We chose to go at sunrise and met a line of traffic at the entrance. Our taxi driver let us out to walk into the entrance maybe half a mile. The sky was already showing some color. I did the hike to the top. I am a senior citizen so I had prepared myself ahead of time for the hike, but it was more than I expected, tho still doable! Take water and take breaks, and enjoy the beauty. I chose not to take the steep stairs at the end but went the other way which was not any easier. The reward was the beautiful view at the top. Coming down was much quicker. Expect crowds, it is just a reality, and watch your step always, as the path can be rocky and uneven.
Hiking Diamond Head was part of my 60th birthday trip to Oahu. I am not the most physically active person so the hike was a little challenging in spots, especially all of the stairs. It was hot the day we went-we should have not gone midday. It was less crowded when we came back down the trail. It was worth the effort. The views from the summit were beautiful!
Family of 4 (kids 10 & 12) visited in late June. Arrived around 7:30 am to get good parking spot and smaller crowd. It was an overcast day, which was great for this hike (as we had no shade). Hike took a couple of hours. Great views of the city and coastline. We took some selfies and were back down at the bottom in time for a mid-morning pineapple treat. Wear hat, take plenty of water (we had a backpack water cooler-fabulous), and have good sneakers for this hike.
More tips then review. Take water! There is none on the trail to be found. Pace yourself, even on the easy parts. Take your time and look around on the way up and down. There is a lot to see on your way! If you take the stairs up to the lookout, take the trail back down or you will miss out on a few more great photo spots! Absolutely loved this hike and cant wait to get back to do it again!!
Worth the walk to see the great views from the top. Lots of stairs but lots of rest stops along the way if needed.
