Waikiki · Oʻahu · Guide

5 things to do in Waikiki that aren’t just the beach

Sand and surf are a given. These five experiences, from a sunrise hike to a hands-on jewelry studio, are what actually make a Waikiki trip stick.

We get the same question every week: “We’ve done the beach. Now what?” Waikiki has more going on than its postcard suggests. After a dozen trips, these are the five we send friends to, in the order we’d do them. Two of them happen to be at the same address, and they’re the ones people email us about afterward.

01
★★★★★4.9(862)
◆ Featured · Gem Studio
Something different

Make your own jewelry at Gem Studio

Hands-on · Indoor · ~90 min

Inside International Market Place is the rare Waikiki activity where you make the souvenir instead of buying it. Pick a stone from the gem bar, then a silversmith guides you through torching, hammering, stamping and polishing your own .925 sterling ring, and you walk out wearing it. About two hours that, as Honolulu Magazine put it, “fly by.”

  • ✓Classic sterling ring from $95; pick your own gem at the hands-on gem bar ($15–$35)
  • ✓Real silversmithing: weld, hammer-texture, stamp & polish with a pro at your side
  • ✓No experience needed. Leave wearing a one-of-a-kind piece, plus a Polaroid keepsake
✦Special offer: save $15 when you book onlineBook a workshop→
02
★★★★★4.8(12,438)
Reader favorite

Catch the sunrise atop Diamond Head

Outdoors · Easy hike · 1.5–2 hrs

Beat the heat and the crowds. The climb up Lēʻahi is short but steep: 1.6 miles round trip and about 560 feet up through old military tunnels and stairs. The payoff is a 360° sunrise over Waikiki and the open Pacific.

  • ✓Out-of-state visitors must reserve a timed entry online ($5/person + $10 parking)
  • ✓Sunrise slots (6–7am) open 30 days ahead and sell out within hours, so book early
  • ✓Gates 6am–6pm (last entry 4pm); bring water, since there’s no shade on the trail
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★★★★★4.9(541)
◆ Featured · Gem Studio
Couples love it

Forge matching silver rings together

Hands-on · Couples · ~60 min

Back to that same studio, this time side by side at the bench. You each forge a .925 sterling ring from scratch: pick a gemstone at the gem bar, then hammer, stamp and polish it by hand while a silversmith guides every step. Walk out wearing matching pieces you actually made.

  • ✓Two .925 sterling rings, forged side by side from $95 each
  • ✓Choose your gems at the gem bar ($15–$35) and texture each ring by hand
  • ✓Beginner-friendly and fully guided, about 60 minutes at the bench
✦Special offer: save $15 when you book onlineReserve your spot→
04
★★★★★4.7(5,206)
Do-it-once night

Feel the aloha at a Waikiki luau

Culture · Evening · 2–3 hrs

For one unmissable night, trade the beach for fire-knife dancing, live hula, and a kālua-pork feast cooked in an underground imu. Touristy? A little. Worth it for first-timers and families? Absolutely.

  • ✓Book the sunset seating, and reserve a week or more ahead in summer
  • ✓Most include a lei greeting, open buffet and a Mai Tai or two
  • ✓Many bundle round-trip hotel transport (handy after a few drinks)
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★★★★★4.5(3,117)
Easy with kids

Cool off at the Zoo & Waikiki Aquarium

Family · Outdoors · Half day

A short stroll from the sand is the easy win for a hot afternoon with kids: the 42-acre Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium, a few blocks apart at the edge of Kapiʻolani Park, both shady and stroller-friendly.

  • ✓Honolulu Zoo: 10am–3pm, $21 adult / $13 kids, with elephants, rhinos & a keiki zoo
  • ✓Waikiki Aquarium: 9am–4:30pm, $9, home to 500+ species and Hawaiian monk seals
  • ✓Bring a picnic for Kapiʻolani Park, a few steps from both
Who it’s for

The hands-on pick that fits almost any trip

Whoever you’re traveling with, it’s the one activity everyone remembers: a guided, beginner-friendly workshop steps from the beach.

Date nightsMake matching pieces and share the story later.
Family daysA creative afternoon that gets everyone involved.
Girls’ tripsDesign custom jewelry while you catch up.
CelebrationsBirthdays and milestones, minus the cliché.
Real souvenirsTake home something you actually made.
Book your session→No experience needed · Walk-ins welcome · Open daily 10–8
Why we keep sending people here

Don’t just shop for a souvenir. Make one

Of everything on this list, the piece you make yourself is the one people ask about back home. Gem Studio runs guided silversmithing, charm, and permanent-jewelry workshops inside International Market Place. No experience required, walk-ins welcome when there’s room.

Address
2330 Kalākaua Ave, Suite 134 · Honolulu, HI 96815
Find us
Inside International Market Place, next to Pandora in the courtyard
Hours
Open daily · 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
  • ✓Walking distance from most Waikiki hotels
  • ✓Parking validation for the IMP garage
  • ✓Surrounded by dining and shopping
Book your workshop→
Make it, don’t buy it

Make something you’ll actually keep

Of everything on this list, the piece you make yourself is the one people ask about back home. Book ahead or walk in. Beginners welcome, every day until 8pm.

Book your workshop→No experience needed · ~30–90 min
you’re a gem™
At a glance
Silversmithing~90 min
Charm jewelry~60 min
Permanent jewelry~30 min
Open daily10–8
Good to know

Gem Studio, quick questions

None at all. Every workshop is fully guided by an instructor, and the studio is built around first-timers. Most guests are making jewelry for the very first time.

It depends on the experience: permanent jewelry takes about 30 minutes, while silversmithing and charm workshops run roughly 60–90 minutes.

Yes. The charm and permanent-jewelry experiences are popular with older children and teens; silversmithing is best for ages 12 and up with a participating adult.

Always. You leave wearing, or carrying, the finished piece you made that day.

Absolutely. Private bookings for birthdays, bachelorette parties, and family groups are welcome. Reach out ahead of time and they’ll set it up.

Yes. International Market Place has a parking garage with validation available through Gem Studio.