Honolulu Historic District Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

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.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   Pass by

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

2. 2

   Iolani Palace

   Pass by

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

3. 3

   King Kamehameha Statue

   Pass by

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

4. 4

   Stop 4

   Pass by

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

5. 5

   Stop 5

   Pass by

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

6. 6

   Hawaii State Library

   Pass by

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

7. 7

   Stop 7

   Pass by

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

8. 8

   Stop 8

   Pass by

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

9. 9

   Honolulu Hale (City Hall)

   Pass by

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

10. 10

    Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives

    Pass by

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

11. 11

    Stop 11

    Pass by

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

12. 12

    Stop 12

    Pass by

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

13. 13

    Stop 13

    Pass by

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

14. 14

    Honolulu Police Station

    Pass by

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

15. 15

    Nagasaki Peace Bell

    Pass by

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

16. 16

    Stop 16

    Pass by

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

17. 17

    Stop 17

    Pass by

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

18. 18

    Stop 18

    Pass by

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

19. 19

    Stop 19

    Pass by

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

20. 20

    Capitol Modern: the Hawai'i State Art Museum

    Pass by

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

21. 21

    Queen Liliuokalani Statue

    Pass by

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

22. 22

    Stop 22

    Pass by

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

23. 23

    Stop 23

    Pass by

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

24. 24

    Stop 24

    Pass by

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

25. 25

    Hawaii Theatre Center

    Pass by

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

26. 26

    Kuma Kahua Theatre

    Pass by

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

27. 27

    Stop 27

    Pass by

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

28. 28

    Honolulu Police Station

    5 min

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

29. 29

    Eternal Flame Memorial

    5 min

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

30. 30

    Honolulu

    5 min

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

31. 31

    Honolulu

    5 min

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

• 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

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