One of the activities we wanted to do while in Hawaii was climb the Diamond Head crater. This is a moderate 1.6 mile roundtrip hike up to the top of Diamond Head where you are welcomed with the most beautiful views of Waikiki and beyond. It is suitable for all ages – we had a group of ten between the ages of five and 74 and everyone was just fine! Hiking Diamond Head with kids was fun and rewarding!
As of May 2022, Diamond Head requires reservations for parking and for entry. We picked the earliest time slot, 6:00-8:00am and got there around 6:15. Because of the time change we were still waking up pretty early and because it was August we wanted to beat the heat and the crowds, which we did!
The path is well maintained and paved in some areas. It is uphill the whole way and has sets of stairs at different points throughout the journey. The kids had a really good time hiking up the crater together, despite some normal complaints along the way. It probably took our group about 45 minutes to climb it. But when we got to the top we were met with the most incredible views of the ocean and Waikiki. There are several viewpoints to look out onto, some with steep steps, but all were accessible. While we were there you could feel it starting to get crowded. We admired the view, took our pictures, and headed back down! This was much faster!
Waikiki
After a stop at the bathrooms at the bottom, we drove into Waikiki for some breakfast along the water. We ate outside and felt the nice breeze from the ocean. Filling our bellies with some local grub and relaxing along the water was exactly what we needed after our hike.
Later on, we drove back to the Aulani Disney Resort and spent the rest of the day playing in the pool and lounging at the beach. We had such a great time hiking Diamond Head with kids!