United States · Hawaii · Honolulu
Kakaʻako, Honolulu — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Kakaʻako is a commercial and retail district of Honolulu, on the southern shore of Oʻahu between Ala Moana and Honolulu Harbor.
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Where to stay in Kakaʻako
How the choice of base plays out on the ground.
Beds cluster toward Ala Moana. Kakaʻako runs as a commercial and retail strip between Ala Moana, which sits near Waikīkī on the east, and downtown Honolulu with Honolulu Harbor closing it off to the west. Gallery-minded stays lean west, toward the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Mission Houses Museum.
Waikīkī keeps the larger hotel stock.
Find hotels in Kakaʻako
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Kakaʻako
Capitol Modern, the Hawaii State Art Museum and the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center all sit on this commercial and retail strip of Honolulu.Find hotels in Kakaʻakothe eastern edge of Kakaʻako, nearer Waikīkī than the harbourAla Moana
Ala Moana borders Kakaʻako to the east and lies near Waikīkī, which puts the beach half of Oʻahu on the closer side.Find hotels in Ala Moanaarrivals working around Honolulu Harbor and Kawaiahaʻo ChurchDowntown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu closes Kakaʻako off to the west, with Honolulu Harbor, Kawaiahaʻo Church and the Mission Houses Museum within the same few blocks.Find hotels in Downtown HonoluluHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Honolulu
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
3- Honolulu Museum of Art Heritage
- Mission Houses Museum
- Hawaii State Art Museum
Churches & Religious Sites
3- Kawaiahaʻo Church
- Makiki Christian Church
- Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific
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About Kakaʻako
What are the main landmarks in Kakaʻako?
Capitol Modern sets the tone. The Honolulu Museum of Art and the Hawaii State Art Museum both draw on this side of Honolulu, and Capitol Modern carries the state collection under a name of its own. Kawaiahaʻo Church and the Mission Houses Museum stand toward the downtown edge.
Families take the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center. Makiki Christian Church and the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific round out the buildings filed to this stretch of Oʻahu.
What is the history of Kakaʻako?
How old Kakaʻako is, the register does not say. What the register keeps for Kakaʻako is a position and a function: a commercial and retail district of Honolulu, held between Ala Moana and Honolulu Harbor on the island of Oʻahu. Institutions supply the rest of the record.
Mission Houses Museum, Kawaiahaʻo Church and Makiki Christian Church are filed to the same few blocks, and the Honolulu Museum of Art sits with them rather than apart.
Where is Kakaʻako?
Kakaʻako takes the southern shore of Oʻahu between Ala Moana, which lies near Waikīkī, and the downtown Honolulu waterfront at Honolulu Harbor.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Kakaʻako?
Kakaʻako: walking to Capitol Modern and the Hawaii State Art Museum in one afternoon. Ala Moana: the eastern edge of Kakaʻako, nearer Waikīkī than the harbour. Downtown Honolulu: arrivals working around Honolulu Harbor and Kawaiahaʻo Church.
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Updated October 2026