Through A Glass Darkly The Strange and Tragic History Of Honolulu
Description
Who would imagine that such a happy place has such a tragic history? Hawaii's tumultuous encounter with the outside world began with the arrival of Captain Cook, whom they ate, sort of, for his troubles. A few years later, King Kamehameha celebrated his conquest of Oahu in 1795 by sacrificing his own cousin. The missionaries, who arrived in 1820, came here to do good... and did very well. Then there was the demographic bomb of waves of imported labor to cut sugar cane. Then the overthrow of the monarchy, annexation, and statehood. In the meantime, there was Pearl Harbor. And it seems that for all of that, we're just getting started.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Learn the amazing (and horrifying) story of the conquest of Oahu by King Kamehameha.
Imagine... a royal palace (with kings and queens and thrones and stuff) in the United States... and a storied past that ends with the tragic overthrow of the monarchy.
Designed by the infamous missionary Hiram Bingham, this "stone church" (to the Hawaiians) was anything but.
As the Hawaiians say, "the missionaries came here to do good, and they did very well."
A lovely Italianate Spanish Colonial Revival structure with an unlovely past.
An elegant expression of the aloha spirit... and a statue (with a story) of the queen who embodied that spirit.
Queen Liliuokalani's home where she lived in an unhappy marriage and where she returned to after the overthrow of the monarchy.
A church built from thousands of block of sandstone cut in England and shipped to Hawaii. A magnificent stained glass nave. And a tragic tale of a king and his little boy.
Also known as the Hawai'i State Art Museum, this was the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel (built in 1872). So successful that a second Royal Hawaiian was built on Waikiki Beach (the Pink Palace).
Now the Judiciary Building and home to the Hawaii State Supreme Court, this was where the Massie Affair, the marquee event of Hawaiian jurisprudence), played out
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Assistance available for those who need help with stairs or inclines
- Foldable wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers can be accommodated
Reviews(15)
The tour guide never turned up and never contacted us. I tried calling but their number always went to voicemail. We ended up just doing the palace tour ourselves with the recordings they give you and it was great so didn't need a tour guide. Viator though did refund the money no problem.
He did not show up, he retired but tour is still up. We had to wait in the hot sun for an additional 15 minutes, called him asking where he was and then received the word that he was not coming as he retired so why was this experience still online? Does Viator not monitor their postings?
Terry was a very knowledgeable and super friendly tour guide. His knowledge of history and his stories were incredible!
This was a very nice intimate tour with Terry. He provided great context to how the iolani palace came to be and the history of King Kamehameha and the Hawaiian people. Thank you for that history lesson that most people probably never hear. The weather was saying rain and we made it through the whole tour with no rain!
Terry was a great storyteller of the glossed over parts of Hawaiian history. The walk wasn’t far, but covered many topics.
Terry shared a lot of local history, and being a one-on-one tour, he was able to go into much more detail and expand on his usual talk. He is very knowledgeable and very interesting and it's a tour I would recommend if you're a real history lover
Great informative walking tour. There is alot of standing which for some people may be difficult. He tries to keep you in the shade.
Very interesting tour around the palace, state houses and churches with stories of history and ghostly sightings. Terry was very kind and humorous. Would highly recommend!
Terry was an excellent and knowledgeable guide, I really enjoyed his tour and all the interesting stories he had throughout, I wanted to add we were running a little late and he was nice enough to wait and accommodate! Thanks Terry ! Hands down best Hawaiian tour I’ve ever been on !
A good overview of the history of settlement in Oahu. Knowledgable guide. Didn’t expect to hear so much about ghosts.
