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Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, HI

Photo: Pickle the cool, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorIconicFamily FavoriteFree

Waikiki Beach

Along Kalakaua Ave on Honolulu's south shore · Honolulu, HI

Why you should go…

Waikiki Beach lines the south shore of Honolulu's Waikiki neighborhood, and its sand is almost entirely man-made. The long, rolling surf break suits longboarding and beginners, so it is a classic spot for a first surf lesson. A 9-foot bronze statue of surfer Duke Kahanamoku, installed in 1990, stands by the sand, and the view down the beach takes in the Diamond Head tuff cone. The Hawaiian name means spouting fresh water.

  • #beach
  • #surf lessons
  • #swimming
  • #diamond head view

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

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

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

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

  • Shopping
    Free

    International Market Place

    Free

    Shop and eat beneath a preserved banyan tree at an open-air shopping center on Kalakaua Avenue in the heart of Waikiki.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Honolulu Zoo

    Under $25

    See black rhinos, giraffes, elephants and native Hawaiian birds across 42 acres at the edge of Kapiolani Park in Waikiki.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Diamond Head State Monument

    Under $25

    Climb switchbacks, steep stairs and a lighted tunnel to old military bunkers on the crater rim.

    1.6 mi awayMore like this

  • 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.

    1.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

    $25–$50

    Snorkel over a coral reef inside a flooded volcanic crater on Oahu's southeast coast, a protected nature preserve.

    8.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Lanikai Beach

    Free

    Swim in calm, shallow turquoise water off a half-mile of sand facing the twin Mokulua Islands offshore.

    11 mi awayMore like this