Honolulu - Pier 11 to Iolani Palace

How far is it from Pier 11 (Aloha Tower) to Iolani Palace and how safe is it to walk?

Is the Iolani Palace a worthwhile visit?

Any other suggestions for places to see in the downtown area?

How far is it from Pier 11 (Aloha Tower) to Iolani Palace and how safe is it to walk?

It's walkable - about 1/2 mile - so depending on how fast you walk 15-20 or 10 if you are a really brisk walker.

I think it's perfectly safe.

Is the Iolani Palace a worthwhile visit?

Yes - especially if you get one of the guided tours - arrive early to secure a spot. The tour will not be too long.

Any other suggestions for places to see in the downtown area?

A number of things in the immediate area: government buildings, King Kamehameha statue, Art Gallery, Kawaiahao Church, China town is s short walk (5 minutes). The Foster Botanical gardens are a longer walk (10-15 minutes).

If you are not averse to a bus ride, the Bishop Museum (excellent BTW) is about a 20-25 minute bus ride . The bus stop to catch the bus to The Bishop is quite close to the Palace at South Hotel St and Alakea (Bus #2). You can just ask the driver where to get off. The Museum is a less than 5 minute walk from the Bus Stop at School St and Kapalama. Cross school St and walk down Kapalama until you get to Berenice St (2 min) - look to your right on Bernice and you will see the museum. We did Iolani Palace and The Bishop Museum on the same day and it was perfect.

It is very safe and very walkable.

We've done it several times.

Keith

Also if you are there during the week (Mon - Fri) there is a great Honolulu Police history museum in the main Police building - walkable from the palace in 10 minutes. And in the old Honolulu Justice building is a small museum about Hawaii Under Martial Law in WWII .... Both museums are free.

The Iolani Palace has been one of my favorite places to visit for many years, and a favorite to take guests who have never been to Hawaii. It has been beautifully restored. The history of the islands and the culture comes to life on this tour. I didn't think I would like the audio tour but I really do. There are also tours with a "live" docent. If you decide to go be sure to make a reservation so that you do not arrive and there is no availability. If you haven't already, take a look at their website. Cherie

There are a number of interesting places to visit on route to Iolani Palace on foot.

https://cruiseports.ca/america/honolulu-hawaii.html

We felt perfectly safe wandering around Honolulu from the cruise port.

There are a number of interesting places to visit on route to Iolani Palace on foot.

 

https://cruiseports.ca/america/honolulu-hawaii.html

 

We felt perfectly safe wandering around Honolulu from the cruise port.

Thank you so much for posting this

How far is it from Pier 11 (Aloha Tower) to Iolani Palace and how safe is it to walk?

 

Is the Iolani Palace a worthwhile visit?

 

Any other suggestions for places to see in the downtown area?

Yes. Worthwhile. Easy walk. About 20 minutes from the pier/Aloha Tower. Very safe because most financial and government buildings around the Iolani Palace.. One of my favorite places to visit, besides the Bishop Museum. Learn how American business and US government stole Hawaiian Islands from the native Hawaiian people. Chinatown is just a few blocks away.

Enjoy.

Quite frankly I would avoid going to Chinatown now (way too many homeless there now, and open drug activity), and avoid the Library across from the Palace (due to same reasons). Even the Palace grounds around the edges is sketchy now. And please do not offer any money to any of them.

Quite frankly I would avoid going to Chinatown now (way too many homeless there now, and open drug activity), and avoid the Library across from the Palace (due to same reasons). Even the Palace grounds around the edges is sketchy now. And please do not offer any money to any of them.

Wow! How times have changed since 2 years ago when DW and I last visited Honolulu. :eek: DW and I never had an issue with homeless, aggressive panhandlers, or overt drug activity around the Palace or Chinatown in 20+ years. And, we walked around in those areas day and night without fear of our safety.

But, we did notice the Waikiki area was getting just as bad. Overt street prostitutes, sex massage parlors, displays of public drunkenness, open drug selling, street crime, and locals and tourists generally behaving badly. :eek:

So, are you suggesting that the OP pass on a visit to Iolani Palace? And, Chinatown?

Mahalo.

Wow! How times have changed since 2 years ago when DW and I last visited Honolulu. :eek: DW and I never had an issue with homeless, aggressive panhandlers, or overt drug activity around the Palace or Chinatown in 20+ years. And, we walked around in those areas day and night without fear of our safety.

But, we did notice the Waikiki area was getting just as bad. Overt street prostitutes, sex massage parlors, displays of public drunkenness, open drug selling, street crime, and locals and tourists generally behaving badly. :eek:

 

So, are you suggesting that the OP pass on a visit to Iolani Palace? And, Chinatown?

Mahalo.

Iolani Palace is OK, Chinatown is some 8 blocks away and is bad now. Hawaii has the worse homeless/vagrant problem in the US - per capita. Aggressive people all over the place now. Yes, Waikiki is getting bad again. There have been at least 3 stabbings in Chinatown recently. I used to shop there but no more. It is dirty and smells bad all the time. There are laws but most are not enforced by the police. The few shelters are full and those people do not want to go there anyway. But the Palace area - which is near the State Capital Building is OK. Just watch your belongings. Just be aware of your surroundings.

I hope that all the positive responses to this thread will be taken into consideration as well as the negative response. Re Chinatown...if anyone is there on the first Friday of a month Chinatown as a "First Friday of the Month" event which is fun. It is festive with live entertainment available. If you go on "First Friday" make dinner reservations ahead of time. There can be long waits for walk-ins at many restaurants. Cherie

I hope that all the positive responses to this thread will be taken into consideration as well as the negative response. Re Chinatown...if anyone is there on the first Friday of a month Chinatown as a "First Friday of the Month" event which is fun. It is festive with live entertainment available. If you go on "First Friday" make dinner reservations ahead of time. There can be long waits for walk-ins at many restaurants. Cherie

First Friday is indeed fun. Thousands of people are wandering the streets. Not so for the other 30 days of the month. More like sleeping in doorways, not eating in restaurants. A lot of police and guards are there on 1st Friday, not so on the other 30 days.

Just been to Honolulu about a month ago;

yes, if you go in direct line from Aloha-Tower to Iolani Palace, the area is really safe. The sketchy parts are some blocks away. Don't miss a view on the amazing parliament building, which is just minutes away.

And Aloha-Tower is as well open with a nice viewing plattform for free.

I hope that all the positive responses to this thread will be taken into consideration as well as the negative response. Re Chinatown...if anyone is there on the first Friday of a month Chinatown as a "First Friday of the Month" event which is fun. It is festive with live entertainment available. If you go on "First Friday" make dinner reservations ahead of time. There can be long waits for walk-ins at many restaurants. Cherie

If you live in Hawaii read this morning paper. Another stabbing in that area last night about 6 pm. It is a very sketchy area. Not worth going to any more (1st Friday is the only exception).

wharf rat - I live in Los Angeles and went downtown today to the flower market and several other areas for shopping. If I assumed that when there is a homeless person or assault in downtown L.A. I should not even think of going downtown I would be missing out on a lot. We walked by a couple blocks of homeless tents today and counted our blessings. I do not mean to imply that every homeless person in Honolulu/Waikiki is harmless, but to insinuate that every homeless person is a danger to you, is in my opinion, a tragic exaggeration.

I respect your opinion of Honolulu and Waikiki but mine differs a bit. When we eat in Waikiki we usually have extra food and ask our servers for boxes so that we can leave the food for those that are less fortunate. The wait staff is so nice and put in extra napkins and utensils.

And, I have read the account of the stabbing last night. It DID NOT occur in Chinatown. It occurred in Kalihi, and friends driving the victim to the hospital stopped in Chinatown and asked police for help. That is when emergency personnel in Honolulu became involved. Possibly there was another stabbing that you are referring to?

I respect you wanting to advise visitors to Honolulu and Waikiki of possible crime, but when we travel anywhere in the world we should all be vigilant and do our research of the areas we will be visiting. I wish you a Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou. Cherie

wharf rat - I live in Los Angeles and went downtown today to the flower market and several other areas for shopping. If I assumed that when there is a homeless person or assault in downtown L.A. I should not even think of going downtown I would be missing out on a lot. We walked by a couple blocks of homeless tents today and counted our blessings. I do not mean to imply that every homeless person in Honolulu/Waikiki is harmless, but to insinuate that every homeless person is a danger to you, is in my opinion, a tragic exaggeration.

 

I respect your opinion of Honolulu and Waikiki but mine differs a bit. When we eat in Waikiki we usually have extra food and ask our servers for boxes so that we can leave the food for those that are less fortunate. The wait staff is so nice and put in extra napkins and utensils.

 

And, I have read the account of the stabbing last night. It DID NOT occur in Chinatown. It occurred in Kalihi, and friends driving the victim to the hospital stopped in Chinatown and asked police for help. That is when emergency personnel in Honolulu became involved. Possibly there was another stabbing that you are referring to?

 

I respect you wanting to advise visitors to Honolulu and Waikiki of possible crime, but when we travel anywhere in the world we should all be vigilant and do our research of the areas we will be visiting. I wish you a Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou. Cherie

There are different "kinds" of homeless, those who are temporarily job less or house less but willing to get back on their feet and these people are OK to be around. And there are the chronics who have been that way for years, and even decades. Also vagrants, mentally ill people, druggies, alcoholics, and gang members such as M-13. These people are to be avoided when ever possible. Potential visitors can read the daily paper here., StarAdvertiser and see the articles in there. Big problems with many "groups" of people.

I was referring to a stabbing on Nuuanu St which is the edge of Chinatown (it is in the paper) and also the web site KITV - a local TV station. Did not know about the Kalihi one. THat is where Liliha Bakery is (coco puffs).

I think we are talking about the SAME victim. The police responded to a victim at Vineyard Blvd and Nuuanu Avenue. The police reported that this is NOT where the stabbing occurred, it occurred in Kalihi. At least this is what the newspapers and Honolulu t.v. news' stations reported. Possibly there were two victims on the night of December 20 at Nuuanu Avenue? It's important to remind tourists that they are traveling to a tropical paradise but there are problems in paradise as everywhere else, but not change the facts to scare people. Enjoy your holiday, Cherie