What to do on 12-hour Honolulu layover

[nwcountrygal]

I second Waikiki. You can walk down the beach check out tourist things along the way a block up in town. Ala Moana is a mall. You haven't been there before so it is worth checking out Waikiki. Do I want to go to Waikiki today not at all but for the first time it was great!!!!

Being you are from Japan it might be interesting to see the Arizona Memorial if you are into history and then it might be interesting to see the difference in culture rememberance. It isn't as if you have a lot of time -- 7-8 hours. Just take a Taxi so you can be on your time opposed to a bus. It isn't far but will be stupid $ for such a short trip from the airport. Not bad but inflated. Just depends on what your interested in.. Go to the beach! Get some real food in you before getting onto the plane again.

Understand Honolulu is a big town and your not going to experience the real Hawaiian experience vrs the tourist experience. But for the first time it will be great to get off the plane smell the flowers and see the white sand beaches with a drink! Cold will be somewhere in the 70's could be in the 80 degrees! Have fun. Have lite clothes on, slippers (flip flops) and swim suit in your carryon just in case!!

[mymelody23]

How long does it take to get to Arizona memorial from the airport, probably around 11AM? Same question for Waikiki from the airport at 11AM and assuming I take a cab in both instances. Thanks!

[Balad1]

Originally Posted by mymelody23

How long does it take to get to Arizona memorial from the airport, probably around 11AM? Same question for Waikiki from the airport at 11AM and assuming I take a cab in both instances. Thanks!

My experience is that if you are not there "early" AM you will not get to the memorial.

Someone who has visited recently can hopefully shead new light; I hear there are new procedures.

[mogon]

Originally Posted by Balad1

My experience is that if you are not there "early" AM you will not get to the memorial.

That is correct.

A number of these questions about time, where to go, how much time will it take, etc., are answered in the thread I linked to in the second post.

Everyone's mileage varies, but with a limited amount of time, I'd skip Waikiki; it's just a tourist area that happens to be on a shrinking beach. If you want to swim and enjoy a much more non-touristy Hawai`i, then Ala Moana Beach park is a better choice.

I'd also recommend the Pali Lookout at the summit of the Likelike Highway. It's awesome.

It really depends on what you want to do: if you want an un-Hawai`ian but possibly fun tourist experience, then go to Waikiki. If you want to truly spend some time with locals (most of whom loathe Waikiki) go to Chinatown or Ala Moana Mall (which is unlike any other mall in the country). If you want some historical perspective on Hawai`i, then the Palace or the Bishop Museum would be the thing.

But md is right; you really need to watch your time. In the oxymoronically named "rush hour," it can take an hour to get from Waikiki to the airport.

[Afishwithabike]

Originally Posted by mymelody23

How long does it take to get to Arizona memorial from the airport, probably around 11AM? Same question for Waikiki from the airport at 11AM and assuming I take a cab in both instances. Thanks!

At 11 AM you won't have too much traffic on the freeway coming and going to Waikiki. It might take about 45 minutes to get to the memorial. There are a lot of folks who go to the Arizona Memorial. Large tour buses bring people in droves. It can get crowded over there. Most people come early because tickets are issued on a first come, first served basis. I would allow about 3 hours to see the memorial and the museum.

[Alohikea]

Isn't the Pali Lookout on the Pali Highway? Likelike has nada if I remember. Totally encourage Waikiki though! Stop at the ABC store-love that places (or places since technically they are every 30 ft!).

[mogon]

Brain fade.

Yes, it's the Pali Highway & Pali Lookout, not Likelike.

[vrhunski]

Ala Moana Shopping )

[mymelody23]

How about Waikiki first, just to get it over and done with and take pictures and all since I *am* a first timer lol, then head on over to Ala Moana till it's time to get back to the airport? Thanks in advance for replies.

[zoa]

I live here...

In January, swimming is doable all over the island - but watch for big-surf if you go anywhere that is not protected by a sea-wall or reef. Ala Moana IS the warmer place to swim especially when the sun is shining as the water is shallower and warms up quicker, plus the swimming area is sheltered from cooler water by the reef/rock wall protecting the inner area. General rule of thumb for water temperatures here - if the land is cool, the water is warm. If the land is warm, the water is cool.

Time will be a major issue. Since you are traveling internationally, you will have to get through immigration and customs just to get out of the airport - THEN on your return spend another 2 - 3 hours just to get back past TSA & customs to catch your flight! Especially if you are going through in the evening hours - there are more evening flights OUT of Honolulu and you will be in lines with lots of other people. When crowded, TSA can take upwards of 1 hour alone.

So guestimating you will have about 6 - 8 hours total time to play around on the island (being conservative here).


I STRONGLY recommend taking a bus ($2 USD one way) to Downtown Honolulu. There are so many attractions there and you will not be too far for a cab ride if you run short on time. Actually, you can take a cab to the Aloha Tower Marketplace, walk the downtown/Chinatown area, then get back to the Aloha Tower for a cab back to the airport (easiest - but not necessarily the cheapest).

In the downtown area, you have the following:
-->Chinatown (great shops with quality imports and some touristy items)
-->Bishop Square (@ lunch time something usually happens here, either live performance or something)
-->Iolani Palace (daily tours during the week, sometimes will have the Royal Hawaiian Band playing in the bandstand for lunch hour if the weather is agreeable)
-->Capital District (historic buildings and some statues that touch on Hawaiian history - including the world famous King Kamehameha statue)
-->Missionary Houses (great museum to visit and learning experience w/tours)
-->link with more information: Aloha-Hawaii.com: Exploring Downtown Honolulu


If you go to Ala Moana center you can enjoy the shopping, then go across Ala Moana Blvd. to Ala Moana Beach Park. You can do this inexpensively by catching any bus from the airport to Ala Moana (it is the end of the line generally). Catch some rays, eat a plate lunch, then get back to Ala Moana Blvd. for the bus back to the Airport.


Going to Waikiki is okay, but in 6 - 8 hours you won't get much time to take it all in. The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center is nice for shopping, but more expensive than Ala Moana. Even if you take snapshots of things, you STILL will not get to enjoy it all.


Arizona Memorial... IF you go to the memorial, that will be your entire layover. If you do not get there early (7 - 8am), you will be in a loooong line which will eat up most of your precious time - the tour buses start arriving at about 7:30am. Then you sit through the presentation (about 45 mins) and then again in a line for the ferry to the actual memorial... if the harbor is not choppy. In January, it may be choppy... so best not to stress yourself by chancing it and then missing out on some good beach time or touring the downtown area - both of which are VERY memorable and fun "day visits".


I've had friends from Australia layover here for that amount of time. I took time off from work to drive them around and it was enjoyable, but MUCH too short to do any serious site-seeing. Even going to the Pali Lookout was harsh as we hit it about 3pm - the beginning of pau hana traffic (what we call rush hours here - yes.. hourS).

If you want to go to the Pali Lookout, or anything "out of the way" (and in this I mean the Arizona Memorial), then you will want to rent a car.

Car rentals here are not cheap... nor are Taxis. The best value you will get will be to Ala Moana, or Chinatown and the Historical District around the capital.