Oʻahu region
Waikīkī & Diamond Head
Hotels, surf lessons and Lēʻahi on the skyline
A walkable strip of hotels, shops and restaurants along a long run of sand, from the Hilton lagoon to Kapiʻolani Park and the foot of Diamond Head. Most of Oʻahu’s hotel rooms are here, and gentle, long-rolling waves make it a classic place to learn to surf.
Photo: Simon_sees via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Stay here if…
You want to walk to the beach, dinner and a surf lesson, skip a rental car for most of the trip, and reach Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay with a short drive or shuttle.
The trade-off
It’s busy and urban, the beach is crowded by mid-morning, and some sections are narrow from erosion. Hotel parking runs about $45–$72 a night, so a car you only use twice gets expensive.
Hotels in Waikiki
Hotels, surf lessons and Lēʻahi on the skyline
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Where to stay
Hotels in Waikiki
Luxury resort Waikiki areaHalekūlani
Couples who want quiet luxury in the middle of Waikīkī
It’s the calmest, most polished stay in Waikīkī. Sunset drinks at the oceanfront House Without A Key are a Waikīkī classic.
Resort Waikiki areaThe Royal Hawaiian
Travelers who want classic Waikīkī glamour on the best stretch of sand
Few hotels anywhere have this much history right on the sand. A mai tai at the Mai Tai Bar is a Waikīkī rite.
Centennial events are planned around Feb. 1, 2027.
Resort Waikiki areaMoana Surfrider
History lovers who want to be in the heart of Waikīkī Beach
Breakfast or a drink under the courtyard banyan, steps from the sand, is Waikīkī at its most timeless.
Boutique & lodge Waikiki areaThe Surfjack
Design-minded couples and friends on a mid-range budget
It has real local style and no amenity fee on direct bookings, a rare combination in Waikīkī, and it’s a short walk to the beach.
Good value Waikiki areaShoreline Waikiki
Budget-minded travelers who want to walk to everything
It puts you a block from the sand for less than the beachfront hotels, with a fun rooftop pool to come back to.
Good value Waikiki areaWaikīkī Beachcomber
First-timers who want a central Waikīkī base at a moderate price
The location is about as central as Waikīkī gets, and the local art and Cirque show give it more personality than most mid-range towers.
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Tours leaving from Waikiki
Things to do
Our picks in Waikiki
Swimming BeachesWaikiki
Waikīkī Beach
It’s still one of the best places in Hawaiʻi to stand up on a surfboard for the first time, and you can walk back to your room for lunch.
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National & State ParksWaikiki
Lēʻahi (Diamond Head State Monument)
It’s a short, real climb with a payoff that explains Honolulu at a glance: Waikīkī’s shoreline on one side, the Koko Head coast on the other.
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Shave Ice & SweetsWaikiki
Leonard’s Bakery
A hot, sugar-rolled malasada straight from the fryer is one of the best things you can eat for very little money in Honolulu.
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Local EatsWaikiki
Rainbow Drive-In
It’s the plate lunch every local kid grew up on, a short walk from Waikīkī, and it’s cheap and fast.
Read moreWaikiki
ʻOno Seafood
It’s the simplest, freshest-tasting poke bowl near Waikīkī, and it tastes like the ocean in the best way.
Read moreWaikiki
KCC Farmers’ Market
You can eat breakfast, taste fruit you’ve never seen and buy Hawaiʻi-grown coffee and honey, all before the Diamond Head heat sets in.
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