Most of the islands in Hawai‘i require a car due to vast landscapes, isolated natural attractions, and limited transportation options. Honolulu, on the other hand, is a bustling metropolis with ample public transportation and short-range options like trolleys, which are geared toward tourists. If you decide to go car-free, you’ll probably want to rent a car or join a tour group for a day or two to explore the rest of O‘ahu, but otherwise, public transportation and ride-sharing should do the trick. The city’s newly launched light rail system may also fit your public transportation needs.

While Waikīkī is a huge draw for many visitors, the shopping, the dining, the gorgeous beach, and the stellar hotels of Waikīkī aren’t the only things worth your time in Honolulu. Venture out from the tourist center and check out what some of the other neighborhoods offer–like the art galleries and restaurants of Chinatown, the shopping centers of Ala Moana and Kaka‘ako, and the government buildings of the Capitol District. Honolulu is also home to a variety of museums and entertainment venues, with a little bit of something for everyone.

Honolulu is known as the "Crossroads of the Pacific" for a reason–influences from various cultures converge to create a cosmopolitan city, and the diversity of cultures is most obvious in the cuisine. Hawai‘i is home to its own culinary category, Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine, which represents contemporary takes on traditional foods and the elevation of humble island ingredients like fish and ‘ulu (breadfruit). Nearly every type of global cuisine can be found here, especially those from the Eastern regions of the world.

One of the best parts of taking a Hawai‘i vacation is staying at a hotel close to the beach. While they’re certainly not the most affordable accommodations in the world, many of Waikīkī’s hotels offer memorable experiences that enhance a vacation and make the cost worth it. Choosing which hotel is right for you can be one of the hardest decisions you’ll make when planning your vacation, especially when there are more than 70 major hotels in Honolulu. Important factors include cost, proximity to the beach, city vs. ocean views, hotel class (luxury, deluxe, or standard), nearby activities and restaurants, and more. Before choosing a hotel, determine which of these factors is the most important to you, and work outward from there.

Did you know that Honolulu’s ‘Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the U.S., had electricity before the White House? The history of Hawai‘i is incredibly dynamic. It includes more than one thousand years of pre-contact culture based on intricate relationships with the ‘āina (earth) and nature, a century of existence as an independent kingdom, and more than 100 years as a U.S. territory then state. During a turbulent history that included overthrows, annexations, and attacks by foreign enemies, Honolulu and its people have continued to flourish, though many of the challenges of the 21st century including rising prices, a housing crisis, and other issues sit just below the surface of the glossy postcard representations of the city. Make education an important part of your visit by checking out places like Bishop Museum, the USS Arizona Memorial, ‘Iolani Palace, and more.