Diamondhead time?

[rwegoneyet]

Planning on hiking Diamondhead in the morning before boarding at 1P. Have to check out of hotel by noon. What time does it open? We are east coast people so earlier the better. Does anyone know if we can get there, hike it and retrun to our hotel by noon check out. We are staying in Waikiki. Also is there a fee?

[Spikesgirl]

We got to the park at about 7, stopped by McDonald's for breakfast and ate there. Afterwards, we had a great hike up to the top with the trail almost to ourselves. It sure was crowded on the way down though. Early is definitely the best time to hit this trail.

 

As far as I remember, there was no fee, but this was a few years ago.

[rwegoneyet]

Roughly how long did it take? the guides say 1 1/2 hours. Sound about right? We are both 50 in average shape.

[JulieMcCoy]

We just went in January, and there was no fee. Ninety minutes is a pretty good estimate...it's not really that far to hike, but due to the many stairs, most people seem to stop periodically to "take pictures" (Diamondhead code for "catch my breath").

 

How are you getting to Diamondhead? If you have a rental car, I think it probably took about 20 minutes to get there, including missing the turn and driving all the way around Diamondhead.

[rwegoneyet]

We will be taking a cab from our hotel. We are going to be at the Ilikia Hotel. Not sure how far away it is.

[CRUZBUDS]

There was a small parking fee a few years ago. We got there very early and the weren't open yet. The man at the gate said he could let us in if we had exact change. It think it was around $3 (This was 6 years ago).

 

We ate our breakfast in the dark in the car. We started our hike before sunup. We did our research and had a flashlight.

 

By the time we got to the top the sun was up and with our binoculars we could see our ship (Carnival Spirit) come into port.

 

We were back at the car by nine. Great experience. It was hot by the time we were done and we were glad we had done it early. Coming down when most people are going up, gives you a sense of superiority. Just like we were the first to climb Everst. ;)

[rwegoneyet]

Thanks for all the help, going to do the same..........hike and watch the ship come in. You made it sound great!

[karatemom2]

Here is a link with the information you need:

 

http://hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/index.cfm?park_id=15

 

There is a $5 fee for cars and $1 fee for walk-ins. The park opens at 6 a.m. and it's good to get there early while it is cooler and less crowded. We arrived about 9 a.m. and the parking lot was already really full. Be sure to bring water and wear proper shoes. The views at the top are well worth the effort. It took us about an hour and half round trip.

[karatemom2]

Just remembered this thread. Lots of helpful information here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=757243&highlight=diamond+head

[rwegoneyet]

Thanks just the info I was looking for.

[Simply Paradise]

We did Diamondhead last week. It took us 1 1/2 hour to walk. Don't give up. Worth every step. Cost was $1.00 to walk in. $5.00 parking fee. We too "THE BUS" for $2.00 with transfer for our return trip. We did Diamondhead after getting of POA. We started out from Waikiki about noon and returned about 4. You'll spend about 15-20 minutes taking pictures from the top. Take water - you'll need it. Bathrooms and drinking fountain at the bottom of the crater. It's about 1/2 mile from the main street to the park entrance. You'll walk thru a tunnel. If you are thinking about doing Pearl Harbor - THE BUS goes there too. Check with your hotel. We found them most helpful.

[ShrinkinTexas]

We want to do both, but both say get there early in the morning. We are going to spend several hours at PH. Which should we do first?

[karatemom2]

We want to do both, but both say get there early in the morning. We are going to spend several hours at PH. Which should we do first?

 

I would recommend you go to Pearl Harbor first. It gets very crowded and the lines can be long. The last boat tour is at 3 p.m., but tickets for that tour may be gone before noon depending on the volume of visitors the day you are there. Diamondhead might get crowded, but at least you know it's open until 6 p.m. and there is nothing that would limit your access. It just may be a bit warmer and more congested if you go later in the day. If you wait and go to Pearl Harbor second, there is a chance you could miss out and not even get a tour ticket.