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ʻIolani Palace, Honolulu, HI

Photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory BuffRainy-Day Pick

ʻIolani Palace

364 South King St · Honolulu, HI

Why you should go…

ʻIolani Palace was built in 1882 by King Kalakaua and was home to Hawaii's last reigning monarchs until the overthrow of 1893. Tours cover the state rooms on the first floor and the private suites upstairs, where Queen Liliuokalani was later imprisoned for nine months. You can go with a docent or take a self-led audio tour in nine languages, booked online in advance. The palace calls itself the only official royal residence in the United States.

  • #royal palace
  • #hawaiian history
  • #historic house tour
  • #downtown honolulu

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to ʻIolani Palace, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Aloha Tower

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    See the 184-foot tower that has stood over Honolulu Harbor since 1926, then eat and stroll at the marketplace below.

    0.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Honolulu Museum of Art

    $25–$50

    Wander 32 galleries and six courtyards holding more than 55,000 works of art from Hawaii, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Shopping
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Ala Moana Center

    Free

    Browse more than 350 shops and restaurants at an open-air Honolulu mall, with hula performances on Centerstage.

    1.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Bishop Museum

    $25–$50

    Explore Polynesian artifacts in Hawaiian Hall, a planetarium and a hands-on science center on one Honolulu campus.

    2.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Pearl Harbor National Memorial

    Free

    Walk the visitor center galleries and shoreline exhibits that tell the story of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

    6.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
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    USS Arizona Memorial

    Free

    Ride a Navy shuttle boat to the white memorial that spans the sunken battleship USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor.

    7.1 mi awayMore like this