Oahu passes, family parks and Diamond Head

The short answer

If you will visit several paid attractions on Oahu, compare the three Go City passes; if one park is the plan, buy that park's ticket. A pass is an entitlement to choose from a list, not a promise that you will visit every venue on it.[4][3][1] The single-park tickets are Sea Life Park Hawaii, Wet'n'Wild Hawaii and Coral Crater Adventure Park.[9][7][5]

Two products sit apart. The Diamond Head State Monument Self-guided Hike sells an audio guide and map, not park entry, and the Waikiki Trolley Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour is a way of getting between sights, not admission to them.[13][11]

The three Go City Oahu passes

Go City Oahu Essentials Pass: 3 Attractions. One option: choose any three attractions from a set list, each visited once, within 30 days of your first visit. SkyGate's list is the Makani Catamaran Sail, the Waikiki Turtle Canyon Snorkel Cruise, the Diamond Head Shuttle & Hike, the Pearl Harbor and Honolulu City Tour, Waimea Valley, Wet'n'Wild Hawaii, Bishop Museum, Sea Life Park Hawaii, a kayak or stand-up paddle board rental and a surfboard rental.[1] Go City's guidebook says the Diamond Head Shuttle & Hike requires a reservation, and that Waimea Valley and Bishop Museum need no advance booking.[2]

Go City Oahu Explorer Pass. Five options, for three, four, five, six or seven choices, each valid for 30 consecutive days after first use. SkyGate describes a selection of over 40 attractions, tours and activities, and names the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Pacific Fleet Submarine at Pearl Harbor, Sea Life Park Hawaii, Waimea Valley and Diamond Head Hawaii among them.[3] Choose the option by how many attractions you will really use.

Go City Oahu All-Inclusive Pass. Five options, for two, three, four, five or seven days. According to SkyGate, the days do not have to be consecutive but must fall within 14 days of first use, and on each pass day you may visit as many included attractions as you like. SkyGate names more than 30 attractions, including two luaus, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Iolani Palace, Sea Life Park Hawaii and Wet'n'Wild Hawaii.[4]

All three passes sell an adult ticket for ages 13 and over and a child ticket for ages 3 to 12, and all three say lists can change.[4][3][1] SkyGate's pages point to the Go City app for current attractions and reservations, so read the list before you choose. Whether "Diamond Head Hawaii" on the Explorer and All-Inclusive lists covers the state park's entry reservation is not stated; XTOUR has not verified it.

Single-park tickets

Sea Life Park Hawaii Ticket. One option, admission with the animal shows, trainer talks and bird and fish feeding. Ticket types are adult (13 and over), child (4 to 12) and infant (0 to 3); SkyGate's page says children under 4 go free and visitors under 18 must be accompanied.[5] The park gives its address as 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, and listed itself as open Wednesday to Monday, 10am to 4pm, closed Tuesdays, when XTOUR read its site.[6] See the Sea Life Park Hawaii page on XTOUR.

Wet'n'Wild Hawaii Ticket with Optional Waikiki Transport. Two options: Admission, or Admission + Transportation from Waikiki, for which you enter your pickup location at checkout. Both sell one ticket type for ages 3 and over, and the park says children 2 and under are free.[8][7] The park is in Kapolei, and its site displayed hours of 10:30am to 6:30pm while warning that the operating schedule is subject to change without notice.[8] See the Wet'n'Wild Hawaii page on XTOUR.

Coral Crater Adventure Park. Three options at the park in Kapolei, which the operator places 20 minutes west of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.[10]

• Adventure Course: 18 aerial obstacles with safety equipment; adult (13 and over) and child (6 to 12) tickets.[9]
• Full Zip: six ziplines of 300 to 1,000 feet, with an English- or Japanese-speaking guide and a locker; one ticket for ages 6 and over.[9]
• Half Zip: SkyGate's text for this option repeats the Full Zip description, while the operator describes a three-line quick zip alongside its six-line course.[10][9] XTOUR has not verified the Half Zip's line count.

SkyGate's listing says children under 6 cannot take part, participants under 145 cm must be accompanied, the weight limit is 125 kg, a waiver is required, and closed shoes and long trousers must be worn.[9] See the Coral Crater Adventure Park page on XTOUR.

Diamond Head: audio guide, not entry

The Diamond Head State Monument Self-guided Hike sells a multilingual audio guide and a map for the summit hike; SkyGate lists admission as excluded. SkyGate's option says entry must be bought on site, but the state's own rule is different: the Hawaii DLNR Division of State Parks says entry and parking reservations have been required for non-residents since 12 May 2022, and payment is by credit card only.[12][11] Follow the state park's rule.

The DLNR describes the trail as 0.8 mile from trailhead to summit, steep and strenuous, gaining 560 feet and passing through a lighted 225-foot tunnel. It listed the park as open 6:00 am to 6:00 pm daily, with last entry at 4:30pm for the 4:00pm reservation.[12] SkyGate's listing says audio guides can be collected until 2:00 PM and must be returned by 3:30 PM, and that earbuds are not provided.[11] SkyGate gives the Diamond Head Visitor Center as the address but names no operator for the audio guide, so check where to collect it on your voucher. See the Diamond Head State Monument page on XTOUR.

Waikiki Trolley: getting between sights

The Waikiki Trolley Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour has six options: All Lines for one, four or seven days, or the Red, Green or Blue Line for one day. SkyGate's All Lines options name the Red, Green, Blue and Pink Lines; the operator's site also lists a Yellow Line, which no SkyGate option names.[14][13] The operator lists Sea Life Park on the Blue Line, Diamond Head Crater on the Green Line, and Iolani Palace and Chinatown on the Red Line.[14] A trolley stop is not admission: Sea Life Park and Diamond Head entry are separate. Ticket types are adult (12 and over), child (3 to 11) and infant (0 to 2).[13]

How to choose

• Three named attractions over a few weeks: the Go City Oahu Essentials Pass.
• A wider list and a set number of choices: the Go City Oahu Explorer Pass.
• Several attractions a day on a short stay: the Go City Oahu All-Inclusive Pass.
• Marine animals and shows on the east coast: the Sea Life Park Hawaii Ticket.
• A water park day, with or without a Waikiki transfer: the Wet'n'Wild Hawaii ticket.
• Ziplines or a ropes course: Coral Crater Adventure Park.
• The Diamond Head summit with commentary: the audio-guide hike, plus a state-park reservation.
• Transport between Waikiki, downtown and the east coast: the Waikiki Trolley.

Before you book

• Non-residents need a Diamond Head entry and parking reservation from the state park.[12]
• Go City passes: check the app for which attractions need a reservation.[1]
• Sea Life Park listed itself as closed on Tuesdays.[6]
• Coral Crater has age, height, weight and clothing rules.[9]