Hawaii: Diamond Head vs. Koko Head

Most travelers in Oahu looking to hike will likely come across two names: Diamond Head and Koko Head, but which one is better? It largely depends on whom you ask, as there are several factors involved. Personally, I thought Koko Head was better in all aspects. I’ll highlight below.

Level of Ease: Diamond Head

Diamond Head is pretty easy, a lot easier than I imagined. While I was taking my Uber there, my driver warned me to take it easy and drink a lot of water so I initially thought it was challenging. I didn’t even break a sweat; it took about 15-20 minutes to reach the top.

Koko Head, on the other hand, is a lot more challenging. Here, you’re actually climbing a set of old railroad tracks, 1048 to be exact. It took me about 25 minutes and I consider myself to be in excellent physical shape, the average person will probably take between 30 and 50 minutes.

View: Koko Head

The view at the top of Koko Head is amazing as it overlooks Hanauma Bay. Compared to Diamond Head, it’s more scenic.

While Diamond Head offers beautiful scenery, much of it overlooks the city.

Fewer Tourist/People: Koko Head

Both places have their fair share of tourists, but Diamond Head is hands down more “touristy”, much of this is due to its location and relative ease, you’ll see more children and elderly people. With Diamond Head, I had to wait a while to take a clear shot of the view without people, at Koko Head I didn’t.

Safety: Diamond Head

Koko Head could actually be quite dangerous if you’re not careful. Unlike Diamond Head, you have complete freedom to roam around as nothing is prohibited, you can walk to the edge of the cliff if you’d like. With Diamond Head, there are fences around to prevent such accidents.

Accessibility: Diamond Head

Diamond Head is relatively easy to reach from most tourist centers in Oahu.

Koko Head awkwardly lies in a random neighborhood and is a bit far out from the city center. From the Waikiki area by local bus, it takes about an hour, but if you’re not cheap like me, you can take a taxi and reach it in half the time.

Overall: Koko Head

Less people, better view. If you can, do both, but if you have time for one, Koko Head wins every time.