Comprehensive Guide to Tantalus Lookout Honolulu 2024

Hawaii is known for its natural beauty and tropical allure. Honolulu is no exception. Honolulu is known for its many natural landmarks and points of interest. One of these is Tantalus Lookout which offers a breathtaking view of nature and the ocean like none other. It’s time to describe what to expect when you travel to Tantalus Lookout Honolulu, the best time of year and day to go there, what you can do there, tours you can take there, and more. So, enjoy the read!

About Tantalus Lookout in Honolulu

Tantalus Lookout Honolulu
Waikiki and Honolulu from Tantalus Overlook on Oahu

Tantalus Lookout Honolulu is for you if you love a panoramic view of a forested valley. Tantalus Lookout is in Mount Tantalus, about four miles north of Waikiki. You’ll get an amazing and picture-worthy view. You’ll be able to see the heavily forested Puu Ualakaa State Park, the Diamond Head Crater, and all of Waikiki island. You can hike up to it if you’re fit and up for an adventurous hike.

However, the real fun comes from driving up to it on a long and challenging road! Indeed, you can hike to the Lookout shortly before sunset and get there in time for a romantic evening for two while you watch the sunset on Mount Tantalus. The views and scenery are breathtaking. You’ll want to take pictures and selfies, which can be posted on social media platforms.

You’ll have to travel 1084 feet to get there, but once you get there, you can explore the innards of Diamond Head Crater. Of course, you can always enjoy the niceties that nature has to offer as well.

Getting to Tantalus Lookout

Tantalus Lookout is a summit that’s located in Oahu. You’ll see the greenery that the Hawaiian Islands are famous for. You’ll also see lots of rich and healthy wildlife. All of this makes for great stops for many photo opportunities while you’re on your way to a great and memorable adventure. Of course, you can always take a taxi or rideshare to get to Tantalus Lookout Honolulu if you don’t want to pay the steeper price to rent a car.

If you stay at a lodge or hotel in Waikiki, you’ll find that it’s only a 15-minute drive there. Expect to spend about 15 US dollars if you’re going to take a taxi, Uber, Lyft or Holoholo. You’ll pay just a little more for a taxi. 

One warning, you have to go through Manoa to get to the Lookout, and those roads are steep, winding, and not for the faint-hearted. If you drive there, rent a sturdier vehicle with 4WD that can easily handle more challenging roads.

You may want to take a local rideshare there if you’re not experienced with driving on steep mountain roads with many obstacles. If you decide to drive you must be advised that while parking at the Lookout is free, it’s not unlimited. You may want to plan on arriving there early in the morning so you don’t run out of parking spaces. 

The Best Time to Go to Tantalus Lookout Honolulu

Tantalus Lookout is in a park that opens at 7 in the morning until 7:45 at night – that’s the summer schedule. The part opens simultaneously during winter but closes an hour earlier. Don’t worry; you’re not doomed if you get caught up taking pictures of the sun setting on the Lookout that you forget about time. The security will give you a break and let you out after the park officially closes. Plan on visiting the Lookout between December to April and June to August.

What is Tantalus Lookout Known For?

The Tantalus Lookout Honolulu gets a lot of rain. Hawaii generally does because of its location. So, you can catch great views of a wonderful rainbow if you go to the Lookout right after it’s been raining. However, Tantalus Lookout doesn’t have a reputation for constantly hot weather.

You are advised to bring a jacket with you since the weather has been known to turn cold and windy suddenly and without notice. Once you park or are dropped off in the parking lot, you’ll have some walking. Fortunately, the walkway is paved, smooth, and level.

Walking on it will be a piece of cake. You’ll be glad you took the time to walk on the walkway since the scenery when you travel further into the Lookout is breathtaking! You’ll walk down a grassy slope. You can hear its echoes there, and the weather and climate are always in the Goldilocks Zone. Not too hot or cold!

You may want to wear a parka and thicker clothes since the slope tends to be extremely windy most of the time. The barometer tends to drop quickly and dramatically after sunset, so keep that in mind if you plan to stay after the sun sets.

You can sit on the slope near dusk and admire the sun setting. The experience is like none other, and you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime. The panoramic view is a natural map since it helps you understand where everything on Waikiki Island is much better. You will also get wonderful views of Honolulu. For example, you can see Oahu’s southern shores, Pearl Harbor, Manoa Valley, and Diamond Head from the Lookout. 

Tantalus Lookout Amenities

You’ll enjoy the following amenities at the Lookout:

● Picnic tables
● Trash cans
● Water fountains
● Bathrooms

What You Can do at Tantalus Lookout

Tantalus Lookout has many activities you can participate in to make your trip there amazing and memorable.

Take a hike – Tantalus Lookout Honolulu has an Arboretum Trail, which you can hike. The trail stretches for almost a third of a mile. It’s so short that you’ll be back at the place where you started in no more than 15 minutes. The hike is semi-tropical, so you’ll see many trees in tropical and semi-tropical jungles.

The Arboretum Trail – this 0.3-mile loop only takes a few minutes to complete, but you must prepare for mosquitoes aplenty. It is recommended to wear long pants and sleeves, especially if you linger in the tree tunnel to take photos. Additionally, take some Off or another brand of mosquito repellent. Doing so will make your trip much more enjoyable.

Take lots of selfies and photos – the Lookout is brimming with natural beauty, so you can take advantage of plenty of selfies and photo apps. You’ll get some beautiful pictures that will make your friends and everyone you show green with envy!

Admire the views – Tantalus Lookout is one of your go-to places if you’re looking for a place with lots of wonderful natural beauty. There’s lots of natural beauty that you can take photos of. Some of the wildlife is also unique to Waikiki Island.

Go rainbow spotting – the Overlook is known for its one-of-a-kind and quality rainbows. If you’re like most people and love seeing rainbows in real life or pictures, this is the place for you. Given how much it rains on Waikiki Island, you’ll have some opportunities to view and take photos of great rainbows.

Guided Tours at Tantalus Lookout

Honolulu Sea-Cliff with Sunset Photo Adventure is a must. A knowledable tour guide will take you and a group of people to Tantalus Lookout. You’ll get to see the real beauty of the place during sunset. The guide will also advise you as to how to take professional pictures of the sun setting. 

You’ll also get to see some of the wonderful, beautiful, and historical landmarks that have put Oahu on the map. The tour will allow you to see places of Oahu that only people there know about and see. The tour ends with a traditional Hawaiian lunch. 

Book early because, while people of all ages are welcome, the tours only accommodate seven people at a time. The entire tour lasts for five hours and thirty minutes. You’ll have to look online to check when the tour is available. You can make reservations through your mobile device; the tour is in English. You’ll drive throughout Oahu and Waikiki.

You’ll go to Tantalus Lookout Honolulu during the tour. The tour takes place on a tour bus. You’ll get a detailed commentary of all the places you visit, including their historical significance and why they’re important today. You’ll be picked up and dropped off at your hotel when the tour starts and ends.

You will have to pay for admission to Oahu on your own. You’re also on your own for food and drinks. You must call (808) 679-1938 at least 24 hours before the tour starts to confirm your seat. While you can bring strollers on tour, you’re out of luck if you get by using a wheelchair. You can bring a service animal on the bus if you’re blind, deaf, or physically limited in other ways.

The tour is by bus stations, so you can take your transportation back to your hotel if you want to. You can’t bring a car seat on the bus, so if your kid is under age 2, they will have to sit on your lap. You can inquire about accessibility accommodations. Call 855-275-5071 and refer to the code 18030P12 when you talk to a rep.

Other things to know:

You should dress for sweltry tropical weather. Most people who don’t have severe physical limitations can go on the tour. Your tour may be canceled if enough people don’t book with you. Should that occur, you’ll be informed and fully refunded the $94.99 you paid for the tour well in advance.
 
Canceling the Tour

You’ll need to give 24 hours advance notice if you want to cancel the tour for any reason.
 
 What You’ll See

○    Tantalus Lookout Honolulu – you’ll stop there for 20 minutes to enjoy the scenery and use the facilities if necessary.
○    Makapu’u Point – you’ll stop there for 20 minutes. You can take great photos or watch people glide over Makapu’u’s beautiful, calm blue waters.
○    Koko Crater Botanical Garden – you’ll stop for 20 minutes to look at the flowers and other wildlife in the garden. Note that these would make for great photo apps you can post on social media platforms. You can also take wonderful pictures of the leaves that fall throughout the year and the many interesting and intricate patterns they make when falling to the ground.
○    Halona Blowhole – the stop lasts for 20 minutes and allows you to see the beauty of the cliffs and the calm and majestic blue waters.
○    Fatboy’s Hawaii Kai – you’ll get 45 minutes to enjoy the traditional Hawaiian food that makes Hawaii famous.
○    China Walls – people say that what they love about this place is that you can see a great sunset. The magic about this place is that it rests on an inactive volcano. You’ll get 45 minutes to enjoy this spectacular place.

Of course, you can always sign up for other tours that include Tantalus Lookout in their itineraries.

These include:

Beautiful Colors of Hawaii Photo Tour – the price of admission is $94.99/adult
Honolulu Creators Tour for Social Media – the price of admission is $94.99/adult
Private South East Shore Half-Day Tour with Free Photo Session – a professional photographer takes photos – the price of admission is $199.48/adult. Personalized Private Tour of Oahu – the price of admission is $599.99/group. There are a maximum of 5 people per group, and each group member shares the total tour cost. 

Tantalus Lookout Honolulu summary

Tantalus Lookout is an example of nature showcasing its best and finest aspects of itself. Visit Waikiki Island and go to Tantalus Lookout. You’ll have a unique opportunity to experience natural beauty and wildlife that will make for one of the most memorable vacations of your life! So what are you waiting for? Hop online and book a tour of Tantalus Lookout Honolulu now. You’ll be glad you did!