Book on their siteHistory & culture · Allow 60–90 minutesRoyal and sacred Oʻahu
STOP 1 OF 8
ʻIolani Palace
Honolulu · Paid entry
The only royal palace in the United States. Book a tour.
1–1.5 hours · Audio tour $28 adults, $13 kids 5–12
EThe editors
Royal and sacred Oʻahu
The palace, the birthstones, two heiau and the memorials.
8 placesA full dayRead the guide ↓
- 1. ʻIolani PalaceThe only royal palace in the United States. Book a tour.HonoluluPaid entry1–1.5 hoursAudio tour $28 adults, $13 kids 5–12
2. King Kamehameha statueKamehameha the Great, draped in lei on June 11.HonoluluFree to visit10 minFree
3. Aloha TowerThe old harbor clock tower. The observation deck is closed; the pier is still worth the walk.HonoluluFree to visit20 minFree
4. Pearl Harbor National MemorialThe USS Arizona Memorial. Free; reserve a time.CentralFree to visit3–4 hoursFree; $1 booking fee per ticket
5. Keaīwa HeiauA healing heiau in the hills above ʻAiea.CentralFree to visit20 minFree
6. Kūkaniloko BirthstonesWhere aliʻi were born. Stay outside the stones.CentralFree to visit20 minFree
7. Puʻu o Mahuka HeiauThe largest heiau on Oʻahu, above Waimea Bay.North ShoreFree to visit20 minFree
8. Byodo-In TempleA replica of the Byōdō-in in Uji, Japan, in the Valley of the Temples.WindwardPaid entry45 min$10 adults, $6 kids 2–12; parking $6/hour
The guide
How to do it: Royal and sacred Oʻahu
These are the places that matter most to Hawaiian history: the palace of the last monarchs, the birthstones where aliʻi were born, heiau where people worshipped and healed, and the memorial at Pearl Harbor.
Visit them as you would a church or a war grave. Stay on the paths, don’t move stones or offerings, and keep your voice down.
- The order to do it in
- Downtown on foot (ʻIolani Palace, Kamehameha statue), Pearl Harbor on a booked morning, then Keaīwa and Kūkaniloko on the way north to Puʻu o Mahuka.
- When to go
- Palace tours run Tuesday to Saturday. Book Pearl Harbor’s Arizona boat 8 weeks or 24 hours ahead.
- Getting there
- Downtown on foot or by bus; a car for the rest.
- What it costs
- Palace audio tour $28 adults; Pearl Harbor free ($1 booking fee); Byodo-In $10; the heiau are free.
Worth knowing
- No bags at Pearl Harbor, not even a small purse; there’s paid storage.
- Shirts and shoes at the palace; no beachwear.
Started from the pins on Flashpacking America’s Oʻahu maps (the map). Places, notes and the guide checked and written by us; prices and opening times change, so check before you go.
Private tours
Rather go with a guide?
Book on their siteHistory & culture · Allow 60–90 minutes
Book on their siteHistory & culture · 4.5 hours