College Visit Guides

Fly-in guide · 2 days, 1 campus

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2 Days: A Honolulu College Visit Fly-In Trip

A parent-first plan for visiting the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu: how UH Mānoa's reserved weekday information session and campus tour work and where to book, upcoming tour closure dates, visitor parking in the campus structures, three Waikīkī hotels from budget to upscale, drive times from Honolulu's airport, sibling stops at UH's Lyon Arboretum and the Waikīkī Aquarium, and Honolulu weather by season, every fact sourced and checked Oct 30, 2026.

A cream-colored neoclassical building with a row of tall columns across its front, a wide flight of stone steps leading up to it, and palm trees on either side, under a bright blue sky
Hawaiʻi Hall on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus in Honolulu (February 2025). Photo: Sdkb · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 30, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

School
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (Honolulu, HI)
Days
2 days: fly into Honolulu and settle in Waikīkī, then a reserved UH Mānoa information session and campus tour the next weekday.
Fly into
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), about 18 to 21 minutes from the Waikīkī hotels below with no traffic.
Best base
Holiday Inn Express Waikiki, about a 7-minute drive to the admissions building on campus.
Car or no car
Plan on a car for the campus visit. The hotels are about 7 to 8 minutes from campus by car, and roughly a 40- to 47-minute walk.
Registration
Reservations are required for guided tours. Book on UH Mānoa's Campus Visit page; walk-ins can take the self-guided tour.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents bringing a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, to see the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, home of the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine in Honolulu.

UH Mānoa's campus visit pairs an admissions information session with a guided campus tour, offered Monday through Friday. The photo in this guide shows Hawaiʻi Hall on the Mānoa campus.

Why this order

  • Day 1: fly into Honolulu and check in at a Waikīkī hotel, about 18 to 21 minutes from the airport with no traffic.
  • Day 2: drive about 7 minutes to campus for UH Mānoa's reserved information session and guided campus tour.
  • With extra time, UH's Lyon Arboretum at the back of Mānoa Valley is about 12 minutes from the admissions building by car, and the Waikīkī Aquarium is about 5 minutes from the Wayfinder Waikiki.
Plan ahead: reservations and closures
  • Reservations are required for the guided campus tour. UH Mānoa can only accommodate reserved guests; if a date isn't available online, that tour is full, so pick another date or take the self-guided tour.
  • The Campus Tour Experience is an information session plus a guided campus tour, offered Monday through Friday; start times vary, so pick one when you book.
  • Guided tours don't run on weekends, state and federal holidays or admissions special events. Upcoming closures on UH Mānoa's list include Nov. 3 (Election Day), Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), Nov. 26-27 (Thanksgiving) and Dec. 11-18, 2026 (study period and finals).
  • Visiting on a weekend, a holiday or outside a tour time? UH Mānoa invites you to take a self-guided tour. Printed self-guided tours and an admissions packet are available at Undergraduate Admissions, Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services, Room 001, during business hours.
  • UH Mānoa also holds an annual open house, Discover UH Mānoa, with campus tours and the chance to meet faculty, staff and current students. Check the open house page for the next date.
  • Questions? Call the campus visit line at 808-956-7137 or email visituhm@hawaii.edu.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Honolulu is warm all year: highs at the airport station average about 80°F in January and about 89°F in August.
  • Summer is the dry season, with about half an inch of rain a month in June and July.
  • November through March is wetter, about 2 to 2.4 inches of rain a month, so pack a light rain jacket for a winter visit.
  • Check the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine schedule before you book, since home events can affect campus parking.

2. The suggested 2-day plan

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, with addresses geocoded by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Campus times are to the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services at 2600 Campus Rd., home of Undergraduate Admissions.

Day 1: fly into Honolulu and settle in Waikīkī

  1. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) → Holiday Inn Express Waikiki

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~19 min, 8.8 mi
    Driving
    Car

  2. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) → Waikiki Monarch Hotel

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~18 min, 8.7 mi
    Driving
    Car

  3. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) → Wayfinder Waikiki

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~21 min, 9.5 mi
    Driving
    Car
  • All three hotels are in Waikīkī, about 7 to 8 minutes from campus by car.
  • Every one of these hotels charges a nightly resort fee and a fee for on-site parking, so check the full total on Expedia before you book.

Day 2: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus visit

  1. Holiday Inn Express Waikiki → Queen Liliʻuokalani Center (Admissions)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~7 min, 2.1 mi
    Driving
    Drive or ~47-min walk

  2. Waikiki Monarch Hotel → Queen Liliʻuokalani Center (Admissions)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~7 min, 2 mi
    Driving
    Drive or ~40-min walk

  3. Wayfinder Waikiki → Queen Liliʻuokalani Center (Admissions)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~8 min, 2.6 mi
    Driving
    Drive

  4. Queen Liliʻuokalani Center (Admissions) → Lyon Arboretum (optional, weekdays)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~12 min, 3.1 mi
    Driving
    Drive

  5. Queen Liliʻuokalani Center (Admissions) → Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~18 min, 8.8 mi
    Driving
    Drive
  • For a weekday tour, the simplest option is a $5 flat-rate day in the Lower Campus Parking Structure (Zone 20), entered from Dole St. via Lower Campus Rd. or from Waiʻalae Ave. via Kalele Rd. Pay the attendant by credit card only.
  • The lower campus structure can stop selling daily parking when it fills, especially 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on weekdays, so arrive early. The Dole St. Parking Structure (Zone 22) also offers $5 day parking on its first floor, paid in the JustPark app.

3. Campus by campus

A cream-colored neoclassical building with a row of tall columns across its front, a wide flight of stone steps leading up to it, and palm trees on either side, under a bright blue sky
Hawaiʻi Hall on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus in Honolulu (February 2025). Photo: Sdkb · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (Honolulu, HI)

Where visits start
  • Book the Campus Tour Experience, an admissions information session plus a guided campus tour, with the Schedule a Visit button on UH Mānoa's Campus Visit page. It's offered Monday through Friday, and times vary.
  • Undergraduate Admissions is in the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services (QLC), Room 001, where you can also pick up a printed self-guided tour and an admissions packet during business hours.
  • Bringing a school or community group of 10 or more? UH Mānoa has a separate group visit request, due at least two weeks ahead.
Visitor parking
  • Daily visitor parking is in UH Mānoa's two parking structures: the Lower Campus Parking Structure (Zone 20, $5 flat, credit card only, 5 a.m. to midnight) and the first floor of the Dole St. Parking Structure (Zone 22, $5 flat, paid in the JustPark app).
  • Green visitor stalls around campus cost $3 per half hour from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 3-hour maximum, paid in the JustPark app or by phone at 1-888-546-1481.
  • Parking is free on weekends and Hawaiʻi state holidays in permit-only and visitor lots, except during athletic and special events. Student housing lots are for residents only.
  • Questions? Commuter Services is in QLC, Room 014 (ground level): 808-956-8899 or parking@hawaii.edu, Monday through Friday.
Getting there
  • The admissions building is about 18 minutes from Honolulu's airport by car with no traffic.
What to know
  • UH's Lyon Arboretum sits at the back of Mānoa Valley, with more than 7 miles of hiking trails across nearly 200 acres. It's open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; admission is free with a suggested $10 donation, and every visitor signs in at the Visitors Center. Construction can close it on short notice, so check its homepage before you go.
  • Can't make the trip yet? The Campus Visit page links a virtual tour, and UH Mānoa's admissions team runs Warrior Webinars on financial aid offers.
Contact
UH Mānoa campus visit line: 808-956-7137, visituhm@hawaii.edu. Undergraduate Admissions: QLC Room 001, 2600 Campus Rd., Honolulu, HI 96822.

Last checked Oct 30, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UH Mānoa: Undergraduate Admissions · UH Mānoa: Admissions events · UH Mānoa: Discover UH Mānoa open house · UH Mānoa Commuter Services: Daily Visitor Parking · UH Mānoa: Interactive campus map

4. Where to stay: Waikīkī hotels near UH Mānoa

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickMid-range

Holiday Inn Express Waikiki by IHG

2058 Kuhio Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815

Why here

  • It's about a 7-minute drive to the admissions building and about 19 minutes from the airport with no traffic.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists a free full breakfast, an outdoor pool, a hot tub, mini golf, a playground, a game room and in-room microwaves and refrigerators. There's a nightly resort fee and paid on-site parking, and the minimum check-in age is 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Waikiki Monarch Hotel

444 Niu St., Honolulu, HI 96815

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about a 7-minute drive to the admissions building, and about 18 minutes from the airport, with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists an outdoor pool, two hot tubs, a 24-hour gym and laundry facilities, plus an airport shuttle for a surcharge. There's a nightly resort fee and paid on-site parking, the front desk keeps limited hours, and the minimum check-in age is 18. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

Wayfinder Waikiki

2375 Ala Wai Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96815

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about an 8-minute drive to the admissions building with no traffic, and about 5 minutes from the Waikīkī Aquarium.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists an outdoor pool, a hot tub, a 24-hour gym, an on-site restaurant and café, and breakfast for a fee. There's a nightly resort fee, a deposit and paid valet parking. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

All three hotels are about 7 to 8 minutes from campus by car. Budget for the nightly resort fee and hotel parking on top of the room rate.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

At the hotels

The Holiday Inn Express includes a full breakfast. The Wayfinder Waikiki has an on-site restaurant and café, with breakfast for a fee, and the Waikiki Monarch has restaurants and a coffee shop on site.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Lyon Arboretum

3860 Mānoa Rd., Honolulu, HI

UH's public botanical garden at the back of Mānoa Valley, with more than 6,000 kinds of tropical and subtropical plants and over 7 miles of trails. Open weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; admission is free with a suggested $10 donation, and walk-up docent tours are $15 (children under 12 free). Parking is first come, first served, and construction can close it on short notice. It's about 12 minutes from the admissions building.

Official page →

With siblings

Waikīkī Aquarium

2777 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu, HI

An aquarium in Waikīkī that showcases UH research. Buy tickets at the front desk: $12 general admission, $5 for kids 4 to 12 and free for kids 3 and under; visitors under 18 must be with an adult. It's open while it undergoes renovations.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Getting to campus

  • Save the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services (2600 Campus Rd.) in your map app, and park in the Lower Campus or Dole St. structure for a $5 day rate.

Flying in and out

  • Campus is about 18 minutes from Honolulu's airport with no traffic, so a morning tour and an evening flight home can fit in one day.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Honolulu International Airport station)

  • Spring: April averages about 83°F highs and 70°F lows, with under an inch of rain; March is the wettest month, at about 2.4 inches.
  • Summer: August averages about 89°F/76°F, with under an inch of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 87°F/74°F, and November about 84°F/72°F with about 2.3 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 80°F/67°F, with about 1.8 inches of rain.

Parent checklist

  • Reserve a weekday Campus Tour Experience on UH Mānoa's Campus Visit page, and check the closure list for your dates.
  • Book flights into Honolulu (HNL) and plan a car for the campus visit.
  • Book a Waikīkī hotel and budget for its resort fee and parking.
  • Save the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center (2600 Campus Rd.) and the Lower Campus Parking Structure in your map app, and bring a credit card for parking.
  • After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

1 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
  • Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
  • Division I (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
  • Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

  • Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
  • Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

  1. NCAA, 2026-27 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (pp. 3, 21–25)
  2. NCAA.org: NCAA Recruiting
  3. NCAA: Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides
  4. NCAA Directory: University of Hawaii, Manoa
  5. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Athletics (official site)
  6. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Athletics: Staff Directory
  7. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Athletics: schedule of events

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Sources

All checked Oct 30, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

  1. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Undergraduate Admissions: Campus Visit (tour reservations, closures, self-guided and group visits)
  2. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Undergraduate Admissions: Events
  3. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: Discover UH Mānoa Open House
  4. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: Commuter Services
  5. UH Mānoa Commuter Services: Daily Visitor Parking
  6. Expedia listing: Holiday Inn Express Waikiki by IHG (star class, amenities, fees and address, checked 2026-10-30 via same-id Hotwire listing) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Honolulu-Hotels-Holiday-Inn-Express-Waikiki.h7795.Hotel-Information)
  7. Expedia listing: Waikiki Monarch Hotel (star class, amenities, fees and address, checked 2026-10-30 via same-id Hotwire listing) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Honolulu-Hotels-Hawaiian-Monarch-Hotel.h867193.Hotel-Information)
  8. Expedia listing: Wayfinder Waikiki (star class, amenities, fees and address, checked 2026-10-30 via same-id Hotwire listing) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Honolulu-Hotels-Waikiki-Sand-Villa-Hotel.h6640.Hotel-Information)
  9. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving and walking profiles
  10. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  11. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Honolulu International Airport, HI (USW00022521)
  12. Harold L. Lyon Arboretum (University of Hawaiʻi)
  13. Lyon Arboretum: Visit
  14. Waikīkī Aquarium: Admission Information
  15. Waikīkī Aquarium
  16. Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine Athletics: Composite Schedule