Yes, free parking Waikiki is still possible, and it can even come with the exquisite view pictured here. Tracking where to find it along with cheap parking Waikiki is something that’s been a passion of ours for years. Recently, we scoured Waikiki parking again using these tricks. It’s easy to save as much as $50 or more per night in hotel parking garages, which is no chump change.
You won’t find any public parking per se at Waikiki Beach, other than as listed below. Garages can be expensive and some involve a walk from the parking lot to Kuhio Beach Park, Queen’s Beach, or the other Waikiki beaches. But there’s still much free Waikiki parking to be found.
Whether you’re staying at a hotel in Waikiki or just parking there for the day, read on to save enough money for an evening on the town!
Free Parking Waikiki + Cheap Parking Waikiki
There are some easy alternatives to paying ever more expensive parking fees in Waikiki. Below are seven of our favorite places to park in Waikiki, followed by three tips not to be missed.
We’re talking about Honolulu having some of the most costly parking rates in the country. Here’s our updated list starting at the Ala Moana side of town and heading up to Waikiki’s Diamond Head side. Please let us know your tips too. Also, things can change rapidly, so be aware of signs regarding parking regulations and prices.
1. Ala Moana Beach Park.
If you’re staying at any of the hotels near Ala Moana, there’s free all day but no longer overnight parking alongside the park on Ala Moana Park Drive. Always be sure to read signs carefully. We’re guilty of having gotten a ticket here ourselves by just not reading.
Tip: It gets very busy on weekend days with beachgoers at Ala Moana. A suggestion is heading to the mall for covered free parking during mall hours.
2. Ala Wai Boat Harbor area, near Hilton Hawaiian Village.
You’ll also still find a lot of free parking behind the Illikai Hotel and the Hilton’s Duke Kahanamoku lagoon and nearby Waikiki beaches. But remember, these free Waikiki parking lots have a 6-hour maximum. Look at Google Maps for location. Lots tend to get crowded and people will wait for others to leave.
You’ll also find a paid lot here that’s open 24 hours a day for $1.00 an hour (no in/out privileges). So if you are staying in that part of Waikiki, you can park at the free lot during the day and this one can work overnight. By comparison, when parking at nearby Prince Resort, valet parking will cost you $52.
Tip: The parking lot on the right side (towards airport) has many more spaces and fewer people queuing for them. While others sit in their car waiting, park there and you’ll already be at the beach.
3. Ala Wai Canal.
Except for certain times, Mondays through Fridays, get there before the crowds and you may find free parking along the Ala Wai Canal (no parking weekdays from 8:30AM to 11:30AM). Continue on Ala Wai Boulevard until you are on the opposite side of the canal from the convention center for more free spaces available 24 hours a day. It can happen, we recently found open spaces at around 10:00AM on a weekend. Image below. When it works, it works. Don’t count on it though. So have a backup plan.
4. Waikiki Shell.
On the Diamond Head side, at the Waikiki Shell, you’ll find free unlimited parking, which is almost always available on Montserrat Avenue. You can park overnight, too. Do watch for signs indicating occasional closures for special events. The nearby Honolulu Zoo parking lot charges $1.50 an hour (credit cards accepted) with a 4-hour maximum at any one time. We’ve parked overnight here many times over the years without issue.
Tip: This works great for day parking as well as overnight parking at nearby Waikiki Hotels. See location on Google Maps.
5. Diamond Head Road area.
There’s abundant metered parking all along Diamond head road at Kapiolani Park. The fee is 50 cents per hour and it’s free on Sundays and before and after parking regulation hours. You can park overnight.
6. Kaioo Drive and Wai Nani Streets.
Located at opposite ends of Waikiki, these streets still have free parking too.
7. Side streets off Kalakaua Avenue and Kuhio Avenues.
Here you’ll find metered parking with a range of prices starting at $1 per hour.
Additional tips.
1. Parking meters are a trip. First, read signs carefully as we have had tickets here and there in Waikiki when not doing so. Also, they aren’t enforced on Sundays! Some meters take credit cards, but definitely not all. So it’s highly recommended that you come with a bag of quarters.
2. Check resort and hotel self-parking fees. One hotel, Waikiki Banyan, still offers reasonable paid parking for non-guests at a rate of $30 per 24-hours, including in/out privileges.
3. When parking in any lot, be it independent or at a hotel, first check rates and availability. Determine if parking is on an in-and-out basis, rather than just one entrance. That can make a huge difference. There can be variable rates depending on the times of day you enter and exit.
Have you tried Parkopedia?
We stumbled upon this recently, which looks to be promising. Parkopedia offers a parking search and reservation service. You can both search for parking locations in a specific area, get pricing and availability, and even reserve and pay for parking.
By entering the specific dates and times you intend to park, together with the neighborhood, you’ll be presented with a map of parking options with full details of what it will cost for your stay. Please let us know if this works for you.
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Linda B says
The benefit of this report and research is priceless. Thank you