A photograph of Honolulu

City guide · United States

Nature sites, Up to 1 hour in Honolulu, United States

Honolulu is the urban centre of Oʻahu, with Waikīkī, Downtown and the south shore forming the principal visitor base. Pearl Harbor lies west, while the Windward...

Photograph · Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0

1,865 Places
Suggested stay
4–5 days
Getting around
Walk, TheBus, Biki, shuttle or car

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Honolulu

Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Honolulu is the urban centre of Oʻahu, with Waikīkī, Downtown and the south shore forming the principal visitor base. Pearl Harbor lies west, while the Windward Coast, Central Oʻahu, the Leeward Coast and the North Shore are separate island regions rather than city neighbourhoods. Keep city days focused on Honolulu and treat farther Oʻahu sites as planned excursions with their own transport time.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+1
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
911
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 120 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Water quality is regulated locally; check the current notice for the destination

Planning a visit

November · November in Honolulu, Hawaii has mean high 28.8°C, mean low 21.9°C, rainfall 61.5 mm, and 8.8 rain days. More frequent winter showers are the main compromise. November in Honolulu, Hawaii benefits from a sheltered stop if the weather changes.

  1. January: good time to visit
  2. February: good time to visit
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: best time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: best time to visit
  7. July: best time to visit
  8. August: best time to visit
  9. September: best time to visit
  10. October: best time to visit
  11. November: good time to visit — current month
  12. December: good time to visit

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Ala Moana Beach Park Ala Moana Beach Park
    02 1 hour

    Ala Moana Beach Park

    Ala Moana Beach Park is a large sheltered urban beach park located opposite the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  2. Kailua Beach Park Kailua Beach Park
    05 1 hour

    Kailua Beach Park

    Kailua Beach Park is a major public beach park on the Windward coast of Oahu, operated by the City and County of Honolulu.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  3. Lanikai Beach Lanikai Beach
    06 1 hour

    Lanikai Beach

    Lanikai Beach is a residential Windward Oʻahu beach known for pale sand and views toward the Mokulua islets.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  4. Foster Botanical Garden Foster Botanical Garden
    07 1 hour

    Foster Botanical Garden

    Foster Botanical Garden is a historic botanical garden located in central Honolulu. It is one of the five sites comprising the Honolulu Botanical Gardens system, which is managed by the City and County of Honolulu.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  5. Lyon Arboretum Lyon Arboretum
    08 1 hour

    Lyon Arboretum

    Lyon Arboretum and Botanical Garden

    Harold L. Lyon Arboretum is a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa botanical garden in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu. It combines tropical plant collections, rainforest habitat, conservation work, horticultural study, and public education.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  6. Liliuokalani Botanical Garden Liliuokalani Botanical Garden
    09 1 hour

    Liliuokalani Botanical Garden

    Lili'uokalani Botanical Garden

    Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden is a compact native-plant garden in Honolulu’s Nuʻuanu valley, beside Nuʻuanu Stream and below the Nuʻuanu Pali.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  7. Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden
    10 1 hour

    Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden

    Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden is a large botanical garden on the windward side of O'ahu, Hawaii. Established in 1982, the garden spans approximately 400 acres in the Kane'ohe area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  8. Waimanalo Beach Waimanalo Beach
    11 1 hour

    Waimanalo Beach

    Waimānalo Beach is a long sandy shoreline on Oahu’s Windward Coast, set beneath the Koʻolau mountain range. Its broad coastal setting feels quieter and less urban than Waikiki, with residential communities inland and open views across the ocean.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  9. Sandy Beach Sandy Beach
    12 1 hour

    Sandy Beach

    Sandy Beach Park is a public beach park on the south-east shore of Oahu, Hawaii, within the city and county of Honolulu. It is known for its powerful shorebreak and is a notable destination for body-surfing.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  10. Makapuu Beach Park Makapuu Beach Park
    13 1 hour

    Makapuu Beach Park

    Makapuʻu Beach Park is a beach on Oʻahu’s Windward Coast, backed by sea cliffs and facing the exposed ocean below Makapuʻu Point.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  11. Kakaako Waterfront Park Kakaako Waterfront Park
    14 1 hour

    Kakaako Waterfront Park

    Kakaʻako Waterfront Park is an open coastal park in Honolulu’s Kakaʻako district. Built on reclaimed industrial land, it gives visitors a broad Pacific outlook and a direct connection with the shoreline.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  12. Fort DeRussy Beach Park Fort DeRussy Beach Park
    15 1 hour

    Fort DeRussy Beach Park

    Fort DeRussy Beach Park is a broad sandy beach on the western edge of Waikīkī in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  13. Pearl Harbor Visitor Center Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
    16 1 hour

    Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

    The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center serves as the National Park Service gateway to Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  14. Koko Crater Botanical Garden Koko Crater Botanical Garden
    17 1 hour

    Koko Crater Botanical Garden

    Koko Crater Botanical Garden is a dryland botanical garden inside the basin of an extinct volcanic tuff cone in East Honolulu. It belongs to the Honolulu Botanical Gardens system and combines plant conservation with an unusual geological setting.

    • Must see
    • Nature site

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Waikīkī occupies the south shore east of Downtown Honolulu. Downtown contains the civic and historic core, while Ala Moana sits between them and Diamond Head marks the eastern end of the main urban visitor strip. Pearl Harbor is west of the centre. Beyond Honolulu, the island divides into Windward, Central, Leeward and North Shore regions, each requiring deliberate travel rather than an extension of a city walk.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk within Waikīkī and compact parts of Downtown, then use TheBus, shuttles, taxis, rideshares or a rental vehicle for longer trips. Biki bike share serves Honolulu and Waikīkī, while island attractions outside the urban core can require substantially more travel time. Public transport reaches many cultural and scenic sites, but check current routes and the return schedule before committing to a distant Oʻahu excursion.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Honolulu?

Suggested stay for a first visit: 4–5 days. The range covers Honolulu and Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor and one selected route elsewhere on Oʻahu; it is not a plan for every part of the island. Keep the longer coast trip separate from city sightseeing.

Is Waikīkī the same as Downtown Honolulu?

No. Waikīkī is the main resort district on the south shore, while Downtown contains the civic and historic core farther west.

Can I get around Honolulu without a car?

Yes. Walking, TheBus, Biki, shuttles, taxis and rideshares cover the main urban areas. A car can be useful for dispersed island destinations outside Honolulu.

Is the North Shore part of Honolulu?

No. It is a separate Oʻahu region and requires a planned island journey. Do not treat it as a quick extension of a Waikīkī walking day.

Where does Biki operate?

Biki is Honolulu's bike-share system and serves Honolulu and Waikīkī. Check the current station map before relying on it for a specific route.