Hawaii‘s Historic Kingdom: A Self-Guided Audio Tour – Honolulu, Hawaii

EXPERIENCE

Unlock the storied heart of Hawaii‘s capital, Honolulu on this walking tour through its Downtown and Chinatown districts. We‘ll dive into the city‘s rich cultural heritage and learn about missionaries, diverse religions, and the way it fits into the wider world. We‘ll also explore the city‘s glitzy side by seeing iconic film and television locations, such as the headquarters of Queens Hospital and the Honolulu Police Department, which both feature in the popular television series, Hawaii Five-0. You’ll see the statue of Elvis Presley on Ward Avenue, where classic film or rock and roll buffs will enjoy hearing about his performances in Hawaii. Your guide on this adventure is Kapena, a local guide who was born and raised in Oahu.

Our tour starts at the King Kamehameha Statue where you‘ll learn about some of his royal descendants’ international achievements. From there, you‘ll walk through Hawaii‘s oldest city park, Thomas Square Park. You‘ll swing through Chinatown, one of America‘s most historic, where you‘ll pass the beloved Hawaii Theatre and find out how it survived constant threats of demolition over the last 100-odd years. As you walk through the Aloha Tower Marketplace, you‘ll hear about how it was the tallest building in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked. From the start of this Honolulu tour to its end in front of the Queen Lili‘uokalani Statue by Iolani Palace, you‘ll learn all about the Hawaiian Kingdom.

On this tour, you‘ll also have the opportunity to:

• Hear about some of the businessmen who overthrew the Hawaiian Government
• vVisit Smith‘s Union Bar, a classic navy watering hole which is the oldest in the state
• Learn about the Hawaii State Capitol, one of 11 state capitol buildings without a prominent dome shape
• See locations from Hawaii Five-0, both the original and the reboot
• Find out what Chinatown was like during the Second World War
• Visit the Honolulu Museum of Art
• Order award-winning Vietnamese food at the Pig and the Lady in Chinatown

This 3.5-mile tour will take at least an hour and a half to complete. However, you‘ll want to budget a minimum of two hours from start to finish to get the most out of your time, including a drink or some food in Chinatown. If you want to visit the Mission Houses, Honolulu Museum of Art, or Iolani Palace, you‘ll probably want to factor in another two hours. We‘ve also built several shortcuts into the tour, so you can break it into sections, or sneak it in between other excursions.

Don’ʻt forget about the free and fun scavenger hunts and quizzes that accompany every tour. There are Easy(ish) 10 Question versions and Hard(er) 25 Question extras to enjoy. Now you donʻt have to worry about pulling the kids off their phones to enjoy the day!

HIGHLIGHTS

Uncover Honolulu’s historic and cinematic charms
Hear from local guide Kapena as he delves into Honolulu’s rich cultural heritage
Do it all in 120 minutes or linger at stops along the way with complete c
Get unlimited use of the tour before your booking date and after it
Use the virtual tour option at home

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