How to Hike Diamond Head Crater (Oahu): All You Need to Know!

Last Updated: December 20, 2023 //  by Ashley Smith Leave a Comment

When visiting Oahu, the Diamond Head hike is one of the most popular activities on the island, mostly because Diamond Head Crater is one of the most recognizable Hawaiian icons. Anyone who’s ever seen a photo of Honolulu or Waikiki Beach has laid eyes on this beauty, whether they knew that’s what they were looking at or not. It’s Oahu’s 3rd most-visited attraction (just after Pearl Harbor and the beaches of the North Shore).

The Diamond Head hike isn’t the easiest hike on Oahu, but it’s certainly one of the most worthwhile. The views you get from the top are simply unmatched, and it’s just enough of a challenge to make you feel like you earned them.

I’ve hiked to the top of Diamond Head Crater on each of my last three visits to Oahu—in 2007, 2013, and most recently in August 2023. This guide has all you need to know to hike Diamond Head and how to get the most out of your time here.

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“Hike Diamond Head Crater” is one of the top things on my Oahu Bucket List. Get the full list in that link and get the free printable version here:

The Diamond Head hike is a moderately challenging trail that begins down in Diamond Head State Monument and zig-zags its way up to the summit of Diamond Head Crater. It’s not very technical as far as hikes go, but there are some pretty steep sections and uneven paths that add a bit of challenge. From the top you’ll be rewarded with absolutely stunning views of Waikiki Beach and beyond.

The native Hawaiian name for Diamond Head Crater is Lē’ahi–a reference to the fact that it resembles an ahi tuna’s dorsal fin. British explorers renamed it (because of course they did) in the late 1700s. They thought they’d discovered diamonds on the slopes of the crater, but what they found were really just calcite crystals.

The Diamond Head hike is part of the 475-acre Diamond Head State Monument, a Hawaii State Park. Inside the crater, where the hike begins, you’ll also find an “Interpretive Kiosk” (an information booth), a small gift shop area, and some drink vending machines.

There are lots of places to picnic and hang out, recover from your hike, and learn about the history of the crater. There are also restrooms down here at the base of the crater.

You can also purchase the official State of Hawaii Diamond Head State Monument narrated and self-guided audio tour to listen to on the way up ($4). It comes in seven languages and includes a free color map and an “I hiked Diamond Head” certificate. More information here.

Diamond Head Crater itself dates back to about 300,000 years ago when it was formed by ash accumulation after a single eruption event. (Look up “tuft cones” to learn more about that.) The Diamond Head hiking trail dates back to 1908 when the U.S. military began constructing coastal defense batteries on the crater. (They needed a route for their mules to haul materials to the top.)

You can still see many of these military installations today as part of the Fort Ruger Historic District, or at least what’s left of them. You can see (and go inside) many of the abandoned pillboxes and bunkers from the World War I era. (And you’ll want to for the shade!) Though Diamond Head Crater was outfitted to defend the island if need be, the ‘be’ was never actually needed and no artillery was ever fired from here.

However, Diamond Head is still home to some military stations even today—Battery 407 (a National Guard operations center), the Birkhimer Tunnel (mostly underground), and HI-EMA, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Just before World War II, the Kahala Tunnel was constructed as a more prominent entrance into the crater. This is the tunnel you’ll drive through to hike Diamond Head today. Lē’ahi/Diamond Head was designated a U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1968. It became a Hawaii State Park in 1975 and has been open to the public ever since.

Diamond Head is just one of the awesome WWII hikes on Oahu. Check out that link for a list of other great options for pillboxes, plane wreckage, and more.

Diamond Head Crater is prominently located on Oahu’s southern edge on its own little peninsula. It lies just to the east of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki Beach. The parking area for the Diamond Head hike is about a…

The map below highlights all the important spots related to hiking Diamond Head—where to park, where to pee, where to find the trailhead, and a few other points of interest.

To save this map: Click on the star ⭑ next to the map title. To use this map: Open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved” at the bottom, then click on “Maps.”

Unlike most other awesome Oahu hikes, the Diamond Head hike requires a little bit of advance preparation and costs a little bit of money. If you wish to hike Diamond Head, you must make reservations for both entry and parking.

Reservations to hike Diamond Head are only required for non-residents. Hawaii residents do not need to make Diamond Head reservations. (But visitors coming to hike with residents still do.)

You can make reservations for the Diamond Head hike on this page. They can be made up to 30 days in advance and, since this is one of the most popular things to do on Oahu, the sooner you make them, the better chance you’ll have of getting a good time slot. Diamond Head reservations do sell out.

Each reservation consists of a 2-hour time slot. They require you to enter and park within the first 30 minutes of your reserved time, and exit the parking lot by the end time on your reservation.

They’re not hunting you down on the mountain and chasing you out of the park or anything, so it’s mostly just the honor system here. (But do try to adhere to the times so people with later reservations have a place to park.) I actually showed up 20 minutes before my start time and they let me through without issue.

Pro tip: You can get some amazing views of Diamond Head from the Tantalus Lookout. This relatively unknown spot in the Pu’u ‘Ualaka’a State Wayside is a total hidden gem. You can drive right up to the top and walk to the viewing platform.

To hike Diamond Head you’ll need a reservation for both park entry and parking. Diamond Head park reservations cost $5 per person; parking costs $10 per car. There’s also a small % processing fee for reserving your tickets.

Hawaii residents and children under 3 are free and don’t need a reservation. Hawaii residents can also park for free. You must bring your ID to prove your residency.

Diamond Head State Monument is open daily from 6:00am – 6:00pm. The first time slot for entry/parking reservations is 6:00am – 8:00am and the last one of the day is 4:00pm – 6:00pm. The gates close at 6:00pm, so this is one time slot you want to make sure you adhere to.

Diamond Head State Monument is closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

To hike Diamond Head you can (and should) park in the designated Diamond Head State Monument parking lot. This lot is inside the crater just a short walk from the Visitor Center and trailhead. It costs $10/car to park here and requires a reservation. (See the section above for details.)

To get to the Diamond Head parking area, you can put “Diamond Head Parking Lot” into both Waze and Google Maps. That will (ahem, should) take you directly to the parking lot inside the crater where you’re supposed to be.

Otherwise, save the above Google map to your phone and simply click on the parking lot as your destination and follow the directions.

However, one thing I see a lot of during my Diamond Head hikes is people parking on the outside of the crater, for free, and walking to the trailhead from there. On Google Maps you’ll see something labeled “Diamond Head Tunnel Parking” between the “Kahala Lookout” and “Diamond Head Tunnel.”

There are only 11 parking spots here (1 accessible) and they’re technically for the nearby Kahala Lookout. But still, you’ll always see people parking here and then walking through the tunnel to get to the Diamond Head hike. If they can snag one of the few spots.

To each his own I guess but just know this adds to your hike an extra half mile each way. That may not sound like much, but just wait until you feel that hot sun blazing down on you. Plus, I don’t mind paying to park since I know my fees are what keep awesome parks like this running.

Besides that, this free lot is an unsecured parking lot where there’s a higher chance of theft. I personally haven’t experienced any kind of crime during my Oahu visits, but you’ll see signs here (and at all of the hikes actually) about the high chance of theft from vehicles at hiking trailheads. So just consider yourself warned.

Finding the trailhead for the Diamond Head hike really couldn’t be easier. From the parking area, follow the path that runs to the left of the Visitor Center, next to the Diamond Head State Monument sign. Though the “trailhead” is officially up a little further, this is really the start of the hike. Continue on this path and eventually you’ll end up at the summit of Diamond Head Crater.

Given both its popularity and its proximity to tourist-central Waikiki, it makes sense that you might want to hike Diamond Head and not have your own rental car. If that’s the case, you can (and should) still hike Diamond Head! Here are a few different options for hiking Diamond Head without a car:

Check out these highly-rated Oahu tour options that include a Diamond Head hike and let someone else do all the planning for you. All the options listed below also include Diamond Head park entry fees and reservations.

Diamond Head Hiking and Oahu Island Experience feat. North Shore – This full day tour of Oahu starts with a self-guided Diamond Head hike and includes tons of other great Oahu sites and activities. Check out all the details of this 5-star tour in the link above.

Half-Day Hiking Tour to Diamond Head and Makapu’u Lighthouse – This 5-hour tour includes all transportation and self-guided hikes of both Diamond Head Crater and the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail (another favorite of mine). This tour has excellent reviews and the pickups and drop-offs are apparently super painless.

Diamond Head Bike to Hike and Local Lunch – This super popular 4-hour tour starts with a beautiful bike tour from Waikiki to Diamond Head where you’ll hike to the top, enjoy lunch down in the crater, then hop back on your bike. Or maybe opt for this e-bike version.

Oahu GoCity Pass – This all-inclusive sightseeing pass includes free shuttle pickup and drop off so you can hike Diamond Head on your own. It also includes all park entry fees and reservations. (It also saves you tons of money on all the most popular things to do on Oahu! Just saying…)

Waikiki Trolley Diamond Head Shuttle – This popular hop-on/hop-off trolley takes you to Diamond Head from convenient stops around Waikiki. (You must book your own Diamond Head hike reservations though.)

TheBus is Oahu’s public bus system and there’s a bus stop just sort of outside the entrance to Diamond Head State Monument. (You’ll still have to walk a little bit.)

The cost to ride the bus is $3 for a single ride and you can pay on the bus when you board. On their Plan Your Trip page you can input your starting point and destination (Diamond Head State Monument) and it’ll show you the times available and which buses you can take.

If you’d prefer to simply take a taxi to Diamond Head, you can do that too. You can either call one on the spot or prebook one. The average meter rate for this trip is around $22 each way. Charley’s Taxi offers the same ride for a $19 flate rate. Otherwise, your hotel reception can call a cab for you.

If you really want to add some more walking to your Diamond Head hike, by all means, you can certainly do so! Diamond Head State Monument is close enough that you can walk to the trailhead from wherever you’re staying in Waikiki. Here are two routes you can take: (For the purpose of this section I’m listing the starting point as the Duke statue on Waikiki Beach.)

The inland route from Waikiki to Diamond Head is going to be the shortest and most direct walking route, but not necessarily the most interesting. This route will take you about an hour to get to the Diamond Head hike trailhead.

Start at the Duke Kahanamoku statue and walk along the beach until you reach the Honolulu Zoo. At the zoo you’ll veer left and travel around the crater on Monsarrat Avenue which eventually becomes Diamond Head Road.

From there you’ll switch over to the walking path that continues around the crater to the Kahala Lookout. Continue on through the tunnel and go straight until you dead end at the trailhead. And then you get to do the hike. Good times.

The coastal route from Waikiki to Diamond Head is going to be the more scenic route but you pay for that by walking almost an hour and a half just to get to the trailhead. But if you’ve got the time and energy, do it!

This route takes you around the southern edge of the crater along the coast. You’ll pass the Waikiki Aquarium, the Diamond Head Lighthouse, and more scenic spots until you reach the Kahala Lookout from the other direction.

Even though these alternative options exist, I still recommend renting a car when visiting Oahu—it’s really the fastest and easiest way to get around the island. (And probably even cheaper in the long run!) Check out the best rental car deals on Oahu here.

Yes, the Diamond Head hike is completely legal. In fact, being part of a state park, it’s actually encouraged. (Hello, almighty dollar!) But since this is a state park, there are a few things you’re not allowed to do here like: fly drones, smoke, possess alcohol, bring your pets, disturb the plant and animal life, and hike nude, to name a few.

The Diamond Head hike, as part of the greater Diamond Head State Monument, is managed by the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Division of State Parks. The area is well maintained and undergoes regular maintenance as required.

It has the same amenities that you’d find in other state parks:

Distance: The Diamond Head hike is almost 2 miles long roundtrip. (But potentially a little bit longer depending on where you parked.)

Time: Prepare to dedicate around 1.5 hours to hike Diamond Head. That includes spending time at the top and some of the other viewing areas too.  

From the start at the trailhead to the summit and back down it took me 1 hour and 20 minutes. I left my car in the Diamond Head parking lot at 11:50am and made it back to the Visitor Center at 1:10pm.

I hiked at a slow but steady pace and spent some time at a few viewing areas, the summit, and inside the bunker at the top. And I still finished pretty quickly. (I didn’t time myself the first two times I did this hike but I’m sure they were about the same.)

The Diamond Head hike is technically easy but moderately challenging in terms of physical and mental demand. When I say it’s technically easy, I mean it doesn’t take an expert hiker to get to the summit here—it’s mostly just walking in a straight line and climbing up stairs.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s just a walk in the [state] park either. The Diamond Head summit trail is not smooth sailing—the path is steep after you get past the paved part and filled with tripping hazards.

Even though the entire hike is fairly steep, there are a couple of incredibly steep sections including some stairways. Beyond that, this hike is hot. You’re going to be expending all this physical effort under sweltering conditions. This hike isn’t long nor does it ask a lot of you, but it’s going to feel like a struggle in many ways.  

Given the nature of the Diamond Head hike, the trail to the summit is unfortunately not ADA accessible. However, the Diamond Head State monument and Visitor Center at the bottom are, including the park area and the paved section at the beginning of the hike. The Diamond Head parking lot has 4 accessible parking spaces.

When you hike Diamond Head you’ll see loads of kids on this trail, all just absolutely smoking you on this hike. Kids are absolutely welcome on this hike and whether or not you bring them is up to you.

Children under 3 years old don’t need a reservation and can enter the park for free. However, you’ll only be able to bring a stroller on the first section of the hike that’s a concrete walkway. Once you get into the real trail part, there’s no wheeling anything here.

The summit of Diamond Head sits at an elevation of 762 feet above sea level. The elevation gain on the Diamond Head hike is 560 feet. But in just under a mile to the top, that means it’s a pretty steep trail.

Much of what you can expect from a hike can be explained by your Fitbit. Even though yours might look wildly different, here’s what the Diamond Head hike looked like for me, according to my Fitbit Versa: (only the red lines represent the hike)

The Diamond Head hike is definitely going to feel like a test of endurance. On this hike you’ll experience intense heat and humidity, very little breeze (until you reach the top, and then it’s like WHOA), and tons of other hikers. (Diamond Head sees about 3,000 visitors per day!)

And though this trail is almost fully exposed, there are a couple of places where you can find shade: inside the bunkers and inside the tunnels. But other than that, you’ll be fully exposed to the blazing sun for the entire hike.

The terrain on the Diamond Hike varies throughout the whole thing. It starts with a pretty much level concrete walkway for a bit, then turns into a rough dirt and gravel path filled with tripping hazards. There are multiple steps and stairways to climb—some metal, some concrete. There are two dark tunnels you’ll walk through as well.

The trail to the top isn’t narrow, but it isn’t exactly wide either. With so many people on the trail, you’ll definitely have to pull over quite a bit to let others pass, or beep-beep yourself to get others to move out of your way. (The popularity of trails like this one means just about everyone here is a hiking newb, so prepare for almost no trail etiquette on the Diamond Head hike.)

There are benches and ledges every so often on which to rest and most of the trail has some sort of handrail to hold onto.

The Diamond Head hike also includes some steep stairways. (Mostly because these portions of the hike are just way too steep and this is the only way up.) The first stairway you’ll come to has 74 steps that lead into a tunnel. When you come out of the tunnel you’ll have the choice of:

The stairway option is the shortest, most direct route to the summit. (Because of course it is.) The more level walking path option is the long way to the top but the one that requires the least amount of work (but you’ll still have to climb a small stairway here too). The choice is yours. I’ve done both. On my most recent visit in 2023 I turned left.

If you turn right and head up the stairs, you’ll come to another tunnel at the top. On the other side of that tunnel are—you guessed it—more stairs. This time, it’s a spiral staircase with 52 steps that lead up into the former fire control station.

If you turn left and head up the more level trail, you’ll first have to climb a relatively small stairway. From here you’ll continue up and around on a walking trail… until you hit another set of steep stairs (82 of them). You can continue past these to visit the lookout at the end, but to get to the summit you must take these stairs eventually.

Regardless of which path you take, you’ll still have to climb the 54 steps at the summit to get to the observation station / viewing platform. Yay. If you’d prefer a visual, you can see a mockup of the Diamond Head hike in their brochure here.

The summit of the Diamond Head trail rewards hikers with some of the coolest views on Oahu. From up here you can see:

Given the fact that this trail is (pretty much) fully exposed, the best time to hike Diamond Head is as early as you can. Hiking reservations open up as early as 6:00am and I would totally snag one of those if you can swing it. This hike is going to be hot and humid no matter what, but the earlier you can do it, the less unbearable it’ll be, even if only slightly.

Technically, yes, you can hike Diamond Head at sunrise. Whether or not you make it to the summit to actually see the sun rise depends on what time of year you visit.

The earliest reservation you can get for Diamond Head is 6:00am. In the winter months when the sun rises here closer to 7:00am, you’ll certainly be able to make it. But in the summer when the sunrise is closer to 6:00am, you won’t.

That being said, given Diamond Head’s location, it’s not really the most ideal sunrise hike on Oahu. From the top of Diamond Head, the sun is actually going to rise behind you, rather than right in front of you over the ocean. Exactly where the sun rises for your Diamond Head hike also depends on what time of year you visit.

If you want a great sunrise hike, check out one of these instead:

Well, yes and no. Since the last hiker needs to be out of Diamond Head State Monument by 6:00pm, you won’t actually get to see the sun set. But, if you visit in the winter months (when the sun typically sets around 6:00pm) and choose the last available reservation time (4:00pm to 6:00pm), you will sort of get to hike during the sunset period. (I’m stretching it.)

If you visit during the summer months when the sun typically sets around 7:00pm, even the last reservation of the day won’t do much for you. Instead, opt for another hike that doesn’t have such early time restrictions.

You can check annual sunrise and sunset times for Honolulu on this super handy website.

To help you have the best time on your Diamond Head hike (and on Oahu in general), here are some tips for this awesome experience:

Reservations to hike Diamond Head are limited and they do sell out. Book your reservations as soon as possible so you’ll be guaranteed a spot and be able to pick from the best times. You can make Diamond Head reservations up to 30 days in advance from this page.

This hike is one of the hottest and most brutal weather-wise (at least, in my experience), the earlier in the day you can hike Diamond Head, the better. I had to choose the noon time slot due to scheduling conflicts and it certainly felt like a hike up a volcano at high noon, lemme tell ya.

Diamond Head reservations start with 6:00am – 8:00am and end with 4:00pm – 6:00pm time slots.

Despite its popularity and the fact that they’ll let just anyone up here, this is indeed a hike and you should dress as such. That means wearing light, hiking-appropriate clothing and especially proper hiking shoes. The trail here is super rocky and uneven; you’ll want legit hiking shoes or sneakers at the very least.

You’ll be shocked by all the grandmas in old sandals and teenagers in dresses and flip-flops you’ll see on this trail. Yes, Diamond Head is one of the most popular tourist attractions on Oahu, but that doesn’t mean you can just hop off your tour bus for a quick jaunt up the spiky hill.

On this hike you should also wear: a hat of some sort, sunglasses, and sunscreen galore. If you don’t want to wear these things, at least take them with you for when you see that I’m totally right after all. What you should not wear on this hike is a dress. Besides it being just totally not great for a grueling hike, it’s windy AF at the top, so think about that.

So yeah, it’s super windy at the top of Diamond Head Crater. All around the summit you’ll see the surrounding trees and bushes are filled with hats! Some guy next to me lost his while I was there. You definitely need a hat on this hike, but just make sure to hang on to it when you’re at the top!

Because this hike is so relatively short, you don’t need to bring a lot of stuff with you. Keep your pack light to reduce the effort needed to reach the top. Keep reading for a list of the essentials.

This hike is a consistently steep climb so trying to rush is going to make it so much harder. Keep your pace slow and steady so you’ll have all the energy it takes to get and back down. Yeah, you have a 2-hour window in which to do this hike, but that’s plenty of time. Don’t let the exit time make you feel rushed; you’ll quickly exhaust yourself in this heat.

I can’t stress this enough—you need to hydrate your ass off on the Diamond Head hike. Hydrate before your hike, then drink water during your entire hike, and rehydrate afterwards. If you need more, there are water vending machines outside the restrooms at the trailhead.

When packing for your trip to Hawaii, don’t forget the following for your day hiking Diamond Head Crater:

In case you’re looking for a recap, here are some of the most frequently asked Diamond Head hiking questions (TL;DR):

Do you need a reservation to hike Diamond Head? Yes, you need a reservation for both park entry and parking. You can make reservations here.

How much does it cost to hike Diamond Head? A park reservation is $5 per person and parking is $10 per car. Hawaii residents and children under 3 are exempt from fees and reservations.

How long is the Diamond Head hike? This hike is a little less than 2 miles long round trip and takes about 1.5 hours to complete.

Is Diamond Head a difficult hike? This hike is easy from a technical standpoint but it’s quite physically demanding. That being said, even beginners can do this hike.

How many stairs are there on the Diamond Head hike? There are multiple stairways on this hike that range from 54 steps to 99 steps. There are also several spots on the hike where there are just a few steps at a time.

What is the best time of day to hike Diamond Head? Early in the morning or late in the day are the best times since these will be at least a little less hot and crowded.

Anything else you’d like to know about hiking Diamond Head? Ask your questions in the comments! Aloha and happy trails!

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