Things to Do in Honiara, Solomon Islands: Walking Guide

Looking for things to do in Honiara? The capital of the Solomon Islands brings together important Pacific War history, Melanesian cultural heritage, and distinctive churches in a city shaped by its setting on Guadalcanal. Neywo has a free audio guide for Honiara with four narrated places, available in 11 languages.

What to See in Honiara

Solomon Islands National Museum

The Solomon Islands National Museum is the country’s national museum and a useful place to connect with the cultural heritage of the Solomon Islands. It offers an introduction to the traditions and history that give Honiara its wider context.

Holy Cross Cathedral

Holy Cross Cathedral, also known as the Catholic Cathedral of Honiara, is the cathedral church and seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Honiara. Its present building was consecrated on September 17, 1978, the year Honiara became a Metropolitan Archdiocese.

The cathedral’s exterior resembles a tent, continuing the form of its predecessor. The earlier cathedral, built in 1957, had become too small. Planning for the new building began in 1975 under Bishop Daniel Stuyvenberg, with Melbourne architect Noel McKernan responsible for its design. Its foundation stone was laid on September 14, 1976.

Cathedral Church of St Barnabas

Near the eastern part of Honiara’s city centre along Kukum Highway, the Cathedral Church of St Barnabas is one of three Anglican cathedrals built in the Solomon Islands. With 900 seats, it is an important gathering place for the Anglican Church of the Province of Melanesia.

The cathedral continues an Anglican history that includes St Luke’s Cathedral at Siota, the first Anglican cathedral in the islands, which was destroyed during the Second World War. A temporary All Saints Cathedral followed in the 1950s. Planning for St Barnabas began in 1961, its foundation stone was laid on January 6, 1968, and the cathedral was consecrated on June 16, 1969.

A statue of Saint Barnabas stands in front of the building. It depicts the saint with a hairstyle and clothing described as typical for men in Melanesia. A monument erected in 1999 also stands near the cathedral.

Guadalcanal and the Pacific War

The history of Guadalcanal is central to understanding Honiara and its surroundings. The Guadalcanal campaign was fought on land, at sea, and in the air from August 1942 to February 1943. It was the first major Allied land offensive against Japan during the Second World War.

Allied forces, mainly United States Marines, landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Island on August 7, 1942. Their objective was to prevent Japan from threatening the supply routes connecting the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies also intended to use Guadalcanal as a base for isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul.

One of the campaign’s main objectives was a Japanese airfield under construction on Guadalcanal. After capturing it, the Allies completed the airfield and named it Henderson Field. Japanese forces made repeated attempts to retake it between August and November, leading to major battles around the airfield and across the surrounding waters.

The campaign was not limited to fighting on the island. Naval battles included the Battles of Savo Island and the Eastern—part of a wider series of actions that made Guadalcanal one of the defining settings of the Pacific War. Exploring this history gives a visit to Honiara a deeper sense of place.

Explore Honiara with Neywo

There are no scheduled group walks or fixed routes to join. Neywo’s free Honiara audio guide includes four narrated places, and each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace. The narration is available in 11 languages, so you can explore independently while the app explains the sites around you.

Download Neywo and discover Honiara with a self-guided audio guide: no group, no schedule, just the story of each place as you arrive. You can also continue exploring the country with the guide to Solomon Islands.