Tourists and island visitors gaze at the view from lookout at Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside.

© Phillip B. Espinasse/Shutterstock

Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside

Top choice


About 5 miles northeast of Honolulu, turn as indicated to the popular ridgetop lookout with a sweeping vista of Windward Oʻahu from a height of 1200ft. As you stand at the edge, Kaneʻohe lies below straight ahead, Kailua to the right, Mokoliʻi Island and the coastal fishpond at Kualoa Point to the far left. The winds that funnel through the pali (cliffs) here are so strong you can sometimes lean against them; it’s usually so cool that you’ll want a jacket.

This is where more than 500 Oʻahuan warriors plunged to their deaths when chased by the forces of Kamehameha the Great in 1795.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden

1.73 MILES

The dramatic ridged cliffs of the Koʻolau Range are arrayed in front of you like an Imax screen at Oʻahu’s largest botanical garden. It encompasses 400…

2. Lyon Arboretum

2.35 MILES

Beautiful walking trails wind through this highly regarded 200-acre arboretum managed by the University of Hawaiʻi. It was originally founded in 1918 by a…

3. Old Pali Hwy

2.58 MILES

On the Honolulu side of the island, you can make a scenic side trip along a remnant of the Old Pali Hwy, now called Nuʻuanu Pali Dr. The road runs through…

4. Ulupo Heiau State Monument

2.96 MILES

Rich in stream-fed agricultural land, fishing grounds and protected canoe landings, Kailua was an ancient economic center that supported at least three…

5. Manoa Chinese Cemetery

3.39 MILES

The Lin Yee Chung Manoa Chinese Cemetery is on a knoll nestled on the eastern slopes of the Manoa Valley. Founded in 1852, with all the design elements of…

6. Queen Emma Summer Palace

3.58 MILES

In the heat and humidity of summer, Queen Emma (1836–85), the wife and royal consort of Kamehameha IV, used to slip away from her formal downtown Honolulu…

7. Gyotaku by Naoki

3.65 MILES

You'll probably have seen Naoki's magnificent gyotaku (Japanese-style fish prints) all over Oʻahu in galleries, restaurants and bars, but there's nothing…

8. Kawai Nui Marsh

3.65 MILES

One of Hawaii’s largest freshwater marshes, Kawai Nui provides flood protection for the town and a habitat for endangered waterbirds, and is also one of…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/hawaii/maunawili/attractions/nu-uanu-pali-state-wayside/a/poi-sig/452629/1333319",
      "position": "superzone"
    }