Iolani Palace

If you want to understand Hawaiian history, this is a great place to visit. ʻIolani Palace tells the story of Hawaii’s last ruling monarch and the gradual westernization and overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The palace itself is relatively small, with only a few main halls, and it’s not overly grand or extravagant. You can comfortably finish the visit in about 1.5 hours, but it gives meaningful context about how native Hawaiian governance transitioned under Western influence. It’s a quiet but powerful stop, especially if you’re interested in the political and cultural history of Hawaii.

Iolani Palace was an incredible experience! This is the only official royal residence in the United States, which served as the home of Hawai’i’s last monarchs. We enjoyed learning about its deep culture and rich history. We bought tickets in advance, but you may also be able to purchase them onsite from the ticket office. The tour is about an hour long and self-guided. Prior to the tour, they provide you with a headset to listen to the stories of each room. Before entering, you must wear shoe covers. The palace is very strict about preserving its original furnishings, decor, architecture, and artifacts. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through each room and learning about its fascinating history. The palace’s beautiful views, both inside and outside, added to our overall experience. I highly recommend visiting this historical landmark while visiting Hawai’i!

Glad we stop by to tour the lolani palace. We learned about Hawaiian history; it was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It was built in 1882 by King Kalakaua and was the home of Hawaii’s last monarchs. We started with watching videos in the courtyard and moved to the tour in the main area. They provided us with self tour audio so you can go to different rooms at your own pace.

A must visit if you're visiting Hawaii — a great introduction to the history of the Royal lineage of the Kingdom of Hawaii. I visited during February and was able to get a ticket on the day (about 1 hour wait...). If you are lucky you could catch the free performance happening in the garden at around noon.

Cool palace ground. Lots of history. I loved seeing the enormous trees that flank the back side of the palace grounds. We also got to see a bird. Love to see a bird. Centrally located downtown with plenty of cheap parking. My only caution would be to make sure that you pick up some cash to ensure you can use the cash only parking areas.

Aloha, An EXTRAORDINARY experience. Glad I checked the website the night before and made tour reservations. At check in we were able to slide into an earlier tour as well. Admin staff was very accommodating. Our Docent, Jenny, was simply outstanding. Her tour was not only informative but entertaining as well. A truly unique experience in the heart of Honolulu. The detailed woodwork in the Palace is more than enough reason to visit. We were thrilled with our visit to Iolani Palace and the historic information we received about the Hawaiian Royal Family. Mahalo

Incredibly preserved and restored. Our guide, Hardy, was like a college professor of knowledge. We were treated to a lot of history and information in our short visit. Hawaiian history is very interesting.