Oahu Just Opened Tours to a Site Closed for 80 Years. Here’s How to Take a Tour

WAIPAHU – For 80 years, a gulch in central Oahu held one of the most important sites in Hawaii’s history.

On June 4, 2026, the National Park Service opened it to the public for the very first time. Within days, every tour spot for the entire year was gone.

Honouliuli National Historic Site just launched its first-ever public tours. All 132 Honouliuli tour spots across six Saturday dates are full, and more than 500 people are already on waitlists.

If you’re hoping to visit in 2026, your only option now is the waitlist.

Here’s everything you need to know, including what to do if you can’t get in this year and why this site is historically important.

How the Waitlist Actually Works

There is no app or recreation.gov link for this one. Everything goes through email. To get on the waitlist, send a message to hono_superintendent@nps.gov with the following:

• Subject line: [Tour date] TOUR RSVP, Party of [number]
• In the body: Party name, number of people, primary phone number, email address, and a note that you want to be added to the waitlist if that date is full

NPS will reply to confirm your spot. You need to write back and confirm that you understand the physical requirements of the tour. If you skip that step, you are not officially on the list.

The waitlist is first come, first served. NPS updates availability every business day. Reservations for each Saturday tour close the Thursday before.

What Happens If the Park Calls You

If a cancellation opens up, NPS will call the phone number you gave them. If they do not hear back within 24 hours, they move on to the next person.

You could get that call as late as Friday before a Saturday tour, since cancellations are accepted up to three days out.

If you have not heard from the park by the day before your tour, assume there is no seat available for you.

What to Expect If You Do Get In

Great news: the tour is free. It runs about three hours and starts at 8:15 a.m. at Hawaii’s Plantation Village in Waipahu.

From there, a shuttle provided by Pacific Historic Parks takes the group into the gulch.

Once you arrive, you will walk a half-mile trail into the site and the same half-mile back out. The trail is unpaved and steep in sections.

Going in is downhill, but coming out is fully uphill with no shade at all.

The NPS has posted video walkthroughs of both the downhill and uphill trail so you can see exactly what you’re signing up for.

The site has one porta-potty and no drinking water. Bring at least two liters of water per person.

Mosquitoes, bees, wasps, and stinging ants live in the park, so plan accordingly.

Closed-toed shoes with good traction are required. Sandals and Crocs are not allowed and will get you turned away.

You will also sign a University of Hawai’i West O’ahu waiver on the day of your tour.

No photos are allowed on the shuttle ride through university land. Photography inside the park is fine for personal use.

Who Should Think Twice Before Signing Up

This is not a casual walk. The uphill exit in Oahu heat and humidity is the part that catches people off guard.

If anyone in your group has mobility issues, breathing concerns, or a hard time in hot weather, watch the NPS trail videos first and be honest about whether this is the right fit.

There is no place to sit and rest at the site.

The History You Would Be Walking Through

Honouliuli operated from 1943 to 1946.

It was Hawaii’s largest and longest-used wartime incarceration site, though most people outside the islands have never heard of it.

About 4,000 prisoners of war were held there, most of them Okinawan and Korean men conscripted into Japanese military forces.

Roughly 400 civilians of Japanese, German, Italian, and other ancestry were also detained. This happened under martial law, which Hawaii operated under after December 7, 1941.

That detail matters.

Hawaii’s story is different from the mainland internment camps tied to Executive Order 9066.

Here, civilians were held under military authority, not a presidential order. The NPS uses the phrase “unjustly detained,” and that plain language is the right one.

The people held at the camp called the gulch jigoku dani, which means “Hell Valley.” That name says more than most descriptions ever could.

After 1946, the camp was taken apart and mostly forgotten.

Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii volunteers rediscovered its exact location in 2002. President Obama designated it a national monument in 2015, and Congress redesignated it as a national historic site in 2019.

The site covers 123 acres and is one of only two National Historic Sites in Hawaii.

If you want to dig deeper into Hawaii’s history, our facts about Hawaii page is a great starting point.

And if you enjoy stories about Hawaii’s lesser-known or off-limits places, check out our piece on Hawaii’s Forbidden Island, Ni’ihau.

What This Means for Your Oahu Trip

For most visitors, 2026 is effectively closed.

With 500-plus people on waitlists for just 132 total spots, the odds of getting in this year are slim.

Your best shot would be emailing today and hoping for a late cancellation in November or December, which have the smallest waitlists right now.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Get In This Year?

You still have solid ways to connect with this history even without a tour spot.

• Passport stamp: Pick it up at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial visitor center desk, even without a Honouliuli tour
• Hawaii’s Plantation Village: The tour check-in location has its own Honouliuli exhibit you can visit on your own
• Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii: The organization that found the site in 2002 has exhibits and resources on the camp and broader Japanese American history in Hawaii

None of these are the same as standing in that gulch. But they are real and meaningful options for this year.

Oahu is also having bigger conversations about managing access to popular and sensitive places.

Our Oahu North Shore visitor controls article gives good context on how the island is approaching these decisions.

What Comes Next: Watch for 2027

The NPS is calling 2026 a pilot year.

The number of tours is limited by how many volunteer docents are available, not by interest in the site. As the docent program grows, NPS plans to add more tour dates.

The 2027 schedule will be announced at the end of this year. Watch the Honouliuli NPS website, their Facebook page, and Instagram for updates.

Following those now means you will see the announcement as soon as it goes live.

If you want to help make future tours happen, NPS is actively looking for volunteer docents. You can find out more on the Honouliuli volunteer opportunities page.

If you are planning an Oahu trip and want to stay flexible, take a look at our guide on Hawaii travel mistakes to avoid before you book. Timing and flexibility matter a lot when things like this pop up.

FAQs

Are Honouliuli tours available in 2026?

All 132 tour spots across the six 2026 Saturday dates are full. Waitlists are open, and cancellations do happen, so emailing the park right away is still worth doing if you want a chance this year.

How do I get on the Honouliuli tour waitlist?

Email hono_superintendent@nps.gov with the subject line “[Tour date] TOUR RSVP, Party of [number].” Include your party name, number of guests, phone number, email address, and a note that you want to be added to the waitlist. You must reply to NPS’s confirmation email to be officially added to the list.

What are the 2026 Honouliuli tour dates?

The six 2026 tour dates are July 18, August 22, September 19, October 17, November 14, and December 12. Each tour holds just 22 people, and every date currently has a waitlist of 220 or more.

How much does the Honouliuli tour cost?

The tour is free. A shuttle from Hawaii’s Plantation Village to the site is provided by Pacific Historic Parks at no charge.

How long is the Honouliuli tour?

The tour runs about three hours and begins at 8:15 a.m. at Hawaii’s Plantation Village in Waipahu.

Is the Honouliuli trail difficult?

The trail is a half-mile in and a half-mile out on an unpaved path. Going in is downhill, but the return is a fully uphill climb with no shade in Oahu heat and humidity. Anyone with mobility issues or breathing concerns should watch the NPS trail videos before signing up.

What should I bring on a Honouliuli tour?

Bring at least two liters of water per person since there is no drinking water on site. Closed-toed shoes with good traction are required, and sandals or Crocs will get you turned away. Plan for mosquitoes, bees, and stinging ants.

What is Honouliuli National Historic Site?

Honouliuli is Hawaii’s largest and longest-used wartime incarceration site, operating from 1943 to 1946. About 4,000 prisoners of war were held there, along with roughly 400 civilians of Japanese, German, Italian, and other ancestry detained under martial law. President Obama designated it a national monument in 2015, and Congress redesignated it as a national historic site in 2019.

Can I visit Honouliuli without a tour?

You can pick up a Honouliuli passport stamp at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial visitor center desk. Hawaii’s Plantation Village, where tours check in, also has its own Honouliuli exhibit open to independent visitors. The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii has additional exhibits on the camp and Japanese American history in Hawaii.

When will 2027 Honouliuli tours be announced?

The NPS plans to announce the 2027 schedule at the end of 2026. Follow the Honouliuli NPS website, their Facebook page, and their Instagram account to see updates as soon as they go live.