The Very Best Can’t-Miss Honolulu Sites and Activities
Enjoy an action-packed weekend in Honolulu, and see all of the very best attractions. First check into your beachfront condominium or hotel, and then embark upon a journey you will never forget.
1. Climb Diamond Head
Rising up above the eastern end of Waikiki is the unmistakable profile of Diamond Head, and the hike to the top is well worth it because the view is spectacular.
The panoramic lookout provides views toward the leeward coast as well as the southeast coast, Kapiolani Park and Waikiki.
The Diamond Head Trail is about 1½ miles long and goes through some tunnels and up flights of stairs. This volcanic mountain got its name in 1825 when British sailors thought calcite crystals they found were diamonds.
2. Tour the Bishop Museum
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum has an enormous collection of rare Hawaiian artifacts as well as many displays about history, science, sports, plants, and interactive exhibits great for kids.
The two main buildings of the Bishop Museum are Polynesian Hall and the three story newly remodeled Hawaiian Hall with a huge sperm whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling.
The Bishop Museum Planetarium offers multi-media shows including information on the current sky as the stars that Hawaiians used to navigate across the sea in ancient times.
3. Visit Pearl Harbor
USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, and USS Bowfin Submarine
The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is a moving reminder of the sacrifices made by the US armed forces.
The USS Arizona Memorial honors those who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, including 2,335 US soldiers. Twenty-one US ships were damaged in the attack which damage or sunk eight American battleships as well as three destroyers, many smaller ships, and 347 planes.
The open structure of the USS Arizona Memorial is located above the USS Arizona, which took the lives of 1,177 men when it sank at its moorings on Battleship Row – 900 remain entombed within the vessel. The USS Arizona Memorial Museum provides information about the pivotal event in history that entered the U.S. into World War II.
While you are in the area visit the USS Missouri – the deck of this ship is where the forces of Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945. The ship served for 50 years in numerous wars.
Rounding out this part of the tour a visit to the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park. The Bowfin served in World War II and sunk 44 ships. A Memorial honors the thousands of submariners lost in service to the United States. Looking through the Bowfin’s periscopes really gives you a feel of the sub.
