Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Kewalo Basin Harbor

    4.2 (25 reviews)
    Open • 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

    Kewalo Basin Harbor Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Kewalo Basin Harbor

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Business
    Ross T.

    Located off Ala Moana blvd. next to Ala Moana beach, decided to walk over and pick up some dinner after walking and enjoy dinner at the beach. Tourist are back but a lot of business are still closed or for sale, the ones that were open had lines of tourists crowded together trying to get in. There was no 6ft distance between customers and only a few had mask on. On the catamaran they packed the customers on there was hardly any space with customers seating on the ground and a lot standing as you see in the picture most are not wearing mask.

    My uncle enjoying a drink from $5 Bento Box on the island of Honolulu.
    Julio B.

    My dad, uncle and I stopped by here after having trouble getting to a waterfall. This place is Ocean Beach to the nth level. I say Ocean Beach because I live in the Outer Sunset. We all used the restrooms, talked to a homeless woman and got drinks at $5 Bento's! Not bad for the last day in Honolulu.

    It's a beautiful day to be out walking in the harbor docks
    Lyla D.

    Located on O'ahu's South Shore in the Kaka'ako District between Ala Moana Regional Park and the Kaka'ako Waterfront Park, the Kewalo Basin Harbor has been home to some of Honolulu's commercial fishing fleets, and charter and excursion sailing vessels that provide fun and exciting tourist activities. But, did you know that this harbor was CREATED by dredging the shallow reef along this shore to accommodate commercial fishing vessels or the overflow of other small vessels from Honolulu Harbor? My paternal grandparents and my father told us "kids" about their experiences of seeing the creation of this harbor AND Ala Moana Beach Park during the early 1920s. They often told us that Ala Moana was basically swampland and ocean reefs. Um, I remember seeing Ala Moana Center (the late 1950s) being built and yes, there was a LOT of coral reefs back then! Okay, so, I'm OLD! Anyway, when we were children, my parents would take us to dinner at SpenceCliff's Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant located at Kewalo Basin Harbor. While waiting for our dinner reservation, we'd often walk out to the boat slips (I know that my parents nervously watched us) which weren't too far away. Ah, that restaurant was popular with local families and celebrities. Its unusual yet appropriate boat-shape architectural design and its nautical ambiance let our childhood imaginations run wild. As often as my parents made sure to expose our taste buds to global, local and American foods, the Fisherman's Wharf, was the place where we first tasted cioppino, Hawaiian turtle steak (um, I don't know IF it WAS really turtle), New England clam chowder, fish fry, and Chinook salmon. Oops, I digress from the subject... but all that remains of the old Fisherman's Wharf restaurant is its iconic neon sign which is located near the corner of Ward Avenue and Ala Moana Boulevard. The Kewalo Basin Harbor/Ala Moana Park area has always been a part of my family's island experience. My family and relatives would often picnic at Ala Moana Beach then walk over to Kewalo Basin just to admire the boats bobbing in the harbor before returning home. As we got older, we'd overlook this harbor at sunset from some of the restaurant dining rooms of Ward Warehouse. But, we'd always find ourselves running or walking about this area. We noticed that over the years, many charters and excursion boats would entice locals and visitors with ocean adventures which include dinner cruises or fireworks watching from off-shore sails. Some of the more unique charters are diving excursions to view WWII shipwrecks and exotic reef fish, catamaran sailings, parasailing, snorkeling, and sailing on a pirate ship (Treasure Seeker). This harbor has been upgraded and repaired numerous times with an extension of the wharf, larger concrete catwalks replaced the worn wood herringbone piers and other structures and higher rock sea walls were constructed and the parking lots have been repaved. We come here often to peer into the harbor's water near docked boats to see reef fish such as Moorish Idols and whatever swims by or we'll sit and just admire the different kinds of boats that are docked here. At the edge of harbor's channel is the Kewalo Basin Park which is a 5-acre triangular-shaped park where surfers and stand up paddlers (SUP) slip into the blue ocean from either the stairs or jetty. Me? I'm a land person so, I'll stand along the wide concrete promenade while feeling as if I'm standing in the middle of the ocean as boats pass by through the harbor channel.

    Lianna N.

    The park side of things on the Kakaako side is a great casual spot to bbq, potluck, and fishing. Sometimes unfriendly homelessness so be cautious. The on the water side, it is the home to many businesses that charter boat water activities like parasailing, diving and more. Popular surfing spot as well.

    Pirates
    Joe C.

    Tons of cruises and party boats depart from here. Pirate ships, catamarans, Snorkeling, Party boats etc. Most people don't even know behind all those boats there's more. There's a triangular shaped park with some great views of diamond head, a cool surfing body boarding sot point panic and a organization that educates youth on conservation. There's some grass, no beach but it has a promenade and a point that juts out into the ocean a bit. It's fairly quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of Ala moana beach park and not much going on at all. Which is why is pretty cool because sometime you just want to sit on a bench an relax away from people.

    Zoe T.

    There's always something happening here. Boat tours, fishing, surfing, paddle boarding and of course the staging address for the Aloha Festival Parade. Came here to bring extra things for our AC Cobra Club of Hawaii drivers. It was sunny and very hot. Thank goodness that I wasn't in the Cobra. I felt sorry for the organizer cause she was running around like crazy. She had so many people that she needed a convertible to ride in but a lot didn't show up. Then she had these massive flower arrangements that they wanted on the hood of the cars. Only problem for Cobra owners, that arrangement would hinder their driving. So we had it put on the trunk. For the Aloha Festival, the parking was too small, but on any given day, it would be okay.

    Nat N.

    Great place for long boarding, short boarding, or stand up paddling. The climb down the rocks can get a bit hairy, but just go slow and keep one hand on the rocks at all time! If you paddle straight out, you'll find that the wave breaks both right and left, which is why I love this break. For goofy footers like myself, the lefts are long and once you're done riding the wave, you usually have a nice paddle back out in the channel. The parking lot is another plus - lots of parking, although it gets full if the waves are big. There are also outdoor showers and bathrooms. This is the perfect place to come when I'm pressed for time - the walk from the parking lot to the water is short, as is the paddle out to the lineup.

    Tonights Sunset. Aloha Saturday everyone!
    Darrell P.

    Great area to grab something to eat and head here in the early evening to catch a great sunset if the conditions are right. Eating our meal in the bed of the truck amongst the boats watching the sun go down was a realxing way to end a lazy Saturday. There's many other places to catch a great sunset. This is just one of them. The only down side is there's some sketchy people that come through here.

    Great place for a stroll
    Matt A.

    Great spot to chill. It's secluded, has bathrooms, benches and an incredible view of the ocean. My wife and I come here to eat lunch and it's a short getaway trip from the hustle and bustle of downtown. You can watch surfers, paddle boarders, fisherman. It's a very serene location. Love it here.

    Go fish!
    Greg K.

    Very well maintained boat harbor, with large commercial boat fleet. Very clean and scrupulously watched over by harbor master John and his friendly crew. Some temporary slips available and a short walk across the street gives access to shops, food, dtink, entertainment and more. Also, adjacent to Ala Moana beach park.

    Christine K.

    Harbor area with lots of different businesses. There are fishing boats, speed boats, sailing boats, diving boats...the whole gamut.

    Early morning sunrise!!

    See all

    Photo of Rebecca T.
    1044
    1645
    8649

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 31
    Thanks 0
    Love this 30
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 33
    Thanks 0
    Love this 35
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 40
    Thanks 0
    Love this 42
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lianna N.
    416
    1411
    12603

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Zoe T.
    273
    287
    2876

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ward V.

    Ward V.

    Mahalo, Zoe! We hope to see you in the neighborhood again soon!

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mary Q.
    1332
    349
    1725

    6 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Matt A.
    51
    99
    37

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Greg K.
    47
    83
    29

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul N.
    293
    1490
    4311

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Daniel N.
    46
    97
    148

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    By far the best first mate in the Basin. Nice, He accommodates, and doesn't scream to make me feel bad.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ens P.
    0
    11
    2

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Baby G.
    398
    107
    367

    13 years ago

    My seccond best spot to surf! love the lefts out here! Good fun wave!

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Fran C.
    46
    56
    169

    13 years ago

    Went to Kewalo for a video interview. It was nice and breezy, lots of locals hanging out on the beach surfing and chilling out. Nice park.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Kewalo Basin Harbor

    Review Highlights - Kewalo Basin Harbor

    “A great hidden gem located across from the Ward Center and next to Ala Moana Beach Park!”

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Boat Charters 655 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Kaimana Divers - Diving the Sea Tiger wreck

    Kaimana Divers

    (445 reviews)

    Mo'ili'ili

    We had an exceptional experience with Kaimana Divers as a family of four, including two teen…read moredivers. Dan was fantastic from start to finish, making everyone feel comfortable, safe, and welcome. One thing we especially appreciated was the small group size. It created a much more personal experience, allowed for individual attention, and made all of us feel relaxed. Dan did a great job balancing safety and fun, and he was wonderful with our teenagers. The diving was great (saw eels, turtles, rays, lots of fish) and the entire operation was professional, organized, and easy to work with start to finish.

    Gabe and his team - Marc, Maddie, Zach, Josh, Devin, Abby - are the absolute best. I started…read morebugging Gabe a few months before my trip out to Oahu to make sure I had everything set up before I got out there. The whole process was seamless, Gabe was so responsive and so nice answering all of my annoying questions. Once I got to the island and got on the boat - immediately was welcomed in with open arms and made some friends too! I did a ton of dives with Gabe's team over the month and saw some incredible marine life and shipwrecks. Coming from LA - this was elite service - princess diving as Gabe calls it. Put my gear together? Incredible. Guided dives every time? Amazing. Gabe and his team provide the best service, are so attentive, prioritize safety, and always find the best and coolest species to look at. I truly cannot wait to be back diving with this crew! Mahalo for the best time

    Living Ocean Tours - Crew briefing.

    Living Ocean Tours

    (812 reviews)

    We had the most incredible experience with Living Ocean Tours during our last visit to Oahu. We had…read moregone to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve on a prior trip, but had not done anything guided and did not have any luck seeing turtles (though it was still beautiful and we saw plenty of fish). My partner loves turtles, which is why we were so eager to find a memorable experience during our next trip. We found the Living Ocean Tours Turtle Canyon experience through Viator and paid about $80/person which we felt was incredibly reasonable. We saw prior reviews stating that the best time to go is early morning, so we decided to take the first boat out. This was honestly a pro tip as we were not only one of three small groups on the boat, but were also the first boat out to the canyon making the experience feel intimate and memorable! We met the amazing crew who were so knowledgable, friendly, and safety-savvy. The ride itself took about 15 minutes each way. Once we arrived, we felt totally confident swimming out with the provided snorkels, life jackets, and flippers after completing the safety lecture. The crew also emphasized protection of wildlife, instructing us to do our very best to stay 10 ft away or more from the turtles. At times, the turtles would come close to us without our knowledge, so we were also instructed on how to gently swim away when this occurred to maintain safe distance. We spent about an hour and a half total in the water, which was more than enough time to see loads of turtles. When it was time to return, we enjoyed complimentary snacks and drinks on the boat. Thank you Living Ocean Tours for providing us with the experience of a lifetime! We would recommend Living Ocean Tours to friends, family, or anyone looking for a safe, comfortable, and immersive turtle viewing experience!

    Amazing crew! Thats the number one thing, you can get on a boat and snorkel just about anywhere in…read moreHawaii and see amazing reef fish and wildlife, but to have such an educated and attentive crew was a big change compared to my usual snorkeling/diving excursions. Lola was our main guide and not only was she well educated, attentive, and a great tour guide -- she also would go above and beyond to make your tour incredible. None of the other guides from other companies got off their boards, let alone free dove 40ft to try to get the reef shark to leave its rock so everyone could see it. She also provided many of our crew with their own free dive instruction so that they could try as well. Amazing trip, amazing sights, even better crew!

    Dive Oahu - Jared

    Dive Oahu

    (398 reviews)

    Downtown

    Its been 2 years since I've used my open water cert, so I'm glad Dive Oahu had a shallow water two…read moretank available. It was the perfect refreshed because the crew sets up your tank and equipment, ready to go when you board the boat! Docked at Kewalo Basin, you check in at the office, which has AC and any diving accessories you may like to purchase. Then you walk over to the equipment truck to get fitted for a wetsuit and fins. I brought my own wetsuit, but used their fins since i only have shore break kicks and long blades at home. The boat has two restrooms on board and a covered section with a cooler and snacks. The crew went over the safety breifing and game plan before leaving the dock. There were about 8-10 discover scuba diver, and 3 of us who were certified. So the crew was great about splitting us up and providing the necessary information to either dive level. The first location was Kewalo pipe and the second turtle canyon, both a short boat ride on the south shore. I had SO MUCH FUN! There were a bunch of massive turtles sleeping on the reef, and a wide variety of tropical fish. My dive master Nacho took great care of the group, always checking in to see if we were ok, checking how much air we had left, and guiding us to fun wild life like eels and octopus. We even got to see a reef shark! Shout out to the crew for being knowledgeable, accommodating, safe, and friendly throughout the experiences. 10/10 recommend.

    Jeff, Jeff, & Jarred were freaking amazing. My grandson and I certified over two years ago and…read moreneeded to get up to speed for this bucket list trip for me. These men and the young lady in the shop made everything so easy. It was like we had never left the water. They were infectiously positive. They made sure we were comfortable. There were plenty of snacks and water to fortify us after each dive. They were supremely knowledgeable about every nook and cranny of our dive area. They pointed out everything during the dive. And turtles. TURTLES!!! They were as big as me. I was so happy to dive and swim with the Honu. But the best was watching my grandson throughout. These men made an old man's dream come true. Now the important part: safety. Even while making it fun and exciting and interesting, you could see that their eyes were laser focused on the safety of every single person. Others might provide a good adventure, Dive Oahu provides a memory indelibly stamped upon your heart and soul. Don't rob yourself of the adventure of a lifetime. Choose Dive Oahu

    Aloha Scuba Diving Company - My dive group was the best! Thank you dive master Erin and assistant Patrick!

    Aloha Scuba Diving Company

    (85 reviews)

    I am just coming off my discover dive with Captain Derick and Toby as our guide and have nothing…read morebut deep gratitude for my experience. I hardly write reviews but their considerate and meticulous service made for an unforgettable experience. Many companies offer discover scuba lessons in Oahu so I called a few to understand the itinerary before making a decision. I spoke with Toby, he welcomed all questions and gave an honest glimpse of what the experience would be. He was also courteous enough to let me know that they might reschedule our reservation in case they don't have enough people to meet a minimum for the boat. This did happen but the company let me know this promptly well in advance and even followed up to remind me about completing e-learnings etc. Fast forward to the day of the scuba and my mother & I met with Toby and the captain on Diamond T II, their boat along ala moana. The captain did a quick lay down of the safety instructions and Toby walked us through the nuts and bolts of diving - key skills, sign language, etc. The crew split us into parties of two each. The sea was a little choppy and I was feeling a little sea sick so I asked the cap if I go jump in the water till the first pair finished their training and dive and he even gave me snorkeling gear!! This was a great way to kill time and also get a preview of the dive ahead. The cap also encouraged my mother to join me and despite her fear of water, she felt at ease in doing so. This half an hour was unexpectedly enjoyable as we were able to interact with some marine life and my mother felt more comfortable being in water. We then got into our gear, which was labeled, super clean and hygienic, and proceeded to do our training session with Toby in the water. This was the highlight of our experience as jumping in a water can be pretty daunting with heavy gear, especially if you run into tricky problems like water in the mask or your regulator. Despite my mother running into these frequently, Toby was incredibly patient and relentlessly made an effort to do her skill training without rushing her. Unfortunately, she was feeling pretty sea sick and also tired by her time in the water so she decided to pause but Toby and I carried on into the water. We spent a serious amount of time close to the ocean bed, Toby was alert yet let me free roam in the water so I gained some confidence too. I was surprised by how clear the water was and we saw plenty of fish, it was magical. On returning, I found out that my mother got sick on the boat so the cap helped her with a pair of goggles, some jelly, and light humor to alleviate her motion sickness. The crew was highly aware of most passengers feeling sick so they expedited our return to the waterfront. I fail to see how this experience could've been more enjoyable and how this crew could've been more considerate to first time divers. Thank you so much for this!!

    I have been a PADI certified diver for over 25 years. For the first time in all these years, I am…read morewriting a bad review about a PADI Dive Shop. At the end of this month, I am traveling to Honolulu, Hawaii with my wife and five-year-old daughter for vacation. I reached out to "Aloha Scuba Diving Company" (www.divealohascuba.com) a PADI 5-star IDC, inquiring about their dives. We exchanged about 10 emails, where they offered me to do a Wreck Certification. In those emails, we went over the dates, time requirement per day, dives, and cost, among other details. After a lot of negotiation with my family, they allowed me to step away from our time together, to go diving for a couple days. Based on the information Aloha Scuba Diving Company provided in those emails, I coordinated with my wife and scheduled the rest of our vacation (booking activities with my family, rather than going scuba diving by myself). After booking the rest of the activities in our vacation, I emailed Aloha Scuba Diving Company and they asked me to call the shop to make the payment and confirm the booking. Yesterday, I called the shop, and they took my credit card to confirm the booking. After the call, I received emails confirming the booking and notifications from the credit card company confirming the charge. The first thing that happened was that they overcharged my credit card compared to the price they quoted me on the emails (even when during the call I pointed to the specific email with the price they had quoted). I called back and they offered to do a refund for the difference. A few minutes later, the same person I spoke to called me, and told me that all the information that was given to me in our email correspondence was wrong. He told me that there was "some miscommunication" and that the certification required more days, more dives, and that they would need to increase the cost they had quoted. I told them that I had booked my whole vacation around the information they had provided and that they should honor what they told me. The person on the phone said he would talk to the dive shop owner and let me know. After we finished that call, within 2-3 minutes, I received emails cancelling my booked course. I immediately called the shop again to find out what was happening, but they just did not take my calls. I followed up with an email asking for an explanation, but they did not reply (again, all this within minutes of them taking my credit card, confirming the booking and calling me trying to charge more). In all my years of diving, doing so in multiple countries, I had never faced this situation. They clearly do not understand the commitment (cost and time) that going diving requires for a diver traveling with his/her family where they do not dive. I am taking precious time I could spend with my wife and five-year-old daughter, creating memories, for the diving certification. I also planned and booked all other activities around the information they had provided by email. When things are written, there is no room for "miscommunications." The fact that they tried to overcharge me (even when over the phone I pointed to the email where they quoted the price", and after catching their intention to overcharge, they started coming up with these additional days, additional time, additional dive, and additional cost required, is absolutely unacceptable, a deceptive practice (bait-and-switch), and disrespectful to someone that is booking a whole vacation around this activity. I always book my diving with shops that are listed in the PADI site because it gives me the peace of mind and certainty that they are established dive shops that abide to PADI's Quality Management Practices, Safety Guidance, and involving qualified personnel. This is the first time in all these years, and diving in multiple countries, that I find myself in this situation. Do yourself a favor and avoid Aloha Scuba Diving Company at all costs.

    Kewalo Basin Harbor - boatcharters - Updated October 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...