Waikiki · Oahu, Hawaii
A 300,000-year-old volcanic crater on the edge of Waikiki, crowned by a 1908 army lookout. Climb the switchbacks, duck through a lit tunnel and step out above all of Honolulu, with the reef glowing turquoise below.
Independent guideTickets and experiences hand-picked by our editors.
Tours
In the centre, a trolley shuttle with your timed entry already booked and two hours to hike. Either side, the cheapest van with the reservation included, and an e-bike ride with a guide who climbs with you. Every card opens a full tour page.
Lowest price
★ 4.83 hoursFree cancellationThe cheapest way in with the reservation handled: an early van from your hotel, water and a map. Guests get about 90 minutes to hike, so fit walkers do best.
Tickets included
★ 4.82.5 hoursFree cancellationA trolley ride from Waikiki with your timed park reservation already booked, then two hours to hike at your own pace. Guests say it is plenty, even for slow climbers.
Guided all the way
★ 5.03.5 hoursFree cancellationRide an e-bike from Waikiki past Kapiolani Park to the crater, then hike to the top with the same guide. Six riders at most, ages 15 and up.
5:30 a.m. pickup
★ 4.73 hours
Lunch included
★ 4.94 hours
Morning shuttle
★ 4.83 hours
Two hikes
★ 4.86 hours
Full day
★ 4.811 hours
No crater hike
★ 4.93 to 4 hours
Entry not included
★ 4.91 hourCompare
Two questions sort it out. Does the tour book your park entry, and does anyone hike with you? Most cheap shuttles are a ride plus the reservation; you climb on your own and meet the van again at a set time.
| Tour | Where | Summit hike | Best for | Length | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Head Hike Shuttle with Entry Tickets | Five Waikiki pickup points | Yes, on your own, about 2 hours at the crater | Easy logistics, slow climbers | 2.5 hours | $40 | Book |
| Diamond Head Hike with Tickets and Shuttle | Waikiki hotel pickup | Yes, on your own, about 1.5 hours | The lowest price with entry | 3 hours | $35 | Book |
| Electric Bike Ride & Diamond Head Hike | Kuhio Ave, Waikiki | Yes, with your guide | A guide the whole way | 3.5 hours | $199 | Book |
| Diamond Head Early Hike with Entry Reservation | Waikiki hotel pickup | Yes, on your own, from 6 a.m. | The 6 a.m. opening | 3 hours | $50 | Book |
| Diamond Head Bike to Hike with Local Lunch | Kuhio Beach, Waikiki | Yes, with your guide | Pedal bikes, a guided hike and lunch at the base of the crater (12+) | 4 hours | $169 | Book |
| Diamond Head Summit Shuttle with Reservation | Waikiki hotel pickup | Yes, on your own, about 2 hours | A minibus and snacks | 3 hours | $49 | Book |
| Diamond Head and Makapuu Lighthouse Hikes | Waikiki hotel pickup | Yes, plus the Makapuu trail | Two hikes in one morning | 6 hours | $71 | Book |
| Diamond Head Hike and Oahu Circle Island Day | Waikiki or Kahala pickup | Yes, the driver waits below | One full island day | 11 hours | $125 | Book |
| Oahu Half-Day Scenic Tour with 7 Lookouts | Waikiki pickup | No: beach park view only | Views without the climb | 3 to 4 hours | $77 | Book |
| Waikiki Trolley Green Line to Diamond Head | Waikiki trolley stops | Ride only, entry not included | Transport if you hold a reservation | 1 hour | $22 | Book |
Children 3 and under enter Diamond Head free. Child tickets on the shuttles start at age 3; the e-bike tour takes riders from 15 and the pedal bike tour from 12. Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before, except the Makapuu combo and the trolley, which are non-refundable.
Before you book
Since 2022, out-of-state visitors cannot just turn up at Diamond Head. Hawaii State Parks sells timed entry on gostateparks.hawaii.gov: $5 per person, plus $10 for a car, which gets a two-hour parking window. Arrive more than 30 minutes after the start of your slot and the ranger can refuse you, with no refund. Walk-ups without a booking are turned away at the gate.
That is the real product most "Diamond Head tours" sell. A $35 to $50 shuttle books the slot through the state's commercial system, drives you in, and waits while you hike on your own. Only the bike tours put a guide on the trail with you. And some trips that mention Diamond Head never enter the crater at all: they stop at a lookout below it.
Days ahead: the furthest out you can book a state park slot. The 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. entries on weekends go first, so book the day your window opens.
No. A tour buys the reservation and the ride. With a slot of your own, a bus or an Uber works.
At 6 or 7 a.m. The trail has almost no shade and the late morning sun is hard work.
Fit enough for 560 feet of steep climbing and long stairs, with breaks. Not for bad hearts.
Wheelchair users and strollers: the summit trail is not accessible, only the crater floor.
Your morning
Two and a half to three hours door to door on a shuttle, three and a half to four on a bike tour. This is the shape of it.
A van, trolley or minibus collects you at a hotel stop, or you meet the bike guide on Kuhio Avenue.
From 5:30 a.m.The road dives through the crater wall onto the grassy floor. Restrooms at the trailhead.
10 to 20 minutesPaved path, then rocky switchbacks, steep stairs, a lit tunnel and a spiral staircase into the bunker.
30 to 60 minutes upWaikiki to the west, Koko Head to the east, then the same trail down to meet your ride.
1.5 to 2 hours in allPlan your hike
Reservations, prices, hours and what to bring: one tab each.
Where it happens
Entrance: Diamond Head Road at 18th Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815
The trailhead sits on the crater floor, and the only way in is the road tunnel off Diamond Head Road on the inland side. Cars, vans and trolleys drive through; walkers use the separate pedestrian lane. Shuttle tours pick up at Waikiki hotels or set stops along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues, and the bike tours meet on Kuhio Avenue.
Around your hike
Timing, what guests wish they had known, the sunrise question and the fine print.
Le'ahi, Oahu
Pick how you get in, then pick your morning.
Check availabilityGuest reviews
★★★★★Having both transportation and admission tickets included made everything easy and stress-free. The trip was well organized, and the hike rewarded us with beautiful views.
★★★★★When you get there they provided us with waters and a map and told us to be back my 945! The hike isn’t too hard, there’s many points you can stop and take a break.
★★★★★Ryan our guide was great. Pointed out numerous landmarks, had fantastic stops planned to really see a lot. He takes lots of pictures for you and ensures you are comfortable on the e-bike and ok during the hike.
★★★★★Two hours was plenty of time to climb diamonds and i am a slow climber. Also, it was hot up there so truly bring water!
★★★★★We wore hiking boots and really enjoyed the hike. Took about 2 hours since we took lots of pictures. We even saw a rainbow! We did the 5:30am pickup and it was already daylight by the time the park opened at 6am.
★★★★★It is challenging...take water. But I'm an almost 50 year old who rarely exercises and I was fine by taking a few breaks up.
★★★★★Wonderful day. Loved the local insights. Kelly was an amazing guide; so accommodating. Fish tacos, bike along Waikiki beach, and views from the top of the Crater were spectacular.
★★★★★Bring water, take your time if you’re over 60. I’m 62 and had recent knee replacement 16 month age. I did it. I was slow, but made it
★★★★★Transported to separate locations and provided ample time to hike Diamond Head and then the Lighthouse trail. [...] Great way to get to the sights with early morning departure before crowds arrive and it gets too hot.
Same day, other side
Hike in the cool of the morning, sail past Le'ahi in the afternoon. One hour, straight off Waikiki Beach.
You have seen Waikiki from the summit. Now see the crater from the sea: an hour on a yellow catamaran that launches straight off the sand in front of Duke's and sails toward Diamond Head, with drinks on board. Good on the afternoon after a morning hike.
From the beachDrinks on board1 hour
The guide
Diamond Head is the shape on every Waikiki postcard, and the hike to its rim is the most popular on Oahu. It is also short, steep and run on a reservation system that catches visitors out. Here is how it works.
Le'ahi formed in a single explosive eruption about 300,000 years ago, which left the wide, shallow bowl you drive into today. The Hawaiian name most likely joins lae, a brow or headland, and 'ahi, tuna, for the shape of the ridge seen from the sea. The English name came from 19th-century British sailors who found sparkling calcite crystals on the slopes and took them for diamonds. They were worthless.
The trail you climb is military. The army built it in 1908 as part of Oahu's coastal defences, and the Fire Control Station on the summit, finished in 1911, directed the fire of the coastal artillery batteries around the crater. That is why the route ends in tunnels, stairs and a bunker rather than a natural peak. Diamond Head became a National Natural Landmark in 1968 and is run by Hawaii's Division of State Parks.
Almost every shuttle tour, at $35 to $50, works the same way: pickup in Waikiki, the entry booked through the state's commercial system, a drop at the trailhead and a set time to be back at the van. Nobody walks with you. Guests on the Kaimana shuttle report about 90 minutes; the Go Tours trolley allows two hours, which slow climbers say is enough. If you want someone explaining the bunkers on the way up, the e-bike tour and the bike-to-hike tour are the ones where the guide climbs too.
The first third is a paved walkway across the crater floor. Then the path turns to worn volcanic tuff and switches back up the inner wall, with railings along the drops. Near the top, trail guides count a flight of 74 steps, then the lit 225-foot tunnel, then 99 more steps, and finally a narrow spiral staircase inside the Fire Control Station before you squeeze out onto the rim. The park calls it 0.8 mile and 560 feet of climbing each way, and plans on 1.5 to 2 hours in all.
Go early. The crater opens at 6 a.m. and the trail has almost no shade, so by 10 a.m. the climb is hot work and the summit platform gets crowded. From November to March the 6 a.m. slot can put you on the rim for sunrise; in summer the sun is up before the gate opens, so you get clear morning light instead. Book a state slot or a tour as soon as your dates are fixed: the early weekend entries are the first to go, up to 30 days ahead.
Guides
In-depth guides to the questions people ask most before booking. See all guides.
Reservations & ticketsHow the timed entry works, what it costs and what to do when it sells out.
Tour or do it yourselfBus, rideshare, car or shuttle tour: what each costs and where it drops you.
The sunrise hikeWhich months the summit sunrise works, and which tours get you in at 6 a.m.
How hard is the hikeStairs, heat, kids, knees and what to carry up the crater.
Bike and e-bike toursPedal or e-bike from Waikiki, then climb the crater with a guide.
Lookout or crater hikeWhich Oahu tours stop at the roadside lookout, and which take you up the crater.From the blog
Holiday closures, fare changes and what is new. All posts.
FAQ
Straight answers to what people ask most about Diamond Head.
Yes, if you live outside Hawaii. Entry and parking are reservation only, booked on gostateparks.hawaii.gov up to 30 days ahead, and visitors who turn up without one are turned away. Hawaii residents with a state ID walk in free. Every hiking tour on this site books the slot for you. More in the reservations guide.
The state charges non-residents $5 per person to enter and $10 per car to park; children 3 and under are free, and payment is by card only. Shuttle tours that include the reservation start at $35 to $50 per person, and guided bike tours run $169 to $199.
The summit trail is 0.8 miles each way with 560 feet of climbing, and the park suggests 1.5 to 2 hours for the round trip. Fit hikers do it in about an hour. Shuttle tours give you 1.5 to 2 hours at the crater, so check the return time.
It is short but steep. A paved path turns into uneven volcanic rock with switchbacks, then come long concrete stairs, a lit 225-foot tunnel and a spiral staircase inside the old bunker. There is little shade. Most reasonably fit people manage it with breaks. Read how hard is Diamond Head first if you have bad knees.
Daily 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The last reservation is 4 p.m. and you must be inside by 4:30 p.m.; everyone has to be out by 6 p.m. The park closes on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Only part of the year. The gate opens at 6 a.m. and the climb takes 30 to 60 minutes, so a summit sunrise works from about November to March, when the sun rises after 6:35. From May to August it is already up before the gate opens. See the sunrise guide for the month-by-month times.
Yes. Book the walk-in entry slot ($5, no parking fee) and get dropped at the tunnel entrance on Diamond Head Road near 18th Avenue; walkers use the pedestrian lane through the tunnel into the crater. TheBus routes 2 and 2L stop nearby: $3 with a HOLO card, $3.25 in cash. The tour or DIY guide compares the costs.
A $35 to $40 shuttle is mostly a ride plus the reservation; you hike on your own. It is worth it when the state slots for your date are gone, when you have no car, or when you hate early-morning logistics. Going yourself by bus costs about $11 per person. Pay more only for a guide who hikes with you, like the e-bike and bike tours.
Often not. Many island tours stop at a lookout below the crater or at Diamond Head Beach Park, and the Waikiki Trolley Green Line is a ride to the trailhead without park entry. Only tours that list the Diamond Head State Monument entry take you up. See lookout or crater hike.
Yes, with stamina and water. Children 3 and under enter free, and the shuttle tours sell child tickets from age 3. The e-bike tour starts at 15 and the pedal bike tour at 12. Strollers and wheelchairs cannot use the summit trail.
Water, closed shoes with grip, a hat and sunscreen. There are restrooms and a water refill station at the trailhead only, and the trail itself has almost no shade. Go early: by late morning the climb is hot.
Most tours here cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before. Two do not: the Diamond Head and Makapuu combo and the Waikiki Trolley Green Line are non-refundable. A reservation you book yourself with Hawaii State Parks is refundable up to 3 days before, and not for weather unless the park closes.
Ready to book
Park entry booked for you on every hiking tour here, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before on most.
More: an e-bike ride and guided hike · the 5:30 a.m. pickup · a Diamond Head sail
Some links are affiliate links; see our disclosure.
