Home » Travel » Hawaii » Sightseeing Oahu The Trolley Way

Sightseeing Oahu The Trolley Way

© Lottie Tagupa

Honolulu is Hawaii's largest city, and with a population of over 800,000 Oahu is certainly a bustling urban area complete with incredible traffic congestion. Therefore a rental car is not recommended while visiting this island. However, getting around the island is not a problem. One of the best ways for those who are interested in a simplified method of getting around to all the hot spots on Oahu is by the Waikiki Trolley. The vehicles are new, open-air cable car style trolleys that operate along three lines along the south shore of Oahu. The three lines are designed by activity. Shopping, Sightseeing and Dining and Ocean Coast.

The Red line or Sightseeing line operates between 8:30 a.m. until 6:50 p.m. every 20 minutes on a circuit that begins at the main depot at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and makes stops at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the State Capitol Building, Chinatown, Aloha Tower, Dole Cannery, Bishop Museum, Kamehameha Statue, Foster Botanical Garden, Hawaii Maritime Center, Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium. This line is especially well designed for the average person to get around the downtown and harbor areas of Honolulu. There you can visit the Iolani Palace, the Hawaii State Library, eat in Chinatown and enjoy the shops at the Aloha Tower or see a movie at Dole Cannery. A good time to take this trolley is on Fridays when you can enjoy a lunchtime concert at Tamarind Park in the heart of downtown Honolulu.

The Yellow or Shopping and Dining line operates between 8:30 a.m. until 11:35 p.m. every 10-20 minutes beginning at the main depot at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and makes stops at Niketown, All Star Café, Hard Rock Café, Hilton Hawaiian Village, where you can shop and dine at Bali by the Sea, Benihana of Tokyo or Kobe Steak House, Ward Centre where you will find many fine wonderful shops and restaurants such as Border's Books, A Pacific Café - Oahu, Scoozies, Kua Aina Sandwiches and more. There is also a stop at Ward Warehouse where you can find the Old Spaghetti House, Stuart Anderson's and many smaller and unique boutiques. Ward Warehouse is across the street from Sports Authority and Kewalo Basin where many dinner cruise and deep sea fishing boats are located.

The Blue or Ocean Coast Line operates between 8:30 a.m. until 7:12 p.m. once every 60 minutes from the main depot at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and continues eastward along Waikiki making stops at Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, Kahala Mall which is wonderful suburban shopping mall, third largest in Hawaii where you will find California Pizza Kitchen, Tower Records, many movie theaters, Barnes and Noble Booksellers enclosed in a two level enclosed and air conditioned shopping mall. The line continues along Kalanianaole Highway to Koko Marina Shopping Center, Hanauma Bay, Sea Life Park, and the Blow Hole. This is a great way to access the eastern side of Oahu without the long, slow ride on the city bus.