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Hawaiian Airlines Flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Hawaiian Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) regularly scheduled to depart at 8:30am and arrive at 11:50am. Usually a Boeing 767-300 is flown for this route. The average travel time from San Francisco, CA to Honolulu, HI is 5 hours and 20 minutes.
During your Honolulu vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Bishop Museum
This forbidding, four-story Romanesque lava-rock structure (it looks like something out of a Charles Addams cartoon) holds safe the world's greatest collection of natural and cultural artifacts from Hawaii and the Pacific. It's a great rainy-day diversion; plan to spend about half a day here. The museum was founded by a Hawaiian princess, Bernice Pauahi, who collected priceless artifacts and in her will instructed her husband, Charles Reed Bishop, to establish a Hawaiian museum "to enrich and delight" the people of Hawaii. The institution is now home to Dr. Yosihiko Sinoto, the last in a proud line of adventuring archaeologists who explored more of the Pacific than Captain Cook and traced Hawaii's history and culture through its fishhooks.The Bishop is jam-packed with acquisitions -- from insect specimens and ceremonial spears to calabashes and old photos of topless hula dancers. A visit here will give you a good basis for understanding Hawaiian life and culture. You'll see the great feathered capes of kings, the last grass shack in Hawaii, preindustrial Polynesian art, even the skeleton of a 50-foot sperm whale. There are also seashells, koa-wood bowls, nose flutes, and Dr. Sinoto's major collection of fishhooks.Hula performances take place daily at 11am and 2pm, and various Hawaiian crafts, such as feather-working and quilting, are demonstrated. This daily cultural event is worth making time for. For a look at spectacular artifacts such as the ancient feather cloak of King Kamehameha and other items not shown to the general public, take the "Behind the Scenes Tour," offered weekdays at 1:30pm for an additional fee of $15.
Turtle Bay Resort
This North Shore resort is home to two of Hawaii's top golf courses. The 18-hole Arnold Palmer Course (formerly the Links at Kuilima) was designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay. Turtle Bay used to be labeled a "wind tunnel"; it still is one, though the casuarina (ironwood) trees have matured and dampened the wind somewhat. But Palmer and Seay never meant for golfers to get off too easy; this is a challenging course. The front nine, with rolling terrain, only a few trees, and lots of wind, play like a British Isles course. The back nine have narrower, tree-lined fairways and water. The course circles Punahoolapa Marsh, a protected wetland for endangered Hawaiian waterfowl.Another option is the George Fazio Course -- the only one Fazio designed in Hawaii -- a par-71, 6,200-yard course. Larry Keil, pro at Turtle Bay, says that people like the Fazio course because it's more of a forgiving resort course, without the water hazards and bunkers of the more challenging Palmer course. The sixth hole has two greens so you can play the hole as a par-3 or a par-4. The toughest hole has to be the par-3, 176-yard second hole, where you tee off across a lake with the trade winds creating a mean crosswind. The most scenic hole is the seventh, where the ocean is on your left; if you're lucky, you'll see whales cavorting in the winter months. Facilities include a pro shop, driving range, putting and chipping green, and snack bar. Weekdays are best for tee times.
Pali Golf Course
This beautiful municipal course sits near Kaneohe, just below the historic spot where King Kamehameha the Great won the battle that united the islands of Hawaii. The par-72, 6,494-yard course, designed by Willard G. Wilkinson and built in 1953, makes use of the natural terrain (hills and valleys make up the majority of the 250 acres). The course does not have man-made traps, but a small stream meanders through it. If you're off line on the ninth, you'll get to know the stream quite well. The challenge here is the weather -- whipping winds and frequent rainsqualls. Because of the potential for rain, you might want to pay for nine holes, and then assess the weather before signing up for the back nine. The views include Kaneohe Bay, the towns of Kailua and Kaneohe, and the verdant cliffs of the Koolau Mountains. Facilities include practice greens, club rental, locker rooms, and a restaurant.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Honolulu area, including:
Aston at Executive Centre Hotel
Located in the heart of downtown, this is the perfect hotel for the business traveler. Not only is it close to the business and financial center of Honolulu, but the staff also goes out of its way to meet every need. The hotel occupies the top 10 floors of a 40-story multiuse, glass-walled tower. Every room is a spacious suite, with three phones (with voice mail), a whirlpool bath, and unobstructed views of the city, the mountains, and Honolulu Harbor. Executive suites add a full kitchen, washer/dryer, and VCR. All guests awaken to the local newspaper outside their door. Free local phone calls and a daily newspaper make this place popular with business travelers.
Aston Waikiki Beachside Hotel
This luxury boutique hotel is right across the street from Waikiki Beach. There's a feeling of elegance and charm throughout this intimate place: You step off busy Kalakaua Avenue into a marble-filled lobby with classical music wafting in the background, sprays of flowers everywhere, and a soothing Italian fountain. The staff is attentive to every detail (including twice-daily maid service). The only caveat: The bedrooms are very, very tiny, but tastefully decorated with artwork and antiques (including hand-painted Oriental screens and 18th-c. furnishings). There's no on-site restaurant, but there is a complimentary continental breakfast daily in the lobby. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, a three-course tea service (with different teas, sandwiches, desserts, and more), served on antique china, is presented in the lobby and courtyard.
Pagoda Hotel
This is where local residents from neighbor islands stay when they come to Honolulu. Close to shopping and downtown, the Pagoda has been serving Hawaii's island community for decades. This modest hotel has very plain (motel-ish) rooms: clean and utilitarian with no extra frills. For a quieter room, ask for the mountain view, where you'll be away from the street noise. There's easy access to Waikiki via TheBus -- the nearest stop is just a half block away. Ask about the car packages: If you ask when booking, you may be able to get one free with your room. Studios and one- and two-bedroom units have kitchenettes.Facilities: Restaurant (well known among local residents for its man-made stream filled with Japanese ornamental carp, not necessarily for its food); bar; 2 outdoor pools; activity desk; salon; babysitting; coin-op washer/dryers; laundry service; dry cleaning; sundries store.
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