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Solomon Islands🇸🇧 | attractionsSolomon Peace Memorial ParkMount Austen, white peace monument, Lunga plain lookout, steep taxi road | things to do and best time to go

Explore Guadalcanal American MemorialExplore Bonegi Wrecks

Backpacking in Solomon Peace Memorial Park
👀 For curious travelersattraction ranked #8
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

The monument is a peace memorial raised by Japan on Mount Austen, and the hill is a viewpoint more than a cemetery of marked graves. It stands on the ridge south of Honiara, in the capital of the Solomon Islands, and you reach it by a steep road above the city. Go early. Before the heat builds, the air is cool and smells of wet grass and woodsmoke, and the light is soft over the Lunga plain. Taxis make the climb easier than walking, and a driver who waits saves you a hot, slow descent. The site is quiet, rarely crowded, and free of ticket booths, though the grounds can be patchy. Stand at the base of the white monument and look down at the airport runway below.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #8 attraction in Solomon IslandsWhat sets this place apart

Come because the memorial gives you the Japanese side of the Guadalcanal campaign, which most visitors never hear. Honiara has plenty of American and Allied markers, but this hilltop is where the Japanese dead are remembered, and the total of around 20,000 Japanese lives lost in the campaign, many to hunger and disease in the jungle, gives the quiet some weight. It also fits neatly into a day of Mount Austen and the surrounding war sites, since the ridge was fought over in the closing months of the battle. The view over Henderson Field, now Honiara’s airport, shows you why this high ground mattered. A free, calm stop with real context is rare, and it makes the rest of your Guadalcanal itinerary make sense.

💡 HighlightsThe experiences that define the visit

  1. The Japanese Peace Memorial: the white monument itself, put up by Japan’s government in 1980. It is plain, solemn and often empty, so you can read it without a tour group at your shoulder.
  2. Mount Austen lookout: from the ridge you see the Lunga plain, the coast and Honiara spread below. On a clear morning the sea is a flat band of bright blue.
  3. Henderson Field view: the airport runway below is the old airfield both sides fought to control. Seeing it from above explains the whole campaign in one glance.
  4. The Mount Austen road: the climb passes gardens, tall grass and thick bush. The cooler air near the top is a relief after the town.
  5. American War Memorial: on Skyline Ridge in Honiara, a white-columned memorial with maps of the campaign. It makes a natural pairing with this one for a two-sided view.
… read more 👉
  1. The Japanese Peace Memorial: the white monument itself, put up by Japan’s government in 1980. It is plain, solemn and often empty, so you can read it without a tour group at your shoulder.
  2. Mount Austen lookout: from the ridge you see the Lunga plain, the coast and Honiara spread below. On a clear morning the sea is a flat band of bright blue.
  3. Henderson Field view: the airport runway below is the old airfield both sides fought to control. Seeing it from above explains the whole campaign in one glance.
  4. The Mount Austen road: the climb passes gardens, tall grass and thick bush. The cooler air near the top is a relief after the town.
  5. American War Memorial: on Skyline Ridge in Honiara, a white-columned memorial with maps of the campaign. It makes a natural pairing with this one for a two-sided view.
  6. Bonegi wrecks: rusting Japanese transport ships sit off the coast west of Honiara, with parts of the hulls showing above water. Snorkelers can swim to them from the beach.
Allow an hour or two at the memorial and lookout, or half a day if you add the American memorial.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do near Solomon Peace Memorial Park

East Honiara Historic World War II Battlefields Tour

East Honiara Historic World War II Battlefields Tour

4.8(28) 4h 30m
From €170
per personViator
Honiara City-Half Day City Tour

Honiara City-Half Day City Tour

4.9(13) 4h 30m
From €140
per personViator
Airport Transfers from Honiara International Airport to Hotel

Airport Transfers from Honiara International Airport to Hotel

4.6(5)
From €30
per personViator
Hotomai Cultural Village Tour

Hotomai Cultural Village Tour

5.0(2) 4h
From €168
per personViator
The Solomon Chocolate trail

The Solomon Chocolate trail

0.0(0) 4h
From €417
per personViator

Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?Seasonal considerations and timing

  • Dry Season (May to October): Southeast trade winds bring lower humidity and the least rain. Days run 27 to 31°C (81 to 88°F), and the hike up Mount Austen is far less slippery. Sunrise comes near 6:15 am and sunset near 6:00 pm.
  • Wet Season (November to April): Heavy downpours turn the hillside tracks to mud, and humidity sits high with highs near 32°C (90°F). Cyclone-linked storms can cancel flights and boats, mostly January to March.
  • Crowds and Prices: Visitors are few year-round, and the memorial rarely has more than a handful of people. Honiara rooms and flights cost a little more around July and August, and over Christmas.
  • Time of Day: Go before 9 am, when the heat is bearable and the views over Guadalcanal’s north coast and Iron Bottom Sound are clearest.
Book a guide in June or July, when the ridge is driest and walking is easiest.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: fair for travelingMAYMay: excellent for travelingJUNJune: highly recommended for travelingJULJuly: highly recommended for travelingAUGAugust: highly recommended for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
solomon-islands-attraction-solomon-peace-memorial-park
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🛏️ Where to stay?Best areas and accommodation options

Central Honiara is the place to sleep, because the memorial sits on the slopes of Mount Austen just south of town and nowhere closer offers backpacker beds. The downtown strip around Chinatown, the Central Market and Mendana Avenue is the most practical. You can walk to supermarkets, cheap bakeries and the bus stops, and the main taxi ranks are close by, so arranging a ride up the hill takes minutes. Hostel-style guesthouses and small budget lodges here are where solo travelers meet, swap dive and hiking plans, and split taxi fares to the memorial and the nearby war sites. The Point Cruz waterfront … read more 👉
Central Honiara is the place to sleep, because the memorial sits on the slopes of Mount Austen just south of town and nowhere closer offers backpacker beds. The downtown strip around Chinatown, the Central Market and Mendana Avenue is the most practical. You can walk to supermarkets, cheap bakeries and the bus stops, and the main taxi ranks are close by, so arranging a ride up the hill takes minutes. Hostel-style guesthouses and small budget lodges here are where solo travelers meet, swap dive and hiking plans, and split taxi fares to the memorial and the nearby war sites. The Point Cruz waterfront has the best evening atmosphere, with the harbor, cafes and the yacht club within a short stroll. Streets are generally fine by day, but after dark take a taxi instead of walking, especially on unlit stretches. The hillside suburbs toward Mount Austen are quieter and greener, though they have fewer places to eat and little social scene. Staying downtown keeps costs down and gives you the easiest links to the rest of Guadalcanal.
Best hostels in Solomon Islands


Best quality hotels in Solomon Islands

👛 Costs (as of 22 October 2026)What things cost and how to budget

Expect to spend roughly USD 60 to 110 a day in Honiara while visiting the Japanese War Memorial. The memorial itself has no formal ticket booth, but you pay for getting there and often for a local guide or landowner access.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Memorial AccessUSD 0 to 5A small donation or access fee may be asked by locals on the hill.
GuideUSD 15 to 35Worth hiring for context on the Mount Austen battlefield and the best vantage points.
TransportUSD 8 to 20Shared minibuses are cheap in town; a taxi up the hill and back costs more, especially with waiting time.
Accommodation (High Season)USD 25 to 45Dorms and basic guesthouse rooms in central Honiara fill up in July and August.
Food and WaterUSD 10 to 20Market produce, bakeries and cheap rice meals; bring your own water for the climb.
… read more 👉
Expect to spend roughly USD 60 to 110 a day in Honiara while visiting the Japanese War Memorial. The memorial itself has no formal ticket booth, but you pay for getting there and often for a local guide or landowner access.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Memorial AccessUSD 0 to 5A small donation or access fee may be asked by locals on the hill.
GuideUSD 15 to 35Worth hiring for context on the Mount Austen battlefield and the best vantage points.
TransportUSD 8 to 20Shared minibuses are cheap in town; a taxi up the hill and back costs more, especially with waiting time.
Accommodation (High Season)USD 25 to 45Dorms and basic guesthouse rooms in central Honiara fill up in July and August.
Food and WaterUSD 10 to 20Market produce, bakeries and cheap rice meals; bring your own water for the climb.
Total Daily BudgetUSD 60 to 110Per person, per day, in high season.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

FAQFrequently asked questions about Solomon Peace Memorial Park

Allow 2 to 3 hours for the memorial itself, or half a day if you combine it with the Mount Austen ridge and the nearby American memorial. Add 30 to 45 minutes each way from central Honiara by road. Starting before 9 am avoids the midday heat and gives the clearest views over the coast.
Yes, for most history-minded travelers, and there is usually no fixed entrance fee, only a small donation or guide payment of roughly USD 5 to 35. You get a quiet Pacific War site on a hillside above Honiara with wide views toward Iron Bottom Sound. A local guide adds the battle context that the monuments alone do not give.
Take a taxi or minibus from central Honiara up the slopes of Mount Austen, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic and road condition. Taxis cost roughly USD 8 to 20 return with waiting time, so agree the price first. Walking from town is possible but steep and hot, so go early with water.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

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We 💚 feedbackKey takeaways before you go

Most visitors rush for the monument and skip the view, but the runway below is the reason the hill was fought over. Bring water, go in the morning, and spend a few minutes tracing the airfield from the ridge before you head back down.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on in-depth research, insights shared by experienced travelers, and feedback from the local travel community in Solomon Islands. While every effort is made to keep the information accurate and current, conditions can change — so if you spot anything incorrect or outdated, please get in touch.



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