USS Missouri Battleship Tied up across the harbor from the Arizona. Japan signed the surrender on the teak deck of the Missouri on September 2, 1945, ending the war that started where you just stood. See 9 Missouri tours →
- 3 The full visit Pearl Harbor & City Tour The combined visit. Pearl Harbor in the morning, then Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery, Iolani Palace and the King Kamehameha statue downtown in the afternoon. The single-booking option most travellers go for. See 103 Pearl Harbor tours →
By activity
Or pick how you want to spend the day.
Circle the island. Stand on the deck where the war ended. Snorkel with sea turtles. Ride a helicopter past the volcanoes. Or just sit at a luau and let the night happen.
The full loop
If you only have one day on Oahu.
Hanauma to Pali to the Polynesian Cultural Center to the North Shore to Waimea Falls to the Dole train. Three we’d put on any first-time itinerary.
When the sun drops
Find a luau.
Polynesian Cultural Center for the full island show, Mauka Warriors for the history, Ka Moana for the ocean view from Aloha Tower. Our three favourites for after dark.
From the air
The shape of Oahu, from above.
The volcanic spine of the island, the windward cliffs, the empty interior valleys. Best understood from a helicopter. Three flights worth booking before the rest of the trip.
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