For a day in Waikiki, pick one beach stop and one outing, then build the rest around them. Enoatours' Pearl Harbor City from Waikiki takes 5 hours and starts at $69 per person. Hawaii Nautical's Waikiki Signature Sunset Sail takes 1.5 hours and starts at $99.95 per person.
What can you do in Waikiki beyond the sand?
Start with the beach. Duke's Beach sits in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and has a man-made lagoon. Its protective sea wall makes it a swimming area for families and children. Queen's Surf Beach is popular with bodyboarders and snorkelers.
| Place | What you can do | Good to know | Getting there | Hours or entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahanamoku Beach | Duke's Beach is a Waikīkī swimming area for families and children because of a protective sea wall. | - | Duke's Beach is in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and has a man-made lagoon. | - |
| Queens Beach Waikiki | Queen's Surf Beach is in Waikīkī at Queen Kapiʻolani Beach. | - | Queen's Surf Beach is between the Waikīkī Aquarium and the Kapahulu Groin and is popular with bodyboarders and snorkelers. | - |
| Waikiki Beach | Activities at Waikīkī Beach include swimming, bodyboarding, surfing and outrigger canoeing. | - | Parking near the Waikīkī MLCD is limited to a small lot by the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium and street parking along Kalākaua Avenue; City buses serve the area. | - |
| Waikiki Aquarium | The aquarium's exhibit list includes a Hawaiian Monk Seal Habitat. | - | 2777 Kalakaua Avenue, on the shoreline in Kapiʻolani Park. | The aquarium is open while undergoing renovations (site banner, read October 2026, undated). |
| Kapiolani Park | Banyan trees are a major landscape feature and shade the picnic areas. | - | - | The park is closed from 12 a.m. (midnight) to 5 a.m. |
Waikīkī Beach, Duke's Beach, Kūhiō Beach and Queen's Surf Beach are small beaches that interconnect into one larger beach. Swimming, bodyboarding, surfing and outrigger canoeing all take place on Waikīkī Beach.
If you want a land outing, the Waikiki Aquarium has a Hawaiian Monk Seal Habitat on its exhibit list. The Honolulu Zoo is also in the area, between Diamond Head and Waikiki. Kapiʻolani Park's banyan trees shade its picnic areas, and the park hosts picnics, sports games, marathons, parades and cultural events.
How do you get to each place, and where do you park?
Waikiki Aquarium is at 2777 Kalakaua Avenue, on the shoreline in Kapiʻolani Park. It is within walking distance of Waikīkī Beach.
Parking near the Waikīkī Marine Life Conservation District is limited to a small lot by the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium. Plan your parking before you go, and use the bus if the lot is full.
For Diamond Head, Kaimana Tours' Diamond Head Crater Shuttle and Self-Guided Hike is based in Waikiki. Treat the shuttle as your ride to the trail, and plan your hike around its schedule.
When are these places open, and what does it cost to go?
The Honolulu Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and it is closed on Christmas Day.. Plan your visit to end before the grounds close.
Kapiʻolani Park is closed from midnight to 5 a.m..
The Waikiki Aquarium is open while it undergoes renovations, according to a site banner. Plan your budget around the tours below, since they carry the prices you can count on.
What rules and hazards should you know about?
Waikīkī Marine Life Conservation District runs from the groin at the end of Kapahulu Avenue to the ewa wall of the Natatorium. It sits at the Diamond Head end of Waikīkī Beach. Follow the boundaries when you swim, bodyboard or snorkel.
The zoo bans alcohol, balloons, bicycles, vapes, drones, feeding animals, pets, scooters, skateboards and smoking, among other items. Leave these at your hotel.
Before any snorkel, sail or bodyboarding day, look up the National Weather Service marine forecast for the water. Ocean conditions can change the plan, and no tour here promises calm water.
Which tours go to these places?
Enoatours' Salute to Pearl Harbor from Waikiki runs 5 hours from $59 per person. Its Pearl Harbor Remembered A and B from Waikiki each run 7 hours from $143 per person.
Kepoikai's Day Sail runs 1 hour from $40 per person. Living Ocean's Waikiki Sunset Cruise BYOB starts at $59 per person. GoHawaii's Waikiki Sunset Cruise runs 2 hours from $54 per person. Threetiki's Waikiki Sunset Sail runs 2 hours from $79 per person.
Threetiki's Waikiki Turtle Snorkeling runs 2 hours from $84 per person. Its Waikiki Whale Watch runs 2 hours from $79 per person.
Dolphins and You is based in Waikiki and runs 3 hours from $189 per person.
Northshore Circle Island Adventure is based in Waikiki and runs 8 hours. Its full-day length suits a longer day away from the beach.
Waikiki Beach Services' one-on-one surf lesson starts at $150 per group.
Waikiki Beach Services' canoe charter runs 1 hour from $400 per group. That is a group price, so compare it only with other group prices.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Waikiki Aquarium open?
Plan for a possibly reduced visit.
Can children visit the aquarium alone?
No. All visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at the Waikiki Aquarium.
