Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach
4
About
This iconic landmark in Waikiki is one of Hawaii’s most famous beaches, located on the south shore of Oahu. Waikiki Beach is the birthplace of modern surfing culture—look out for the statue of renowned waterman Duke Kahanamoku, who popularized the sport internationally. Once the playground of Hawaiian royals, today the beachfront is lined with resorts and some of Hawaii’s most historic hotels. Surfers, swimmers, and sunbathers flock to this beach all day long. Boat tours in Waikiki are a great way for admiring the coast away from the crowds. Neighboring Kalākaua Avenue has plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. – Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Waikiki Beach
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.0
18,712 reviews
Excellent
9,213
Very good
5,695
Average
2,904
Poor
673
Terrible
226

7Serendipity7
Fort Collins, CO182 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
It’s been over 20 years since I was last in Waikiki beach and it’s definitely a lot more built up and busy. The beach is beautiful and there are lots of restaurants in the area and no shortage of people watching. Waikiki is a little too busy for my liking at this point in time so I’d highly recommend renting a car and driving to some of the quieter parts of the island but it’s close to the airport and has a great mall if you’re into shopping.
Written October 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Chocolvr
Townville, PA71 contributions
Mar 2023 • Business
Right on the beach, just outside the Hilton Waikiki Resort, we attended Church on the Beach (Waikiki Chaplaincy) on Sunday morning. Some shade was provided under canopies as the service is literally held on the beach. The leadership was thoughtful and helpful from the moment we arrived, and the message from Corinthians was inspiring. Military support is important to the chaplaincy group and even beach goers not attending the service stood and sang the National Anthem with those attending the service. That was heartwarming to see, a great experience to share. Two hula-style interpretive dances were performed in an elegant, respectful and inspiring manner. The entire service was so beautifully presented, I highly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to attend, go! You will be received with love and appreciation! Worship music was provided by Backstage Revival, a spirit-led couple with beautiful vocals and great acoustic guitars! Big thanks to all who have provided these services for 52 years on the beach!
Written March 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Mr_HappyWiltshire
Royal Wootton Bassett, UK204 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Recommend going later in the day unless you are a sun worshiper. Spending the last few hours of sun at the beach watching the surfers and then the sun go down was fantastic. After a coffee a walk up the main shopping road where the pavements come alive with street entertainers was a great sight.
Written February 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Kim Z
3 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
The beach is small, smells like urine, major homeless issue, covid killed a ton of businesses and it just seems dirty. The most the restaurants we ate at were over priced with bad food, and you have to make a reservation or you're not getting in unless you're willing to wait an hour and a half.
Cheeseburger in Paradise, Hy Steak house and a food truck were the only 3 places I would recommend eating at. Hy steak is a very classy restaurant with a dress code. Truly enjoyed this experience.
If you're staying in Waikiki I recommend planning in advance the different excursions out of the town.
Written April 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

MG444
Bucharest, Romania23 contributions
May 2021 • Family
The beach was just too crowded for me to like. The water was dirtier than I thought as well. Finding restaurants along the Waikiki main road is also very painful, now after COVID, prices have drastically risen! If you want to watch the sunset I do not recommend it as much as I would the other west coast beaches, because on Waikiki the whole sunset is blocked by a small mountain.
Written May 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

StacyInDC2012
Alexandria, VA898 contributions
Sep 2021
We enjoyed Waikiki Beach because we didn't go for a traditional beach day. Our first visit was during our first night in Hawaii, just before sunset. It was still crowded, but not nearly as packed as I imagine it was during the height of the day.

We returned the following morning shortly after sunrise (thanks East Coast jet lag) and enjoyed the beach for about an hour before the crowds showed up.

The proximity to the city is convenient and the view of Diamondhead impressive, but for a "day at the beach" I'd prefer something a little less central & crowded!
Written September 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Inspire26118
286 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
Nice public beach, very crowded. Family friendly with patrons of all ages. There are huts with rentals that extend from surf boards to umbrellas to canoes. Sign up for lessons same day to master the waves when you’re ready! The beach is long and they even break up it up with a barrier in one area to reduce the impact of the waves. The water is aquamarine and clear. The surfers stay out in the deep catching waves and the vibes are chill. Chairs start at $10-15/hr or $40/day. The best deal is a chair & umbrella combo for $50/day. The rental station closes at 4:30 pm. If you get hungry there are plenty of places to grab a bite and/or a drink. Hotels line the opposite side of the street so you can stay where the beach is steps away. The beach and nearby parks are closed from 12 am - 5 am. Otherwise the time you spend there is up to you! Pools only??? Beach please!!!
Written September 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

robin s
Las Vegas, NV122 contributions
Aug 2022
If you are not staying at a Waikiki Beach hotel take a bus or download the Biki app and ride a bike to Waikiki,

Buy a ticket for the 90-minute Mai Tai Catamaran cruise on Groupon, We come here 2 -3 times a year and take it at least 2 times everytime we come. Great fun, $6 Mai Tai's

Eat at the Steak Shack or the Barefoot Bar (google it) and you can't go wrong price wise or quality wise. You don't have to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village to use the lagoon.

There are pleny of vendors that will rent you chair's umbrellas etc along the beachwalk but I would just buy a $12 raft at the ABC store ($1 to blow it up) and float in the ocean or the Lagoon vs renting a chair.

Enjoy!
Written September 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Diane D
Naples, FL160 contributions
Jun 2021
I never got tired of the view from our balcony high above the beach watching the surfers, sunbathers, sailboats, and sunsets. Once down on the street, however, the crowds on the beach, lines at every shop and restaurant, homeless people approaching, and traffic made the street level less appealing. Waikiki, an urban city with a beach running along the edge, is not representative of the relaxed, tropical island paradise atmosphere Hawaii is famous for.
Written July 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

HipHopper
Toronto14 contributions
Nov 2022
Rented umbrella and chairs for reasonable $30-40 depending on whether we stayed 4-6 hours. Lots of room on the beach and waves were gentle for a weak swimmer like me. Sun is very hot so an umbrella is a good idea.
Written January 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Waikiki Beach (Honolulu) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Waikiki Beach

We recommend booking Waikiki Beach tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 116 Waikiki Beach tours on Tripadvisor