Best Things to See in Honolulu (2025)

America’s only royal palace tells the story of Hawaiʻi’s monarchy with docent and audio tours. Frequently featured by major outlets including The New York Times, it’s a resonant window into Honolulu’s past and present stewardship.

Hawaiʻi’s premier cultural and natural history museum showcases Hawaiian Hall, living culture programs, and the Wayfinders planetarium show. Praised by local media and national travel editors for depth and community engagement.

A beloved community museum with Asian, Pacific, and contemporary art, a serene open-air layout, and Friday evening hours. Consistently recommended by respected travel guides and critics.

Timed tours shuttle you from HoMA to Doris Duke’s seaside home, where curators frame Islamic art within Oʻahu’s landscape. Covered by Hawaii News Now and noted by Condé Nast Traveler; closed for annual maintenance Sept 1–Oct 1, 2025.

Twice-weekly walks braid food tastings with immigrant histories and architecture in Honolulu’s arts district. Longstanding program praised by local magazines and echoed by Condé Nast Traveler’s spotlight on Chinatown’s creative energy.

Set your alarm: on select Saturdays, the public can tour the nation’s only fresh tuna auction. Frommer’s and airline guides call it essential; the nonprofit tour explains sustainability, grading, and the dock-to-table journey.

Family-run since 1916, Kamaka opens its workshop on weekday mornings for an authentic look at koa instruments shaping Hawaiʻi’s sound. Profiled by Hawaiʻi Magazine and cherished by musicians worldwide.

A Chinatown institution since 1959, this fourth-generation lei stand is where locals buy for life’s milestones. Frequently recommended by local critics; go early to see artisans string tuberose, pakalana, and maile with practiced hands.

Every Saturday, more than 100 vendors gather under monkeypods to showcase Oʻahu farms and makers. Recognized by USA Today 10Best in 2024–2025 and widely covered by local food writers.

Reservation-only tours explore native gardens and Kūkaʻōʻō Heiau, a rare walled temple in urban Honolulu. Featured by Lonely Planet and the National Trust, it’s a serene, scholar-led experience rooted in place.

Hawaiʻi-grown, Hawaiʻi-made chocolate from a vertically integrated, independent maker. Take a 90-minute factory tour or try curated flights at SALT at Our Kakaʻako. Lauded by local media for education and craft.