Through A Glass Darkly The Strange and Tragic History Of Honolulu | 1 hour 30 minutes

3 Reviews | Oahu
New On TravelOne
From $29.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Adult (18-100) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Youth (12-17) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Child (3-11) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Infant (0-2) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Through A Glass Darkly The Strange and Tragic History Of Honolulu
2 Adults x $29.00
$58.00
Approx Total
$58.00

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • A well-informed perspective from a life-long Hawaii resident, history teacher, and teller of tales.
  • Forever access to the largest online trove of Hawaiian history videos (several thousands, all free)

Overview

Who would imagine that such a happy place has such a tragic history? Hawaii's tumultuous encounter with the outside world began with the arrival of Captain Cook, whom they ate, sort of, for his troubles. A few years later, King Kamehameha celebrated his conquest of Oahu in 1795 by sacrificing his own cousin. The missionaries, who arrived in 1820, came here to do good... and did very well. Then there was the demographic bomb of waves of imported labor to cut sugar cane. Then the overthrow of the monarchy, annexation, and statehood. In the meantime, there was Pearl Harbor. And it seems that for all of that, we're just getting started.

Meeting points

We'll meet at 10:45 AM at the King Kamehameha Statue, located right across the street (S. King St.) from Iolani Palace. Abundant free parking in the lots adjacent to the statue on weekends. Your guide is the big guy with the walking stick and lantern.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

  • King Kamehameha Statue

    Learn the amazing (and horrifying) story of the conquest of Oahu by King Kamehameha.

    5 minutes

  • Iolani Palace

    Imagine... a royal palace (with kings and queens and thrones and stuff) in the United States... and a storied past that ends with the tragic overthrow of the monarchy.

    10 minutes

  • Kawaiaha'o Church

    Designed by the infamous missionary Hiram Bingham, this "stone church" (to the Hawaiians) was anything but.

    10 minutes

  • Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives

    As the Hawaiians say, "the missionaries came here to do good, and they did very well."

    5 minutes

  • Honolulu Hale (City Hall)

    A lovely Italianate Spanish Colonial Revival structure with an unlovely past.

    5 minutes

  • Hawaii State Capitol

    An elegant expression of the aloha spirit... and a statue (with a story) of the queen who embodied that spirit.

    5 minutes

  • Washington Place

    Queen Liliuokalani's home where she lived in an unhappy marriage and where she returned to after the overthrow of the monarchy.

    5 minutes

  • Cathedral Of St. Andrew

    A church built from thousands of block of sandstone cut in England and shipped to Hawaii. A magnificent stained glass nave. And a tragic tale of a king and his little boy.

    5 minutes

  • Capitol Modern

    Also known as the Hawai'i State Art Museum, this was the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel (built in 1872). So successful that a second Royal Hawaiian was built on Waikiki Beach (the Pink Palace).

    5 minutes

  • Ali'iolani Hale

    Now the Judiciary Building and home to the Hawaii State Supreme Court, this was where the Massie Affair, the marquee event of Hawaiian jurisprudence), played out

    5 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Assistance available for those who need help with stairs or inclines
  • Foldable wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers can be accommodated

Free Cancellation

February 05100% refund
February 06No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    3
  • 4 stars
    0
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 3 reviews with 5 stars

Stories and ghosts

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry is a great storyteller and extremely knowledgeable based on over 50 years on Oahu. We really enjoyed learning about the history of the city we now call home.

Stories and ghosts

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry is a great storyteller and extremely knowledgeable based on over 50 years on Oahu. We really enjoyed learning about the history of the city we now call home.

Knowledgeable and Sufficiently Spooky

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry was an excellent tour guide. He was patient, knowledgeable, and made it interesting for three generations of people.

Knowledgeable and Sufficiently Spooky

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry was an excellent tour guide. He was patient, knowledgeable, and made it interesting for three generations of people.

Excellent history lesson

Published on Jan, 2025

Retired history professor who has in-depth knowledge about history. It is worth of money. $27 is worth of money.

Compare Similar Experiences

Current

Through A Glass Darkly The Strange and T ...
New On TravelOne
5516950P3
time

1 hour 30 minutes

time Free Cancellation
3
From
$29 /   Person
All Inclusive Ultimate Circle Island Tou ...
3358P14
time

10 hours

time Free Cancellation
2,939
From
$156 /   Person
Pearl Harbor, National Memorial Cemetery ...
Special Offer
23602B
time

6 hours to 8 hours

time Free Cancellation
1,587
From
$47 /   Person
USS Arizona Memorial - Honolulu City - A ...
200011P1
time

5 hours to 6 hours

time Free Cancellation
731
From
$64 /   Person
Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona & Hawaiian His ...
21810P10
time

5 hours to 6 hours

time Free Cancellation
456
From
$79 /   Person
Grand Pearl Harbor and City Tour
375182P2
time

6 hours to 7 hours

time Free Cancellation
256
From
$69 /   Person
Deluxe Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial ...
Special Offer
390101P2
time

5 hours

time Free Cancellation
255
From
$56 /   Person
Byodo In Temple & Waimea Botanical Garde ...
324912P3
time

8 hours 30 minutes

time Free Cancellation
220
From
$139 /   Person
Private Pearl Harbor and Honolulu City T ...
46689P6
time

4 hours to 5 hours

time Free Cancellation
184
From
$233 /   Person
Complete Pearl Harbor Experience Tour De ...
179218P7
time

9 hours to 11 hours

time Free Cancellation
173
From
$175 /   Person
Half Day Pearl Harbor with USS Arizona M ...
313961P10
time

4 hours to 5 hours

time Free Cancellation
121
From
$69 /   Person
Honolulu Downtown Walking Tour
259972P2
time

1 hour 10 minutes

time Free Cancellation
107
From
$5 /   Person
Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona and Honolulu C ...
5123P38
time

5 hours

time Free Cancellation
107
From
$73 /   Person
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Honolulu Xtreme Parasail
32200P1
time

1 hour

time Free Cancellation
6,013
From
$69 /   Person
Paradise Cove Luau
3186OPCL
time

4 hours

time Free Cancellation
4,382
From
$150 /   Person
Turtle Canyons Snorkel Excursion from Wa ...
64185P2
time

2 hours

time Free Cancellation
4,142
From
$86 /   Person
8-Line Zipline Adventure on Oahu's North ...
12849P1
time

2 hours 30 minutes

time Partially Refundable
3,230
From
$193 /   Person
Circle Island Tour with Waimea Waterfall
67418P2
time

8 hours

time Free Cancellation
3,011
From
$154 /   Person
Beginner Scuba Diving Adventure with Vid ...
36559P1
time

1 hour 30 minutes

time Free Cancellation
2,958
From
$109 /   Person
Chief's Luau Admission
6981CHIEFLUAU
time

3 hours

time Free Cancellation
2,830
From
$140 /   Person
Oahu Shark Dive
Likely To Sell Out
3246SHARK
time

1 hour 30 minutes

time Free Cancellation
2,432
From
$99 /   Person
Toa Luau at Waimea Valley
64093P2
time

3 hours

time Free Cancellation
2,402
From
$133 /   Person
Oahu Submarine Scooter Adventure
5824SCOOT
time

2 hours

time Partially Refundable
2,063
From
$188 /   Person
Waikiki Catamaran Adventure: Snorkel wit ...
Special Offer
2774TURTLES
time

3 hours

time Free Cancellation
2,001
From
$81 /   Person
Hidden Gems of Oahu Circle Island Tour w ...
67418P8
time

9 hours

time Free Cancellation
1,973
From
$144 /   Person
Connect with TravelOne
travelone
Louise Berg
Destination Expert
Plan your Next Trip
TravelOne Subscribe
We organise unforgettable vacations.
Subscribe for trending deals.
© Copyright 2025 TravelOne Technologies Inc. | All Rights Reserved.
Visa Card Mastercard Maestro Amex Discover

TravelOne uses cookies to give you the best possible service. If you continue browsing, you agree to the use of cookies. More details can be found in our privacy policy.