traveldk.com

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) leads two-hour Saturday tours of downtown Honolulu, taking in examples of more than a dozen architectural styles. Chinatown tours are led by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce on Tuesdays and by the Hawai’i Heritage Center on Fridays; Mission Houses Museum hosts a tour of the Capitol district on Thursdays.

This easy one-hour trek in Nu’uanu Valley is a tribute to the forester Charles S. Judd, who planted the pines here in the 1930s. The pond is less picturesquely named Jackass Ginger after a donkey that used to be tethered in a nearby ginger grove.

This two-mile loop, incorporating short segments of three longer routes – Kane’aole Trail, Makiki Valley Trail, and Maunalaha Trail – was cleared, planted with native vegetation, and recently equipped with directional signs.

Extremely steep in places, dusty and dark in others, this two-mile hike ends in a series of viewing platforms. The landscape spread before you, from Koko Head in the east to the curve of the Leeward Coast on the west, is worth the energy expended. (see Diamond Head Crater.)

Hikers on the Diamond Head Trail

Makapu’u Point is the spot where prevailing currents from the deep ocean are split by the land, resulting in interesting wave action. An easy but breezy one-mile walk along an abandoned road takes you to a World War II pillbox and Makapu’u Lighthouse. Watch for whales in winter.

Requiring half a day and someone to pick you up at the end, the Maunawili Trail extends from Pali Highway above Kailua to a back road in Waimānalo. It is a moderately easy 10-mile hike for which you will be rewarded with a rain forest valley, then views of the island’s windward side.

The 2,210-ft ascent to a Ko’olau peak here is via a metal staircase built by the military for a now-defunct communications facility. Newly repaired and ready for use after falling into disrepair, the trail is closed temporarily at the time of writing while a dispute over parking in the neighborhood is resolved. Not to be attempted by the weak of heart, the stairway offers views normally available only to ardent hikers.

The Kualoa Ranch & Activity Club offers daily one- and two-hour rides on this historic, 150-year-old family ranch. One-hour rides traverse the base of the Ko’olau Mountains; two-hour rides delve into wide Ka’a’awa Valley. These are suitable for inexperienced riders.

This five-mile, two-hour trek along the muddy remains of the shore highway offers pole-fishing sites, shelling in small inlets during low tide, and glimpses of birds, dolphins, and whales.

A family-friendly hike in and out of the gullies in ’Aiea Valley will familiarize you with vegetation such as ’uluhe fern and ’ōhi’a lehua . (Don’t pick the scarlet sprays of lehua flowers, custom says, or it will rain.)