Waikīkī after dark
STOP 1 OF 6
Waikīkī Wall at sunset
Waikīkī & Diamond Head · Free to visit
Sunset from the wall, with the bodyboarders.
30–60 min · Free
EThe editors · 2 Waikīkī on foot lists — switch
Waikīkī after dark
Sunset, hula, a mai tai and Friday fireworks.
6 placesHalf a dayRead the guide ↓
- 1. Waikīkī Wall at sunsetSunset from the wall, with the bodyboarders.Waikīkī & Diamond HeadFree to visit30–60 minFree
2. Kūhiō Beach hula showHula and torch lighting at Kūhiō Beach.Waikīkī & Diamond HeadFree to visit1 hourFree
3. House Without a KeySlack-key guitar and hula under the kiawe tree.Waikīkī & Diamond HeadFood & drink1–2 hoursCocktails about $20+
4. Mai Tai Bar at the Royal HawaiianA mai tai on the sand at the pink palace.Waikīkī & Diamond HeadFood & drink1 hourCocktails about $20+
5. Duke’s WaikīkīA busy beach bar with live music.Waikīkī & Diamond HeadFood & drink1–2 hoursMains about $30–50
6. Hilton Hawaiian Village Friday fireworksFireworks over the Hilton lagoon on Friday evenings.Waikīkī & Diamond HeadFree to visit15 minFree from the beach
The guide
How to do it: Waikīkī after dark
Waikīkī is at its best from an hour before sunset. The light goes gold on Diamond Head, the bodyboarders come in off the Wall, and the hotel bars start their Hawaiian music.
This is an evening, not a night out: a sunset, a mai tai, some hula and, on Fridays, fireworks.
- The order to do it in
- Sunset at the Wall, the hula show at Kūhiō Beach if it’s on, then walk west for music at House Without a Key or the Mai Tai Bar. On Fridays, end at the Hilton lagoon for the 7:45 p.m. fireworks.
- When to go
- Every evening, best on Friday for the fireworks. Arrive at House Without a Key by 5 p.m. for a sunset seat.
- Getting there
- On foot along Kalākaua Avenue.
- What it costs
- Free to watch; cocktails about $20 each.
Worth knowing
- Dress is casual but beachwear isn’t; bring a shirt.
- The hula show is cancelled in rain or for parades.
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.