20 Issues to Do in Oahu Hawaii…
We spent two weeks in Hawaii visiting three of the Hawaiian Islands – Oahu, Maui and the Huge Island and it’s exhausting to say which island we beloved finest.
All of them have their very own distinctive personalities.
The Huge Island is for journey and pure wonders, Maui is for rest and wonder, and you can say Oahu has somewhat little bit of every thing!
Six days on Oahu wasn’t almost sufficient. There are such a lot of wonderful issues to do in Oahu Hawaii that we didn’t have time to see all of it – which is at all times an amazing excuse to return proper?!
So in case you are on the lookout for tips about what to do in Oahu, down beneath we’ve listed the highest activities in Oahu we did expertise and advocate you add to your itinerary on your personal Hawaii trip.
20 Issues to do in Oahu Hawaii
1. Diamond Head Stroll
Probably the most well-known Oahu actions is the Diamond Head stroll. It was proper on the high of our issues to do in Waikiki checklist and we actually loved it – the views over Waikiki Seaside are beautiful!
Go early although, we arrived on the entrance at about eight am and it felt like the entire of Waikiki was there, so I counsel getting there for park opening at 6:30 am.
While the stroll appears to be like exhausting and steep, our children managed it no drawback as there are a variety of switchbacks making it a comparatively simple ascent, and I’d enable at the very least 90-minutes to finish the stroll.
Simply you should definitely take the 900 steps and observe the group in an anticlockwise route to ease the circulation of visitors.
If you’re touring solo and don’t need to do the Diamond Head stroll by your self, take a look at the Diamond Head Crater Journey Guided Tour.
Watch our video right here of our Diamond Head Stroll + somewhat extra of gorgeous Waikiki:
2. Street Journey round Oahu
You’ll be able to’t spend daily laying on the seaside in Waikiki, effectively you can however driving across the Island of Oahu is an effective way to spend a day in your journey to the Hawaiin Islands.
We rented a automotive in Waikiki and spent a full day driving round Oahu, effectively half of it – we obtained to Haleiwa on North Shore Oahu then reduce by the center of the island to Honolulu.
And it was such a reasonably drive, particularly the South East Coast. And this street journey is how we visited Hanauma Bay, Lanikai Seaside, the North Shore seashores and the historic city of Haleiwa. See suggestions for these locations beneath.
three. Go Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay
In all probability one of many different hottest issues to do in Oahu Hawaii is visiting Hanauma Bay Nature Protect because it’s the most effective locations in Hawaii to go snorkeling.
Positioned 30-minutes east of Waikiki, this beautiful cove was as soon as a volcanic crater and now performs dwelling to clear blue waters and energetic reefs full of colourful fish.
Carry your personal snorkeling gear in case you have it, we rented masks, snorkels, and fins for $20.
Hanauma Bay is open daily besides Tuesdays. Entrance price is $7.50 per particular person (children 12 & underneath are FREE).
HOT TIP – Go early, arrive round breakfast time as this place will get CRAZY busy and there are solely 300 parking spots. And for those who wait until mid-morning or lunch the water will get churned up which impacts visibility for snorkeling.
four. Pearl Harbor Tour
Probably the most essential and historic Oahu factors of curiosity is Pearl Harbor.
We questioned whether or not it could be acceptable for our children to do a tour of Pearl Harbor and would it not be well worth the expense?
They’d by no means been uncovered to something to do with warfare earlier than, and one other day stress-free on Waikiki Seaside is difficult to surrender.
However I’m glad we did, it was a improbable instructional expertise for our children and we all know advocate it as one of many best issues to do in Honolulu.
It was an exquisite memorial, and you may go to the grounds and museum earlier than catching a ship over to the Arizona Memorial, the ship that sunk and is now the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed.
As we have been brief on time, and with out a automotive, we joined a tour. Relying in your obtainable time and price range, contemplate the half day tour or full day tour with Viator, each come extremely really useful.
5. Spend a couple of hours (or an entire day) on Waikiki Seaside
Waikiki Seaside is known. And while the principle part in entrance of The Royal Hawaiian Resort (the Flamingo Pink) will get crowded and it may be exhausting to discover a spot to place your towel, as a metropolis vacationer seaside, we have been impressed.
The water is an ideal temperate, usually secure for teenagers to swim with calm waves, and the views over Diamond Head are image postcard!
It’s right here the place a lot of the outrigger boats function from and study to surf colleges. When you get sick of the seaside, you’re proper close to the principle purchasing space of Waikiki alongside Kalakaua Ave.
6. Swim at Lanikai Seaside
In all probability our favourite spot on our drive round Oahu was Lanikai Seaside.
Constantly rated the perfect seaside in Oahu, this strip of seaside is simply beautiful and an ideal place to cease and have a swim together with your children.
It was a lot quieter than Waikiki or Hanauma Bay after we visited, and can be an amazing spot for kayaking or get up paddle boarding – if we had extra time we’d have kayaked to the close by islands or loved supping.
Put it in your itinerary on your drive round Oahu!
7. Take pleasure in an Acai Bowl
We’ve had acai bowls earlier than in Australia and overseas, however they appear to be on supply all over the place in Hawaii. And for those who’re on the lookout for a wholesome breakfast choice, it’s exhausting to go flawed with this tremendous meals from Brazil.
If you happen to haven’t tried one earlier than, an acai bowl is sort of a actually thick smoothie topped with oatmeal and fruit.
For an amazing acai bowl, we advocate the Goofy Cafe, the Heavenly Island Life-style Cafe, or Bogarts Café & Espresso Bar – eat at Bogarts after you’ve achieved the Diamond Head stroll (25-minute stroll from the Monument, so in case your children are drained catch an Uber).
eight. Have a Browsing Lesson
Our eldest daughter Kalyra realized the best way to surf again in Australia, so she simply wished to rent her personal board and play within the waves with me.
However in case you are serious about studying to surf, this is likely one of the most enjoyable issues to do on Oahu and Waikiki Seaside is likely one of the finest locations to study.
With clear waist deep water and delicate waves, you’ll be standing up very quickly.
There are a number of operators spanning the seaside, providing group or personal classes, and a 90-minute browsing lesson runs about $99, or you’ll be able to merely do what we did and rent a board – we paid $25 for 2 hours of board rent!
9. Get pleasure from a Waikiki Sundown
Simply press play each night and nature will present a surprising sundown over Waikiki Seaside.
After a day of exploring Oahu or purchasing in Waikiki, why not seize a spot on the sand or sit in one of many eating places on the seaside to take pleasure in a spectacular Waikiki sundown – the most effective free issues to do in Oahu!
Sundown can also be time for a stroll alongside the seaside, particularly down the western finish of Waikiki close to the Hilton Hawaiian Village – some cool bars alongside that stretch too!
10. Keep on the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort
Our mates raved about this resort earlier than we visited Hawaii, as do 1000’s of different vacationers on TripAdvisor, and we ended up loving our keep there too.
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a large property with 5 towers and has quite a bit going for it:
- Finest kid-friendly resort in Waikiki
- 5 swimming pools and waterslides
- Superb location on Kahanamoku Seaside however simple stroll into the hub of Waikiki
- 5-acre salt water lagoon
- Spectacular Friday night time fireworks show
It’s the most effective locations to remain in Oahu for a purpose.
We stayed within the Rainbow Tower as visitors of Hilton Hawaiian Village and this tower has extraordinary views of Waikiki Seaside.
Watch our video overview of Hilton Hawaiian Village:
11. Witness Huge Wave Browsing
We have been hoping to witness the massive waves that North Shore Oahu is known for however contemplating we visited in March we have been somewhat too late.
It’s winter time when the massive waves roll in (between November and February is finest), so if you end up in Hawaii throughout winter, one of many high issues to do in Oahu can be watching large wave browsing in swell that may attain as much as thirty ft excessive!
Undoubtedly on our bucket checklist of issues to do in Oahu Hawaii after we return!
We nonetheless stopped in on the well-known North Shore seashores together with Sundown Seaside, Pipeline, and Waimea Bay for a glance on our drive round Oahu, with some respectable waves nonetheless rolling in at Pipeline.
12. Play at Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon
Even for those who don’t keep on the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, I extremely advocate you are taking your children to this lagoon.
We loved a enjoyable afternoon enjoying on the paddle boats, get up paddle boarding, swimming and kicking again on the sand.
Kalyra beloved perfecting a cartwheel on the stand-up-paddle-board (SUP) how does she try this? And Caz had enjoyable taking Savannah for a experience on the SUP board.
It’s a secure place for households to hang around and a pleasant spot to soak up the sundown.
13. Eat Poke
For a conventional Hawaiian dish, order some poke.
This meals is trending all over the world and individuals are embracing it. One place we ate Poke at was the Barefoot Seaside Cafe which is like a beachside kiosk with wonderful ocean views – it’s a locals fave!
We ordered the spicy and Hawaiian poke and loved the contemporary, gentle, tasty and wholesome dish. Price $9.
14. Loosen up on Kahanamoku Seaside
In search of a bit more room to put your towel for sunbathing and calmer waters for a swim?
Kahanamoku Seaside is a curved part of seaside on the western finish of Waikiki, proper in entrance of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort (one more reason to remain right here)
The sand is golden and the water crystal clear. It’s protected by the breakwater and pier, and for those who fancy a snorkel there’s coral operating between them.
It might be simple to spend a day underneath a type of seaside umbrellas
15. Drink a Lanikai Juice
After our swim at stunning Lanikai Seaside, we stopped in Lanikai city and grabbed a smoothie from the Lanikai Juice Bar earlier than persevering with on our North Shore Street journey.
This bar is superior, with an amazing vary of drinks and meals from smoothies to juices to wholesome salads – undoubtedly make a pit cease right here in your drive round Oahu.
Oh, they usually even have one other location on Oahu, inside the Hilton Hawaiian Village (2005 Kalia Rd, on the Tapa Pool).
16. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck
Who loves shrimp?
In your drive to the North Shore of Oahu, the city of Haleiwa is a stunning historic city to go to and right here you will see that a congregation of meals vehicles on the facet of the freeway, one being Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck (66-472 Kamehameha Hwy).
The shrimp truck business is prospering on the North Shore, and Giovanni’s was the primary truck to start serving shrimp again in 1993.
We ordered their shrimp scampi, a dish that has made Giovanni’s well-known – a dozen shrimp marinated in olive oil, contemporary chopped garlic, and rice drizzled with a garlic lemon butter. Delish!
17. Kuhio Seaside
If the principle part of Waikiki Seaside or Kahanamoku Seaside is to not your liking, you’ve an alternative choice in Kuhio Seaside.
Additional east towards Diamond Head, this family-friendly part of seaside is protected against the ocean waves by a sea wall and is away from the hustle and bustle
It’s fairly right here with the palm timber and uninterrupted views of Diamond Head.
18. Quiet down with Shave Ice
In want of a cool deal with? Shave ice is a well-liked dessert in Hawaii made by shaving a block of ice with flavored syrups added and absorbed by the ice.
Essentially the most well-known shave ice in Oahu is at Matsumoto in Haleiwa, however we took one take a look at the LONG line and stored driving. We ended up shopping for our children shave ice from a meals truck referred to as Snow Manufacturing facility on the identical location of Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck.
There was no line and our children had nothing to match it to and beloved their deal with!
19. See a Polynesian Luau
Are you able to come to Hawaii and never see a Luau? In all probability not!
A favourite reminiscence from our Hawaii journey was when Savannah obtained a tattoo from one of many male performers on the Starlight Luau who occurred to look identical to Maui from Moana.
We had her satisfied it was him and the look on her face was priceless.
You may assume a Luau can be a bit kitsch and over-touristy, however we completely loved the dancing and music from the present which highlights the tales and tradition from the completely different Polynesian islands.
The spirit of the Hawaiian folks actually shine by, and a buffet dinner and a few free drinks by no means go astray – mai tai time anybody – put it in your checklist of issues to do on Oahu.
20. Eat WONUTS
We’d by no means had a wonut earlier than, and the minute we arrived on the Hilton Backyard Inn the pleasant bellboy enthusiastically instructed we should attempt the wonuts downstairs on the TR Fireplace Grill.
What’s a wonut? A hybrid between a waffle and a donut.
After the youngsters begged us for lengthy sufficient, we gave in they usually obtained to attempt them for dessert one night.
Extra tips about journey to Hawaii:
Do you’ve any tips about what to do on Oahu? Most of our time was confined to the Waikiki space and we’d like to discover extra of Oahu.
What do you assume are the best issues to do in Oahu. Please share within the feedback down beneath.
Plan a Journey to Oahu
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Flights to Oahu
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Rental Vehicles in Oahu
Excursions in Oahu
- Get Your Information supply a number of small group excursions and actions in Oahu together with tickets to the favored Oahu sights.
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