Travel tips to the Diamond Head Crater

One of the most famous landmarks of Hawaii is a volcano crater called Diamond Head.  Originally called Lēʻahi (ahi means tuna) because the crater’s ridgeline resembles the dorsal fin of a tuna.  But it was also called Diamond Head in the 19th century because British sailors thought that the sparkling calcite crystals embedded in rocks were diamonds.

The volcano is believed to be 300,000 years old according to the brochure they hand out at the entrance.

Here’s the aerial view of the Diamond Head.


Photo credit:  http://satftp.soest.hawaii.edu

We decided to go for a hike to the Diamond Head.  From our Waikiki hotel, we took the public bus (fare is USD2.50). Commute time is about 15-20 minutes.

Since we just commuted, we had to get off the highway and start hiking up to the entrance of the park.  Along the way, so we don’t get overwhelmed by the hike,  we just stopped every now and then to appreciate the overlooking view.  Haha…

We also had to walk inside a tunnel (but if you’re on a bus tour, the bus will take you up to the park’s entrance).  Here’s inside the tunnel.

 

And finally, we reached the park entrance.  Whew!

Here are some trail notes to keep in mind before formally starting the hike.

The trail starts with a concrete path and just slightly uphill.  Later on, it becomes rocky and winding (better to wear rubber shoes) ...

Along the way, don’t forget to take scenic shots on designated lookouts.

Just before you reach the viewing deck, you’ll have to go inside a tunnel.

Then after a few more flights of stairs, you’ll finally reach the end of the Trail.  Breathtaking view at the top of the Diamond Head.  Overlooking Waikiki and Honolulu.  Postcard-perfect.

 

And here’s the view of Diamond Head from the Lookout. 

The hike is 2.6kms(two-way) and the official tour brochure estimates that it’ll take you 1.5 to 2 hrs for the round-trip hike. In our case, it took us 2.5 hours – leisure pace!  Haha…

After the hike, you may want to order a refreshing Shave Ice from the Magoo’s Trailer.

Some last tips – if you want to do the hike on your own, it’s easy to commute.  Total cost is USD6 – USD2.50 bus fare for each way plus USD1 entrance fee to Diamond Head.   The downside is you have to start hiking from the highway. The alternative is to take organized tours and tour prices start from USD25.  The tour bus will bring you up to the park entrance.

The last time allowed to start to hike is 4:30pm but if your pace is like ours, don’t even think about hiking anymore because the tunnel gates close at 6pm and they re-open at 6am the next day.   To make sure you don’t get locked in, just hike early in the day. :)