Sure, no one wants to go to Oahu without visiting Waikiki Beach — but if you’re Honolulu bound, take your feet out of the sand long enough to explore some of this dynamic city’s vast cultural and culinary offerings. Backdropped by the iconic slopes of Leahi (Diamond Head), this world-famous city beach is where past Hawai’ian royalty surfed the same waters as locals (though, never the same waves or at the same time). Today, the shoreline is home to a host of hotels, shopping and dining.

Just beyond the tourist fray in downtown Waikiki, visitors find a more local vibe in the Kapahulu neighborhood. Come hungry and sample local fare such as brightly hued shave ice or pao doce sweetbreads at Waiola Bakery and Shave Ice, hot malasada at Leonard’s Bakery, or a traditional “plate lunch” at Rainbow Drive In.

At the historic Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, a new exhibition celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the gannenmono, the first Japanese plantation workers. “Gannenmono: A Legacy of Eight Generations in Hawaii” offers a fascinating look through illustrations, firsthand accounts and cultural artifacts drawn from the monumental Pacific crossing to Hawai’i from Japan. Other sites include the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, plus the cone of the extinct Puowaina Volcano.

Located downtown, the Honolulu Museum of Art and Shangri La (some areas are currently under renovation) provides opportunities to discover more about Hawai’i through a permanent collection of more than 60,000 pieces of Western, European and Polynesian art. Also worth adding to your itinerary is a visit to Iolani Palace, which served as the private residence of past Hawai’ian royalty King Kalakaua, and to Queen Liliuokalani, his sister and successor. Along with a throne room inspired by Florentine art, the palace includes a koa wood stairway, royal portraits and a collection of regalia including swords, jewels and crowns.