The Atlas Obscura Guide To Honolulu

20 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Honolulu, Hawaii

Updated January 10, 2025

Unusual Attractions in Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

Koko Crater Trail

Climbing this abandoned railway leads to breathtaking vistas of O‘ahu.

The Bishop is the Hawaiʻi State Museum of Natural and Cultural History

Honolulu, Hawaii

Bishop Museum

This museum of Hawaiian and Polynesian culture is the legacy of the last descendant of the Kamehameha Dynasty.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Shangri La

Doris Duke's lasting collection of Islamic Art, hidden in a Hawaiian paradise.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Nisshodo Candy Store

This mom-and-pop Japanese sweets shop has been serving cloud-light mochi for almost a century.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Iolani Palace

The only royal palace on U.S. soil has been a territorial capitol, a military headquarters, and a prison for a queen.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Spitting Caves

A unique set of caves that spits waves back out into the ocean.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Corsair Plane Wreck Dive Site

This WWII plane died a quiet death, and is now a garden eel playground.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Ali’iolani Hale

Once the site of the Hawaiian monarchy, this building was originally designed as a palace.

See All 20 Things To Do in Honolulu

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

Nisshodo Candy Store

This mom-and-pop Japanese sweets shop has been serving cloud-light mochi for almost a century.

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

8 Watery Wonders in Hawaiʻi, Without Setting Foot in the Ocean

Yes, we know, Hawaiʻi is surrounded by water—the state is a watery wonder in and of itself. But the ocean is only the beginning. The volcanic islands' dramatic topography, unpredictable coastlines, and high rainfall mean that water in and around the Paradise of the Pacific cavorts in all sorts of stunning ways: waterfalls, blowholes, pools, and more. (Plus rainbows. Lots and lots of rainbows.) And you can enjoy all of these natural showstoppers without having to get your feet wet.

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