Neighborhood 48H guide
Kāhala: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
A quiet resort beach past Diamond Head, dolphins in the lagoon and dinner at Alan Wong’s.
Kāhala is an upscale residential neighborhood on the far side of Diamond Head, with mansions along Kāhala Avenue, quiet beaches, and The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, home since 2026 to the revived Alan Wong’s.
Photo gallery
Photo: Barek · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Nyung123 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
A calm beach and resort, with Waikīkī a short drive away.
Who it's for: Couples and families who want quiet and luxury, 10–15 minutes from Waikīkī.
Pros
- Quiet, uncrowded beach
- One standout resort
- Close to Diamond Head and Kaimukī
Cons
- You’ll want a car or rides
- One hotel
- Little nightlife
48H in Kāhala
Sunrise, the beach, a big dinner.
06:30 – Sunrise on the beach
Kāhala faces east-southeast.
10:00 – Waiʻalae Beach Park
Calm local beach just west of the resort.
19:00 – Alan Wong’s
Hawaii regional cuisine, reopened at the Kāhala in 2026. Book ahead.
12:00 – Day 2: The Pig & The Lady in Kaimukī
Vietnamese-inspired lunch, 10 minutes away (moved from Chinatown in 2025).
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
Alan Wong’s
5000 Kāhala Ave
The famous Hawaii regional restaurant, revived at the Kāhala in 2026 (replacing Hoku’s).
Official site / map →Eat
The Pig & The Lady
3650 Waiʻalae Ave
Vietnamese-inspired restaurant, now in Kaimukī.
Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Waiʻalae Beach Park
4925 Kāhala Ave
Small, calm local beach. No lifeguard.
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
The Kāhala Hotel & Resort
5000 Kāhala Ave
Beachfront resort with a dolphin lagoon, next to the Waiʻalae golf course.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Kāhala.
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 Kāhala 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.
- Ala Moana / Kakaʻako — Locals’ beach at Ala Moana, sunset on Magic Island and Kakaʻako’s murals next door.
- Downtown / Chinatown — ʻIolani Palace, Chinatown’s lei stands and markets, and dinner at Fête.
- 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.