Active travellers can walk across pastureland and see ancient religious shrines, swim with sea turtles off Waikiki Beach and surf past Diamond Head.

Some say that, because it’s Hawaii’s largest city, it is less “Hawaiian” than the rest of the state. The high-rise office buildings and traffic of Honolulu don’t match people’s romantic ideal of what Hawaii should be—remote, palm-fringed beaches and lavish resorts.

In truth, Honolulu is probably the most Hawaiian part of the state, because it best reflects the different aspects of Hawaii. Attractions include a multicultural mix of people, a landscape of tropical greenery and ocean, and a place where amazing events have unfolded—many of them recounted in Honolulu’s historic museums. All that’s exciting about city life is set against Honolulu’s backdrop of dramatic mountains, lush forests and sweeping vistas.

Waikiki remains Hawaii’s busiest tourist spot with its popular beach and busy shopping centres. Active travellers can walk across pastureland and see ancient religious shrines, swim with sea turtles off Waikiki Beach and surf past Diamond Head.

When to travel to Honolulu

Because Hawaii lies at the edge of the tropical zone, it technically has only two seasons, both of them warm. The dry season is in summer and the rainy season is in winter from November to March. The year-round temperature range is usually 21°-29°C, but this does depend on where you are.

The best months to visit Hawaii are April, May, September, and October, when the nearly perfect weather is even better — and this is the off season: the kids are in school, and the tourists have thinned out. Hotels, restaurants, and attractions aren’t as crowded, and everyone is more relaxed.