Sustainable Travel Tips
Scroll to Continue
Sustainable Travel Tips
Take Advantage of Public Transportation Options
TheBus, O‘ahu’s public bus, is an easy and affordable way to travel around Honolulu, Waikīkī, and the whole island. Visit the website or download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. To navigate O‘ahu using TheBus, go to the website home page or the app where you’ll find Google Maps. Simply type in your starting point and destination and your route and fare will appear. You can also call TheBus at 808-848-5555 between 5:30 am and 10 pm HST and they will help you with directions.
Please be sure to purchase the HOLO Card which makes the TheBus affordable and convenient for visitors. Adult HOLO Cards are available at 200+ stores across O‘ahu. In order to qualify for the youth or senior discount, youth under 17 years of age and adults 65+ years old must purchase HOLO Cards at The Kalihi Transit Center or a Satellite City Hall location because they need to verify your age. The youth discount HOLO Card may also be purchased online and the verification uploaded. If you skip the use of a HOLO Card, please make sure to bring cash as TheBus does not accept credit or debit cards.
Simply tap your HOLO Card to pay your fare and holoholo (go for a ride). With fare capping, every time you pay your fare, it goes toward a Day Pass or a Month Pass. Once you spend the amount of a pass, you ride the rest of the day or month for free. The HOLO Card fee is $2. Single adult fares are $3, but with fare capping you can travel all over Honolulu or the island via TheBus for just $7.50 per day or $80 per month. Click here for more fare information.
Accessibility
All public transportation on O‘ahu is ADA compliant and accessible to individuals with disabilities. TheBus drivers are friendly, helpful, and well trained. Simply ask TheBus drivers to lower the ramp or kneel the bus for easier access. If necessary, the bus driver will help you access the bus and secure your wheelchair and any other mobility aid. If you need accommodations beyond riding TheBus, contact TheHandi-Van, O‘ahu’s public transit service for persons with disabilities who are unable to use Honolulu’s bus service. TheHandi-Van provides shared ride, origin-to-destination (curb-to-curb) service, operates during the same days and hours as TheBus, and is located within three-quarters of a mile of TheBus routes.TheHandi-Van for Visitors
Visitors to O‘ahu who cannot ride TheBus are eligible for TheHandi-Van paratransit service for a period up to 21 days per 365-day period according to federal law. To register for visitor eligibility during your stay or further information, please call TheHandi-Van Eligibility Center at 808-538-0033 Monday-Friday 8 am – 4 pm HST prior to your trip and they will help you access the service during your time on O‘ahu. If you plan to be on O‘ahu for longer than 21 days, you must go through the eligibility process which has been established for residents. Click here for TheHandi-Van Riders’ Guide. If you already have access to a similar system in your home town, you should have no problem gaining access to TheHandi-Van.Biki Bikeshare
Biki, Honolulu’s bikeshare program, uses a network of 1,300 bikes that enable you to travel around town. It’s easy and convenient to check out a Biki at any of the 130 solar-powered Biki Stops, ride to your destination, and dock your bike at another Biki Stop. In fact, the website and app will advise you of the nearest Biki stop, the number of available bikes, and available docks for when you want to return a bike. Simply purchase a subscription online through the Biki app (on the Apple App Store or Google Play) or get a pass at one of the 130 stations. After your purchase, you’ll receive a temporary release code to check out a bike. Enter the code on the three-digit keypad found on the dock to the left of the bike you want. Wait for the green light and pull your bike from the dock. Start rolling and exploring Honolulu. Check out special pricing plans for visitors on the website.Explore Honolulu and Waikīkī by Waikīkī Trolley, Segway, and Walking Tours
Waikīkī Trolley
Waikīkī Trolley provides four different hop-on and hop-off bus lines with narrated tours that enable you to experience Honolulu, Waikīkī, and the southeastern O‘ahu shore at your own pace. You can even buy multi-day passes for use on the different lines. The Pink Line is the company’s iconic double decker orange trolley that provides transportation between many of Waikīkī’s leading hotels and Ala Moana’s great shops and dining. The Red, Blue, and Green Lines’ double decker buses provide multiple stops that enable you to visit popular sites on your own. The Blue Line (Coastline/Diamond Head) travels along the dramatically beautiful East Coast known for its rugged cliffs and ocean vistas. The Red Line (Heroes and Legends) is dedicated to Hawai‘i’s culture and history, from the time of Hawai‘i’s royal past through World War II and the cultures that influence it today. The Green Line showcases some of O‘ahu’s best local dining in the Kapahulu Avenue area after taking you to Lē‘ahi (Diamond Head) and nearby sites. All tours are ADA compliant with wheelchair lifts. For the best service, Waikīkī Trolley suggests that guests start tours at stop #1 so that the staff can assist you.Segway
Segways — the two-wheeled, self balanced personal transporters — provide another fun way to explore Honolulu and Waikīkī. Segway of Hawai‘i has two Honolulu locations: one in Waikīkī and the other in Kaka‘ako. The company offers an introductory learn-to-Segway tour as well as three guided Waikīkī tours. From Kaka‘ako, choose from five guided Segway tours as well as three e-bike adventures.Walking Tours
Walking tours provide unique ways to learn about O‘ahu’s history and culture.
Architectural Walking Tour with AIA Honolulu explores the city through the eyes of an architect or architectural historian. You’ll learn that downtown Honolulu is not just Hawai‘i’s business and financial center, but home to some of the state’s most significant treasures featuring architectural styles spanning 150 years beginning in the early 19th century. Highlights: Hawai‘i Theater, Washington Place, State Capitol, ‘Iolani Palace, Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site, King Kamehameha I Statue, Honolulu Hale, Kawaiaha‘o Church, and more.
Chinatown Food, History, and Culture Walking Tours with Hawai‘i Heritage Center (HHC) provide a look at Hawai‘i’s immigrant history. O‘ahu’s historic Chinatown has long been the gateway to the many people who flocked to Hawai‘i to work on the sugar and pineapple plantation beginning in the 19th century. The guided tour includes a visit to HHC’s multicultural gallery, an introduction orientation, five delicious food tastings, and stops at historic sites.
Historic Homes/Waikīkī Walking Map from the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation (HHF) is a self-guided walking tour of homes and residences of historic or cultural significance either open to the public or visible from the public routes. The approximately 45-minute tour begins at the War Memorial Natatorium, then heads toward Lē‘ahi (Diamond Head) through Kapi‘olani Park. HHF also offers other downloadable O‘ahu walking tour maps.
Waikīkī Historic Trail. The self-guided Waikīkī Historic Trail featuring surfboard markers was developed by Dr George Kanahele of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) to promote the resort area’s rich history and culture. The NaHHA is working to restore and improve the surfboard markers, but you can still enjoy an immersive and enriching walking tour experience.
Enjoy Waikīkī and everything it has to offer... all within walking distance
Enjoy Waikīkī
Enjoy yourself and minimize your carbon footprint by spending a few days experiencing Waikīkī, so easy to navigate on foot or by Biki. Start your mornings with a run or walk on the beach or in Kapi‘olani Park and watch the surfers hitting the waves before the sun comes up. Take a surf or stand up paddle lesson from any of the wonderful outfitters up and down the beach. Did you know that surfing originated in Hawai‘i and that the ali‘i (Hawaiian royals) once surfed right here on Waikīkī Beach? Book an outrigger canoe ride and learn about the historic legacy of Hawaiian ocean voyaging. Take a sunset cruise aboard a catamaran that leaves right from the beach. Nothing beats the views of Waikīkī and the mountains from the water.
Waikīkī is filled with free cultural entertainment. Enjoy authentic Hawaiian music and hula performed by Hawai‘i’s finest hālau hula (hula troupes) weekly at the Kūhiō Beach Hula Show. Listen to the historic Royal Hawaiian Band in Kapi‘olani Park every Sunday. Royal Hawaiian Center has free cultural activities and experiences including lessons in hula, keiki (children’s) hula, lauhala weaving, ‘ukulele, and lei making. Take in musical and hula performances at the Royal Hawaiian Center’s Royal Grove, an enchanting outdoor venue. Waikīkī Beach Walk offers free cultural activities including a weekly Hawaiian music concert, feather flower classes, and hula class, plus a monthly showcase of Hawaiian musical performances. Waikīkī’s many exceptional resort hotels offer live entertainment and lū‘au shows.
Waikīkī’s offers a wide variety of exciting dining and shopping. Discover everything from local fashion names to national and international designers along Kalākaua Avenue at independent stores and at Royal Hawaiian Center, International Marketplace, and Waikīkī Beach Walk. These retail centers are also home to outstanding dining options. Waikīkī hotel and resort kitchens along with independent eateries are helmed by local chefs who continue to make O‘ahu one of the world’s foremost culinary destinations.
Book O‘ahu Activities that Provide Transportation
The following attractions offer paid round trip transportation above and beyond their admission packages, mostly to/from Waikīkī.
Coral Crater Adventure Park has three packages that include round trip transportation from Waikīkī.
Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve has select tours that provide roundtrip transportation from Waikīkī for an additional $30 per person + tax. Once you click “Book Now,” and select your time and date, the following page will ask if you would like to add on transportation.
Paradise Cove Lū‘au offers round trip transportation from select Waikīkī locations for $35 per person. ADA transportation assistance requires 72 hours advance notice.
Pearl Harbor Historic Sites: To book tours with round trip transportation, consult the following companies: E Noa Tours, Pearl Harbor Tours, or Roberts Hawaii.
Polynesian Cultural Center offers a number of packages that provide round trip transportation from Waikīkī for an additional $25 fee per person + tax. You can also opt for an additional narrated sightseeing tour enroute to the North Shore attraction.
Sea Life Park Hawai‘i offers round trip shuttle transportation from Waikīkī for $26.18.
Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawai‘i provides round trip transportation from Waikīkī for $30 per person.
