East Oʻahu
Koko Crater Botanical Garden
A dryland garden on the floor of an old crater, with a plumeria grove in the middle.
Why go
Cactus, baobabs and plumeria growing inside a volcano, and almost nobody there.
The catch
Free and open sunrise to sunset, but there is no shade and no water - it is a dryland garden in a crater and it gets very hot by midday. Nothing to do with the Koko Head stairs, which are a different place entirely.
- How long
- 1-2 hours
- With children
- With care
- Effort
- Easy
- Cost
- Free
- Parking
- Easy
Getting there
Driving times on real roads, from the same data the trip planner routes on — not straight-line distance.
| From Waikīkī | 29 min | 12.4 miles |
|---|---|---|
| From HNL airport | 57 min | 26.6 miles |
| From Hawai‘i Kai | 10 min | 3.8 miles |
| From Ala Moana | 28 min | 12.9 miles |
Add traffic. These are free-flowing times, and the H1 through town at eight in the morning is not free-flowing.
See it on the map Build a trip around it
What else is close
Nearest by road, which is not the same as nearest on a map — and not the same as sharing a region either.
- Koko Head Stairs5 min awayA punishing climb straight up an old railway track. Over a thousand steps.
- Pahua Heiau5 min awayA small restored heiau on a hillside in a Hawaii Kai subdivision.
- Halona Blowhole Lookout6 min awayA lava tube that fires seawater up through the rock when the swell is right.
- Lanai Lookout7 min awayA pull-off on the southeast coast road where the lava shelf drops straight into the water.
- Makapuu Lighthouse Trail7 min awayA paved uphill walk to a cliff view over the ocean and a red-roofed lighthouse.
- Makapu'u Lookout7 min awayThe pull-off at the island corner, looking down on Makapuu Beach and the offshore islands.