Tom After visiting the USS Arizona Memorial (aka Pearl Harbor) on day 6, we headed out to visit another major attraction in Honolulu on day 7 of our Hawaii travels – Diamond Head State Monument!
Diamond Head State Monument Honolulu Hawaii
We started early this morning and arrived at the entrance of Diamond Head State Monument at about 8am in the morning. As parking is really limited here, many reviews have recommended to reach before 9am should you wish to secure a parking spot. If you arive later and the crowd has already built up, just wait patiently. Many visitors, after catching a glimpse from the top would mostly not linger for too long and move on to their next destination. Parking elsewhere is not recommended because you’re contending with a 30 minutes hike up…
Parking costs $5 per car and it takes about 1.5 hours to 2 hours for a round trip up and down this volcanic crater. So remember to bring some water along and stay hydrated! Do note that the last time for entry is at 4:30pm as the entrance would be closed at 6pm.
The ascent can actually be quite challenging. Some parts of the trail have uneven and narrow paths. Though not dangerous, it can be a little exhausting. Both Tom and I had to stop at one of the benches along the way to take a break. But with each step, slowly and surely, you’ll reach the top of Diamond Head Crater to enjoy these views…
The cool thing about the view from the top of Diamond Head is that you’ll get panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean as well as Honolulu City. However, the viewing point can get crowded as everyone tries to vie for a great viewing spot. Please be patient and wait for your turn, while being considerate for others to enjoy the views as well!
View from the Top of Diamond Head
Diamond Head State Monument
Address: Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
Opening Hours: 6am to 6pm
Next, we headed to check in at our hotel – Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort! Well…not before we had a quick Poke (State staple of Hawaii!) stop…
Staying at Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort Honolulu Hawaii
As we’re members of IHG, we were able to get a cheaper rate of about $100 USD to stay at the Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber. While parking is generally expensive at hotels along this stretch, Waikiki Beachcomber has an excellent location – in the heart of Honolulu and is just a short walk from the world famous Waikiki Beach! As we were early, we stopped by the hotel’s cafe to grab ourselves a healthy portion of Acai Bowl – another dish made popular by Hawaii…
Video Tour of our room at Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort
The other great part about staying at the Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort is the complimentary trolley rides that it offers. The trolley ride basically gives you a tour around Honolulu. Our driver doubled up as the tour guide, tell us interesting stories about the island along the way and even took photos for passengers at scenic spots!
Waikiki Beach Honolulu Hawaii
The pick up point for most of the trolleys in Honolulu is at the bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku – a legendary Hawaiian surfing hero. He was a 5-time Olympic swimming medalist who was credited with popularising surfing in mainland USA. At this pick up point, there are many different types of trolley from many different agencies and hotels. Be sure to board the one from Holiday Inn…
The tour took us to many attractions in Honolulu including Diamond Head Crater, Diamond Head Lighthouse as well as the Iolani Palace, where you’ll be able to take pictures with the statue of King Kamehameha I. We had a ball of time pronouncing his name…try it! 😛
Waikiki Trolley Ride (Shopping Malls)
Waikiki Trolley Ride (Beach)
Waikiki Trolley Ride (Pau Hana Market Waikiki)
As we winded down the evening on the trolley, we passed by an outdoor food truck garden known as Pau Hana Market Waikiki. Food trucks rotate at this venue and this time, we tried the lemon butter shrimp (tastes ok but very stingy on the prawns) and tonkotsu ramen which was not too bad…
Pau Hana Market Waikiki
Address: 234 Beach Walk, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm
Free Sunset Performances in Shopping Malls of Honolulu Hawaii
After the hearty meal, we headed back to our hotel and started to venture into the shopping malls. Apparently, there are many free performances during sunset which are used to entice tourists to visit the malls…At the International Market Place, you’ll be able to enjoy “Sunset Stories“, depicting song and dance from Honolulu and Oahu…
Famous Hula Dance
Waikiki Cultural Singing
We also caught this acoustic rendition of How Far I’ll Go, which was fantastic…
Free Outdoor Performance
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With a well rested day in Waikiki, we turned in early for another day of acitivites on day 8 which starts off at the world famous Hanauma Bay of Honolulu Hawaii!
Other Posts from 13 Days Hawaii Travels
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Big Island Hawaii Day 1!
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Big Island Hawaii Day 2!
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Big Island to Maui Day 3!
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Road to Hana Maui Day 4!
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Haleakala National Park Maui Day 5
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Arrival in Honolulu Oahu Day 6
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Diamond Head and Waikiki Honolulu Hawaii Day 7
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Hanauma Bay & Maui Brewing Day 8!
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Dole Plantation Oahu Day 9!
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Chilling at Kauai Shores Day 10
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Kauai Coffee & Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa Day 11
Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Luau at Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Day 12
Top 10 Things to do in Hawaii ( A Pictorial Review)!
Top 4 Things to do in Big Island Hawaii!
Top 3 Things to do in Maui Hawaii!
