Things to Do in Waikiki: What You Can Walk To, and What Is Worth Leaving For

Hawaiian Activities — island tours, luaus, and adventures across Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.

Waikiki is two miles of hotels in front of one of the gentlest surf breaks in Hawaii. That combination decides what is worth booking here: anything that starts on the sand in front of you, and anything that leaves from the same few blocks. Everything else on Oahu is a drive, and worth planning separately.

Everything bookable in Waikiki, by price

That is fourteen things without getting into a car. Add the tours that collect you from Waikiki hotels and the list roughly doubles.

The water in front of your hotel

Waikiki’s break is slow, sandy-bottomed and forgiving, which is why the surf schools here teach more first-timers than anywhere else in Hawaii. A two-hour group lesson is $100, a one-to-one lesson $150, and guests aged 12 and under must take the private format. Our guide to Waikiki or the North Shore explains why beginners should start here rather than up the coast.

If standing on a board does not appeal, two alternatives do the same job. Outrigger canoe surfing at $48 puts six of you in a canoe with two steersmen and rides waves back to the beach with no skill required. A bodyboarding lesson at $145 keeps you lying down. Both are covered in riding a wave on Oahu without a surf lesson.

For flat water, stand-up paddleboarding starts at $100 for two hours, and turtles are a regular sight over the reef.

The boats: two hours or half a day

The sunset cruise with tasting menu at $105 is the easiest evening in Waikiki: two hours, no walking, and turtles, dolphins or winter whales if the day cooperates. We compare it with the alternatives in sunset cruises on Oahu.

By day, the Turtle Canyon snorkel at $131 runs to a reef a short way off Waikiki with a 95% sighting record. Groups of up to six who want the boat to themselves can book the private snorkel and lunch charter at $270 per person. More detail in snorkeling on Oahu and shared ticket or whole boat.

Parasailing leaves from Kewalo Harbor, 10 to 15 minutes from most Waikiki hotels. Waikiki parasailing from Kewalo Harbor starts at $80 per person for 600 ft of line and flies up to three people together; the tandem parasail with Diamond Head views is $89 per person, with a two-person minimum. Both take flyers from age 5, and anyone who would rather watch can ride along as an observer. Compare them on our Oahu parasailing page.

What leaves from Waikiki but is not in Waikiki

Three of Oahu’s biggest days out collect you from Waikiki hotels and take you elsewhere entirely.

Pearl Harbor. The battleships tour is $116.99 and runs eight to nine hours with a 6–7am pickup. Shorter half-day options exist; see our Pearl Harbor guide and, if children are coming, visiting with kids.

The full island loop. The AllStar circle island tour is $79 for nine hours, the Ultimate tour from Waikiki $137, and the Grand Circle Island and Dole Plantation $179 for ten to eleven hours. Whether that is a good use of a day is the subject of our circle island review.

A private driver. The Private Best of Oahu tour is $525 for one or two people and goes at your pace — see when paying more costs less.

Evenings in Waikiki

The Queen’s Waikiki Luau front section runs 5pm to 7:30pm at the International Market Place, in Waikiki itself, from $139. Compare every Oahu show in the Oahu luau guide, and read what actually happens at a luau if it is your first.

For food on foot, the Honolulu Sites and Bites tour is $144.52 and walks Chinatown, ten minutes from Waikiki by car. See Oahu food tours.

When to leave Waikiki

Two things are worth the drive. The North Shore is an hour away and has the cheap board rentals, the big winter surf and the turtle beaches. Kailua is 30 minutes away and has the flat water and the offshore islands.

If you are building a full week rather than a day, a first-timer’s week on Oahu sequences all of this, and seeing Oahu without a car covers doing it on coach tours.

For a first look at Waikiki from the air, our Waikiki parasailing guide compares line lengths, prices and age limits on the two Kewalo Harbor boats. Not sure you need a guide at all? Pearl Harbor self-guided vs guided compares the official $14 audio tour with guided tours from $59.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to do in Waikiki without a car?

Surf lessons from $90, stand-up paddle lessons at $100, outrigger canoe surfing at $48, bodyboarding at $145, a Turtle Canyon snorkel at $131 and a two-hour sunset cruise at $105 all start in or just off Waikiki. Pearl Harbor and circle island tours collect you from Waikiki hotels.

How much is a surf lesson in Waikiki?

$100 for a two-hour group lesson with Hans Hedemann, $90 for a private group lesson, $120 for an advanced lesson, and $150 for one-to-one coaching. Children aged 12 and under must take the one-to-one format with Waikiki Beach Services.

What is the cheapest activity in Waikiki?

A surfboard rental at $10. The cheapest guided experience is outrigger canoe surfing at $48, which needs no surfing ability and takes 20 to 40 minutes.

Is there a luau in Waikiki itself?

Yes. The Queen’s Waikiki Luau is held at the International Market Place in Waikiki, from 5pm to 7:30pm, with front section seating from $139.

Can you snorkel directly from Waikiki Beach?

The better snorkeling is a short boat ride offshore at Turtle Canyon, which costs $131 and reports turtle sightings on about 95% of trips.

Is Waikiki worth staying in?

For a first trip, yes: more activities start within walking distance than anywhere else in Hawaii, and the main day trips collect you from Waikiki hotels. For surf and quiet, the North Shore is the alternative.

Prices checked against operator listings, September 2026. Availability and rates are set by the operator and can change.