Family Guide to Honolulu

When my dad told me he wanted to have a retirement party in Hawaii, I knew I hit the jackpot. Of course we’d love to celebrate your life long career serving the military and the government in paradise, Dad!

After narrowing down which island made the most sense for children in our family, ages 1-9, we settled on the island of Oahu. Yes, it’s the tourist destination of a wild and tropical state.

But it has all the means to support buying diapers for my toddler and pizza for my picker eaters, all while having access to crystal clear water, hiking hotspots, and cultural experiences.

Check out our family’s 5 Wonders of Honolulu!

1. Waikiki Beach

Talk about having it all at your finger tips! Waikiki Beach is a hustling and bustling coastal downtown with views of Diamond Head Crater and the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Grand resorts line the beach, along with recreation huts selling beach chairs, umbrellas, and water adventures.

Though people flock to the sands, the beach is wide enough to fit everyone sunbathing, splashing around, and tossing the volleyball back and forth.

Away from the water, Waikiki has a perfect mixture of name brand, high end shopping and kitschy souvenir shops. Restaurants offer everything from familiar chains to acai bowl huts and pineapple dole stands.

My favorite eating spot was Stix, an underground Asian street food market. I was able to order one of my favorite meals: ramen!

2. Diamond Head

Yes, some people go on vacation to relax by the beach. We go on vacation to put our bodies to work! As a hiking family, we knew that we wanted to fit in at least one hike and Diamond Head State Monument fit the bill. Diamond Head is a crater of the Ko’olau Volcano which scientists believe erupted well over 100,000 years ago.

Though the hike from the trailhead is less than 2 miles round trip, there is a challenging 560 ft. elevation gain ending with 175 stairsteps.

I had to slow down to catch my breath at the top, which was perfect because the views of the island and ocean were breathtaking.

To hike the crater, out-of-state visitors will have an entry fee of $10 per vehicle and a 2-hr reservation needs to be made here.

3. Kualoa Ranch

A surprising favorite for our family was the Kualoa Ranch, located on the Windward side of Oahu.

This privately owned working cattle ranch preserve is nestled in the Ko’olau Mountain Range and has some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen.

Because of the luscious greenery and towering mountains, the Kualoa Ranch is frequently used by Hollywood for movie and tv sets.

This is the iconic filming location of the movies Jurassic Park, King Kong Skull Island, 50 First Dates, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. It’s also the filming location of one of our favorite tv shows, Lost.

The Kualoa Ranch offers many types of tours, from horseback riding, ziplining, and UTV Tours. You can reserve your tour here.

4. Pearl Harbor

As a military child, I felt that we couldn’t go to Honolulu and not pay our respects at the Pearl Harbor Memorial. My husband’s family fought in WWII and my own dad was retiring from a life of military service. We always teach our children to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms in this country.

Pearl Harbor offers many tour options but with our not-yet-2-year-old toddler, we decided to forego the paid admission into the Arizona or longer tours that required solemnity and quiet. As a parent, we knew we would get flustered if our children acted, well, like children, while other paid tourists were grieving in remembrance.

Luckily, we found that the free entry allowed us to walk around the memorial, see the military naval crafts and enter the walk-through museums.

We were able to watch an excellent short documentary on the bombing of Pearl Harbor in the museum which brought a lot of the artifacts to life.

5. Luau Dinner

Lastly, I’d be remiss to not mention that when going to Hawaii, attending a Luau Dinner will be the highlight of your vacation!

The atmosphere is a tropical, floral party and the food is a traditional luau feast, complete with a buried roasted pig.

This was the event that shared the most cultural education throughout our stay. We learned how to weave crowns from palm fronds, how to do a few hula dances, and learned the cultural significance of the coconut.

The luau show shares many insights into the different Polynesian traditions and Pacific Islander way of life.

There are a few luau show options available on Oahu, but all of them can be costly, at over $100 a meal ticket per adult. Though this was an investment, it does include a full course dinner with a performative show. We decided to splurge on a Luau for my son’s birthday which we celebrated while on vacation.

Honolulu is Wonderful for Families

Overall, this trip was one for the books. Some other Oahu attractions that we didn’t get to explore are the Pineapple Dole Plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Both are amazing destinations that we hope to see if we ever return to this beautiful island.

I know our family will always remember the crystal clear waters, the epic sunrises and sunsets, and the unique Polynesian culture. As the locals say, “Mahalo and Aloha!”