Top 5 Things to See and Do on O’ahu

It’s no wonder that O’ahu is the most visited Hawaiian island. Not only is it home to the state capital of Honolulu, O’ahu also offers everything you could ask for in an island getaway – from beautiful sandy beaches to a plethora of outdoor activities, great restaurants, shopping and more. I enjoyed Honolulu as our home base as it offered a big city feel without being overly crowded. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, with tons of things reachable on foot or by public transit, and even more opportunities to unwind (or not) if you rent a car (in which case, familiarize yourself with the island’s geography and 4 main coastal regions—North Shore, Windward on the east, Leeward on the west and South Shore). O’ahu really does have something for everyone and with limited time, it’s impossible to experience all that the island has to offer in a single visit. Here are the top places that we visited on our first trip to the island, which was a great introduction and left us with plenty more reasons to return.

1. Go to the Beach
It’s no surprise that one of the top things to do in Hawaii is spend quality time at the beach and O’ahu boasts some pretty incredible areas to choose from. The most popular is Waikiki Beach in the heart of Honolulu. Framed by the city skyline, this 2-mile stretch of golden sand is actually made up of a handful of smaller beaches that are easy to reach on foot from most accommodations in the city. We loved that we could get a start as early as 9am, and spent several mornings on Fort DeRussy Beach just steps from where we were staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. At the other end of Waikiki, we also loved Queens Beach, which is protected by a seawall and offers incredible views of Diamond Head. Here we found soft sand, clear water and just the right amount of waves for wading, swimming and bodyboarding. For more serious waves, surfers should head to the North Shore beaches like Waimea Bay Beach and Sunset Beach. Another popular spot is Kailua Beach on the Winward Coast, along with my personal favorite Lanikai Beach. The latter requires a bit more effort to get to but rewards visitors with calm turquoise water and powdery white sand and is quite arguably one of the prettiest beaches on O’ahu. All beaches on the island are public and there’s no shortage of water activities like snorkeling, canoeing and even surfing if you’re feeling ambitious.

2. Go on a Hike with a View
There’s so much natural beauty to take in across O’ahu that I found it hard to pick just a few hikes during our visit. One of the most accessible hikes is Diamond Head, a 300,000-year-old volcanic tuft cone and former military fort located at the southern end of Waikiki. It’s a moderately easy 1.6-mile roundtrip hike to the summit 560 feet above the crater floor, which is made up of a paved path, stairs and a tunnel with incredible viewpoints along the way. As a State Monument, there is both an entrance and parking fee for Diamond Head (reservations can be made online 30 days in advance of your visit). Despite the reservation system, the trail was still rather busy (we found ourselves walking in single file line most of the time) and quite crowded at the top where people stopped to take in the panoramic views.

On the Windward side of the island, the Lanikai Pillbox is a 1.5-mile roundtrip hike with a steep climb to a former military bunker that offers sweeping 360 views of your colorful island surroundings from the equally as colorful graffitied bunker at the top. It’s short but challenging hike, especially on the descent so good shoes are essential. Note that there are 2 different for the Lanikai Pillbox, but one was closed during our visit. There’s also no official parking at the start of the hike, so we parked at the Kailua Beach Park and walked about 15 minutes to the trailhead.

There are a number of waterfall trails on O’ahu including the famed Manoa Falls, a 1.8-mile round trip hike to a150-foot waterfall in a lush tropical rainforest that was featured in the 1993 movie Jurassic Park, which was unfortunately closed for maintenance following a storm so instead we ventured to Lulumahu Falls. Parking is located right off Highway 61 where the 2-mile out and back trail begins. Follow the neon ties through lush green surroundings to reach the towering 100-foot waterfall with surrounding pool. Good shoes are also required here, and waterproof ones are even better given the multiple stream crossings and some rock scrambling. I also read online that a permit is required to hike, which we were able to purchase for a small fee from our phone, but there was no one there checking permits once we arrived.

3. Pay Your Respects at Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, the United States entered into WWII following the surprise attack of the naval base at Pearl Harbor on O’ahu. Today visitors can gain a better understanding of the events leading up to and after that fateful day at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Here you’ll find 2 exhibit spaces that bring to life the sights and sounds of the events through photographs, models and other artifacts. There’s also a video shown twice an hour at :15 and :45 that lasts about half an hour and provides additional context before taking the short boat trip to the USS Arizona Memorial, which is built over the sunken battleship that serves as a memorial to the 1,777 crew members who died during the attack. It’s free to visit the site (a strict no bag larger than a wallet policy is enforced, although clear bags are acceptable), and tickets to visit the USS Arizona Memorial are also free, but advanced reservations are recommended (a small processing fee applies). Plan to arrive at least an hour before your departure time to watch the film, and allow more time to fully explore the site and exhibits.

4. Visit the Animals at the Zoo
The Honolulu Zoo is an easy to reach gem at the south end of Waikiki that’s fun for all ages, especially if you are traveling as a family. Spread out across 42 lush acres, it’s home to more than 1,200 animals ranging from elephants, tropical birds and tigers to sloths, spider monkeys, penguins and more. Hourly parking is available for a fee, but you may also be able to find free parking at the Waikiki Shell lot across Monsarrat Avenue just a short walk from the zoo entrance.

5. Go on a Shopping Spree
Beyond the beach, what makes Honolulu such a fun city is that it’s also a great destination for shopping. You’ll find several large shopping malls throughout the city, along with tons of boutique shops along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenue. Some highlights include the Waikiki Beach Walk (2 levels of shops selling everything from beachwear to souvenirs and other fun local finds like ukuleles), the International Marketplace (historic shopping mall centered around a gorgeous banyan tree with a variety of shops and restaurants, including a multi-level Target) and the Royal Hawaiian Center (another shopping mall in the heart of the city with tons of shops and restaurants). In addition, most of the big hotels in Waikiki including the Hilton Hawaiian Village have shops on property that are open to the public (keep an eye out too for the street market alongside the Outrigger Hotel), and there’s no shortage of Hawaii’s trademark ABC Stores on quite literally every street. And if you still haven’t gotten your shopping fill, just north of Waikiki is the Ala Moana Center, a huge four-level shopping mall with department stores, boutiques, restaurants and Foodland Farms grocery store.

Discover More
There’s so much more to see and do in O’ahu than can fit in a single visit. Here are some other activities that are worth considering as you build your perfect O’ahu itinerary: Polynesian Cultural Center (a top attraction highlighting Pacific Island cultures through entertainment, food and other activities), Bishops Museum (state museum of natural and cultural history), Iolani Palace (former royal residence in the capital district and only official state residence of royalty in the U.S.), Waimea Valley (one of many nature preserves and botanical gardens featuring a 45-foot waterfall), Dole Plantation (historic pineapple farm with family-fun activities including a train, garden maze and delicious Dole Whip), Waikiki Aquarium (the second oldest aquarium in the U.S. with more than 3,000 marine animals) and more. Another incredible spot is Kualoa Ranch, a 4,000-acre nature preserve and working cattle ranch established in 1850 offering a variety of themed tours and activities including horseback riding, UTVs, ziplining, e-bikes, movie sites and a Jurassic Adventure Tour to see iconic filming locations from the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies (great for families with kids who love the movies and all-things dinosaurs).