Waikiki to Diamond Head cost + bus, WALK, trolley, bike?! How to get to Diamond Head without a car 🌴 Honolulu Oahu travel blog

ALOHA!

 

As you’re starting your research for your trip to Oahu, there is a good chance you’ve seen the Diamond Head crater in pictures!

This is one of the best hikes on Oahu.

It is possible to hike to the summit of the Diamond Head crater, and it is totally possible to do the Diamond Head hike from Waikiki on your own without a tour.

When you’re planning to do the Diamond Head hike, you’ll want to plan to allow a half a day for it.

The hike itself won’t take you a half day, but this amount of time will allow you to take your time without feeling stressed.

You will be able to take your time in getting to Diamond Head and back, and you can take your time at the park after you’ve finished the hike too!

 

How to get to Diamond Head from Waikiki

• Driving
• Uber / taxi
• Trolley
• Bus
• Walking
• Bike sharing

More details on each of these options below.

 

Diamond Head state park entry costs

The Diamond Head Summit Trail is a part of the Diamond Head State Monument and is managed by Hawaii state parks.

There will be a cost to hike Diamond Head no matter how you arrive, although the cost will vary based on HOW you arrive!

IMPORTANT!!! You need reservations to do the Diamond Head hike.

 

Cost to hike Diamond Head

• $10 per car
• $5 per person

Check the updated fees!

 

 

Diamond Head parking: Driving to Diamond Head from Waikiki

Cost: $10 per car for Diamond Head parking fee + $5 per person Diamond Head entry fee

 

If you already have a rental car on Oahu, then driving can work out just fine.

It’s about a 10-15 minute drive.

You need to reserve a Diamond Head parking spot ahead of time.

If you are wondering whether or not you should rent a car for the Diamond Head hike, it’s probably not necessary to rent a car JUST for Diamond Head.

It’s close enough to Waikiki.

But if you won’t be spending the rest of your day in Waikiki, and you’re looking to head to another part of the island after the hike (like for a trip to East Oahu or a trip to the North Shore)…

Then you might find it to be worth it to rent a car on the day you go to Diamond Head.

For Diamond Head reservations, it’s also easier to reserve walk-in only tickets. You’ll have more limited timings when you make reservations for parking since those tickets are more limited.

 

 

How to get from Waikiki to Diamond Head without a car

 

1. Uber to Diamond Head

Cost: $15 Uber each way for your group + $5 per person for Diamond Head entry fee

If you don’t have a rental car, then the next easiest and most convenient way would be to take a taxi or uber.

There is Uber in Waikiki so download the app before your trip to Hawaii! (Or when you arrive!)

Check the uber app for current prices. You can set the starting point so you can see what the cost will be from your hotel to Diamond Head even if you are not yet in Waikiki. Ideally, you will check around the same time (Hawaii time!) that you think you will be going to Diamond Head to get a better idea of the cost of uber from Waikiki to Diamond Head.

 

🌴

 

 

2. Waikiki trolley to Diamond Head

Cost: $25 for all-day green line ticket per person + $5 per person for Diamond Head entry fee

 

You might not want to purchase a Waikiki trolley ticket JUST to go to Diamond Head, but if you want to explore other parts just outside the main part of Waikiki too, you might consider this Waikiki trolley option.

You can also buy 1-day, 4-day, and 7-day unlimited passes to have access to trolleys on all lines during your stay in Waikiki.

 

Trolley stop near Diamond Head

There are 2 trolley routes that go to Diamond Head.

The green line trolley stop is located closer to the Diamond Head trailhead. So the Waikiki trolley green line is the best trolley to get to Diamond Head!

The blue line trolley stop is located outside of Diamond Head, so you’ll walk 10-15 minutes to get to the start of the Diamond Head Trail once you get off the trolley.

See the Waikiki Trolley route map pdf.

 

 

3. Bus to Diamond Head

Cost: $6 round trip per person ($3 cash each way for direct route) + $5 per person for Diamond Head entry fee

 

There are a few different bus routes that go from Waikiki to Diamond Head, and which bus number you take will depend on your timing.

But figuring out which bus to take to Diamond Head can be super easy – just consult Google Maps!

So when you’re in Waikiki and ready to leave for Diamond Head, you can consult your Google Maps app and have the starting location as your current location based on your GPS.

This will tell you where the nearest bus stop to you is located, which bus number you need to look out for to get on, and how many stops until the Diamond Head bus stop!

The bus ride will be around 10-15 minutes.

 

 

You will want to have exact change when you take the bus, as no change will be given to you.

A single bus ride is $3 cash. Confirm the prices!

You can also buy a HOLO card ahead of time at an ABC Store in Waikiki and use that to take the bus from Waikiki to Diamond Head. You’ll need minimum $5 cash to get started, and then after that you can reload money onto the card online. It’s basically a cash card that serves as your Oahu bus pass.

See more about the HOLO card.

 

Bus stop near Diamond Head

 

The bus stop that you’ll be getting off at is outside the road that leads to the inside of the crater.

This will be about a 10-15 minute walk to the start of the Diamond Head Trail once you get off the bus.

You can set your bus directions to Leahi Millennium Peace Garden. (map) This is the start of the road inside the Diamond Head Crater. Setting a destination inside the crater (where the hike actually starts) does not seem to always work out as well.

 

See more:

• Places to visit by bus from Waikiki
• How to take the bus around Oahu
• Things to do in Waikiki without a car (for VIEWS!)

 

 

4. Walk to Diamond Head

Cost: FREE to get there + $5 per person Diamond Head entry fee

 

The absolute cheapest way to get to Diamond Head would be to walk!

And, it is relatively reasonable to walk, but it does take some time!

Well, this depends on your definition of what’s reasonable, and also where in Waikiki you’re coming from.

If you’re staying in Waikiki on the side closer to Diamond Head, the walk from Waikiki to Diamond Head might be around 45 minutes.

If you’re coming from closer to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, you might not like the long walk as much, as it might take closer to an hour.

Although you can also use it as an excuse for a walk along the coast with ocean views at least for part of the way!

No matter where you’re coming from in Waikiki, you’ll just want to think about if you want to tack on the extra walking time to the hike!

You can always walk there, do the hike, and then take the bus back.

Or take the bus there, do the hike, and then walk back depending on how you’re feeling.

The walk can be through Kapiolani Beach Park where you can see some banyan trees in Waikiki.

For reference on a map, the Leahi Millennium Peace Garden is the start of the road directly inside the crater so you can set your walking directions to there. (map)

Then, you will continue walking the road to the start of the Diamond Head Summit Trail which might be around 10 minutes. (map)

 

If you decide to walk back, you can stop by the Barefoot Beach Cafe as your reward for climbing Diamond Head! Eat with ocean views! (menu)

The Barefoot Beach Cafe made an appearance on the CBS TV show of NCIS Hawaii! Watch the February 27, 2023 episode for free while you still can! (The Barefoot Beach Cafe appearance is the location of the surprise party at the very end of the episode.)

 

 

5. Bike to Diamond Head

Cost: $4.50 one way per person (for ride up to 30 minutes) + $5 per person for Diamond Head entry fee

 

Another option you might consider is biking to Diamond Head part way through the biki bike sharing program!

This could be a fun way to get to Diamond Head in particular if you are coming from further away in Waikiki, like from the Hilton Hawaiian Village, so that you don’t have to walk as much.

Even if you’re coming from a more central area of Waikiki (like from Outrigger Reef or from Sheraton Waikiki), you might find it to be a fun way too.

The biking itself would be for like 10-15 minutes, from a Waikiki biki station to the biki station nearest to Diamond Head.

With bike sharing, you can pick up a bike at any station, and return the bike at any station – it doesn’t have to be the same one.

 

 

Biki bike sharing station near Diamond Head

👆 Biki station near Diamond Head: Spot the biki station! Yes that’s the Diamond Head crater in the background! This is not the closest bike sharing station to hike Diamond Head, but it is a minute walk away from South Shore Grill where you can eat fish tacos for perfect post-hike food!

 

Currently the closest bikeshare station to Diamond Head will still require you to walk a little.

There’s currently not a bike sharing station directly near Diamond Head, but if you’re coming from a part of Waikiki that’s located further away from the Diamond Head crater, then biking can be a way to get you closer.

Then, you can walk the rest of the way.

For reference on the official biki map, look for KCC Farmers Market.

Zoom in further, and the road to the start of the hike is at the Leahi Millennium Peace Garden.

You can start looking for bike stations near the garden.

A little bit northwest of the garden is a biki station near the Diamond Head Theater, and this seems to be the closest bike sharing station near the start of the Diamond Head hike. (google maps)

So from that bike station to the garden is around a 10 minute walk. Then from the garden to the start of the Diamond Head Summit Trail is around a 10-15 minute walk.

Again, check the official biki map for current bike stations.

If you’re checking a few months out from your trip to Honolulu, check again when it gets closer to your travel date because bike stations can be removed (or added).

See more about how to do bike sharing in Waikiki.

 

👆 Riding biki bikes near Diamond Head: Spot the biki bikes! Yes that’s the Diamond Head crater in the background!

 

 

Bike racks at Diamond Head

 

Or if you have your own bike or you’ll be renting a normal bike, there are bike racks at the start of the trail too!

 

 

The Diamond Head hike is a popular hike near Waikiki!

The closeness to Waikiki, the relative short length and duration of the trail, and possibly most importantly the views that the summit of the trail brings makes this one of the (if not THE) most popular hikes on Oahu.

 

 

If you are interested in going to Diamond Head to see the views of Waikiki (who isn’t going for the views?!), then there’s a good chance you’ll be interested in these things to do in Waikiki aka where to go to see more amazing views of Waikiki!

 

So one of the most important things to know about this hike is…

You need to make reservations before you go to Diamond Head!

The Diamond Head Summit Trail is part of the Diamond Head State Monument, managed by Hawaii state parks.

Before you go to Diamond Head, you need to make reservations at gostateparks.hawaii.gov.

Generally speaking, it’s easier to make reservations if you are going to Diamond Head without a car.

You need to make reservations for Diamond Head parking too, and there’s even more limited permits available for that.

There are more permits available for arriving to Diamond Head on foot.

Things can change with Diamond Head reservations,, so be sure to check the Hawaii State Parks website here before you go. The website will also tell you about any updated fees. Fees for the transportation options listed below may also change.

 

 

Map of Waikiki and Diamond Head

👆 Map of Waikiki (grey) and Diamond Head (red). Explore the map.

 

 

Now…

Is the Diamond Head hike easy?!

So one of the things to think about when you’re considering any of these transportation options for getting to Diamond Head from Waikiki…

What is the difficulty of the Diamond Head hike?!

How tired will you be from the hike itself?!

And will you want to walk or bike that much extra in addition to the hike?!

 

This is a SUMMIT trail.

This means that you are walking up a hill to the top of the crater to reach the crater summit!

So while the Diamond Head hike isn’t exactly hard difficulty level, it will most likely have you breathing hard in some parts as you are basically walking uphill for most of the hike to the top.

There are also…

Stairs…

 

 

Stairs…

 

 

And more stairs!

 

 

But don’t worry, you will have the views along the way to remind you why you’re working so hard… 😉

 

 

And then you will also be treated with ocean views at the summit!

 

 

 

And then…

What to do after the Diamond Head hike?!

The PERFECT way to recover after your hike?!

Waikiki Beach of course! 😉

 

 

Whether that’s…

Lazing on the beach (with views of Diamond Head!)…

 

 

Or…

Swimming at your resort’s outdoor pool…

 

Sheraton Waikiki

 

Or…

Playing at a resort’s public lagoon…

 

Hilton Hawaiian Village

 

Or…

Eating or drinking with ocean views (and views of Diamond Head!)…

 

 

Or…

Going snorkeling…

 

Waikiki marine life conservation district

 

Or…

Finding turtles in Waikiki that are swimming!! (With views of Diamond Head!)

 

This one spotted near the pier in front of the Outrigger Reef hotel

 

Waikiki Beach is the perfect post-hike recovery!

 

See more of the best Oahu hikes!

See some of the best Oahu beaches.

And the list of things to do on Oahu.

 

HAPPY HIKING DIAMOND HEAD FROM WAIKIKI!