Among the high rises in the famous Waikīkī tourist mecca, there is much fascinating Hawaiian history to uncover about the once royal and rural area. Use the following list of tour stops, all located on Kalākaua Avenue for a self-guided tour.
At each tour stop, you will be directed to statues, historic sites, and other points of interest that can enhance your knowledge of Hawai’i and the history of the area. The list is followed by a Google map of the tour stops on this walking tour through the bustling neighborhood.
Begin your tour at the intersection of Kalākaua and Kapahulu Avenues, at the edge of Kapi’olani Park.
Begin your walking tour across from the beach at the intersection of Kalākaua and Kapahulu Avenues – 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Tour stop: Kahi Hali’a Aloha Memorial
- Native Hawaiians have lived in Waikīkī for around 2,000 years. During various modern construction projects, around 200 skeletal remains were unearthed at various places in the area. To dignify and honor those who once lived and died on this land, their remains are laid to rest in the 2001 memorial Kahi Hali’a Aloha (“Place of Loving Remembrance”). You can read a bit more information on the plaque. Like the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater, it is a moment for solemn reflection.
- Nearby Kapiolanʻi Park was dedicated by King Kalākaua to his Queen in 1877 and donated to the people of Hawaiii in 1887. The verdant expanse is a stark contast to the adjacent beach neighborhood and a popular recreational area for residents and visitors.
- Prior to 1920 (when the Ala Wai Canal was built), the Kuekaunahi stream flowed where Kapahulu Avenue is today. Look across Kapahulu Ave to the location that was once the site of Princess (and later Queen) Lili’uokalaniʻs seaside cottage “Ke‘alohilani”, located across from today’s Kūhiō Beach. Later replaced by a modest home for Queen Kapiʻolani, which she named “Pualeilani” and where she lived until her death in 1899.
Kahi Hali’a Aloha (Place of Loving Remembrance) 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Cross Kalākaua Avenue to Waikīkī (actually Queens) Beach and turn right to walk north along Kūhiō Beach.
Tour stop: Statue “Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana’ole”
- Before the Ala Wai Canal was constructed in 1928, several streams flowed through Waikīkī, including the Kuekaunahi, near todayʻs ‘Ōhua Avenue (located to your right across Kalākaua before you come to Prince Kūhiōʻs statue).
- Stop at the statue of revolutionary and statesman Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana’ole (1871-1922). A descendant of Kauaiʻs last king, Prince Kūhiō joined revolutionaries to restore the monarchy after the 1893 overthrow. Kūhiō was arrested, charged with treason, and imprisoned for a year. After self-imposed exile, he returned to his homeland and served as a non-voting delegate from Hawai‘i to the House of Representatives in Congress from 1902 until his death in 1922. A Hawai‘i State holiday is observed every March 26 to honor his many accomplishments in service of his people. Read more about Prince Kūhiō at the base of the statue.
Waikiki Beach statue of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana’ole – 2020 photo by Carole Cancler
Continue walking north on Kalākaua Avenue.
Tour stop: Pā hula (hula mound) at Kūhiō Beach
- As you continue along Kalākaua Avenue, look for the large banyan tree between Lili’uokalani and Uluniu Avenues. This is one of several banyan trees in Waikīkī. There is another in the courtyard of the Moana Surfrider hotel, planted in 1904. Perhaps more famous is the banyan tree in the International Marketplace, planted sometime in the mid-1800s when it was the site of residences of King Lunalilo (1835-1874) and later Queen Emma (1836-1885), who was the wife of King LihoLiho (Kamehameha IV, 1834-1863). Makai (toward the ocean) behind the tree, you’ll find the pā hula (hula mound).
- A pā hula is a space dedicated solely to the presentation of hula (indigenous Hawaiian dance). The outdoor venue is defined by a lava rock wall surrounding a large grass seating area makai of the hula mound. This is the only authentic pā hula in Waikīkī and was blessed in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony. The free Kuhio Beach Hula Show takes place weekly. However, the hula shows have been suspended until it is safe for large crowds to gather again.
Banyan tree in Waikiki in front of pā hula (hula mound) – 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Continue walking north on Kalākaua Avenue.
Tour stop: Statue “Duke Paoa Kahanamoku”
- Stop at the staute of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku (1890-1968). A legend in his own time, Duke was an Olympic champion, winning five medals in swimming at the 1912, 1920, and 1924 Games. “The Duke” is also known around the world as the undisputed “Father of Surfing” and was once appointed the official “Aloha ambassador” for Hawaiʻi. Read more about him at the base of the statue.
Statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku on Waikiki Beach – Depositphotos.com
Continue walking north on Kalākaua Avenue.
Tour stop: Public Art “Healing Stones of Kapaemahu”
- The unimposing Healing Stones of Kapaemahu located near the Waikīkī police station date from the 1500s. The stones honor four healers from Tahiti who visited hundreds of years ago and cured many people of various afflictions. It is believed the large, heavy stones were originally quarried in Kaimuki and moved to the Waikiki area in remembrance of the Tahitians. However, the value and meaning of the stones faded over time. They were subsequently moved and misused several times over the years (for example, as foundation material for a building). Finally in 1997, this wahi pana (sacred place) was established to restore the stones in a fitting place, which are said to bestow mana (miraculous power). Read about the healing stones on the nearby plaque.
Healing Stones of Kapaemahu in Waikiki – 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Continue walking north on Kalākaua Avenue.
Tour stop: Moana Surfrider
- The stately Moana Surfrider opened in 1901 as the Moana Hotel. Additional towers were added in 1952 and 1969. It is Waikīkī’s oldest hotel and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel has been renovated several times, lastly in 2007.
The Moana Surfrider (pictured in 2019) opened as the Moana Hotel in 1901 and is Waikīkī’s oldest hotel – DepsoitPhotos.com
Continue walking north on Kalākaua Avenue.
Tour stop: Beach Right of Way west of Outrigger
- All beaches in Hawai’i are publicly owned or controlled. Therefore, access to the shoreline is provided by Beach Right of Way (BROW) laws, which specify rules for beach transit corridors or BROW pathways. Note that the BROW does not include the right to cross private property, including hotels where you are not a guest, as well as in residential neighborhoods. If you want to get to a beach, you must find the nearest public beach access, which are typically not far apart and clearly marked. You can also use this Map of Public Shoreline and Beach Access Locations
Beach Right of Way (BROW) between the Outrigger Hotel and Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki – 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Continue walking north on Kalākaua Avenue.
Tour stop: Kalakaua Avenue & Seaside Avenue
- Walk into the Royal Hawaiian Center across from Seaside Avenue to the historic coconut grove (PDF map). This is the former site of a grove at the home of Kamehameha the Great and some of his successors. The area historically known as Helumoa (which you can find on old maps) included a grove of 10,000 coconut trees.
- Before the construction of the Ala Wai Canal in 1928, the ‘Āpuakēhau stream passed through Helumoa on it’s way to the sea. From the 1400s-1800s, Hawaiians took advantage of the fresh water flowing abundantly through Waikīkī—which by-the-way, means “spouting water” in Hawaiian and now you know why!—to build loko i‘a (fishponds) and lo‘i kalo (taro fields). Over time, the loko i‘a and lo‘i were transformed into rice paddies. In 1928, the wetlands were drained and streams re-routed into the Ala Wai Canal.
- The “pink hotel” beyond the grove is the historic Royal Hawaiian Hotel, built in 1927. The tower was added in 1969. The hotel was last renovated in 2008.
A few steps from Seaside Avenue, youʻll find a grove in the middle of the bustling Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. Looking at this, you’d never guess you are just steps from Kalākaua Avenue, the main thoroughfare through Waikīkī – 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
That completes your walking tour of Waikīkī and several hundred years of Hawaiian history. Hopefully, your visit to this island paradise by knowing a little bit about those who came before and what they did here.
The following Google map lists each tour stop along Kalākaua Avenue and can be used to enhance your self-guided walking tour of the Waikīkī.
Self-guided tour map of Waikīkī
