Located just 10 minutes from Waikiki, Manoa Falls feels like a world away! Hike along a jungle path that leads to a 150-foot waterfall. Along the way, look out for native plant species, listen to the birds chirp and breath in the fresh mountain air.

Makiki Valley has over 100 different hikes with miles of trails to choose from. We’d love to take you to all of them, but we’ve chosen one of our favorites.

The Tantalus Arboretum Hike is a short, family-friendly hike through dense forest (bug spray is HIGHLY recommended). Once you’re on the trail, you’ll loop around a large fig tree to end up where you started.

Please note: this trail is currently undergoing some maintenance issues. As of right now, a large tree has fallen and you must turn right to access the fig tree. You can no longer loop, so you’ll have to return the way you came.

This city park is located on North Kuakini Street in Honolulu built in honor of Queen Liliʻuokalani who gave the garden’s site to the city and county of Honolulu. It is a completely beautiful and peaceful place noteworthy of stopping by. Visit the garden and see the relaxing waterfall. If you love a good stroll, fresh air, greenery and flowing waterfalls, this is a good place to add to your to-do list. 

Liliuokalani Botanical Garden

123 N Kuakini St, 

Honolulu, HI 96817

(808) 522-7066

http://www.honolulu.gov/parks/hbg.html

Just a short drive from Manoa Falls and Lyon Arboretum is a Chinese cemetery with a unique history. We don’t want to spoil the story, but the site of this cemetery is of particular importance in the practice of feng shui. No need to get out of the car, just pull over on the side of the road as we tell you a bit more about this spot.

The “Punchbowl” was formed about or less than 100,000 years ago during the secondary volcanic activity in Honolulu. It is given it’s Hawaiian name “Puowaina”, which translates to “Hill of Sacrifice”. Hawaiians used the Punchbowl as an altar, offering human sacrifices to pagan gods. Congress approved the funding and construction began in February 1948 and opened to the public on July 1949. Around five million visitors march to the cemetery each year to pay their respects and to enjoy the scenic view from the Punchbowl.

Punchbowl Memorial

Open Daily 8am-6pm

2177 Puowaina Dr, 

Honolulu, HI 96813

(808) 532-3720

Whether this is the first or fifth shave ice of your vacation, Shimazu Shave Ice will not disappoint. With over 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google and Facebook this is one of our favorite spots for this refreshing treat.

After lunch, make your way up Mount Tantalus - a cinder cone crater in the middle of the city - to visit Tantalus Lookout. This scenic spot offers panoramic views of the entire city skyline.

Tantalus Lookout is open daily from 7am – 7:45pm.

Note: Online reservations are strongly recommended. Book here.

This 200-acre botanical garden is part of the University of Hawaii. This public garden houses over 19,000 individual plants. Take a peaceful stroll through the gardens -- you’ll forget you’re a short drive from the city. 

Lyon Arboretum is open from 9 am - 3 pm on weekdays and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Here, you’ll find a natural oasis within the city limits. This garden is the oldest of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens and has trees that date back to the mid 1800’s. Look out for the garden’s collection of tropical plants, conservatory and butterfly garden. Note: there is a nominal entrance fee to enter the garden.

An official National Historic District, Honolulu’s Chinatown was established in the mid 1800’s. As sugarcane production began to grow in the islands, Chinese laborers were hired to work at the plantations. Typically, they’d sign on for 5-year contracts and when these were up many moved to the neighborhood to work or start their own businesses. Today, you’ll find great restaurants, markets and art galleries.