Neighborhood 48H guide
Ala Moana / Kakaʻako: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Locals’ beach at Ala Moana, sunset on Magic Island and Kakaʻako’s murals next door.
Ala Moana is just west of Waikīkī: Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island, where locals swim and picnic, plus Ala Moana Center, Hawaii’s biggest mall. Kakaʻako, next door, is a newer district of towers, murals and food halls.
Photo gallery
Photo: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daniel Ramirez · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Calm local beach, the mall, and both Waikīkī and Kakaʻako a short walk or ride away.
Who it's for: Families, shoppers, and travelers who want a local beach and lower prices than Waikīkī.
Pros
- Calm, local beach park
- Shopping and food
- Often cheaper than Waikīkī
Cons
- Big hotel, less charm
- Busy roads
- Not on the sand
48H in Ala Moana
Local beach, murals, sunset.
08:00 – Ala Moana Beach Park
Calm, reef-protected swimming.
12:00 – Ala Moana Center
Food court, Foodland and shops.
15:00 – Kakaʻako murals
Walk the side streets around Auahi and Cooke.
18:00 – Magic Island sunset
Locals gather on the point at sunset.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Shop
Outdoors
Outdoors
Ala Moana Beach Park
1201 Ala Moana Blvd
Long, calm local beach with lawns and shade.
Photo: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Sunrise / sunset
Sunrise / sunset
Magic Island
Ala Moana Regional Park
The beach park’s peninsula, a local sunset spot.
Photo: Daniel Ramirez · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Ala Moana Hotel by Mantra
410 Atkinson Dr
Large hotel connected to Ala Moana Center, often better value than Waikīkī.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
Prince Waikiki
100 Holomoana St
Ocean-view towers on the Ala Wai Harbor, between Waikīkī and Ala Moana.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Ala Moana / Kakaʻako.
Outside resort-zoned areas such as Waikīkī and Ko Olina, Honolulu does not allow vacation rentals shorter than 30 days unless the home has a city permit. Check for one before you book a short stay.
Browse vacation rentals in Ala Moana / Kakaʻako on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Honolulu
- Central Waikīkī — The Moana Surfrider’s banyan, the Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar and the Duke statue on the sand.
- West Waikīkī / Fort DeRussy — Fort DeRussy’s lawns, sunset hula at House Without a Key and the Hilton Hawaiian Village lagoon.
- Diamond Head End / Kapahulu — The Diamond Head summit trail, Kapiʻolani Park, malasadas at Leonard’s and plate lunch at Rainbow Drive-In.
- Downtown / Chinatown — ʻIolani Palace, Chinatown’s lei stands and markets, and dinner at Fête.
- Kāhala — A quiet resort beach past Diamond Head, dolphins in the lagoon and dinner at Alan Wong’s.
- Ko Olina — Four calm crescent lagoons, Aulani for the kids and dinner at Monkeypod Kitchen.
- Kāneʻohe / Windward — Byodo-In Temple under the Koʻolau cliffs, Kāneʻohe Bay and the drive to Kualoa.