No trip to Hawai'i is complete without going to the island of Oahu. While some might refer to it as one of the more touristy islands, owing to the crazy Waikiki beach in the capital city of Honolulu, you would be hard pressed to find another island with the variety of activities to do and experiences to enjoy that Oahu has to offer.
Unless all you want is to hike and try to escape civilization, we highly recommend Oahu as an island to visit on your trip to Hawai'i. Before we dive in (pun?), here is The Travelicious Map for your reference.
First up, Where should you stay?
This is definitely a question you would want to answer, because while it isn't the Big Island, it is still a big island :) Let us break it down.
For couples and singles alike, there is no doubt that the place you would want to live is in or near the happening Waikiki area (refer to The Travelicious Map above). Now, that does not mean it has to be close to Waikiki Beach. Actually, that's one beach you can skip visiting altogether in all of Hawaii.. but more on that later.
Our favorite stay till date has been in the Hilton Hawaiian Village at Waikiki, but there are many considerations here, parking being the major one. Parking in a lot of resorts is in the $50 a night range (crazy that my car needs such accommodation, yes, since somewhere in Arizona I was able to get a room for myself in that price). We did find a nice cheap-ish spot to part 5-8 minutes walk from the hotel, and it worked out great for us. Check out its location on the Travelicious Map.
Apart from that, our stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village was fab, and even more so because we were upgraded to a corner oceanfront suite in the Ali'i tower! We also spent some time in the Lagoon tower, and the high floor ocean view rooms had mind blowing views of the entire Waikiki coastline out until Diamond Head.
For families looking for some peace and quiet, we would recommend looking for some vacation rentals on VRBO or AirBnB slightly outside of the core area. If you have money to spend, there are beachfront houses you can rent.
For the hip surfing crowd, North Shore of Oahu might be the best place to be in, although we would still recommend throwing in a couple days in other parts of the island.
Moving on. Attractions!
When I said there isn't another island that gives an experience as varied as Oahu, I wasn't kidding around. Whether it is beautiful beaches and the blue water that Hawaii is famous for, or rainforests and craggy mountains where dinosaurs roamed in Jurassic Park, Oahu has it all. And once the sun sets, the culinary scene will not disappoint!
A 7 day itinerary that we would suggest (having done the same) is as follows. Float with us or wherever the waves take you!
Day 1 - Relax in Honolulu and switch to vacay mode.
Day 2 - East coast road trip until Kane'ohe on H1 hugging the coast! And back on Pali highway (61).
Day 3 - Surf's up! Diamond Head! And Tantalus lookout!
Day 4 - North shore road trip! Highway 61, Followed by 83, and 99 back to Honolulu.
Day 5 - Relax! Beach time! Short trip to Dole Plantation.
Day 6 - West coast road trip to Makua beach
Day 7 - Chinaman's hat adventure followed by a visit to Kualoa Ranch!
Believe me, I've crammed the best of the best things into this 7 day itinerary, while trying to give you time to relax and truly have a vacation !
So let us get down to it!
1. Honolulu
I feel giddy right now as I write this, because I have so much to share about Honolulu.
Breakfast - Start your day off with a delicious breakfast at the Barefoot Beach Cafe, right at the beach. That is the quintessential way to start off a day in Hawaii. If you are not in that area, Beachwalk cafe is also a great place to get some sandwiches or a mouth watering acai bowl. The last mind blowing breakfast option we have for you is Eggs 'n Things Saratoga. Yum yum, such good brekky! (Honorary mention to Cream Pot, where the food was not the best we've had in Oahu, but the ambience was great)
Activity - Now with your belly full, maybe your next stop should be Diamondhead Crater. It is a wonderful hike, we hear. We were not able to make it there because the weather throughout wasn't very hike-friendly, and we are not early risers. But it is definitely a hike I've wanted to do for a while. Since we don't have super recommendations based on our own experience, I recommend checking out the hikes here.
Activity - If you are not into hiking, a cool idea might be to head to the beach and chill. If you are staying near it (especially at Hawaiian Hilton Village), Kahanamoku beach is where we would recommend you go for a nice little swim! There are umbrellas and beach gear that you can rent out from one of the hotels on the beach. Another activity that we did not find particularly up our alley, but might be wonderful with kids is a ride in the Atlantis Submarine, which leaves right next to Kahanamoku beach. Check out some sea life close up, but without having to get wet! Or if you do like to get wet, snorkeling might be a cool idea too.
Activity - Another unique activity we had the privilege of doing was riding underwater scooters with Island Water Sports Hawaii. We were loaded onto a comfy boat and taken out into the ocean. Once we were at the spot, the bright yellow underwater scooters were brought out. Since there were only a few, we were sent few people at a time, and other people were free to jump out and snorkel with the gear they provide. Once we entered the underwater scooters, it was such a comfortable experience. Since you are in an air pocket within, there is no more breathing apparatus required. Then we were take underwater, and we got to see hundreds of different types of fish. And sea turtles! We even had fish food that we could dispense in order to attract fishes, and we got some cool videos of us feeding the fish. Excellent experience all around!
Attraction - If it is around sunset and you aren't sure what to do, trust us, and drive up to Tantalus lookout for a stunning view of the city with the Pacific ocean as the backdrop. It is even better on a stormy day, and gives you ominous vibes! The drive up is a little treacherous, but a lot of fun, and we highly recommend heading over.
Attraction - On a different day, you could follow our footprints (see what I did there?!) and go to the Dole Plantation. Walk around the estate, and marvel at all the things that they have to offer. It is an even better experience if you have kids in the tow. Between the Pineapple Garden maze, the Pineapple Express train tour, the Plantation Grill, the Dole Soft Serve or the Pineapple float, everyone is guaranteed to find something they love!
Attraction - While we haven't been able to make it there yet, we definitely want to visit Pearl Harbor historic site. Fun fact - Pearl Harbor is the largest natural harbor in Hawaii and is called so because the abundance of pearls in its water in old times.
Food - As evening kicks in, you might be looking for a place with dinner and drinks. We fell in love with two places for completely different reasons. The first is Sky Waikiki Raw & Bar. If you like yourself some sushi and cocktails, this rooftop bar with views of Waikiki is just marvelous. The second is Vegan Tane Izakaya. It doesn't matter if you are vegan or not, you have to hit this place. It has the best sushi (and related dishes) of any place I've ever tried anywhere. And it books up weeks in advance, so make sure you get a res!
For Christmas dinner, we chose to go to Istanbul, a Mediterranean eatery with fantastic ambience, huge portions and a hip vibe. And if all you are looking for is some simple Indian takeout, Kamana kitchen is a good place to try!
Finally, If you really do want to hit up Waikiki Beach, the Tiki Grill & Bar right across it is good to have a cocktail and watch the sunset :)
2. East coast road trip
Get ready for the drive of your life! With crystal clear truly blue water (the bluest I've ever seen anywhere, even within Hawai'i) this trip will leave you flabbergasted. We recommend starting early and probably scheduling your Underwater Scooter activity on this day, since you are heading in this direction. If you feel like getting a cool sip of something after, you can hit up Lanikai Juice (one of many locations).
Then, you should head over to Hanauma Bay Lookout. It overlooks the well known Hanauma Bay, which is a protected marine reserve. Unless you plan to snorkel, we recommend skipping the trip down to the actual parking lot. The couple of times we've swung past it, there is a queue to get down to the parking lot, and the water seems too busy for it to be an enjoyable experience for us.
The drive over the next 30 minutes is breathtaking, with views of the rugged coastline and numerous lookouts. Feel free to make your own pullouts, but the famous ones are Lana'i Lookout, Halona Blowhole lookout and the Makapu'u lookout. For us, there was a different charm to each of these points, but our favorite was definitely the Makapu'u lookout. So if there is only one that you stop at, we recommend this one. You can also embark upon the famous Makapu'u point lighthouse hike, which is well worth your time, but expect it to be crowded!
After this point, you'll start hitting numerous beaches along the way. They are all gorgeous, but our favorite is the one at Bellows Field Beach Park. We've always found it to be less crowded, and has the bluest water around (or so I have liked to imagine everytime). Be careful not to try to drive into the Bellows Air Force Station, as they'll definitely turn you back.
With all this exploring, you ought to have gotten hungry by now. The good news is you are entering Kailua, a town with multiple eateries. However, we highly recommend the Beet Box Cafe. And if you love it like crazy, you can also hit up their location in Hale'iwa on the North Shore!
After having a tummy full of food, it is time to walk around a bit. And there is no better place near you than the Valley of The Temples. True to its name, the breathtakingly lush, rainforest valley has quite a few temples you can visit, but we recommend heading to the Byodo-In Temple.
With the calmness reverberating within you, it is time to head back towards Honolulu, after a long day of adventure. However, take Highway 61 (also known as the Pali Highway), to feel like you have entered a completely different world. High mountains with rainforests around you and an extremely famous lookout to stop at - Nu'uanu Pali Lookout.
Parking can sometimes get tough here, and it is always windy. But once you get there, you can look at the Pacific ocean in the distance, the rainforests and mountains around you and Honolulu in front of you. It is truly a majestic last stop on this epic road trip.
3. North shore road trip
This is another one of those quintessential Oahu trips that you just have to do! While this trip is planned a day trip around the island to North Shore and back, you can definitely plan to stay a night or two (or more) in any of the surf towns to get a more laid back island feel out of Oahu!
It'll be great to kickoff this day a bit early again. I always keep advising this, but personally we never leave before 10 AM any day :) You would want to take either Highway H3 or the cutely named Likelike Highway (63) and aim to get to Kualoa Regional Park. This is the first stop of the day, and depending on how you have planned your day, you can either do a Kayak adventure to Chinaman's hat (read our experience here) or visit the Kualoa Ranch.
When we visited Kualoa Ranch, we opted for a UTV tour (which is slightly different than an ATV tour) which takes you around the ranch, which is huge. And I mean, HUGE! This ranch has been used as a filming location for countless movies and TV shows, the most known amongst which might be Jurassic Park and Lost. You can opt for various types of tours - some which focus on the movie aspect of it, and some which try to cover more of the ranch. All in all this is a must-do experience, and our entire group enjoyed a lot!
After your adventures in either Chinaman's hat or Kualoa ranch, it is time to drive forward into the true local experience. You will drive the two lane highway as it gets narrower, flanked by rainforests on one side and the ocean on the other, passing many small towns like Punaluu and Hauula, until you reach the town of Laie. This is where we recommend you get something to eat. There are a plethora of food trucks to be found here, and if you like shrimp, you just have to hit up Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. If you think you are into spicy food and can handle it, you are in for a rude awakening when you try their spicy version (although they do have regular ones for muggles as well!). They have two locations, one in Laie and the other in Hale'iwa. Remember that the one in Hale'iwa closes earlier some days, so check the timings carefully before you decide which one you want to be at!
Another stop close to Laie is CLIMB Works Zipline Tour. While we haven't personally been there, since we ziplined on Maui, we think ziplining with a view of the Pacific is a worthwhile activity! Drive on and stop at the Turtle Bay for some turtle viewing and snorkeling opportunities. There is also a nice resort located here, for those who might want to spend the night.
As you continue on from this point, the road straightens out a bit, and now you have almost a continuous beach-y coastline running next to you all the way to Hale'iwa. But there is a lot to do on the way, assuming you have the time and energy left! First up is the Banzai area with the world famous Banzai Pipeline. Depending on the time of the year, you can see mind-bogglingly huge waves and even an ongoing surfing competition!
The town right ahead is Papukea, with a nice beach park, some hip eateries, and also another well-known North Shore attraction, the Waimea Falls. While we ran out of daylight and had to skip this stop, we definitely plan to go there next time we find ourselves in Oahu.
At long last, you will soon arrive in Hale'iwa. The first shop you'll probably pass by will have people lining up in front of it. That's probably Matsumoto Shave Ice. The variety of flavors and combinations available is just bizarre and you would hands-down love sucking on some shave ice, especially it it's hot outside! Hale'iwa has good accommodation, boutique stores, a lot of eateries (including an area with food trucks, similar to Laie) and quite a few adventures to do (such as getting your first surf lesson or diving with the sharks). That makes it an attractive place to stay in for a few days, if you want to be away from the metropolitan Honolulu and enjoy the hip surfer vibe!
At this point, if you have done all the things in this trip on a single day, you are probably beat. We would recommend you take Highway 99 back to Honolulu, get some grub delivered, and spend a night in after your long day!
4. Adventures to be had
Since we talked about quite a few adventures in the sections above, I'll list them out here, rather than going in details -
Unique underwater scooter adventure with Island Water Sports Hawaii
Kayak and Hike adventure to Chinaman's hat (more details in our blog here)
Go on a UTV tour in Kualoa Ranch (and maybe run into some dinosaurs)
Diving with the sharks on the North Shore
Take a surf lesson or go surfing! This is Hawai'i after all!
Zipline on the way to north shore at CLIMB.
5. West coast trip
Not a lot of people head out to the West Coast of Oahu, for some reason. Probably because it was once not super safe. But we did not find any safety issues whatsoever on our day trip to the West Coast.
Once you clear the traffic of Honolulu, Pearl City and Kapolei, you'll leave H1 behind and be on Highway 93. The beauty of this highway is that while it also runs along the coast (like the Kamehameha Hwy on the east coast), the scenery is very different! Instead of lush green rainforests, the mountains here are dry and form a different backdrop to the numerous beaches on this side of the island.
We personally came here for the drive, and drove almost straight to Makua Beach. The scenery was so different from what we had been seeing the past few days, that it was a treat to be here on the west coast of Oahu. We saw a bunch of towns along the way and some cafes and eateries that you can stop at. However, Makua beach was gorgeous as you can see in our video! There were quite a few locals on the beaches, and we got to experience a beautiful sunset right from the beach, before heading back.
If you have an extra day and aren't too sure what to do with it, I would greatly recommend driving up the West Coast, and creating some fun memories!
All in all, Oahu has enough to offer to spend much longer than a week there. And I hope to spend much more time there one day. For now, I'll leave you in peace with dreams of gleaming blue waters and the lullaby of waves on the beach.
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