Planning the day in Honululu

Tickets for Pearl Harbor will be opening up for our September cruise date. We plan to rent a car while in port and need help planning our day. We are in port 8 am to 11pm. Will want to do as much as we can, along with going to Waikiki. Any suggestions or help planning our day would be so much appreciated. Thanks!

Personally renting a car for 3 hours is not worth it and if you have to pay for parking it will be expensive. You'll probably spend at least an hour at PH plus time there and back and traffic, then taking the car back just doesn't make sense. JMO

I would look for a tour that combines PH plus something else, but I think your chances are slim to none unless your ship is offering something.

Even if you do PH and come back to pier area there are lots of attractions to see near the pier. The pier is located in the financial district, not far from china town and there is also theAloha Market Place Tower, Iolani Palace a stones through from the pier. Here is a link to some reviews its' ranked #17 out of 152 attractions and the King Kamehameha I Statue is located at front of Palace.

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g60982-d131980-Reviews-Iolani_Palace-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html

Personally renting a car for 3 hours is not worth it and if you have to pay for parking it will be expensive. You'll probably spend at least an hour at PH plus time there and back and traffic, then taking the car back just doesn't make sense. JMO

 

I would look for a tour that combines PH plus something else, but I think your chances are slim to none unless your ship is offering something.

 

Even if you do PH and come back to pier area there are lots of attractions to see near the pier. The pier is located in the financial district, not far from china town and there is also theAloha Market Place Tower, Iolani Palace a stones through from the pier. Here is a link to some reviews its' ranked #17 out of 152 attractions and the King Kamehameha I Statue is located at front of Palace.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g60982-d131980-Reviews-Iolani_Palace-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html

Not sure where you got 3 hrs for the rental car. They arrive at 8 am (that's morning) and leave at 11 pm (that's night), that's like 10 hours in my calculations.

Driving in Honolulu and Waikiki can be quite a challenge though, it is doable.

I can't really advise OP, as everyone's ideas of what they want to see and do are different. go to visit Hawaii and see what is available and do your research.

Renting a car would be a great idea. Parking is free at PH.

What day of the week will you be here? The swap meet at Aloha Stadium is really close to PH and is open Wednesday, Sat, and Sun. You could easily spend an entire day at PH with the Arizona, Missouri, Bowfin, and aviation museum.

The North Shore is a great place to visit. You could also go to Ko'Olina for the sunset and dinner at one of the resorts.

OOPS read it wrong though it was am.

It would be helpful to read a guide book and then create a list of must-sees and nice-to-sees. My best memories of Honolulu are the USS Arizona/Pearl Harbor, the Bishop Museum, and an anniversary dinner at Alan Wong's restaurant. The best beaches are on other parts of the island--Hanauma Bay is amazing.

Search for, or Google---Circle Tour Hawaii, Oahu

Renting a car would be a great idea. Parking is free at PH.

 

What day of the week will you be here? The swap meet at Aloha Stadium is really close to PH and is open Wednesday, Sat, and Sun. You could easily spend an entire day at PH with the Arizona, Missouri, Bowfin, and aviation museum.

 

The North Shore is a great place to visit. You could also go to Ko'Olina for the sunset and dinner at one of the resorts.

I love the idea of seeing the sunset. I have read there are fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian village beach and Resort at 7:45 on Fridays, the day of the week that we will be there. If we stayed for sunset and fireworks would we have time to drive back and return rental car and be on cruise ship around 10 pm or is that cutting it too close. Thanks!

I love the idea of seeing the sunset. I have read there are fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian village beach and Resort at 7:45 on Fridays, the day of the week that we will be there. If we stayed for sunset and fireworks would we have time to drive back and return rental car and be on cruise ship around 10 pm or is that cutting it too close. Thanks!

We will be on a Princess cruise in April. We will be docked on a Friday until 11:00 PM @ Aloha Tower, I think. Any chance we will be able to see the fireworks from the cruise ship????? I know we are not too far from Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Thanks,

Grace

I love the idea of seeing the sunset. I have read there are fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian village beach and Resort at 7:45 on Fridays, the day of the week that we will be there. If we stayed for sunset and fireworks would we have time to drive back and return rental car and be on cruise ship around 10 pm or is that cutting it too close. Thanks!

That's a bit close for comfort. It depends on how far away the renal car place is, too, and how slow their shuttle would be back to the pier. Lots of variables.

We will be on a Princess cruise in April. We will be docked on a Friday until 11:00 PM @ Aloha Tower, I think. Any chance we will be able to see the fireworks from the cruise ship????? I know we are not too far from Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Thanks,

Grace

Hmm. Maybe? It is pretty far away, though. It's on the other side of Ala Moana Beach Park. There are also a lot of buildings in the way.

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You could rent a car from the airport and continue on to Pearl Harbor. I have my own transportation on Oahu so have never gone through this process. I am sure others will chime in on that.

Pearl Harbor: be sure to purchase a "free" ticket for after 10:30 since you will need to pick it up an hour before (or they give it away).

Fireworks: You may not be able to see them from the ship (although they shoot pretty high). They only last for about 15 minutes. You will then have an hour to get back to the ship (boarding time is around 10). A little tight. You could head up to one of the mountains to watch the fireworks instead of trying to fight the Waikiki traffic. Ala Moana Center or Beach Park, Pacific Heights, Alewa Heights, Tantalus but be sure to be in a very public place. Do not try to go to the pull outs by Punchbowl Cemetery. I think the Star has a dinner cruise from Aloha Towers that you will see the fireworks from the ocean.

You can make the day as simple and stressless or as run, run, run as you would like. You will not see everything in a one day visit. I made a travel brochure for my friends when I take them around the island. It is a full day.

Enjoy your time on each island.

Displaced local girl

You could rent a car from the airport and continue on to Pearl Harbor. I have my own transportation on Oahu so have never gone through this process. I am sure others will chime in on that.

 

Pearl Harbor: be sure to purchase a "free" ticket for after 10:30 since you will need to pick it up an hour before (or they give it away).

 

Fireworks: You may not be able to see them from the ship (although they shoot pretty high). They only last for about 15 minutes. You will then have an hour to get back to the ship (boarding time is around 10). A little tight. You could head up to one of the mountains to watch the fireworks instead of trying to fight the Waikiki traffic. Ala Moana Center or Beach Park, Pacific Heights, Alewa Heights, Tantalus but be sure to be in a very public place. Do not try to go to the pull outs by Punchbowl Cemetery. I think the Star has a dinner cruise from Aloha Towers that you will see the fireworks from the ocean.

 

You can make the day as simple and stressless or as run, run, run as you would like. You will not see everything in a one day visit. I made a travel brochure for my friends when I take them around the island. It is a full day.

 

Enjoy your time on each island.

 

Displaced local girl

Your ideas are great....would you be willing to share your travel brochure? Is the Star a tour company? We will be on the Carnival Miracle. Thanks so much!

Lovebears....aloha

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I was referring to the Star of Honolulu. It is docked right at Aloha Towers. I have never been on this cruise, but many have had favorable reviews. You needn't book it through Carnival.

Star of Honolulu is a sun set dinner cruise. It's a lot of fun! There is a dinner show and music. You will for sure see the fireworks on a Friday evening. And it's super close to the pier (either of them).

Not sure where you got 3 hrs for the rental car. They arrive at 8 am (that's morning) and leave at 11 pm (that's night), that's like 10 hours in my calculations.

 

Driving in Honolulu and Waikiki can be quite a challenge though, it is doable.

 

I can't really advise OP, as everyone's ideas of what they want to see and do are different. go to visit Hawaii and see what is available and do your research.

not to be picky, but that's more like 15 hours