Reviews of Lyon Arboretum (Tourist Attraction)

Trevor Schellenberg

Pretty cool place and easy hike to check out how Hawaii has collected many different tree and plant species from around the world. $5 suggested donation and you've got anywhere from an hour or three to explore the whole area. Yea there's a map and markers but they aren't the easiest to follow.

Ross McCutcheon

What a blessing to find this place. Even in the light rain the beauty and serinity of this place is wonderful.

Baron Saturday

Best. Arboretum. Ever.

Ciera Hady

This place is so beautiful and so large, it can be a bit steep and muddy in some areas. I recommend good shoes. I made the mistake of flip flops the first time I came here. I recommend bug spray, last time I was here I got a lot of mosquito bites because it had just poured and created a lot of puddles for mosquitos and I forgot bug spray. Cockatiels, Honeycreepers, and Sharmas roam around here and love to sing. You'll also spot mongoose and cane toads. I only have the pic of the Cane Toad for some reason.

Karl Zellner

This is a great place to visit for views of the mountains and bnb plant life. There is better scenery here than the nearby falls trail. There is an intermittant falls here too.

Lisa Bowman

It's a beautiful place, stay on the trails and tread lightly. Donate.

Lisa Kirkland Gadway

What a beautiful place to walk around! What's more, there aren't a million other tourists crowding the place. Take a picnic lunch! Grab a map, and enjoy the main walking path, and the many side paths, as you see lots of varied foliage. It's beautiful... truly a gem!

Justin Padinske

So. many. flowers. <3 Manoa Falls usually gets the attention but the Arboretum also leads to a waterfall and with much less people.

Carl Morton

This place really deserves more visitors. The hikes were fantastic and it was well maintained and beautiful.

Catherine Marie Thomson

Great views and range of plants. Convenient to get to from manoa falls walk and from bus.

Todd Burrey

Great hike paths beautiful scenery

Andrew B

Super interesting and educational. Bring bug spray!

Tonia Jones

Beautiful place, walking there I felt like I'm in jungle. Few people, amazing plants! No entrance fee, parking is free.

Tomer Shaked

Beautiful and nearby, went before the storm so it was less busy than usual

Stavan Jani

Not much to see !! Please dont waste your time !!

Jasper Rupard

Beautiful views and an okay waterfall. The tour is cool if you have time. And the waterfall is a hike to see. We did this one before the one at the bottom of the hill. Wish we would have just the other falls first. But if you want to learn alot this is the spot with the tour.

Phoenix Durlin

This place is honestly a hidden gem! The admittance fee is a $5 donation and provides a map of the grounds. It's about a 30 or so minute nature walk to a babbling waterfall at the top of the hillside surrounded by beautiful lush mountains and tropical flowers. Parking is about 20 cars and easily accessible from the main road with a small gift shop that offers cold drinks, snacks, knickknacks and souvenirs.

Daniel Claggett

My wife and I went her after hiking the trail. It was great seeing all of the different types of plants. The "walking tree" was the coolest for me.

claudia ferrara

Beautiful nature walk!

Donald Parry

Beautiful place, we need to come back to walk the miles of trails!

Linda Norman

Spent 4hours exploring. So peaceful. Plants, flowers, birds, a waterfall, and a stream. Such a gem.

Gerald Acabal

Ideal place to view as many tropical flowers, trees, plants. Hiking is a must to appreciate everything this place has to offer. I prefer to observe nature from various angles so I was not able to view them all in the 3 hour time slot. If given another chance, I will stay longer. Camera is must to relive your experience once you depart.

Gunnar Hillert

Visited Lyon Arboretum on Sep 28, 2017 and only encountered 2 other parties. So if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu, this is it. Truly amazing place if you're into plants. Free parking and only $5 suggested donation, you can easily spent a few ours in this botanical garden. Loved it!!!!

Brian Choi

Ready to get dirty and wear shoes doesn't slide (flip flops not recommended) no white shoes

Nesha

This place is beyond beautiful. Majestic

Randy Odne

Great,quiet gardens with unusual plants and trees.the taro patch is a great area

Katy Larson

Second time here and again enjoyed it. So much beauty! Often rains, but doesn't seem to take away from the experience.

Geoffry Spangler

Incredible place! Make sure you bring an umbrella or raincoat, the Ko‘olau's have a sneaky ability to just start pouring out of nowhere. This place is definitely a must for visitors and long time residents alike. So many beautiful plants and ‘Aihualama is really pretty as well.

Cynthia Serva

You can get sunshine and rain at the same time!

DV T

Very nice and easy walking

Garrett Dunbar

If you want to experience the Hawaiian rainforest without having to rely on a machete then this is the place to go. Beautiful sculpted gardens and for the more adventurous gravel and dirt trails that go back into the jungle for miles.

Stephanie Wiriahardja

It wasn't on any of the itineraries and guide book we've seen but we're so glad we came across it on our way to Manoa Falls. I've never seen so much greenery and unique plants in my life! The place is well kept though the trails are not as well marked as it could've been. But it is definitely worth the trip and I loved every second of it!

B Wads

True jungle'ish hikes to a waterfall. Over 100 acres of land with trails and they range from paved to swampy Mudd and just make your own...this was an amazing experience! Well worth the drive!

Kylet 6 Best

What a beautiful place! Everything is so well taken care of and the staff were all super friendly! We can't wait to get back and check out even more! Make sure you bring cash for a suggested donation of $5/person, as they don't take cards …

Ben Mugunbey

I came here with my daughter's 1st grade class. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. Very educational and I'm glad to share it with my daughter and her class.

Sergio De LA Torre

Great place to hike and take a ton of pictures. Good for kids and hikers. This place is beautiful, so please be sure to check it out for yourself soon.

Sallie Talbott

Beautiful place! The hiking was great, not too difficult as we has children with us.

Robert Sullenberger

Fantastic experience. Well worth the trip.

Dennis Liew

Beautiful trees to witness. Careful of mosquitoes because they like to bite in areas where it's more unmaintained.

Warren Wong

Great place to get your head staight and back into that positive groove. '

Rebekah Sheppard

Really nice gardens, learned about the connection between plants and humans. This place is free but I gladly made a suggested donation to keep the garden and research ongoing.

Chris Hutto

Absolutely beautiful! Lots of developed and undeveloped trails to follow

Maraya Hart

Hidden gem and I hope it stays that way.

Garry Yee

Quality Arboretum, so close to the city and Waikiki. You feel transported in time at a real live jungle. We went to the annual plant sale and very pleased with the selection available to us. We bought some carnivorous plants and got great growing advice. Sign up for the available classes.

John Gunn

Probably one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Steven Kelly Frank

Very great staff while volunteering with my sons kindergarten field trip!

William Clove

This was our favorite part of our Oahu trip. And it was totally unexpected and unplanned. We went to Manoa Falls and on our way in saw signs to this arboretum. We hadn't heard of it. On our way out we saw the sign again and decided that since we were parked here (and we just ate lunch) we would go check it out. Best decision we made! The arboretum is gorgeous and huge and full of everything you can think of finding (or wouldn't know to think of) in Hawaii. It was practically deserted and you're free to wander all over. There was even another trail that led to a fall similar to Manoa, but smaller. Highly recommended to anyone not only in the area visiting Manoa, but to anyone visiting Oahu. We spent the rest of the afternoon there and will go back again.

John Kwasna

Great trails in an awesome area!

Foerzaryan Yntanik'

You really feel like you're walking in a tropical rainforest here!

Anita Irmen

Happened upon this spot by accident...what a happy accident. We enjoyed so much more than Manoa Falls. Less crowded, less muddy, more side trails. Hike at your own pace compared to the cattle hurd at Manoa.

Shannon Webb

It's a beautiful place that's great if you want to do a little hiking and be outside. There are lots of interesting plants with information posted along the trails. Parking can be problematic- if you decide to drive all the way up, the road eventually narrows and can only allow one car at a time. Sometimes there's no room on the sides or it's too steep to pull aside. Hikers tend to walk in the middle of the roads, so be careful.

Andy Kovacs

Nice place for a short hike

Alena Eaton

My favorite botanical garden/arboretum!

Cheryl Smith

Yoga and a hike! So beautiful, great way to start your day!

Diana luxuryretreathawaii Vacation Rental Hawaii

Definitely a hidden gem on Oahu! Most tourists hike the Manoa Fall which is right next door, however almost never get to go to this Botanical Garden that appertains to Manoa University. This place is perfect! Never crowded, simply beautifully kept, and you will see tons of tropical flowers and trees. Get up early, hike Manoa Falls first when it's not too crowded, then take a short walk to the Arboretum; I bet you will like the later better!

David Baker

This place is excellent for mild hiking and viewing loads of beautiful birds, plants, flowers and trees that are expertly maintained. I plan to go back to hike all the trails. Bring bug spray because there are plenty of mosquitos. Be sure to leave a generous donation. Parking is free for this place unlike Manoa falls. There are less people visiting here so you won't have to wait for crowds like you do on the Manoa falls trail.

Curtis Murray

Very beautiful and very affordable. Parking is free at the Arboretum, but watch out for the guy down the road. He acts like you need to pay him, but you dont. If driving, be careful. People are not paying attention. All of that aside, it is well worth the trip.

Elizabeth Kainz

This was my favorite part of my vacation. Overwhelmed by the beauty.

Amy Lopez

What a hidden little gem! Do the Manoa falls waterfall hike and then head over here and check out a second waterfall and the cute little gift shop. Not in any books and so happy I stumbled on it!

Timothy Carwyle

Beautiful place and lots to see ! Don't wear nice shoes and get a walking stick and bug spray and lots of water to drink !!!!

Amanda Hanson

Beautiful! Definitely worth hiking when doing Manoa Falls!

John Vedder

Amazing variety of tropical plants on short maintained trails. Ideal for families and those not prepared for true hiking. Hawaiian plant garden and many others. You can download a free app for interactive learning and more.

Herbert Jones

Great place.

Dirk Harris

Wonderful escape into nature!

Rohan Gorawala

Great experience. Beautiful area and a great hike.

Paul Clifton

Beautiful trees from many parts of the world, friendly staff, and gorgeous water fall

Xian Lai

I go here at least once a year. Lyon Arboretum conducts two plant sales a year with "partners" from around the island. It's a great chance to see the Arboretum and get new plants. Expert plant lovers are there to answer questions and give helpful advice. Shuttle service is provided on these occasions to more efficiently get visitors to the Arboretum. Some chose to walk. The parking lot is closed on these two events. It is a beautiful place to visit.

William Klatt

Went to Aihualama Waterfall along the gravel path. It would be difficult to take a stroller or wheelchair all the way; I wouldnt recommend one. The trail is in good shape even though it was thundershowering. The trees are huge and beautiful.

Matthew Carnes

Quiet place to get out of town without driving far. The lightly maintained trails snake through the whole arboretum in a fantastically natural manner. Half the time I wasnt even sure I was on the trail. It was amazing

Eric Hatch

A little hidden gem. Great place to spend part of your day and learn about Hawaiian plants. Beautiful views and cockatoos flying around.

Bethany Stetson

An amazing sanctuary in the midst of a bustling city. There’s a lot to explore, and we didn’t venture too far in with our two year old, but there is an amazing grass field that would be lovely for a picnic that has nice tree with shade too. Definitely check this out if you are in Honolulu.

Laura L

Love it here. We went 2-3 times in a week.

Xiomara Valdes

Beautifull

Jonathan Tsai

Wonderful hike! Bring mosquito spray or use the ones they provide in the visitor center. Great bookstore. Beautiful and marked out, photo friendly place

Jennifer Blakeman

Love this place so much.

Kristen Glenn

Awesome.

Claudia Rimoli

I loved this place

Sarah Al-chalabi

Beautiful views and easy hikes!

William Shepard Jr.

Beautiful Forrest

Don Yon

Very beautiful place people here really know what there doing. Many different variety of plants lots and lots of flowers. Also a very nice short path to a waterfall not a very big pond to swim in or anything but good place to unwind I think for me spring and summer is my favorite time to go many plants and insects around lots of the trees that fruit has fruit and plants that flower have lots of flowers alot off different insects wandering too. And also the birds, nice selection of birds beautiful birds big and small I like to just take a walk get lost in the beauty of the trees and plants and the sweet songs of the birds

Sheila Latta

A beautiful and well done arboretum. Will be going back when I can spend longer.

J Buchan

Very pretty arboretum. Lot of trails and benches. Great informational signs and placards. Right next to trail to Manoa falls.

Maria Laamang

Love this place, you get to be one with nature.

Lauren K

A wonderful experience, i hope to return and explore some more

Michelle Kerklo

Tell the parking guy you're going to the arboretum and he won't charge you $5 (different lot)

Joseph Shagalow

Relaxing, absolutely beautiful scenery. Beautifully designed and blends with the natural scenery. This is a must see for anyone

Agnieszka Cywka

Absolutely loved it! The range of plants and flowers is insane!

Yoli YoYo

Was very peaceful and beautiful

Jose Hernandez

Great place to get away for a bit and soak up the raw beauty of this island away from the beaches and shopping, nice way to get a deeper connection with nature and yourself. Highly recommend seeing Manoa Falls after a good rain and be sure to wear proper shoes as some rocks will get slick and dangerous when walking with kids or for the inexperienced.

Aloha Lowah

Love walking around here and chilling for the day. So much beauty.

Jennifer Henry

This place is incredibly beautiful. Saw a bunch of coockatoos flying around. Even saw a poison dart frog. Just breathing.

Marc MERLIN

Bottom is ok for plants, higher-up is a badly maintained jungle where is easy to get lost or even lose the trail

Jeff Chung

Just a gorgeous little gem right on the city!

Joel Morton

Beautiful place to visit. There are allot of different trails and some cool structures sprinkled through the arboretum. Definitely get a free map at the office so you don't miss anything.

Sean Miller

Great walk through fantastic property. Lots to see and take photos of. The inspiration point is worth the walk. And you can actually park there

Cheryl Powell

Absolutely beautiful with stunning flowers everywhere.

Tyler Flake

So pretty

Daniel White

learned about the connection between plants and humans. This place is free but I gladly made a suggested donation to keep the garden and research ongoing.

Justin Hartwell

Very well taken care of. There's a main path that will lead you straight to a waterfall or you can take one of the many smaller paths. The hike was about 25 minutes to the waterfall.

Emma Bennett

Wonderful set up with reasonable walking tracks. Could easily have spent half a day wandering.

Joseph O'Leary

Great park for all ages

Stanislava Gardasevic

Beautiful lush nature and wonderful flowers. Much nicer hike than the Manoa Falls, that is often too crowded

Jacob Downs

The views are nice and parking is available. Access is free but a $5 donation is recommended. They have restrooms for anyone and water was only a dollar. Whether you want a quiet walk in the gardens or a hike they have both with several trail heads on the premisis.

Anthony Mori

Great place to hike or stroll. The lady and I always try and find arboretums on our travels. This was one of the best. Well laid out with a good path. When I visited I needed a cane and was still able to walk easily. The plants were well marked and there are regions and specific types on display. If all you want is a nice stroll away from the hustle and bustle of Oahu this is the place. Be kind while there and stay on the path. Please don’t use the parking lot for the adjoining falls trail. When I’m stronger I’ll do that hike.

André Hubert

So lush and exotic and only 20 mins from Downtown. Go.see.it!

Ed Lewis

One of my favorite places on the island. Lot of birds and beautiful scenery. Very small waterfall at the end but not much to see. However, there are some small native fish if you look close.

Grace Jackson

Lots of mosquitos. Use noni it keep them away. Good trails signs and gift shop

JAVIER CRUZ HERNANDEZ

It is a nice place for visiting

Paul Chen

I like the wild trial.

Vivyan Vu

Lots of people doesn't see this trail....before you get throught the gate to the forest, this is on the LEFT SIDE.....completely different trail, which everyone can come and walk.....

Tyler Polk

Cool!

Matthew Kernes

One of the most biologically diverse places I've ever been. Trees, plants and birds.

Tasneem L

Get away from busy Waikiki and experience zen at Lyon Arboretum. Stopped by here after the Manoa falls hike. There are plants from around the world and a good place to spot some of the different birds present on the island.

Rhonda Armstrong Bell

One of the top Botanical gardens on island. For a $5 donation you can walk through acres of tropical plants, many native Hawaiian, all the way to a small, but beautiful waterfall. Not stroller friendly, as the paths are gravel. Many paths are not maintained. Put on bug spray before starting out!

Carrie Hall

Beware of over stimulating beauty! This place is legit gorgeous and I'm so bummed that I hadn't scheduled more time here. Truly, truly amazing. I highly recommend going when they first open so you have time to photograph without people on your background. Also, bring bug spray. They do sell small deet bottles for just a couple bucks. You'll see people parking along the way up, but they have a large parking lot at the top of the hill next to the visitor center and bathrooms as well.

Rodita Alexander

Always refreshing

Nanci Cone

Excellent tour really loved it. Beautiful!!!

David Slovenski

Nice plants and grounds. Map and layout were a little confusing and not intuitive. Labels were not great.

N Livingston

Has a small parking lot. There is no entrance fee, but donations are appreciated. A beautiful rainforest. It has some hiking trails, and pagodas where you can sit when it is raining. Sometimes there is mosquitoes, so bug spray is good to have. The ground may be muddy or slippery. One of my favorite places on Oahu.

Michael de Lange

It's definitely worth a visit. It's easy to get lost on the poorly marked trails though. There are tours. I think I'll take one next time.

Jermaine Tyner

Only got to explore a small part of the arboretum, but it was very nice. The drive up the mountain to the parking lot was very interesting. Make sure you have a SUV for that rip...

Thandi Sitole-Lesch

It is tranquil and beautiful. It'll surely take your stress away just to walk around here and forget the world. I wish I lived here!

Richard Carrillo

FDT

Chidi Opara

Lots of nature ..beautiful

Jase Peralta

Family friendly place to take the kids on a decent and safe trail. Bring your old shoes as it will get muddy.

Longe

A wonderful place for those interested in hiking & botanical wonders. Make sure you use mosquito repellent, even if you have to pay for the sheets when you sign in at the office or you will regret it! I always spend at least 2 hours here. It is also great for photography.

Jim Anderson

Beautiful & serene, lovely spot for walking

Laura Melby

A beautiful botanical oasis! The drive is scenic.

Cody Koehler

What a beautiful and peaceful place! One of my favorite places to hike around and experience the beauty of tropical plants. There are so many types of plants here and it has a very nice lawn where you can relax under a tree and read a book.

Joni Iwasaki

The Arboretum has several hiking trails on their property. Not as crowded with tourists. Recommended donation of $5

Prom Queen Doge

A beautiful arboretum filled with native and introduced trees. Although not all labelled, there are many different sections dedicated to certain types of plants and their uses. It's really huge and there are many winding paths, so make sure to have a tour guide or a map to make it through. Some paths are muddy and it often rains, so it's a good idea to bring rain boots and an umbrella just in case!

Jaime Lau

Great hike for the whole family. Kid friendly, beautiful scenery.

Darien Anderson

Nice place to take a easy hike.

Jamie Edwards

One of my favourite places to go on Oahu. Beautiful flora and fauna. Can get a little hot and a lot of the trails are pretty steep. Make sure to bring good shoes as the main trail is paved with loose pebbles, it’s a little tough to walk on with flip flops. Entry is technically free but they do ask for a donation to help with costs, also all visitors need to sign in at the gift shop, and it’s also a good idea to bring some bug spray if you plan on going off the main trail.

Robert Myers

This is a must see if you are spending time in the Honolulu area. The Arboretum isn't a building, it is 200 acres of land rain forest. It has the most magical feeling! Ok, rain forest...it rains..bring your walking shoes and an umbrella.

b dunn

A wonderful place to visit.

Gordon Collier

Required donation of $5 a head. Muddy rough trail to small waterfall. Good views of flora along the path.

Andrea Roche'

Beautiful place, make sure you have your walking/hiking shoes on. $10/group.

Will Nelson

Beautiful, relaxing arboretum. Clearly a lot of passionate people have put an extraordinary amount of time and care into this place. I would recommend this to anyone with any interest in botany whatsoever.

Mike Middlestead

Wow! Beautiful place. We were very pleasantly surprised.

Mark Benson

Buy the bug spray and enjoy the hike!

jeff starling

Beautiful tropical gardens and amazing trees. Really windy up on the trail

Natasha B

This place stunned me. Manoa was fine but hiking through this place was better. Get off the trail for some true photo-worthy views and learn about the beautiful plants and their uses.

Michael Lambert

Great experience thank you!

Nancy Evans

Beautiful, breathtaking hidden gem!

David Krajewski

Nice Hawaii, not Waikiki

Yanika K

Great place! Great nature! Great views!

Trey Binkley

Great experience, interesting greenery and wildlife