10 things to do in Honolulu without a car (from a cruise ship!)

ALOHA!

It’s very possible to have a perfect time in Honolulu without a car because Honolulu is connected well by public transportation.

And there are lots of things to do in Honolulu cruise port on your own.

Arriving by cruise ship means that your starting point will be downtown Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

I will give you ideas below about planning your trip to Honolulu, whether you have several days or just one day!

 

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👆 There is a hop on hop off trolley in Honolulu and Waikiki. The red line trolley goes through downtown Honolulu and does a pass-by of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

 

 

I have been to Honolulu by cruise ship twice, and I’ve flown into Honolulu a bunch more times. So I have done a ton of things in Honolulu and around the island.

Some were short stays as a “layover” (1-3 days) as I was flying from one side of the Pacific to the other, and I’ve also had a 10-day, a 2-week, and a 5-week stay on Oahu.

I’ve never rented a car on Oahu, so I can tell you how to do things on a budget!

While I definitely would recommend looking into going to different parts of the island (like Kailua/Lanikai or the North Shore), for this list, I don’t go too far from the downtown Honolulu and Waikiki area.

These are the most important things I think you should know!

 

 

1. Pearl Harbor National Memorial

One of the most popular things to do on a trip to Honolulu is Pearl Harbor.

There are plenty of Pearl Harbor tours to choose from, and you can go to Pearl Harbor on your own.

It’s free to roam around the Pearl Harbor visitor center grounds where you can read up on the information signs and mini museum.

Doing this will give you a basic understanding of the tragic events that happened at Pearl Harbor from the United States point of view.

If you’re going to Pearl Harbor on your own, I also recommend that you get the audio tour at the entrance. This is like $5.

And most importantly, you will want to go to the USS Arizona memorial. This is the picture you see in almost all pictures of “Pearl Harbor.”

To go to the USS Arizona memorial requires a ferry to get to, and it will cost you $1. You need to get a ticket, so be sure to get one at recreation.gov.

In addition to the visitor center and USS Arizona memorial that will cost you little money, you may also want to go to the Pearl Harbor museums, which do have standard museum entrance fees.

Together, the museums are called the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. Visiting them will enhance your Pearl Harbor experience. Read about them.

 

Pearl Harbor without car

You can go to Pearl Harbor by bus on your own from downtown Honolulu (aka the cruise port) and Waikiki.

From the cruise port, you can walk 15 minutes to the bus stop, and then it’s a direct 20 minute bus ride to get to Pearl Harbor. (map)

From Waikiki, it will take about an hour to get to Pearl Harbor by bus. There may be a bus transfer involved depending on the route you choose. There’s a direct bus also, but it takes a little longer. (map)

There is uber in Honolulu. To get to Pearl Harbor, it’s around a 20 minute drive from the cruise port, and around a 40 minute drive from Waikiki. You can check the uber app (even if you’re not in Hawaii) to get an idea of how much uber costs. It’s best to do it around the time of day you’ll be using it. Remember it’s Hawaii time!

Otherwise, you can go to Pearl Harbor through a tour. There are small group Pearl Harbor tours that can make your Pearl Harbor experience easy and worthwhile.

If you’re staying overnight in Honolulu, then you can make Pearl Harbor an all-day thing with the Pearl Harbor complete experience passport tour. (It starts early morning so wouldn’t be possible if you’re arriving by cruise ship.)

You can also do Pearl Harbor as part of a Pearl Harbor combo tour that also includes Dole Plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center, a couple more of the top attractions on the island.

 

 

2. Aloha Tower

The Aloha Tower is an iconic landmark in downtown Honolulu.

 

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If you are docked at pier 11, then you will actually arrive right next to it! I was docked at pier 11 both times on Princess cruise ships.

If you are on the Pride of America NCL cruise ship, then you will be at pier 2.

You can check where you will be arriving at Honolulu cruise port by checking the port schedule.

 

 

3. Iolani Palace National Historic Landmark

The Iolani Palace is located in downtown Honolulu (map), and it’s said to be the “only official royal residence in the United States.”

You can see the palace from the outside for free, or you can go inside and walk through the Iolani Palace by buying a ticket.

Ticket prices start at around $30. The cost depends on the type of ticket you buy.

You must buy tickets online at least a day in advance. See current fees by selecting the type of tour you want.

 

 

4. King Kamehameha Statue at Ali’iolani Hale

There are several King Kamehameha statues in Hawaii.

But the one many people have seen on TV is located in downtown Honolulu near Iolani Palace. (map)

The King Kamehameha Statue at Ali’iolani Hale is the Hawaii Five-0 headquarters.

 

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If you’re a big fan of Hawaii Five-0, then there is even a Hawaii Five-0 TV tour for you!

 

 

5. Waikiki Beach

Well, you can’t go to Honolulu and not go to Waikiki Beach… can you? 😆

Waikiki is the biggest tourist spot in Hawaii.

“Waikiki Beach” is actually a bunch of beaches in the tourist district of Waikiki.

 

👆 One of the most popular things to do is to go to the beach in Waikiki!

 

👆 Stop by an ABC Store for quick and easy grab-and-go food to buy. Then, walk across the street for an ocean sunset!

 

👆 If you spend any time walking around Waikiki, you will come to know ABC Store well. It’s literally everywhere.

 

👆 Buy an acai bowl and eat it at the beach!

 

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While not known for the best snorkeling on the island, you can still have a fun snorkeling experience in Waikiki. It’s really the easiest snorkeling spot to get to on your own when coming from Honolulu cruise port.

You can also go swimming with turtles in Waikiki by going to Turtle Canyon, although this is something you can’t do on your own.

Waikiki is also good just for good views.

You can start at the iconic Duke Kahanamoku statue and just walk and continue to make your way Queens Beach and the Kapiolani Beach park that is just behind the beach. It’s a nice green resting area.

Buy food at an ABC store you see along the way, then eat at the park with views! Be sure to walk out onto the Waikiki Wall and Queens Walkway that you will pass by. (map)

Or, make your destination Barefoot Beach Cafe (reviews), and eat there with views!

 

👆 Once you get to the far end of Waikiki, there’s an oceanfront walking path.

 

👆 Make the Barefoot Beach Cafe your destination in Waikiki!

 

👆 This is one of the many oceanfront restaurants!

 

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If you’re in Honolulu on a Tuesday or Thursday, you need to know about the free Waikiki hula show at sunset! The exact time depends on the time of year, so check the official event details.

 

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If you’re in Honolulu on a Friday, you need to know about the Friday night Waikiki fireworks! It is just as it sounds.

Don’t expect too much, as it’s just a 5-minute show.

But if you’re in Waikiki on a Friday night, it’s fun.

It’s put on by the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and again, the time depends on the time of year. You can check the Hawaii tourism website.

I think the best watch spot is the jetty pier in front of the Outrigger Reef Hotel. During the day, look for turtles here. (map)

You can even watch the fireworks from the water by doing the fireworks sunset sail.

 

It’s easy to get between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. If you’re arriving by cruise ship, there will probably be a cruise shuttle to Waikiki, for a fee.

See more about how to get from Honolulu cruise port to Waikiki.

 

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a family-friendly resort and the biggest hotel in Waikiki. See things to do near Hilton Hawaiian Village. (Which you can do even if you’re not staying there!)

 

 

6. International Market Place

The International Market Place is a shopping center but I’m giving it an individual mention for the banyan tree!

While primarily a shopping spot, I think the best reason to go to the international market place is to see the massive banyan tree!

On google maps, the Don Ho Statue can be your landmark to locate the banyan tree.

 

👆 There is a massive banyan tree at a shopping mall in Hawaii!

 

👆 Look for the ALOHA sign when you are at the International Market Place!

 

Afterwards, you can go across the street to the Waikiki surfboard alley to the beach! This is also a good way to see the iconic pink Royal Hawaiian resort up close too!

 

👆 Another banyan tree you can see during your time in Honolulu is the banyan tree at Kuhio Beach. There is also the Moana banyan tree at the iconic historic Moana Surfrider resort!

 

 

7. Diamond Head State Monument

The Diamond Head hike is one of the most famous hikes in Honolulu. It’s a hike with easy access from Waikiki.

The Diamond Head crater is also the most recognizable landmark on Oahu. You can see it from many parts of Waikiki.

You can hike to the top of the crater! And you will be hiking UP. So in that sense, it’s a moderately difficult hike.

You do need a reservation before you go to Diamond Head. You’ll do that through the State of Hawaii website.

 

After your Diamond Head hike, head to South Shore Grill (fish tacos specialty) or Rainbow Drive-in (Hawaii-style plate lunch specialty), both Hawaii food spots that have appeared on TV.

 

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8. Manoa Falls Trail

I think the Manoa Falls Trail is the best nature hike that’s located relatively close to downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.

Diamond Head and Manoa Falls are different types of hikes. Diamond Head is for the ocean views, while Manoa Falls is for a rainforest walk. The Manoa Falls Trail is so green.

Even before you start the trail, the road to Manoa Falls just feels like you are in a completely different place compared to the city landscape of Honolulu and Waikiki.

And yes, your destination is the waterfalls!

Manoa Falls Trail is free to access and no reservations are required.

 

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Manoa Falls without a car

You can go to Manoa Falls by bus, which is what I how I got there both times I went.

The bus stop near the trailhead is in a residential neighborhood so the bus timings are less frequent. This means that you’ll want to pay attention to the bus timings.

Whether going from the cruise port (map) or Waikiki (map), it will require a bus transfer to get to the Manoa Falls trailhead. The total time to get there will be around an hour.

Otherwise, you can do a guided hiking tour of Manoa Falls.

The second time I did Manoa Falls was on a cruise ship visit. (Another hike I did on a cruise ship visit was the Lanikai Pillbox hike – map.)

 

 

9. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

Hanauma Bay is getting a bit further away from downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, but it is a well-known spot on Oahu, so you should know about it!

The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is considered one of the best snorkeling spots on the island. It’s $25 per person. See current fees.

Tickets for Hanauma Bay are limited and online reservations can only be made 2 days in advance through the City and County of Honolulu website.

It’s one of those things where you might need to be online as soon as the tickets become available. You can see what the popularity is like recently, as the ticket website will tell you when the most recent tickets sold out.

There are also limited walk-in tickets available. When I went on a rainy day, walk-in tickets were still available late morning, but I wouldn’t expect that they would be available if the weather is good.

There is a cafe with basic concession food (like burger and fries) at the top of Hanauma Bay.

And yes, it is “top” because you do go DOWN to get to the beach! You can walk or get the free tram, but I would suggest walking down so you can stop to take pictures!

Hanauma Bay is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

 

👆 You can rent snorkeling gear at Hanauma Bay.

 

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Hanauma Bay without a car

You can go to Hanauma Bay by bus, if you don’t mind walking with all your snorkeling gear for 30 minutes from the closest bus stop.

From the cruise port, there is a direct bus which is around a 1 hour ride. (map)

Coming from Waikiki, it requires a bus transfer. The time on the bus is about an hour. (map)

If you decide to take the bus, I recommend that you walk through the residential neighborhood and Koko Head District Park to get to Hanauma Bay, instead of walking along a road with fast-driving cars with no sidewalk. It feels safer that way. I’ve done this. (map)

Otherwise, you can get a Hanauma Bay shuttle from Waikiki.

 

👆 Leonard’s Bakery is a famous Hawaii food spot for donuts called malasadas. They have a storefront and food trucks. This malasada food truck was at the Koko Marina shopping center, which was near a bus stop I was at on my way back from Hanauma Bay.

 

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10. Byodo-in Temple

The Byodo-in Temple is even further, but once again, you should know about this!

A visit here is a great way to get incredible view of mountains!

Byodo-in Temple is a replica of a temple in Japan. The grounds aren’t too big, but it can be a nice area to walk around. You can buy fish food to feed to carp (classic Japanese koi) in the pond.

There’s a $5 entry fee. See current fees.

 

👆 You’ll get a great view of the mountains of Hawaii when you go to Byodo-In temple!

 

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Byodo-in Temple without a car

You can go to Byodo-In Temple by bus, although it will require time, patience, and a little bit of extra walking.

From the cruise port, it’s a direct bus to get to Byodo-in Temple with a 50 minute bus ride. (map)

From Waikiki, it will require a bus transfer (through downtown Honolulu) with an overall time to get to Byodo-in Temple of close to 2 hours. (map)

 

 

More Hawaii travel ideas:

• Things to do in Hawaii
• Best beaches in Hawaii
• Best waterfalls in Hawaii
• Best hikes in Hawaii
• Things to do near Hilton Hawaiian Village (biggest hotel in Waikiki)
• 10 best things to do in Maui

 

HAPPY TRAVELING TO HONOLULU!