A full day out of Waikīkī along Oʻahu's southeast shore: the early climb up Lēʻahi (Diamond Head), a morning snorkel at Hanauma Bay, the Hālona Blowhole and Sandy Beach from the safe side of the railing, and a late-afternoon walk up the paved Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail before the view over Mānana island at Makapuʻu Lookout.
Time
11–12 hour day
Driving
About 1½–2 hours of driving in total along Oʻahu's southeast shore
Best time
All year; best December–April
Updated
$4 USD
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Sdkb · CC BY-SA 4.0. February 2025 photograph from the Makapuʻu Point summit lookouts; resized and displayed with crop.
Suggested times, not bookings
Your day at a glance
6:30 amLēʻahi (Diamond Head) summit hike
9:00 amHanauma Bay Nature Preserve
1:15 pmLānaʻi Lookout and Hālona Blowhole
2:00 pmSandy Beach Park
2:45 pmMakapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail
5:00 pmMakapuʻu Lookout
5:30 pmReturn to Waikīkī
Highlights
Worth the trip
Sunrise-hour stairs and tunnel to the Lēʻahi summit before the heat
A reserved morning snorkel inside Hanauma Bay's sheltered reef
Makapuʻu Point's lighthouse view over the Molokaʻi Channel, with humpbacks in season
What’s in the guide
Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →
Plan for the conditions
Expected seasonal weather
From December to April, southeast Oʻahu usually brings warm days with trade winds and passing showers; winter cold fronts and Kona storms occasionally bring heavy rain, and this dry, leeward shore gets less rain than the windward side. The sun is strong all year, and Diamond Head and Makapuʻu are bare slopes that feel much hotter than the beach. Summer and early fall are hotter and more humid, with south swells that can make Hālona spout and Sandy Beach dangerous. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.
Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.
A full day up Kamehameha Highway from Waikīkī: the old surf town of Haleʻiwa, honu resting on the sand at Laniākea, Waimea Bay, the paved garden walk to Waimea Falls, the Pūpūkea tide pools, the Banzai Pipeline at ʻEhukai and a shrimp plate in Kahuku before the windward drive home.
10–11 hour day·About 3–3½ hours of driving in total, including the windward coast home
Best: All year; best May to September
$4 USD
Scenic drive & beaches
Waikīkī → Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout → Kailua Beach → Byodo-In Temple → Kualoa Regional Park → Kahana Bay → Lāʻie Point
A day over the Koʻolau mountains from Waikīkī: the windy cliff-top view at the Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout, a morning on Kailua Beach, the Byodo-In Temple in its green valley, then up the windward coast past Mokoliʻi to Kahana Bay and the sea arch off Lāʻie Point.
9–10 hour day·About 2½–3 hours of driving in total, more in traffic
Best: All year; best May–October
$4 USD
History & coast drive
Waikīkī → Pearl Harbor National Memorial → Battleship Missouri → Ko Olina lagoons → Mākaha Beach → Keawaʻula Bay (Kaʻena Point State Park)
A full Oʻahu day from Waikīkī: an early boat program to the USS Arizona Memorial, an optional tour of the Battleship Missouri on Ford Island, then west along the dry Waiʻanae coast to the calm Ko Olina lagoons, the big-wave beach at Mākaha and the end of the road at Keawaʻula Bay for the late light.
11–12 hour day·About 3 hours of driving in total, most of it on H-1 and Farrington Highway
Honolulu's green back country in one day from Waikīkī: an early walk to Mānoa Falls, the University of Hawaiʻi's Lyon Arboretum, lunch in Mānoa, Queen Emma's summer palace in Nuʻuanu, then the historic Tantalus–Round Top Drive to sunset over the city at Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa.
10–11 hour day·About 1½ hours of driving in total, much of it on narrow, winding mountain road
Best: All year; best Wednesday–Friday, May to September