Kapiolani Park has been a location for many different events such as Okinawa Festival, Korean Festival, Roy Sakuma Ukulele Festival, jazz concerts and many more events (including fun or marathon runs). The park is a great place to do your early morning jog or walk because it gets so hot in the mid day and afternoon, you be begging for shave ice or some icy cold to cool down. I recommend coming to Matsumoto's but it's on the other side of the island. Go to Snow Factory, they got great refreshing frozen treats on these hot Fall days :) It's nice how close it is to the Honolulu Zoo as well as the iconic Waikiki beach. You could even walk to Waikiki shops along Kalakaua avenue. I find this park wonderful for a picnic with the family reunions or even with friends. Just look for shade and pray it doesn't rain hard. It's difficult to find parking because sometimes for the festivals or big events, they put no parking signs along the metered parking stalls. Makes it even more challenging to get a spot for your car. Luckily for the Okinawa festival, they have shuttles from KCC come by and pick up people and drop off at the KCC parking lot. You need to pay a small fee for the roundtrip. Come out and get some Mr. Sun at the park! read more

Kapiolani Park - Chan Para plate - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Kapiolani park is probably the biggest on Oahu. It is located between Waikiki and Diamond Head Crater. It is a perfect place to run or walk. If you visit early Sunday mornings, you'll see many runners in groups. Roughly it takes about 30/40 minutes to walk the whole park. If you want free parking, you can park towards the diamond head crater side of the park. You'll see some parking stalls or you can park on the street. read more

At the end of Waikiki is Kapiolani Park which is the largest public park in Hawaii. When I think of parks (not beaches), I think of Kapiolani. This is the main spot for community events on Oahu. Many festivals and events take place here like the Okinawan Festival and Lei Day (May Day) celebration. Kapiolani Park is also the home of the main outside seating music venue on Oahu, the Waikiki Shell. It is an intimate space that serves as the spot for the annual Kokua Festival hosted by Jack Johnson. I have also attended a high school graduation of my cousin here many years back. The main park itself has a lot of open field space which makes it good as a playing field spot for football and soccer and/or for having a nice picnic in the Hawaiian sun. The park has a loop shape so it is a good place to run laps. If you are trying to get in shape for a running event, you might want to train here. There is also a main bandstand at the park that used to serve as a fun day spot for students at my high school every autumn. It serves as a nice outside performance space for the community and is full of memories for me. If you somehow tire of the Waikiki beaches and want to just walk around a regular park, Kapiolani Park is the place to go. read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We made the mistake of trying to hike Diamond Head at 11 on the Saturday of a long weekend, when the trail was closed to visitors during the week. It was hot out, and there was no parking anywhere near the trail, so we gave up and did the next best thing--getting a massive take-out lunch from Diamond Head Market & Grill and eating it in our exercise clothes, as if to reward ourselves for our exertion. I love Diamond Head Market & Grill, but its outdoor seating appears to be perfectly positioned to catch zero shade. There was no way we could sit in that heat for even fifteen minutes, so we were happy to find there was a park nearby, where we might be able to eat comfortably. We drove over to Kapiolani Park and found easy parking in a free lot. The park was enormous, with huge expanses of green. I got the sense that we couldn't even see most of it from where we parked. We were looking for picnic tables, and found a cluster of them near our parking spot. There were some other people there, but the area was pretty sparsely occupied, and we ended up having a table to ourselves. There was enough shade to keep us comfortable without canceling out the warmth of the sun. We had a very nice lunch in the park--a pleasant outdoor experience, not too different from a hike, if you think about it, but with much less effort. I obviously don't have much history with this Kapiolani Park, but I enjoyed my visit, and would love to come back with another plate lunch. It must be a wonderful asset to Honolulu locals, a lovely green place where you can picnic and run around with more shade and less sand than the beach. read more

Wide open park, during some days they have fair and concerts at the bandshell. Also zoo is free on wednesdays on west end of the park. Tennis courts and workout facilities. A great spot to get hot then dip in the ocean. read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Always so busy but so pretty. My husband and I went out for a walk to the park sat in the bench to watch the waves. read more

Kapiolani Park - So nice! - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I love all the greenery in this park. It feels like you're in a jungle. Even some of the tables are underneath exotic plant structures. You can't go wrong with this park. There were many small groups of women doing yoga. Its across from the volleyball nets where you'll find people playing volleyball. This park is at the edge of Waikiki Beach so you can't miss it if you're out on a morning stroll. The best thing about this park is that its shaded. I came during May therefore, Summer had not kicked in full speed so I didn't need much shade during my walks. However, I see this park being especially useful during the summer. Now, don't get me wrong I have yet to find an issue with this park. One thing to keep in mind, which isn't an uncommon theme, but the homeless hangs out here for the shade. They weren't bothering anyone or causing any issues but it's important to mention that they congregate here. read more

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Love this wide open park, it's great for exercise and just hanging out with my baby. Always clean and lots of parking. read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Never seems to have nearly enough parking, that's the only knock I have on this expansive park. What to do about that, though? A big multistory affair somewhere near the Shell? Perhaps. There are parking lots and outhouses dotted all around. Big open fields. Lots of runners take advantage, as they should, of the great jogging setting. Not terribly much, if anything, in the way of concessions available. Bring what you need! read more

Convenient to zoo, aquarium, music dome, Diamond head, beach and downtown hotels/stores. We viewed a time capsule in the park, facing the beach. There was live music festival and hula dancers on a Saturday afternoon. read more

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If you like aqua green waters with identical fish within a foot of the sandline, this is it. No need to snorkel, though several ppl did. Nicer, more quaint compared to Waikiki. Big park too with plenty trees for big shade. A gentle breeze I shall add too. Clean washrooms. read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Waikiki beach , Kuhio beach,Queen beach and Kapiolani beach are all in a row. it depends on what your looking for at the beach. More waves and watching surfers with a little steeper entry that's Waikiki. easier entry with just a few waves, the Kuhio is for you. Queens beach is mostly enclosed by a break wall so it is shallow with no waves, easy entry and perfect for kids. Kapiolani beach park has restrooms, shady areas with picnic benches but much higher surf and steeper entry. Your choice! read more

Fantastic small park near the Honolulu Zoo and Queen's Beach. I ran around it, plus a bit of city streets, to get in a nice 3.5 mile run. Lots of trees, lots of open green space, lots of benches, tables and areas for families to hang out. The sidewalks were in great condition for running, too! read more

Mecca for running. Love to go here to run or just to have a walk with my dad. Super nice view of Diamond Head. Very nice scenery and ideal for taking pictures. I think that parking might be an issue if you go during the afternoon since a lot of soccer activity is also being held in this area. Hopefully you get lucky and score some parking - usually there should be no issue unless there's a huge event happening. If that's the case then good luck. read more

***Pre/During COVID-19 Visit*** Huge park with tons of trees so you'll have plenty of shade to enjoy. Parking can get quite tight, but there's free parking behind the zoo. I remember that this is the the final stop of the Honolulu Marathon so I was running like crazy to get to the finish line. You'll see plenty of folks relaxing on the grounds and others getting their fitness in for the day. Mahalo! read more

I am not a lover of the great outdoors. I do not like sand. I do not like hiking. I do not like mud. I do not like going into the ocean because I have to take my glasses off and I can't see anything and I tend to drift along the shore and lose my towels and children. So, of course, I fall madly in love with someone who just LOVES being outdoors. So much. Just wants to be all in the grass or hanging out with trees or sitting on beach walls looking at sunsets and unpleasant things like that. It is like Romeo and Juliet except less dramatic and with less death and with no dudes. So I have been to this park a few times. We've thrown a football around, I've flung a frisbee in various directions and we've tried to hacky sack at dusk, which is really hard because you can't see anything and I suck even in full light. I have actually had fun. Even though she laughs at me because I catch a football with the rigidity of an obelisk and throw a frisbee with the accuracy of deaf bat. Even though the uneven, non-asphalt terrain makes my knees feel at risk and there's ants crawling on my bag and a scary outdoors toilet. There is ample parking. There is lots of space. There is grass. There are festivals and celebratory things that take place in the park, but I avoid those as I do not like crowds. I am sounding super fun. BUT I am trying to be more outdoorsy. In fact, I walked six minutes to my child's school the other day and then we walked home, which took longer than six minutes because children lack efficiency. So there. read more

Kapiolani Park is a large green area with shade from many palm trees, just east of Waikiki and before you get to the Aquarium, between Kalakaua Avenue and Waikiki Beach. It has a beach front, separated from Waikiki with a cement barrier break that extends out into the water. It is usually less crowded on this side of the beach, although the beach itself is very narrow. This is a good place to hang out if you are picnicking with family and friends, want a little shade from the hot sun, or just want to be away from the mad crowds on Waikiki beach. There are a couple of large facilities here, where you can change clothes after a day in the sand and surf. This is where more locals hang out than tourists, because it is a little bit of a walk down from Hotel Row. If you are driving here, there are a lot of street spaces on the road just in front of this park. I parked for free and spent a couple of nice hours here laying on the grass, cooling off at the beach, and working on my tan under the palm trees. read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Whats great about Kapiolani Park? How bout FREE YOGA? Yoga has become more mainstream and fancy studios are charging up to $17 - $20 per single class sometimes even more. Bharat Das has been teaching yoga at Kapiolani Park EVERY DAY for about 25 years free of charge. So not only is it free, he's someone who is dedicated and experienced. Its nice to do yoga outdoors and in a beautiful green park and fresh clean air. You don't need a yoga mat, you just practice on the grass, you could bring a towel to laydown on toward the end. He's there every day on Weekdays at 5 p.m. and Weekends at 8:30 a.m. Rain permitting, if it rains, has been raining, or looks like it might rain, he wont be there; you can't practice on wet grass. Where to find him in such a large park? He's usually across from Michelle's in the Colony Surf or around that area. No experience is necessary he just asks that you try and do your best, there is no judgement. Its more of a Hatha style so there are no crazy arm balances and inversions. I found it weird that people come and go as they please, its not like a studio where you arrive on time and stay till the end. Some people come late, others leave before its done. I guess its free and its out doors so theres no pressure to arrive on time or stay till the end. Thanks Bharat for being so dedicated and providing free yoga! read more

Kapiolani Park is like Hawaii's equivalent to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, or Central Park in New York, but on a much much much smaller scale. On any given afternoon or evening, the park will be occupied by sports enthusiasts, festivals, joggers, or people just taking in the sun and warmth of the island. With Diamond Head crater as a backdrop, and the ocean just yards away, it can't get better than this! read more

It's a really big park overall. We stopped here briefly before heading to Diamond Head because the Banyan trees are really remarkable and truly just different. I actually had never seen one prior to visiting Oahu. Please make a stop here just to see the banyans. There is ample shade and the park is really equipped for numerous outdoor activities as well as just chilling out in a safe environment. read more

Always love to walk the park...it's still so beautiful and generally cool...easy walk...I just am not real crazy about the bathrooms near the archery range... Parking is generally ok if you go early....I prefer walking on the weekends. read more

This should be considered my home away from home - come to think of it, I visit this park more than I see most of my on-island family members! Not only is it home for all of the awesome festivals (Okinawan happening right now!) but it is also the meeting place and/or starting line for many races and sporting events. Teams meet here to practice sports of all kinds - KICKBALL, soccer, yoga... you name it! It's also a great place to come and run around - it's more interesting than a track and you're able to get a measured distance. Since everyone knows where this park it, it's a great go-to spot to have your picnics and bbq's - just make sure you look out for ant piles, i've come home many times with them all over my bag - thus the perils of the "great outdoors". Thank you Kapiolani Park for being such a big part of my life - you make me want to get out and do something! I'm on my way now! :) #35/365 read more

Kapiolani Park is one of my favorite parks to exercise at. As a kid, I always used to come here for soccer games and practices. And now as an adult, I'm enjoying all the other aspects of the park. I really enjoy just walking around the whole park. It's a pretty cool walk with lots of shade and there are tons of things to see on your walk. Each time you walk around the park you'll see something different. It's really great because this park is so close to Waikiki. So if you wanted you could walk to Kaimana Beach, the zoo, or even to Waikiki. I have no complaints about the parking either. There's metered parking by the beach side of the park, but if you want free like me, there's tons of spots all around. You could park at the Waikiki Shell or anywhere around the soccer park. Every time I come here it just makes me happy to be in Hawaii and it helps me reminisce about my childhood. read more

The park is big! Love the events that are held here. I don't go much but when I do, its fun. Homeless people do live and sleep in the park. They also hang around the bathrooms. But is I were homeless I would do the same. I noticed the park has a lot of rules too. Like no tents, smoking and blah blah. Its a long list. Its still nice to see and hang out once or twice. read more

Kapiolani Park - Full moon - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great park & beach area for running, walking, watching the Surfers, or enjoying the Art Festival. read more

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I absolutely love working out at this park! anytime of the day. It's a great park to run laps and just head over to the beach after you're pau. I trained here for a whole year to get my body in shape for a pageant and the people who workout there are just as positive and motivated and friendly as one could hope for in a place. If you don't have a gym membership or just wish to save on some cash, come here and get your workout fix, you'll be happy you stepped out of the house to get fresh air & work your body! Not only is it a great place to train, it's also nice to see a huge park still standing in waikiki and honolulu. There's so much activity at this park, from tennis, to rugby, to soccer, to tai chi. you name it, it's there. Perhaps they should make a few basketball courts though. I've done several community runs and walks to bring awareness to cancers & diseases and many of them finish and end at this park. To me, that's wonderful. read more

Id have to say this park is awesome. The field is HUGE! Theres always a spot for you to play around, toss a ball, run, hang out. The park is surrounded by huge trees that offer a lot of shade. Good thing too, cause everytime I come here, its always during the day and laying under a tree is awesome! I think it lacks bathrooms though. I think there are only 2 in the field, and they are located pretty far apart. There are some tennis courts, goal posts for football, soccer goals (without nets), a running path, a workout area, beach across the street, and views of Diamond Head. My kids enjoy the park and I enjoy running around. Makes me feel like a kid! read more

Kapiolani Park - One of the views. - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We came to Kapiolani Park for a Lacrosse tournament and spent a lot of time at the park. The park itself is nice, there is bathroom facility and several water spigots throughout (not sure if drinkable water). There is also a band shell with a shady lawn for BYOLawn Chairs and while we were there, had a live opera performance which was really cool. There is a pretty decent sized parking lot and street parking available but be aware, many people using the beach park here because it is free so parking can be limited. A HUGE plus are the views, beautiful area with views of the city and of Diamond Head. The bad about the park, the fields themselves needed some TLC. The fields were very uneven with a lot of bare spots in the grass. The uneven spots were bad enough to turn an ankle if you aren't paying attention. The other negative was the amount of homeless people staying in the park. Some used the access to water to bathe while others found their way into the lacrosse equipment camps to nap or look for food. read more

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This is a wonderful park. We found it by accident when we were walking to the bus stop from Waikiki Beach. it is very clean and there are parking lots and sidewalks that are well manicured. There are small ponds with ducks and birds everywhere. We spotted a Band Shell and when we got closer there was a band setting up and people beginning to gather. When we asked about it we were told it was the Royal Hawaiian Band and they were getting ready to play a Concert. we sat down and for an hour the band played, singers sang and Hula Danced. It was amazing. There was quite a large crowd so we assumed that many locals turned out for this and was probably pre-planned. If you are in the area I would urge you to give this park a visit. read more

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This park is great! I took this kids to this park and there was tons of room for them to run around. There also were palm trees to sit under for a bit of shade and equipment for the kids to run around on. The grass is smooth and theres not alot of things in it so you can run through this park barefoot. Be careful though they do have sprinklers and randomly turn them on. The only downside to this park is something they can't control. When I was here a kid picked up a weed pipe with weed still in it. Which was bad because I had to explain what it was and why it was bad. Maybe the cops need to patrol this place better? I don't know. Pretty great place for kids and it's pretty. If I need some place to hang out in at Waikiki beach again I'd probably go here! read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Beautiful park. We were there at the ukulele festival. Beach right there too! Big stage and beautiful views. Be sure that you check this park out. read more

For the past couple years, I've signed up for the Honolulu Marathon. However, I've only done the marathon once due to my schedule (I was actually travelling when the past two marathons occurred). I try to train for the marathon, which means finding places to run to build up the endurance and stamina to be able to run 26.2 miles. Kapiolani Park is one the places I would like to go running...err, jogging...err, okay, it's probably more of a speed walk at the rate I "run". The park has ample parking. There are at least 2 - 3 parking lots that are free parking. There are also a lot of metered stalls and street parking in the area. This park is also the venue for many different events, like the Okinawan Festival, American Heart Association Heart Walk, and the finish line for the Honolulu Marathon. When there are events, parking can be limited, so pay attention to all the signs and cones. Often times, locals know this place because they've either played in or watched a sporting event here. For myself, the company I work at participates in an annual softball tournament that is held here. On the weekends, I will always see the families here to watch soccer games. There are also tennis courts available for use. read more

Big and open. Great for a picnic with family and friends. Great for sports, right by the beach perfect!:) read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This park is beautiful, and it's not on Kapiolani street so don't be confused, it's actually near the Honolulu Zoo. Before joining the gym this park was my jogging sanctuary and always made for a perfect scenic work-out. It's great because there are always people jogging so you never lose motivation. (1 lap around the park is about 2 miles) It is home-base for many events (major walks, parades, boot-camps) and it is really close to the beach so you can plan your whole day around this area! This park has TENNIS COURTS which I most often use! I love playing tennis and this is the perfect location for it! There are several free PARKING lots around, but the one I like to use is right across the Waikiki Shell, there is also metered parking around most of the park. On the weekends parking can be a little hectic but we always manage to find a spot. This park is truly perfect for any sort of outdoor activity...even if it's just reading while laying on the supper green grass! read more

Kapiolani Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

So simple, yet so beautiful. This is a just a really nice park to do pretty much anything. Tennis, running, walking, parties, etc. I haven't done it yet, but I'd so totally get a huge towel, lay it in the middle and just lie there. LoL. Yelp 365 Challenge #363/365 read more

One of the oldest parks in Honolulu and the Waikiki neighborhood. I used to come here with family to walk around the perimeter. Though it's changed a little bit over the years (such as more parking at the Waikiki Shell), things have generally remained the same for the most part. Lots of open space and I do see some youth sports teams playing in the afternoon/evening. Lovely place to spend some time at if you're in the Waikiki area. Plenty of free parking in their lots or metered parking along the street. read more

It's my favorite running spot because you get everything in one place, mountain, beach and park all in one convenient place in town with parking! Running, surfing, tennis, swimming, napping in the shade, biking, laying on the beach, concerts, events and festivities, visiting the aquarium or the zoo... there's plenty to do around the area. Parking can get difficult during mid-day weekends but I usually don't want to play tennis, run or 'sweat' it out mid-day in the strong sun. read more

Kapiolani Park - view of the beach - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Beautiful park to walk through and chill. Not crowded and super close to the main city area. Highly recommend checking it out.

This spot is my go to for exercise. It's great for a morning or evening walk. I've found midday to be too hot for me but there is more to see as I walk around the park midday. There is more free parking available in the morning but you can catch the sunset in the evening. Who thought exercise would be so many tough decisions? I'm not currently exercising because it's hard to breathe with a mask on. If I gain any more covid pounds then I'll have to get back to it. read more

This park has always had so much space you could hold events here without interfering with any other group. I was pleasantly surprise to see it Easter afternoon nice and quite. Parking was abundant and the location our friends selected was next to a beautiful banyan tree. Bathroom facilities was only a walk away, we parked where the tennis courts was located and just a field walk to the ocean. This place is not far from the zoo and Waikiki shell. It definitely is a good place to spend a quite afternoon. read more

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