Best Photography Spots in Honolulu: 12 Locations With GPS

Updated October 2026

~14 min read

Honolulu is one of the most photogenic destinations for serious travel photographers. This field guide covers 12 GPS-tagged vantage points, camera settings optimized for each location, gear recommendations, and the logistics photographers actually need — transit, timing, permits, and seasonal light conditions. Whether you have a long weekend or a one-day layover, use this guide to come home with portfolio-quality frames.

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Why Honolulu rewards photographers

Honolulu concentrates an exceptional range of photographic subjects within a compact, walkable geography. The combination of urban architecture, natural light patterns, and cultural street life creates a city that rewards photographers who move slowly and look carefully. The 12 vantage points in this guide represent the highest-yield locations — places where composition, light, and accessibility converge into frames worth keeping.

The photographers who produce the best work here arrive with a specific shot list (use the table below), plan around the golden and blue hours, and then walk far enough to find the second-best angle — the one without the tour bus in the frame. Bring fewer lenses than you think and walk farther than you planned.

For Honolulu, the editing approach that works is one that respects the city’s natural color palette. Push contrast and lift shadows — don’t crush the blacks into oblivion. Shoot RAW so you have the dynamic range to handle the bright skies and dark shadows that characterize this latitude at golden hour.

12 photography spots with GPS coordinates

The table below lists all 12 vantage points with GPS coordinates, recommended focal length, and a brief composition note. Pin these on Google Maps or import them into Gaia GPS before you leave home — cell coverage is spotty in many of the best spots.

Detailed vantage point guide for Honolulu

Each vantage point below includes a detailed composition guide, the best time of day and year, transit notes, and the specific technical challenges you will encounter at each location. Read this section before you arrive so you can solve problems before you are standing in fading light with the wrong lens mounted.

1. Diamond Head Crater Summit

GPS: 21.256500, -157.805200, Focal Length: 16–35mm

Panoramic views of Honolulu and Waikiki; sunrise hike recommended. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

2. Lanikai Beach

GPS: 21.393520, -157.714720, Focal Length: 24–70mm

Twin Mokulua islands and turquoise water; best at sunrise. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

3. Nuuanu Pali Lookout

GPS: 21.365090, -157.797290, Focal Length: 16–35mm

Dramatic cliffs and windward Oahu coastline; afternoon clouds. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

4. Waimea Bay, North Shore

GPS: 21.642210, -158.066360, Focal Length: 70–200mm

Big wave surf photography November–February; calm turquoise summer. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

5. Manoa Falls

GPS: 21.331000, -157.800350, Focal Length: 24–70mm

Lush rainforest waterfall; soft diffuse light on overcast days. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

6. Waikiki Beach at Blue Hour

GPS: 21.276880, -157.829050, Focal Length: 24–70mm

Diamond Head, high-rises, outrigger canoes; blue-hour magic. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

7. Magic Island / Ala Moana

GPS: 21.287360, -157.845670, Focal Length: 16–35mm

Sunsets behind the Waianae Range; city glow at dusk. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

8. Byodo-In Temple

GPS: 21.432680, -157.837510, Focal Length: 24–70mm

Japanese Buddhist temple in Valley of Temples; reflection pond. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

9. Makapu’u Point Lookout

GPS: 21.310460, -157.654360, Focal Length: 70–200mm

Dramatic sea cliffs, Rabbit Island, humpback whales in winter. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

10. Punchbowl Crater National Cemetery

GPS: 21.312400, -157.843490, Focal Length: 24–70mm

National cemetery on volcanic crater; American flags at dawn. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

11. Kailua Beach Park

GPS: 21.394960, -157.732710, Focal Length: 24–70mm

Perfect turquoise water and white sand; kitesurfers in afternoon. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

12. North Shore Sunset Beach

GPS: 21.661520, -158.045740, Focal Length: 16–35mm

Legendary big-wave spot with vivid tropical sunsets. For best results, arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to claim your position before light moves. Blue hour — roughly 30 minutes after sunset — delivers different but equally compelling tones for this location.

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Camera settings cheat sheet for Honolulu

Settings vary by scenario. Use this as a starting point and bracket exposures in challenging light:

Lens and gear recommendations for Honolulu

The essential kit for Honolulu photography covers three focal ranges: wide (16–35mm or equivalent) for architecture and sweeping landscapes, standard zoom (24–70mm f/2.8) as the workhorse for 80% of shots, and telephoto (70–200mm) for compressed skylines, wildlife, and isolating architectural details from distance.

For mirrorless shooters: a single body with a 24–70mm f/2.8 plus a 35mm or 50mm f/1.8 prime is a viable travel kit. Add a 16–35mm for the wide-angle moments and a 70–200mm for compression. Most photographers bring two bodies to avoid lens changes in challenging conditions.

Essential accessories: a sturdy travel tripod (carbon fiber under 1.5kg), a circular polarizing filter for sky contrast and water management, a 6-stop and 10-stop ND filter for long exposures, extra batteries (cold weather or long shooting days drain fast), and enough memory cards to shoot RAW all day without worrying about space.

Best months and light conditions for Honolulu

Spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) offer the best combination of moderate temperatures, photogenic skies, and lower crowd density at the main vantage points. Summer delivers the longest golden hours but also peak tourist traffic and, in many cities, haze that degrades long telephoto shots. Winter can produce dramatic low-angle light and clear air — particularly valuable for skyline photography — but requires planning around shorter days and colder conditions.

Day-to-day, plan your shooting schedule around golden hour (first and last hour of daylight) and blue hour (30 minutes after sunset). Midday sun in most urban environments creates harsh, unflattering light for architecture and street photography. Use the midday hours for scouting evening compositions, eating, and transit between vantage points. The four-hour midday block is planning time, not capture time.

Check weather forecasts for partial cloud cover — a single layer of clouds at sunset can transform the sky into a canvas and multiply the quality of any exterior shot. Completely overcast days are excellent for waterfall, forest, and interior photography where diffuse light eliminates harsh contrast.

Getting around Honolulu for photographers

Oahu’s vantage points ring the island, so a rental car is the practical default: Waikiki to the North Shore runs about an hour, and the Pali Lookout, Lanikai, and Makapu’u all sit beyond useful bus range. Waikiki itself is walkable, and TheBus covers most of the island for a few dollars when time is flexible – but sunrise missions want a car. Parking at the popular lookouts and beach parks fills by mid-morning on weekends.

The trade winds decide comfort and stability: steady northeast trades at 10-25 mph keep the air clear but demand a firm tripod stance on exposed lookouts. The leeward (Waikiki) side stays drier and clearer; the windward side gets the passing showers that make the waterfalls and the rainbows, often within the same hour. Afternoon cloud build-up over the Ko’olau range is normal – shoot windward sunrises and leeward sunsets.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best time of day to photograph in Honolulu?

The golden hour (first hour after sunrise, last hour before sunset) and blue hour (30 minutes after sunset) deliver the best light in Honolulu. Midday sun is harsh and produces flat, overexposed results. Plan your shooting schedule around the light, not the convenience of sleeping in.

Do I need a permit to photograph in Honolulu?

Personal and editorial photography on public property in Honolulu generally requires no permit. Commercial photography — where a tripod is used for commercial purposes in a public park, or photography takes place on private property — may require a permit. Check with local parks departments and venues before commercial shoots. Drone photography requires FAA Part 107 certification and may be restricted in certain zones near airports.

What gear should I bring to Honolulu?

A versatile zoom lens (24–70mm f/2.8 or equivalent) covers 80% of Honolulu photography. Add a wide-angle (16–35mm) for architectural and landscape work and a telephoto (70–200mm) for compressed city skylines and wildlife. A sturdy travel tripod is essential for blue-hour and night photography. Pack a polarizing filter to manage reflections and deepen sky contrast, and an ND filter (6-stop or 10-stop) for long-exposure water and crowd shots.

What camera settings work best for city photography in Honolulu?

During golden hour: ISO 100–400, f/8–f/11 for sharpness, 1/125–1/500s shutter speed. At blue hour and night: ISO 800–3200, f/5.6–f/8, use a tripod and shoot 2–30 second exposures for light trails and long exposures. Shoot RAW files in all conditions — the extra dynamic range rescues highlights and shadows that JPEG cannot recover.

When is the best season to visit Honolulu for photography?

Spring and fall offer the best combination of comfortable temperatures, lower tourist density, dramatic skies, and ideal light angles. Summer delivers long days with extended golden hours but peak crowds. Winter can offer dramatic weather and clear air, with lower humidity removing haze from long telephoto shots. Research any unique seasonal events – the winter North Shore surf season from November through February when Waimea and Sunset Beach show their real power, humpback whale season from December through April, and the drier summer months when water clarity peaks – that create once-a-year photographic opportunities in Honolulu.