When the weather is great in Waikiki, where is the closest and best place to take a short hike with the best views?

No, not the beach in the morning!

How about trying to get some shots from above at Diamond Head?

It is a great hike, so here is a quick recap and recommendations.

1. Take a Uber/taxi and have them drop you outside the tunnel and walk into the park. Otherwise, you will sit in long lines, with no major value and there will not be any parking available even when you get to the park.

2. Don’t go into the restricted areas. They will not be happy with you,

3. Arrive early, The lines for the ticket machines gets very long since they are very slow to connect and process your credit card. It is $5 per person.

4. Arrive early. Did I previously mention that? The paths get very crowded — so crowded that you need a mask to avoid mass infection risk. This is how it looks before 9AM.

5. The tunnels to the top are not too long, but if you are claustrophobic, going up is a little harder than when you come down and see the light at the end of the tunnel immediately.

6. Take a little bit of water to enjoy when taking some panoramic shots. The hike looks long, but it is only 45 minutes unless you are in bad shape or you arrive after 9:00 and the lines are stop and go.

7. The best shots will take some patience since it is so crowded and everyone wants space to take the best shots. But patience is a virtue and you will relish these views for a long time.

8. Check out the bunkers. They still have camouflaged paint from WWII and are still very valuable for watching and repelling potential invaders from North Korea.

9. At the end, pay the crazy ripoff price for the pineapple smoothie and enjoy a break in the shade. It is is a great ending to what seems like a very steep hike.