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Honolulu Historic District Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

About this experience

Explore the heart of Honolulu on a flexible GPS-guided audio walking tour through the capital's historic district. Stories play automatically as you reach royal landmarks, churches, public art, civic buildings and downtown streets.

Highlights include ʻIOLANI PALACE, KING KAMEHAMEHA STATUE, ALIʻIŌLANI HALE, KAWAIAHAʻO CHURCH, HAWAIʻI STATE CAPITOL, CAPITOL MODERN, WASHINGTON PLACE, HAWAIʻI THEATRE and FORT STREET MALL.

Walk the roughly 2-mile route at your own pace, pause for photos or breaks and use the live map to find each stop. Download before you arrive; no signal or mobile data is needed during the tour. Start anytime and keep the tour for future visits.

At a glance

  • Duration: 1 hr–2 hr
  • Private experience

Choose your tour option

Select a date and travellers to compare current prices and departure times.

Honolulu Historic District

Plan your experience

Time on the tour1 hr–2 hr
Guide languagesEnglish (audio guide), English (written information)
Tour arrangementPrivate experience

Set aside 1 hr–2 hr for the experience itself, with additional time to reach your meeting or pickup point.

Before you go

  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

What is included

  • No time constraints, take as long as you like to complete the tour
  • Download on WIFI before (no signal required or data used during tour)
  • Live GPS map shows route & your location
  • Flexible dates - tour is yours to keep and enjoy anytime on Tripvia Tours
  • Customer Service via Phone & Email
  • Tour guide commentary automatically plays at each point of interest

Not included

  • Attraction tickets not included.
  • Headphones (optional - audio will play from device speaker too)
  • Smartphone or tablet
  • ʻIOLANI PALACE: basement galleries closed; elevator and wheelchair lift temporarily unavailable.
  • Parking fees
  • In-person tour guide

Itinerary and highlights

ALIʻIŌLANI HALE. Pass the historic former royal government building, now home to Hawaiʻi's Supreme Court and judiciary history center.

ʻIOLANI PALACE. Pass King Kalākaua's royal residence, the only official royal palace in the United States; interior admission is separate.

KING KAMEHAMEHA STATUE. See the celebrated landmark honoring the monarch who united the Hawaiian Islands.

KANAʻINA BUILDING. Admire the Old Archives building, a distinctive Victorian landmark on the palace grounds.

PATSY TAKEMOTO MINK STATUE. Honour the trailblazing congresswoman and Title IX champion at this memorial.

HAWAIʻI STATE LIBRARY. Pass the grand public library whose roots trace to a 19th-century sailors' reading room.

KAWAIAHAʻO CHURCH. See Hawaiʻi's historic Protestant mother church, built from coral blocks in the 1840s.

TOMB OF KING LUNALILO. Discover why Hawaiʻi's sixth monarch chose burial beside Kawaiahaʻo Church rather than the Royal Mausoleum.

HONOLULU HALE. Admire Honolulu's Spanish Colonial Revival city hall and its distinctive civic architecture.

HAWAIIAN MISSION HOUSES. Pass the preserved 19th-century mission buildings that illuminate a transformative chapter in Hawaiian history.

SKY GATE. See Isamu Noguchi's monumental sculpture and discover the solar phenomenon revealed by its shadow.

FRANK F. FASI MUNICIPAL BUILDING. Pass Honolulu's distinctive municipal complex and learn what inspired its design.

SEAGULL SCHOOLS STONE FIGURES. Spot the relaxed stone figures on the grounds of this early education centre.

HONOLULU POLICE STATION. Admire the downtown headquarters and discover a feature unique to Honolulu's police department.

NAGASAKI PEACE BELL. Pause at this powerful symbol of peace and friendship between Japan and the United States.

QUEEN'S CONFERENCE CENTER. Pass this cultural gathering place within the historic Queen's Medical Center campus.

THE QUEEN'S MEDICAL CENTER. Discover the enduring healthcare vision of Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV.

HAWAIʻI STATE CAPITOL. See the striking open-air statehouse, designed with architectural symbols of Hawaiʻi.

WASHINGTON PLACE. View the 1847 governor's residence and former home of Queen Liliʻuokalani from the street.

CAPITOL MODERN. Pass Hawaiʻi's free state art museum, showcasing contemporary island artists in a historic building.

QUEEN LILIʻUOKALANI STATUE. Meet Hawaiʻi's last reigning monarch through this dignified statue between palace and capitol.

ST. ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL. Admire the Gothic Revival church envisioned by King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma.

QUEEN EMMA SQUARE. Relax in a leafy historic square honoring Queen Emma and philanthropists James and Abigail Campbell.

FORT STREET MALL. Walk the lively pedestrian promenade lined with shops, cafés, public art and historic facades.

HAWAIʻI THEATRE. Admire the restored 1922 vaudeville palace, still active as a performing arts landmark.

KUMU KAHUA THEATRE. Discover the active company devoted to plays by Hawaiʻi writers and stories reflecting the islands' diverse cultures.

JOSEPH W. PODMORE BUILDING. Pass the historic commercial building and discover the unusual local material used in its construction.

KAPU LAW. Uncover the ancient system of sacred rules that governed daily life in pre-contact Hawaiʻi.

ETERNAL FLAME MEMORIAL. Pause at the Capitol memorial honoring Hawaiʻi residents who served in the United States armed forces.

THE MENEHUNE. Meet the legendary small builders of Hawaiian folklore and hear stories of their remarkable overnight feats.

JUDD BUILDING. Pass one of Honolulu's early steel-frame office buildings and hear how it helped reshape the city's commercial core.

Meeting and pickup information

  • Your tour begins on the Queen Street side of the Ali'iolani Hale government building.

Languages and tickets

  • English — Audio
  • English — Written
  • Mobile Only

Tour operator

  • Tripvia Tours

Meeting points and locations

Accessibility and practical details

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Wheelchair accessible

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Questions about this experience

How long is this experience?
The supplier lists a duration of 1 hr–2 hr.
Which guide languages are listed?
English (audio guide), English (written information).
What ticket format is listed?
Mobile ticket.
What ticket age bands are listed?
Adult tickets: age 1+. Check the practical details for participation requirements.
What accessibility information is provided?
Service animals allowed
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
What is the cancellation policy?
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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