Whether you’re here to relax on the beach or adventure across the island, no trip to Hawaiʻi is complete without a little down time to shop and explore town! With so many shops and restaurants to choose from, it can be easy to get overwhelmed when you’re supposed to be in vacation mode. Follow us to all the best new spots in Waikīkī!

Start your morning with a cup of joe

While there are many of your favorite coffee chains conveniently located throughout Waikīkī, don’t miss out on an opportunity to try some local brews! We love Kai Coffee Hawaiʻi’s signature macadamia nut flavored Kai Latte. If you love it too, you can purchase coffee beans, mac nut syrup, or souvenir mugs to take home. Kai Coffee also has delicious açai bowls, pastries, and breakfast and lunch fare, and non-coffee beverages for the whole family.

Discover a new shop!

Stroll the streets of Kalākaua Avenue and Kūhiō Avenue to find everything from tiny local boutiques to national brands. While the streets are lined with vendors, there are also many hidden gems located just off the beaten path. Leave yourself some time to venture further into Waikīkī’s shopping malls and find local artisans like Moana Crystals and Hamilton Boutique. New shops pop up every year, so if you’ve been to Waikīkī before, try to discover a new favorite store this time!

Grab Lunch at one of Waikīkī’s Food Halls

The food hall is the perfect format for lunch, especially if you’re traveling with a larger group! Everyone can order from their restaurant of choice, and you can dine together in a casual setting. Here’s the lowdown on Waikīkī’s food halls. 

Royal Hawaiian Center has two food halls. Their Waikiki Food Hall is a good place to go for local fare, like garlic shrimp, curry, and spam onigiri. For national chains that you know your picky eaters will love, head to Pā‘ina Lānai food court and find vendors like Panda Express, Subway, and Raising Cane’s along with local options like Poke Waikiki and Penny’s Waikiki Malasadas.

International Marketplace’s Kūhiō Ave. Food Hall offers 9 food concepts, including a Mexican cantina, burger restaurant, pizzeria, and ramen bar. They have both indoor and outdoor seating available, and you can order from multiple eateries at the same time!

The Waikiki Shopping Plaza’s Stix Asia Food Hall offers over 15 authentic cuisines from various Asian countries such as Japan, Taiwan, China, Korea, and Vietnam. Stop by Stix Asia’s Noodle Street for pho, ramen, or Taiwanese beef noodle soup, or head to Asian Street for authentic tempura, sushi, Korean fried chicken, Hong Kong cuisine and more. They offer validated parking at the Waikiki Shopping Plaza for receipts totaling $35 or more, and restaurants offer dine-in or takeout, which you can eat at centrally located tables.

Take a Ride on the Waikiki Trolley

The hop-on hop-off trolley is a great way to learn a bit about the history and culture of Oʻahu. They have 4 different lines, ranging from 60 minutes to 110 minutes round-trip. Take an hour or two to see and learn about landmarks like ʻIolani Palace, Hālona Blowhole, and more. The ticket booth is located at Waikiki Shopping Plaza’s Main Lobby, but you can also buy tickets online and hop on at a variety of locations along the route. Just make sure to check the trolley schedule and arrive at the trolley stop before last pick up!

See if you can escape at Breakout Waikiki Escape Room

Escape the heat (or rain) with an indoor activity, like an escape room! Breakout Waikiki is conveniently located on Lewers Street. They have six different rooms of varying difficulty, with fun activities and puzzles for your group to solve. You can play with 2-8 players, and will be done within an hour, leaving you plenty of time for more shopping and activities. Breakout Waikiki is kid-friendly and open as early as 10am and as late as 11pm on certain days. We recommend booking in advance, but they do accept walk-ins if they have openings!

Try Waikīkī’s newest Korean Barbeque restaurant

Whether you’re looking for a new spot to try, or want to get the most bang for your buck, this All You Can Eat Korean BBQ spot is for you! ‘I‘O Waikiki Korean Barbeque Restaurant opened in May 2024, offering All You Can Eat KBBQ with premium cuts of meat, beer, and soju. 

They accept reservations for parties of 4 or more, as well as walk-ins. ‘I‘O serves up 25+ delicious choices of meat, like short rib, spicy pork belly, kalbi, and beef tongue, along with sides like corn cheese, buckwheat noodles, and more. Lunch is $29.95 and dinner is $46.95 per adult and you can find their menu at their Instagram page. You’ll leave full and with great memories.

Don’t Forget Dessert!

If you skipped out on the All You Can Eat Korean BBQ or have a second stomach for dessert, Waikīkī has tons of great places to get a sweet treat! Head downstairs to Waffle and Berry for made to order waffles, desserts, and açai bowls loaded with fresh fruit, chocolate, ice cream, and whipped cream, or to Ao Gelato for creamy gelato and smooth sorbet. They are known for their tea flavors, like matcha, earl gray, black tea, and chai, and tropical fruit flavors like mango, lychee, and hibiscus lime.

If it’s getting late, you can head just across the street from the Waikiki Shopping Plaza parking garage to MOSA!, a new late night Taiwanese dessert shop. They opened in 2023, offering authentic Taiwanese-Style ice cream with flavors like coconut, matcha, and ube. Their best-seller is the MOSA! Wrap, which is 2-3 scoops of ice cream inside a soft crepe wrap with peanut sprinkle hand-scraped to order from a giant peanut brittle. They also have iconic tanghulu, parfaits, and other treats. The best part? They’re open until midnight every day of the week so you can make this day in Waikīkī last forever. 

Looking for even more things to do? Check out our other blogs for more to see, eat, and do in Waikīkī.