Honolulu & Waikīkī: what’s worth it?

The city side: Waikīkī, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor and Mānoa.

Pearl Harbor — photo by Christopher Wilkinson

Worth itReality 90 −21Pearl Harbor★ 4.8Honolulu & Waikīkī · HistoryNPS memorial to the 1941 attack, with museums and a boat to the USS Arizona Memorial

Worth itReality 74 +242Bishop Museum★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · CultureHawaiʻi's state museum of natural and cultural history, with Hawaiian Hall and a planetarium

Battleship Missouri — photo by Erik Edney

Worth itReality 73 +13Battleship Missouri★ 4.8Honolulu & Waikīkī · HistoryWWII battleship on Ford Island where Japan signed its 1945 surrender, open for deck tours

Ala Moana Beach Park — photo by Jayne Cloutier

Worth itReality 71 +124Ala Moana Beach Park★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · Beach119-acre city beach park with a mile of calm, reef-protected water and Magic Island lagoon

Lyon Arboretum — photo by Lyon Arboretum

Worth itReality 71 +525Lyon Arboretum★ 4.7Honolulu & Waikīkī · NatureFree University of Hawaiʻi rainforest garden at the top of Mānoa Valley, open weekdays

Worth itReality 71 −56Leonard's★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · FoodKapahulu bakery since 1952, famous for hot, sugar-rolled Portuguese malasadas

Worth itReality 70 +397Foster Garden★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · NatureHonolulu's oldest botanical garden: 14 acres of giant heritage trees on the edge of Chinatown

Honolulu Museum of Art — photo by Alinda Tian

Worth itReality 70 +408Honolulu Museum of Art★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · CultureHawaiʻi's largest art museum: Asian, European and Hawaiian art around tranquil courtyards

Worth it if…Reality 69 +19ʻIolani Palace★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · HistoryRestored 1880s royal residence of Hawaiʻi's last monarchs, toured by timed ticket

Worth it if…Reality 65 −2510Diamond Head★ 4.7Honolulu & Waikīkī · HikeSteep 0.8-mile trail up a volcanic tuff cone and old fort to views over Waikīkī

Worth it if…Reality 65 +2011Tantalus Lookout★ 4.8Honolulu & Waikīkī · NatureDrive-up hilltop park with a sweeping view of Honolulu, Waikīkī and Diamond Head

Kakaʻako Murals — photo by Axel Feldmann

Worth it if…Reality 61 +4812Kakaʻako Murals★ 4.4Honolulu & Waikīkī · AttractionFree open-air gallery of building-size murals across a few blocks around SALT at Our Kakaʻako

Rainbow Drive-In — photo by Rainbow Drive-In

Worth it if…Reality 61 +1113Rainbow Drive-In★ 4.3Honolulu & Waikīkī · FoodKapahulu plate-lunch counter serving loco moco, mix plates and chili since 1961

Worth it if…Reality 60 −414Marugame Udon★ 4.5Honolulu & Waikīkī · FoodCafeteria-style Japanese udon shop on Kūhiō Ave. with handmade noodles and a famous line

Worth it if…Reality 59 +1915Helena's★ 4.5Honolulu & Waikīkī · FoodJames Beard-honored Kalihi diner serving pipikaula short ribs, kalua pig and poi since 1946

Worth it if…Reality 59 +2316Ono Seafood★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · FoodFamily-run Kapahulu poke shop since 1995; takeout bowls with a few picnic tables

Aviation Museum — photo by Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

Worth it if…Reality 59 +617Aviation Museum★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · HistoryWWII-era hangars on Ford Island with 50+ aircraft and attack-era bullet holes in Hangar 79

Worth it if…Reality 59 +4018Shangri La★ 4.7Honolulu & Waikīkī · CultureDoris Duke's oceanfront estate near Diamond Head, filled with Islamic art; shuttle tours only

Worth it if…Reality 56 +919Liliha Bakery★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · Food1950 bakery and counter diner, home of the original Coco Puff, butter rolls and loco moco

Worth it if…Reality 56 −520Mānoa Falls★ 4.7Honolulu & Waikīkī · HikeShort, muddy rainforest walk in Mānoa Valley to a 150-foot waterfall near Waikīkī

International Market Place — photo by Daniel Lundh

Worth it if…Reality 55 −421International Market Place★ 4.4Honolulu & Waikīkī · AttractionOpen-air Waikīkī shopping center built around a historic banyan tree, with free hula shows

Atlantis Submarine — photo by Atlantis Submarines Waikiki

Worth it if…Reality 54 +1722Atlantis Submarine★ 4.4Honolulu & Waikīkī · ToursPassenger submarine tour diving about 100 ft off Waikīkī to shipwrecks and artificial reefs

Worth it if…Reality 54 −2023Waikīkī Beach★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · BeachTwo-mile strip of linked, hotel-lined city beaches with gentle surf and Diamond Head views

Skip itReality 44 −3724Duke's★ 4.4Honolulu & Waikīkī · FoodBeachfront Waikīkī restaurant and bar known for sunset views, live music, buffets and Hula Pie

Skip itReality 42 +4225Chinatown★ 3.7Honolulu & Waikīkī · CultureHistoric downtown district of open-air markets, lei stands, dim sum, galleries and bars

Waikīkī Aquarium — photo by Ashley Hughes

Skip itReality 41 +2726Waikīkī Aquarium★ 3.9Honolulu & Waikīkī · AttractionSmall, 1904-founded University of Hawaiʻi aquarium of local reef life, beside Kapiʻolani Park

Island Vintage Coffee — photo by N Y (Mango Sun)

Skip itReality 39 +327Island Vintage Coffee★ 4.3Honolulu & Waikīkī · FoodBusy Royal Hawaiian Center café known for açaí bowls, Kona coffee and long morning lines

Honolulu Zoo — photo by John Marsh Class Piano II

Skip itReality 35 −2328Honolulu Zoo★ 4.2Honolulu & Waikīkī · Zoo42-acre city zoo in Kapiʻolani Park at the Diamond Head end of Waikīkī

The numbers

#	Place	Verdict	Hype	Reality	Gap	Google
1	Pearl Harbor	Worth it	92	90	−2 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.8 (27,699)
2	Bishop Museum	Worth it	50	74	+24 · Underrated	★ 4.6 (5,707)
3	Battleship Missouri	Worth it	72	73	+1 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.8 (14,666)
4	Ala Moana Beach Park	Worth it	59	71	+12 · Underrated	★ 4.6 (7,220)
5	Lyon Arboretum	Worth it	19	71	+52 · Underrated	★ 4.7 (876)
6	Leonard's	Worth it	76	71	−5 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.6 (13,598)
7	Foster Garden	Worth it	31	70	+39 · Underrated	★ 4.6 (2,096)
8	Honolulu Museum of Art	Worth it	30	70	+40 · Underrated	★ 4.6 (1,958)
9	ʻIolani Palace	Worth it if…	68	69	+1 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.6 (6,083)
10	Diamond Head	Worth it if…	90	65	−25 · Overhyped	★ 4.7 (17,357)
11	Tantalus Lookout	Worth it if…	45	65	+20 · Underrated	★ 4.8 (3,598)
12	Kakaʻako Murals	Worth it if…	13	61	+48 · Underrated	★ 4.4 (170)
13	Rainbow Drive-In	Worth it if…	50	61	+11 · Underrated	★ 4.3 (8,077)
14	Marugame Udon	Worth it if…	64	60	−4 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.5 (13,396)
15	Helena's	Worth it if…	40	59	+19 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.5 (3,676)
16	Ono Seafood	Worth it if…	36	59	+23 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.6 (2,797)
17	Aviation Museum	Worth it if…	53	59	+6 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.6 (6,670)
18	Shangri La	Worth it if…	19	59	+40 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.7 (458)
19	Liliha Bakery	Worth it if…	47	56	+9 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.6 (4,816)
20	Mānoa Falls	Worth it if…	61	56	−5 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.7 (5,458)
21	International Market Place	Worth it if…	59	55	−4 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.4 (10,154)
22	Atlantis Submarine	Worth it if…	37	54	+17 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.4 (1,001)
23	Waikīkī Beach	Worth it if…	74	54	−20 · Overhyped	★ 4.6 (1,301)
24	Duke's	Skip it	81	44	−37 · Overhyped	★ 4.4 (19,577)
25	Chinatown	Skip it	0	42	+42 · Lives up to the hype	★ 3.7 (150)
26	Waikīkī Aquarium	Skip it	14	41	+27 · Lives up to the hype	★ 3.9 (1,855)
27	Island Vintage Coffee	Skip it	36	39	+3 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.3 (3,808)
28	Honolulu Zoo	Skip it	58	35	−23 · Overhyped	★ 4.2 (10,450)