Waikiki is the most popular tourist destination on Oahu. People from all over the world flock to Waikiki to truly turn it into a melting pot. Waikiki is the main departure point for most tours and activities on Oahu. If there is a bookable tour, then Waikiki is the place to go to get on the tour. Waikiki is a vibrant center for shopping and dining, with something for tourists and locals alike. Waikiki’s beaches are the most beautiful in the World, with every type of water activity available at one of Waikiki’s world renown beaches. One thing everyone can agree on, Hawaii has no shortage of activities for someone to participate in. The most popular kind of tour is Pearl Harbor Tours, almost any other kind of tour has a pickup in Waikiki.

Other than its beautiful beaches, Waikiki is known for its hotels. From affordable single rooms to multi-room penthouses costing thousands of dollars a night, there are a variety of places for someone to stay. Waikiki’s hotels are the main pickup point for tours ranging from Pearl Harbor Tours to Oahu Circle Island Tours. The hotels in Waikiki have a long history. The Moana Surfrider is the first hotel in Waikiki, which was built in 1901. Since then, hotels have sprung up all around Waikiki. From timeshares to the latest boutique hotels. The most famous hotels in Waikiki are the high-end hotels, the Royal Hawaiian and the Halekulani; the Hilton Hawaiian Village is known for its weekly fireworks display, and of course, the oldest hotel in Waikiki, the Moana Surfrider. With all these hotels and shopping areas, it is easy to forget that Waikiki also houses an Army base. The Hale Koa Hotel is owned by the Department of Defense, and you need to have either a military ID or DoD ID just to be able to eat at the restaurants. While many of the hotels have been around for decades, it is a mistake to think that they are old and dingy. The hotels are all regularly renovated. At the very edge of Waikiki is a special building. This is the Hawaii Convention Center. The Hawaii convention center is a venue for shows and conventions that come to Hawaii. In addition, weddings are hosted there. The convention center has also been featured in movies.

There is a stunning variety of food to be had in Waikiki. From fast food to fine dining, chances are, if you can think of it, there is somewhere in Waikiki where you can buy it. Waikiki is home to many five-star restaurants, some owned by world-famous chefs. Many of the hotels offer buffet-style dining in addition to fine dining. Hawaii’s unique geographic location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes it one of the great centers of eastern and western fusion cuisine. This opens up the opportunity for experimentation with a combination of western and eastern food. Hawaii’s native culture also comes into play when it comes to the choice of food. Since it is difficult to find anywhere else in the World, Hawaiian food is very much in demand and is a feature of luau whether in Waikiki or elsewhere on Oahu.

Few places can rival Waikiki for shopping. Waikiki has department stores, touristy trinket sellers, T-shirt stands, and high-end boutique stores. There is something for everyone in Waikiki. Waikiki houses several shopping centers, such as the International Marketplace and the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, and the Waikiki Business Plaza. Just outside of Waikiki, within walking distance are two major shopping areas. They are the Ala Moana Shopping Center, the largest open-air shopping center in the World, with 350 shops and restaurants. A little further beyond the Ala Moana Shopping Center is the Ward entertainment complex with a movie theater and yet more shops and restaurants. The area from Waikiki to Ward is almost one large continuous shopping district filled with shops selling all manner of items from all over the World.

What is dinner without a show? Hawaii has a vibrant musical culture, and nowhere is it more apparent than in Waikiki. Live performances of all kinds are available in Waikiki. There are magic shows, standup comedy, celebrity impersonators, live music, and hula performances. Waikiki is the home of both the Waikiki Aquarium, showcasing some of Hawaii’s unique sea life, and the Honolulu Zoo. The City of Honolulu also hosts a weekly theater on the beach with a movie screening in the evening right on the beach. Several hotels host their own luaus with live musical performances and the serving of some traditional Hawaiian food along with some other more western dishes for the less adventurous eaters. There are several nightclubs for dancing, and a couple of times a year, roads are closed down for block parties after dark. Right in the middle of Waikiki, there is an Army Base. Called Fort DeRussy, there is a former coastal gun emplacement that has become the US Army Museum in Waikiki. Imagine walking through a tropical paradise and coming up on a building with tanks sitting in front of it. The US Army Museum is free to enter and houses many artifacts from Hawaii’s military past, from ancient Hawaii to Vietnam. Including artifacts from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the role that Fort DeRussy played in defending Hawaii in the event of a Japanese Invasion.

With its long straight road going straight down the middle of it, Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki is a popular road for parades. Oahu’s largest parades are held in Waikiki. Parades are so frequent that it feels like there is a parade every month. One of the largest parades is the Aloha Week parade. The parade consists of thousands of marchers along with floats and horses. Other parades include the Pearl Harbor remembrance parade held on December 7, the anniversary of the Japanese attack. There is also a Christmas Parade, the King Kamehameha Floral Parade, and the Honolulu Festival, which is a celebration of Japanese Culture with cultural demonstrations and a parade. Waikiki also hosts many smaller parades, such as a pride parade and a children’s youth parade.

Waikiki is home to many beautiful beaches. Some are unmatched among some of the best beaches in the World. Their white sands and crashing waves lure people from all over the World into taking a dip in the water to cool off from the hot Hawaiian sun. Waikiki beaches are safe and offer many activities, such as snorkeling, surfing, body boarding, parasailing, and more. For those who wish to learn how to surf, lessons are available. Swimming is safe in Waikiki with less of the dangerous water conditions found elsewhere in Hawaii and with lifeguards constantly watching for those in need of help. It takes hard work to maintain Waikiki’s beaches. Erosion is a constant problem, and sand has to be brought in and redistributed on the beaches. Periodic cleaning of the beaches must also be done to keep Waikiki’s beaches looking pristine..