Diamond Head Hike + Diamond Head Luau @ the Aquarium

[whoop95]

I am considering buying the combo package from visit diamondhead.org
It includes State of Hawaii Diamond Head Audio Hiking Tour & Ear Buds, T-Shirt, Hike Certificate, Tote Bag, & Souvenir Tag. Hike times start: 7:30am, 10:30am and (Sat & Sun 1:30pm). Check in for the luau is at 4:45PM. Admission to the Waikiki Aquarium Is included (during luau hours). Once you finish the hike, what do you do until it is time to check in for the luau? Does this sound like a good package or should I just do the hike?

 

[cgattis]

Not sure when you'll be there, but we were there and June and were disgustingly sweaty by the time we got done. However, if you are staying in Waikiki, you'd have plenty of time to go back and shower before the luau. Or if you go at a cool time of year and aren't gross LOL, you could go down to Waikiki Beach or do some shopping downtown (and get some malasadas) in that in between time.

 

[whoop95]

We will be there in June. I’m sure that we will be sweaty from the hike. We will be staying at Aulani, so I doubt that I would want the package deal with luau. Most likely we will do hike only. Thanks for your response.

 

[cgattis]

If you enjoy snorkeling, it was a good combo for us to do Hanauma Bay after Diamond Head. Koko Marina has some good food options near HB too.

 

[whoop95]

If you enjoy snorkeling, it was a good combo for us to do Hanauma Bay after Diamond Head. Koko Marina has some good food options near HB too.

If you enjoy snorkeling, it was a good combo for us to do Hanauma Bay after Diamond Head. Koko Marina has some good food options near HB too.

We are definitely doing HB too. Can you recommend some food options at Koko Marina?

 

[cgattis]

We are definitely doing HB too. Can you recommend some food options at Koko Marina?

There is a Teddy's burgers there; quick serve but really large and tasty burgers. We really enjoyed them--had mine with pineapple! And I'm a big Kona beer fan, so I was really looking forward to visiting the Kona brewery in Kona. To my surprise, they have a restaurant at Koko Marina too, and we found the food and atmosphere even better than the Kona location. There were a few other options there as well, but those are the two we tried and enjoyed. Kids also got super fresh smoothies at Jamba Juice but that's not exactly local LOL

 

[cgattis]

One other note. Most recommendations are to do both Diamond Head and HB early in the day. That wasn't going to work for us, so we did DH first to avoid the hottest part of the day. If you get to the kiosk and they tell you the parking lot is full, ASK if you can get in the waiting line if they don't offer! (Otherwise you have to go back and park outside the crater and walk much farther.)

Another DIS'er had noted that after lunch, parking spots tended to open up at HB as early-goers left. We arrived around 1:00 and found exactly that; we parked right at the front door! Hope this helps!!

 

[whoop95]

One other note. Most recommendations are to do both Diamond Head and HB early in the day. That wasn't going to work for us, so we did DH first to avoid the hottest part of the day. If you get to the kiosk and they tell you the parking lot is full, ASK if you can get in the waiting line if they don't offer! (Otherwise you have to go back and park outside the crater and walk much farther.)

Another DIS'er had noted that after lunch, parking spots tended to open up at HB as early-goers left. We arrived around 1:00 and found exactly that; we parked right at the front door! Hope this helps!!

Thanks. I appreciate the tips. Especially about parking at Diamond Head. I would not have known about waiting for a parking spot.

 

[TagsMissy]

Thanks. I appreciate the tips. Especially about parking at Diamond Head. I would not have known about waiting for a parking spot.

When we were there in Sept we automatically got placed in the waiting lane... 2 cars ahead of us. I think we waited all of 5 minutes before we were waved through to our parking spot.

 

[cgattis]

When we were there in Sept we automatically got placed in the waiting lane... 2 cars ahead of us. I think we waited all of 5 minutes before we were waved through to our parking spot.

We didn't get offered, just told to turn around. But thanks to a DISer, I knew there was a waiting lane and asked. I love getting little awesome little tidbits of info like that here!!