If you've never been you must go. It's the most quiet,…read morepeaceful and solemn place I've ever been to. Prior to being ferried out to the site, you gather in an auditorium of sorts to view a film of never-before-seen footage of the events of this day. You'll leave crying your eyes out, or...depending on age, quiet with your thoughts. And that's before being ferried to the memorial. A very emotional experience that will stay with you.

Must visit when you're on Oahu to learn a little more about history…read more We purchased our tickets online. Doing it in advance is highly recommended to secure spots on your preferred date. Our tour guide, Julia, was excellent with information. Hot day so dress appropriately. No bags allowed- you may bring a small clear bag.

Really cool entry point to Chinatown. Most of the info is about the area between downtown and…read morechinatown - lot of cool local boutiques and trendy restaurants.

Background On Diamond Head State Monument: Hawaii's most recognized landmark is known for its…read morehistoric hiking trail, stunning coastal views, and military history. Crater was formed about 300,000 years ago during a single, explosive eruption that sent ash and fine particles in the air. As these materials settled, they cemented together into a rock called tuff, creating the crater, and which is visible from the trail in the park. Most of the vegetation and birds were introduced in the late 1800s to early 1900s. -The trail to the summit of Lē'ahi was built in 1908 as part of O'ahu's coastal defense system. The 0.8 mile hike from trailhead to the summit is steep and strenuous. The walk is a glimpse into the geological and military history of Diamond Head. At the summit, you'll see bunkers and a huge navigational lighthouse built in 1917. The postcard view of the shoreline from Koko Head to Wai'anae is stunning, and during winter, may include passing humpback whales. Background On Visit: Decided to hike to see the views up top. Park hours: 6:00am - 6:00pm daily (Last entry period is 4:00 pm. Must enter and be on the trail by 4:30 pm.). Diamond Head State Monument will be CLOSED on Christmas Day (December 25) and New Years Day (January 1). Fees: Non-resident visitors hiking Diamond Head State Monument pay an entry fee of $5 per person (children 3 and under are free) plus an optional $10 per vehicle parking (inside the crater) fee. They have to reserve a date and 2 hour time slot restriction (You can stay longer. So don't feel rushed.) through the Hawaii State Parks Diamond Head Reservation Portal, available up to 30 days ahead. Tickets cannot be purchased at the gate. Visitation Rights: Been to Diamond Head State Monument once. Type Of Hike/Features: Out and back type of hike (1.5 - 1.6 miles) with some switch backs, stair climbing, and a dark narrow 225 ft tunnel to navigate through. So bring a flashlight or use your cell phone torch for some light. They also have some lookout sections and benches along the way to rest before continuing on with the hike. Diamond Head State Monument Experience: Even though I sprained my ankle while hiking back down the crater, I had a fun time hiking diamond. The view is worth all the steep switchbacks, rocky terrain, stair climbs, 225ft tight dark tunnel, sweat, and tears.

If you love a good hike and even better views, then Diamond Head State park is for you!…read more This amazing state park is just a couple of minutes from Waikiki and it is a must for locals and visitors alike. I have so many lessons learned from my time visiting so here are my main tips: - Make a reservation! We decided to wing it and go on a random weekday around 4pm in July and it was HOT. There's not a lot of shade during your hike and barely any wind, so it can be really hard on the body. I definitely recommend getting a morning reservation so you can enjoy the hike. - If you are driving, you can park before the tunnel and the parking is much cheaper. I believe is probably a 5min walk to cross the tunnel, plus it can be a little cool experience before your hike. - Bring water!!! I saw so many people with no water that just ended up giving up halfway through the hike. Make sure to stay hydrated. - If you are brining kids, I think this hike is for kids 5+. If you have babies or smaller kids that are still learning to walk. This is not the place for them. It can be very dangerous for babies and toddlers. Last but not least, don't forget to enjoy the view and take a lot of pictures once you are at the top!

This review is on the Sights & Bites Circle Island Tour. We stopped at 10 different locations and…read morefound a great snorkeling spot to go to later on in the week (Hanauma Bay). Included lunch at Tanaka's with your choice of entrée. I got the garlic butter shrimp which was absolutely delicious. Takes you in a full circle around the island in about 8 hours.

7/3/25 Sites and…read moreBites tour with Cy as the tour driver. I highly recommend this tour. The driver is very well knowledged the seating and the ride over and into the east side of the island is exceptional. We got to see Hanama bay lookout, the stop at Makapuu trail, Holona Blowhole. And cracked open macadamia nuts at tropical macadamia farms.. there were turtles that were out at Puena beach . But I decided to buy some delicious $5-$8 shave ice from KAMANANUI shave ice with ice cream and condensed milk, the flavors I had were coconut and blue Hawaii. Very enjoyable. Cy, had given our group a great explanation on much of the sites a lot of details on the area, how the people of Hawaii mostly the native Hawaiians are in Homestead lands, and or waiting for more land. It is a very interesting history. It's very good to have someone telling you these things about the culture and the people especially when you don't get to often see places that you have to find out about and it's done all in one day I highly recommend the store if you go.... Note also that your lunch is included. My lunch was a salt and pepper shrimp. It was really good. And also we stopped at a fruit shack where farmers of the island there grew yellow watermelon that's popular in the south of US. Delicious food... and a great bunch of people. Another mention is poi donuts that Cy had shared with us it was great! I highly recommend going on sites and bites again!

Standard military base but in beautiful Hawaii!…read more The Commissary and BX are above average, and the Navy NEX is another great place to shop. Food choices are limited.

Reservations are required and open two days in advance at 7 a.m. The time slots fill up very…read morequickly, so I recommend going online right when reservations open. We were lucky enough to reserve the first morning time slot and entered when the park opened. Going early was great because it wasn't too crowded. You can rent snorkeling equipment for an additional fee, but I highly recommend bringing your own gear to save money. You can also bring your own beach chairs or something comfortable to sit on if you plan to stay for a while. There is a tram that takes you from the entrance down to the beach, or you can walk if you want to enjoy the scenic route. I really liked this park compared to some of the other snorkeling spots we visited. The water has shallow areas, making it very kid-friendly, and the early morning felt peaceful without a huge crowd. Definitely worth planning ahead for!

Hanauma Bay was our absolute favorite and a must do when we first visited Oʻahu three years ago,…read morebut this time around I wouldn't put it at the very top of the list. It is still beautiful and definitely worth considering if you really enjoy snorkeling, but there are a few things that make it more of an intentional outing than a spontaneous beach stop. First, you have to plan ahead for tickets. Nonresident reservations open two days before your visit at 7 AM Hawaiʻi time, and the earlier times can go very quickly. You really need to be ready to book right when they open if you want a good morning reservation. Parking is another headache. The lot is limited and having a reservation does not guarantee you a parking spot. It can fill up early, so if you are driving, going in the morning is definitely the better option. There is a bus, but it is less convenient and does not run as frequently, so transportation takes some planning too. The other option is the "tours" but they feel overpriced for what they are and even though we booked the morning option we weren't in the bay until after 8AM (multiple groups were let in before us and it felt like our bus was pushed to the back). The bay itself is gorgeous and being there early is also better for snorkeling. The reef is shallow and visibility is generally better earlier in the day before the water gets stirred up by all the snorkelers. This time, though, it seemed like there were fewer fish and less reef than I remembered from our first visit. The water was also so shallow over the reef in some areas that I felt pretty anxious snorkeling above/near it. It would be very easy to accidentally touch the coral, which you absolutely don't want to do. The preserve specifically asks visitors to stay off the reef and use sandy areas if they need to stand or rest. It also gets crowded FAST. Even around 9 AM, it felt like there were a lot of people packed into the preserve. The visitor limits help protect the area, but it can still feel like there are simply too many people trying to snorkel the same sections of reef at once.

This is a great little hike that is not difficult at all. The trail seems mostly maintained for the…read moremost part. It was raining when we went, so it got super muddy, but that is to be expected and was totally fine. My only real disappointment was that you cannot actually get into the water to swim anywhere along the trail or at the falls. Also, be aware that they charge for parking, though they do offer a military discount if that applies to you. Overall, it is a nice, accessible walk through nature, just do not bring your swimsuit expecting to dive in.

Service- 3 stars Ambiance- 5 stars…read more I usually hike this trail once a month to put myself out in the jungle and get away from concrete and I love it every time. This trail is located deep and all the way in Manoa valley- past the gym, Manoa elementary school where the road becomes pretty much a one lane street until you get around to the stop where you pay the attendant. I think this part is what disappoints me the most is because kama'aina still have to pay to hike this trail. Geez. If you are kama'aina, you have to present your ID to the attendant where you will have to pay $4. Not sure what the cost is for tourists or non-residents. There are lots of spaces to park when you past the attendant. You have the option to park at your first right past the old Treetops restaurant or further down. There is a restroom and little convenience shop if you want to purchase a souvenir, ice cream, water, etc for your hike. This trail can get super muddy and dangerous after rainfall so I would use caution if you choose to hike during wet season. There are big rocks you will have to step over all throughout the trail so be sure to go with proper hiking shoes with good grip. The waterfall at the very end isn't much but a good little reward as a picture opportunity. Folks can no longer go into the water due to leptospirosis. I highly recommend visiting this spot if you're a hiking person and nature lover!

Excellent tour. Would book again! Super fun staff! Enjoyed the tour, clean environment. Will be…read moreback!

My family and I booked the Oahu Grand Circle Island Tour through Viator and we were assigned Aloha…read moreSunshine Tours as our tour operator. First, when booking we were told they would pick us up at the Hale Koa even though we couldn't select it as our pick up location at booking and we just had to contact the tour operator and let them know we were staying at the Hale Koa. When we did that, they told us they wouldn't be able to pick us up there and we could do ABC Stores at the Hilton resort next door. Well we're also traveling with family and they accidentally picked a location that's a 10 minute uber from our hotel. Cut to the day before our tour and our pick up time was moved from 9 AM to 7:30 AM at a location that was a 3-minute walk from a hotel we weren't staying at. We were finally able to get through to the operator on the phone and they moved our pickup to the Hilton next door because the person on the phone said they can't pick up at the Hale Koa, which we were fine with. They called back a few minutes later and all of a sudden said they'd pick us up at the Hale Koa at 7:05 AM. Cut to the tour itself....The bus that we were provided was a death trap. The suspension was shot so we bounced around all over the place. The emergency exit windows weren't secured in place properly and were popping out of the frame. The tires were going bald and were cracked. That bus was not safe to be on the road in any situation. The driver, Leean was also unsafe and didn't seem to keep the bus within the lanes on the way. Additionally she kept stating how much money things cost, pointing out million dollar homes with a "Them vs. Us" mentality that shouldn't have been brought into a tour. There wasn't much about the history of some of the stops, plus there were audio tap stops made that made the tour longer than needed. Not to mention that we could barely hear what she was saying over the rattling of the bus. She also almost left without some tour members. Others on the tour even opted to leave in an Uber along the way just with how the tour was being managed and the condition of the bus. We're going to stay away from anything that Aloha Sunshine Tours does.