Beautiful palace! Modern amenities for its time that absolutely surprised me. Susan was a great guide/host. The wood flooring is AMAZING. Tons of Hawaiian history here. A must see when you visit.

Each time I go, It seems like theres something new. The self-guided tour makes it easy to pause, or move ahead by punching the appropriate numbers in the handset. Great overview of a brief, shining moment and tragic downfall of the sovereign Hawaiian kingdom.

This guided tour of the Palace where the king of Hawaii lived and ruled prior to being part of the United States. This beautiful palace takes you back in time and teaches you alot about Hawaiis history at the same time.. A+++

For anyone that appreciates history and would like to know more about how Hawaii came to be i would strongly encourage checking it out! This being the only Royal Palace in the US i was very intrigued to see what it was all about.We did a guided group tour and we pretty much went from room to room to look at all of the beautiful artifacts that have been recovered over the years. They do a good job of explaining what life was like then and what the royal family was like by providing ample context.Tour was about 2 hours and was probably one of coolest things i did during my visit

A beautiful and melancholy place. The restoration is very well done. Its as if you have stepped back into the 19th century. The pocket doors leading into the dining room are stunning, and huge.The greater impact though is the history of this place and the last monarchs of the Hawaiian kingdom. It is an example of how power and politics has remained unchanged since the dawn of man. But it also provides hope in the Queens example of grace and compassion in the face of adversity.We used the audio tour. It was very good and I would recommend it. We plan to return for a docent led tour where you have the opportunity to ask questions.

The restoration and preservation of the remaining royal collection is phenomenal. I have lived on the island for 20 years and had never thought to tour the palace until family from the mainland visited. I chose the audio tour for us and was not disappointed. Each room had so much visual history and the audio gave feeling and life in each description and clarification of the history of Hawaiis Royal family. Each item displayed had so much beauty and the design from the wooden doors to the inlay found on the Mason tools. There was so much to see and so much I may have missed in my excitement that I am positive that my family and I will return sometime again soon.

This is a tour that many visitors to the islands will miss because its not a beach, but this is a must see/do. The palace is truly magnificent, and a true state of the art building at the time it was built, with plumbing, flush toilets, and electric lights before the White House.It is the story/history of Hawaii that is told by the palace that is essential for visitors. How Hawaii was annexed by the United States is a story not known by many who visit these islands. The building, the restored and preserved contents, the stories, and displays are worth the time out of the sunshine.The self-guided tour allows you to take your time and go back to take another look once you have a little more context. There are benches you can sit on if youre getting a little weary walking around, or if you just want to reflect at different times during the tour.Dont skip the basement! Theres a lot of information and context to be gained by spending some time in the basement. In fact the basement is a good place to start if you can get there a little early.

Absolutely stunning renovations with one of the best narrated walking tours Ive done. Such a neat and educational stroll through time and history of this beautiful and progressive state. I was impressed from start to finish and will definitely go back! Very reasonable admission, too!

Love this palace. It has beautiful architecture and is situated among green trees and yards which makes visitors calm and peaceful. Free entry for walking around the building. Many spots to take photos. Big trees with big roots are what I recommend.

So much history here, both good and bad. The guided tour is well worth the small extra cost; our tour guide was amazing, happy to answer our questions, extremely knowledgeable, friendly, as were all of the staff and volunteers.Our guide was able to strike a good, and no doubt well thought out, balance between telling stories of the good times in the palace and the crimes committed against the Kingdom of Hawaii.The palace and grounds are beautiful, the exhibits informative, and the location easy to access via The Bus from anywhere. Bring a picnic lunch or visit Chinatown for great food.

Wonderful tour! I recommend the guided tour verse the audio tour. Great history here. The audio tour does not include the stair case walk. Over all the history is just amazing!

Take a trip through time! This museum/historic landmark experience is so worth the entry fee. Take the audio guided tour for an even better experience. The home really is remarkable with ornate architecture, decor, fixtures, and royal clothing and artifacts. It’s a remarkable place. Then delve even deeper into the rich history of the Kamehameha Dynasty & Queen Liliuokalani royal family.

So interesting, illustrates the history of Hawaii both before and after Americas arrival. Definitely heartbreaking, but also fascinating. The throne room is lined in Queen Liliuokalanis gowns and features the royal jewels, the basement has medals and weaponry on display. The most heartbreaking room, though, is the Quilt Room - the only thing in it is the quilt Queen Liliuokalani made to pass her time after her arrest. Very stark, and helps to paint a picture of some of what she endured.

Very nice place. It was good to know how Hawaii’s royalty used to live and the effort it takes to restore historical artifacts. Budget for around 2 hours.

Beautiful wood work and excellent job of keeping it as original as possible. Great audio tour. You may want to bring headphones for the audio but they have some available for use. Leave your bags in the car as they want to limit the risk of damage by accident within the palace. The docents were friendly and courteous. A great history lesson for anyone interested in the Hawaiian monarchy.

I did the self-guided tour, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the perfect length - long enough to give me enough information, but not so long that I felt like my whole day was gone (I spent about 2 hours total at the palace). This is a great way to learn a little bit about the history of Hawaii.Note that you will be asked to wear shoe covers, so plan your shoe choice accordingly!

We didnt plan on taking the tour but sure glad that we did. The audio tour offered very clear and succinct history, gave us appreciation of the Royal Familys history. I am very impressed with how the staff and volunteers have taken such good care of the tourists. Thank you.

We really enjoyed our tour at the Iolani Palace! Our tour guide Phyllis was FANTASTIC! She was so informative and passionate about the history that took place in Hawaii. We were able to visit many beautiful rooms and take a step back in history. Im thankful we got to leave better educated about the history of the Aloha state. Im so happy Phyllis was able to answer all our questions and even tell us more about the area! I definitely recommend stopping by, its the only official Royal residence in the states!

The palace is a thoroughly beautiful, well preserved and educational piece of Hawaiian history. The architecture is stunning, as is the furniture and decor. The audio tour was extremely informative - I recommend consuming the content in the specified order.

Beautiful. Gracious and informative staff. Well worth the visit. Love the history. Albeit somewhat tragic.

Absolutely beautiful place to visit and so rich in Hawaiian history. Make sure you allow half a day as there is a lot to see!

Went on a wonderful guided tour of the palace. Our tour guide, Phyllis, was friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Its worth every penny to take the tour. The grounds are also beautiful and a good place to relax and have a sit. We did have to use street parking, but it was not an issue. Ticket and gift shop employees were also friendly and helpful.

A wonderful place to visit. Cant compare though to the natural beauty of Hawaii. Though my expectations were exceeded. The house is the former royal palace before Hawaii became a state. Its a lovely house. Some rooms are unfurnished. There is a self guided audio tour included. It contained a lot of interesting history. If you listen to each entry and check every room, give yourself about three hours to complete the tour. Parking is difficult to find. There are metered stalls around the palace. The staff warned us to be sure to actually pay, because the metered parking is strictly enforced.The state Capitol Building is right next door.

Excellent audio your, beautifully restored palace. Even the free basement tour is good for a view of Hawaiian history.

Excellent restoration and preservation that clearly tells a history most of us are unaware of.

Beautiful place. Surprised there wasnt more people there when I visited. Just few hours going on. Due to all trees around, felt quite nice with weather and views

Great place to visit and learn more about Hawaii over the past 10 centuries! Self guided tour is very informative and good for kids and adults!

Its a nice place to visit while in Oahu especially for people that like history. Its not that big and youll probably get thou it in about two to three hours. The only thing I didnt like was that if you kid needs a stroller they lend you one and your kid is supposed to stay in it throughout the palace. By the time we were getting to the end my son was was exhausted of being in it.

Nice palace. Open 09-16. Worth a visit when coming to Honolulu

Great place to tour if you’re visiting Honolulu. The history is fascinating and the audio tour is absolutely great. You learn a lot about the history of the building and Hawaii as well. The personal tours only happen in the morning, so if you go in the afternoon catch an audio tour. A bonus - easily accessible by bus if you’re staying in the Waikiki area!

The Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in US soil. Its construction was approved by King Kamehameha III. The palace served as a royal residence from the year 1845 to 1893. The interiors are lavish and furniture set are polished and the bed sheets or pillow covers are made of silk and velvet. The palace is really marvellous.

The ʻIolani Palace was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dynasty, founded by her brother, King David Kalākaua. It is located in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It is now a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After the monarchy was overthrown in 1893, the building was used as the capitol building for the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and State of Hawaiʻi until 1969. The palace was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1978. The ʻIolani Palace is the only royal palace on US soil.

I definitely spent the 2 hours here as Google estimated. Deep and rich story yet brief enough if you only warrant 45-60mins. Just beautiful and exquisite palace. Its a great start to learning about the Kingdom of Hawaii.

This place was beautiful. Talk about royalty! We had a hilarious and amazing tour guide for this. He used to work for the District Attorney, so he was telling us stories about how he used to come to this palace to do work here.The palace is beautiful. The tour is so interesting and has a lot to show you in such a short amount of time. They go through every room and show you so many things, its hard to take it all in that this once was a place where royalty lived.We did the first tour of the morning and since this place is beautiful at that time. Its definitely worth checking out. Make sure to bring a camera or your phone because theres a lot of things you dont normally get to see up close like the jewels and crowns.

Best kept secret in Oahu! Definitely a highlight on your vacation. They had wonderful service and the tour is self guided. It’s well worth the price and once you’re done, across the street is a stunning statue of King Kamehameha the Great of Hawaii. When you first walk in your t seems like a place completely frozen in time, and even though it’s not all original it’s very very well maintained and kept. I definitely recommend you come here on your vacation no matter where you’re staying in Oahu. And if your lucky you might see a live reenactment of the last moments of the Hawaiian monarchy. I only have one complaint, I wish you had to pay more!

This palace is a must see here in Hawaii. All the rooms are kept and preserved pristinely! Use the audio tour to learn about the history of Hawaii’s monarchy. Prices for the tour are reasonable and don’t miss the basement area on the way out!

Tickets are purchased in the smaller white colored building to the left of the Palace.Tickets are reasonably priced- guided tours- audio toursTours are also available in various languagesThere are ADA accommodations to see the palace, parking inside the gates area and elevatorsThe waiting area for the audio tours are very accommodating and provided in a cool area.The audio tours come with headsets and an iPhone that guides you. Each area is assigned a number on the iPhone and it will take you throughout the palace, very easily.Children (my children and 3 and 4) must be in a stroller. Do not bring your own stroller as they have standard Chico strollers (New and well kept) that are allowed in the palace to assist in preservation.The palace itself is amazing and beautiful. A must see to embrace the history and culture of Hawai’i

If you’ve been to other palaces, this one will feel very bare and small. This is no Versailles - it’s basically just a Victorian-era house. Seeing everything (and I mean absolutely everything) only takes about an hour. A few rooms are completely empty... kind of odd to have a palace tour with nothing in it! Nevertheless, it was an enriching experience to learn about Hawaiian history. But it should definitely be a little cheaper.

Very beautiful historic building that is worth to visit and the 20USD for the audio tour. You receive a feeling for the Hawaiian history and culture. The rooms look very tasteful and the storys about the Monarchs are interesting. Moreover, there is a tourist shop in the basement.

Great history of Hawaii. Fabulous job restoration and retrieval of artifacts.

A once in a lifetime experience at a once upon a time palace, this was an evening to remember. The only royal palace in the United States, it is beautifully restored and bursting with rich history.

Iolani Palace, a sacred Hawaiian Landmark, was once home and the official residence of Hawaiis Monarchy. The Iolani Palace is well into the process of being restored, nearly every room has been fully restored and furnished with historical original furnishings. The palace was originally built in 1882. As you tour the palace, you will not only enjoy and learn about the palace itself, but also of the Hawaiian Royal Monarchy and Family, the accomplishments of successive Hawaiian Kings, and innovative construction. All influenced by various political forces as the Monarchy endured year over year. The Iolani Palace is a National Historic Landmark and a jewel in downtown Honolulu. Recommened Must See, allow at least 2 hours, you will not be disappointed! Enjoy your visit!If you find my information or photos useful, please like them, thank you and enjoy your visit! Aloha!

I am so glad I got to tour the Iolani Palace. The history was so interesting and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. There is so much to take in that I will be visiting again. I suggest that you get there early to find parking because theres not much on site, but you can park in front of the Palace in their metered parking slots which take credit cards. We were also lucky because we got to see the Royal Hawaiian concert band performe there at noon.

We really enjoyed the Iolani palace tour. The audio tour is self paced and allows you to look at each room as much or little as youd like. It was great to learn so much about the history of Hawaii.

Great historical museum/palace. Tons of artifacts, real diamonds and precious stones and historical clothes. The place is rich with history.

Wow. So much history and beautifully kept artifacts. The audio tour lasted about 1 hour and you pay for your tour at the gift store next door. There is parking and lots of shade.

What can I say? This place is great. Great culture and history about the Hawaiian kingdom. Definitely worth the $20 entrance fee. Even if youre not a museum person, put it on your list of things to do.

Excellent place to learn Hawaiian monarch history. Audio tour was very informative. Great place to spend 1 or 2 hours. Theres a limitation on how many visitors per hour so plan ahead. I use Starbucks behind Julia cafe to have snacks before my turn. Also not a straight forward location for Uber drivers. They dont always know how to pull in the Palace.

One of the first things we did upon landing in Honolulu is ask the locals what they recommend tourists do. Someone said that we needed to learn the history of Hawaii and gave us a great list of historic buildings and statues that would give us a better understanding of the history and culture here. Iolani Palace is the perfect place to start. It’s a little depressing to learn how Hawai’i became part of the United States (well, learn more than just a few lines in a history book covering a much broader history of the US), but overall the palace is beautiful, humbling, and a piece of history no one should miss. Plus the staff is great and the refreshments are cheap (enjoy while waiting for the next tour, not during)! There’s no food, drink, or gum allowed. You’ll also have to wear shoe coverings. I’m sure they’re washed frequently but maybe don’t wear flip flops or sandals just in case.

What a great place to learn about Hawaiian history. Loved it! The audio tour is wonderful and it’s a great stop to add to your list. You could spend between 45min to 2hours there.

Must see place. Amazing rich Hawaiian history. Spectacular exhibits, and artifacts. A top notch audio tour. Very intriguing to see how the royal family lived.

The only Royal Palace on American soil. Within walking distance of cruise terminal. So many artifacts. Have a look

Spectacular !! If you are in Honolulu you MUST visit this place !It has beautiful restoration work. They have self guided audio tour which provides a great insight on Hawaiian history. You cannot touch anything and they provide you with shoe covers,but there are benches inside to sit and listen to the audio.Since you got to return your audio sets after coming out of the palace it gives you a sense that the tour is over,but make sure you dont miss the basement.The prices of the tickets are worth for what they have to offer ! Do visit this place

Incredible place and very historic. Only problem here is parking. Prices of the tour is $20 per person.

Good historical palace to visit and learn about Hawaii and its ancestral Kings. Takes about 30 mins to go through the whole place. They have an audio tour that you take on your own at your own pace. Beautifully kept.

Many of the rooms are rather empty. The story of the family is interesting, but presented in sort of a dull way. The audio tour devices arent great at conveying the stories in a compelling way, forcing you to listen to long-winded scripts instead of letting you focus on what you find interesting. Most importantly though, the current setup for social distancing and covid precautions are VERY POORLY explained. You walk into the first room and dont know what youre supposed to do from there. Everyone just stands around waiting for instruction to proceed until a guest eventually asks what theyre supposed to do next. Improving instruction of what to expect and how to experience the location, and flow of room to room, would enhance the experience a lot.

The Iolani Palace was the best introduction to Hawaiian history we found and the audio tour told us so much about the unification, and sadly the subjugation, of the Hawaiian monarchies. I could feel the pride of the Hawaiian people in this building. Worth every penny in my opinion.

Fantastic renovation of the Palace! Accurate furnishings and architecture! We completed the Self-Led Audio tour in about an hour and then stayed a little longer to see the jewels and memorabilia in the basement. Learned so much about pre-statehood history, it is an impressive part of Hawaiis legacy.

We only got to see the outside but what a beautiful building and surrounding area. Definitely a must-see if you are close by. Maybe check out the schedule for inside access and or tours. Parking was a little crazy but we eventually found street parking at a meter and walked a block or two which was not too bad. Part of a tour group would have even been better for parking purposes.

Beautiful palace, impressive history. The audio tour of 20 dollars is definitely worth it.The staff is friendly and helpful and you get a real sense of the history and heartache Id the palace.

Fascinating Hawaiian history of the last royalty of the islands and the story of colonisation. Beautiful royal home where the last Queen was imprisoned. Did the self guided audio tour.

Great place if you like palaces and opulent living. The question is how did the king get all of his riches. They do not talk about that.

Had a wonderful tour and dinner at the palace. The dozens were very knowledgeable.

I grew in up in Hawaii but had never visited the palace. 56yo now. Great visit. Marvelous docent. Well restored. Well worth the time and money on a rainy day. Weather has cleared and headed to the beach next. Mahalo.

Visit the seat of the Hawaiian monarchy. Learn the rich history of Hawaii.

Great tourist spot or something you should definitely see as a local. Beautiful building with some stipulations no wheelchairs, no scooters, and no strollers. They have wheelchairs to borrow but because of it being historic you are not allowed to use your own. The process for someone whos wheelchair dependent and not self transferring is a pretty big pain but is doable.They offer military and Kamaina discounted rates.

Wow so cool to see and visit.

Incredibly rich and interesting history to be found. I took the audio tour with my family and it explained everything in exquisite detail. For both history buffs and history haters alike.

I.love to.live in Hawaii w.with.

This is a great place to do a mini-walk of the must see sites in downtown Honolulu. From here, you can visit the Kamehameha the Great Statue, churches, and government buildings. Everything is pretty compact, and theres not a ton to see, so you wont need much time. The grounds outside the palace are open on weekends, so if youre not interested in seeing the inside, you can still get great pictures.

Loved it...very interesting history and culture..

Awesome self guided tour. Worth the time to see how Hawaii became part of the USA.

Beautiful palace with great and sad history but worth the visit.

Be sure to book the guided tour. Jeffrey impressed us with his knowledge of the palace. Fully restored it will take you back in Hawaiian history. It’s not to be missed!

Really interesting place with tons of history, but our guide was pretty controlling. We had very little time to take photos and appreciate the palace.

Audio tour is a must, very informative. Dont miss the displays in the basement. Better to order ticket ahead of time as they do limit number of people per time slot.

Must see has lots of history! Very nice and very big too!

Every local should visit this historical landmark. Its informative & free if you go on kamaaina day.

Good for history buffs but of you dont like history, then skip it. It has interesting exhibits and you can learn about the history of Hawaii

So much history here. Some sadness, but very stunning and breathtaking. I wish I could have seen the palace during its prime days.

Good to visit and know a bit about history of royalty in hawaii. The palace itself(or rather the tourable area) is really small. It costs about $20 for a tour which happens every 10 minutes. Tours are very organized. For families travelling with small kids, strollers are available at no cost. Everyone gets an audio headset with a retrofitted ipod to know more about the palaces history.

Visiting Iolani Palace is like stepping back to the times of Hawaiian Kings and Queens! The woodwork is stunning showing the craftsmanship of artisans of the times! It is also amazing to see the modern conveniences that they had for the times! They were ahead of their times! Recommend the tour with audio. Good way to spend a little time learning about the Hawaiian Royalty!

Great place to visit. If you are a history person, this place should be on your list.

Insight into the sometimes tragic lives of Hawaiian royalty in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Was at the forefront of technology when built. Self-guided audio tours on timed tickets.

Beautiful palace provides a view into Hawaiian royalty life.

Its a self guided tour, so its nice that you can move at your own pace. The only downside is there are alot of empty rooms with no artifacts in them. At least 1/4th of the rooms are empty.

Wonderful to learn about Hawaiian history. Rather unsettling, too. Rather like our treatment of other Native Americans.

The palace is beautiful and the guided tour gives you a great history lesson on the Hawaiian monarchy.

Beautiful place filled with Hawaiian history. Rest in peace Queen!

Loved going into the basement of the palace and seeing all the crests from many different countries that acknowledged Hawaii as the centre of the world for a time in history.Bonus points if you try to guess which countries the crests come from before reading the caption

A beautifully restored tribute to Hawaiian culture and the royal family. The audio tour is very polished, and the device includes historic pictures to help contextualize the history of Hawaii and of the place. Make sure to examine the basement, which contains the royal jewels as well as exhibits. I didnt take the guided tour, but I suspect its very well done, as we overheard the guide singing beautifully from the music room.

Refurbished. Nice tour! 1st Friday of the month the Royal Hawaiian Band has a free concert on the lawn.

Beautiful piece of architecture and history. The Royal Hawaiian Band gives a free concert on the grounds every Friday at noon.

Well worth a visit. Try to book in advance

The story of the royal family and the independence of Hawaii is an interesting one and it is hard no not feel a little sad that this proud institution was just absorbed in into the US.

Very beautiful, be aware no touching ANYTHING! They even have you wear shoe covers. We each had our own audio tour device which was well done and had good sound quality. It was very educational and really brought insight into some of the culture of respect for the royal family and all the roads named after them. I think if they offered a short film in the basement it could help the experience come to life more. But very impressive restoration. Also it would be nice if it was a little clearer where to get the tickets at exactly. Friday is a busy day since the Kings band plays at noon. We were glad there were still walk up tickets available for us around 2pm.

Great history lesson in a self-guided tour. Friendly and helpful staff. Artifacts beautifully preserved and re-created.

Pretty interesting with the audio tour of the entire palace and history of Hawai’i.

Beautiful palace. The audio tour was informative without being dull. Dont forget to check out the basement.

Great history lesson not known from history classes in our area!