35 Unmissable Things to Do on O’ahu, Hawaii
They call O‘ahu “The Gathering Place,” and it certainly earns that name. Here, everyone is welcome, and it has the most social vibe of all the Hawaiian Islands. It’s where surfboards and hula skirts share the same beaches, and where you can feel the buzz of city life and the serenity of the jungle within a 15-minute drive of each other.
There are so many things to do in O’ahu, every corner shows you something new and exciting to discover — from the pulsing streets of Waikīkī to the misty ridges of the Ko‘olau Range, from sunrise yoga on a beach to chasing waterfalls and hiking mountains.
History also runs deep in O’ahu — from the solemn echoes of Pearl Harbor to the sacred stones of heiau that predate the written word, there is so much O’ahu can teach you – and no, not by any museum, but by its murals, its food trucks, and its welcoming locals.
If you’re ready to explore O’ahu, then grab your flip-flops and your sense of wonder, because The Gathering Place is ready to gather you, too.
Table Of Contents
- 1. Hike the Diamond Head Walk
- 2. Road trip around Oahu
- 3. Go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay
- 4. Take a tour of Pearl Harbor
- 5. Spend a few hours (or a whole day) on Waikiki Beach
- 6. Swim at Lanikai Beach
- 7. Indulge in an acai bowl
- 8. Take a surfing lesson
- 9. Enjoy a Waikiki Sunset
- 10. Visit Manoa Falls
- 11. Witness Big Wave Surfing
- 12. Play at Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon
- 13. Eat Poke
- 14. Relax on Kahanamoku Beach
- 15. Drink a Lanikai Juice
- 16. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck
- 17. Relax on Kuhio Beach
- 18. Cool down with shave ice
- 19. See a Polynesian Luau
- 20. Eat WONUTS
- 21. Learn about Pineapple Farming at the Dole Plantation
- 22. Snorkel in the Turtle Canyon
- 23. Swim with sharks
- 24. Go whale watching
- 25. Hike the Stairway to Heaven
- 26. Hike up to Koko Head for sunrise
- 27. Spend a day at Kailua Beach
- 28. See the turtles sunning on Laniakea Beach
- 29. Explore the natural beauty of Waimea Valley
- 30. Learn about Hawaiian Culture at the Polynesian Cultural Center
- 31. Learn at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum
- 32. Learn about royalty at Iolani Palace
- 33. Go on a Jurassic Park film set tour
- 34. Visit Byodo-In Temple
- 35. Boat out to Kaneohe Sandbar
- Getting around Oahu
- Where to stay in Oahu
- Final thoughts
- Free Oahu Bucket List PDF
- More Hawaii Travel Tips
- Pin To Save It On Pinterest
The Go City O’ahu card offers up to 50% off admission to over 40 O’ahu attractions. It’s a great way to save money on your vacation. See more details here.
1. Hike the Diamond Head Walk
One of the most famous activities you can do in Oahu is hike the Diamond Head walk. It was right at the top of our list of things to do in Waikiki and we really enjoyed the views over Waikiki Beach and the Pacific Ocean.
Go early though, we arrived at the entrance at about 8 am and it felt like the whole of Waikiki was there, so I suggest getting there for the park opening at 6:30 am.
Whilst the walk looks hard and steep, our kids managed it no problem as there are a lot of switchbacks making it a relatively easy ascent, and I’d allow at least 90-minutes to complete the walk.
Just be sure to take the 900 steps and follow the crowd in an anticlockwise direction to ease the flow of traffic.
Check out the Diamond Head Crater Adventure Guided Tour
2. Road trip around Oahu
You can’t spend every day laying on the beach in Waikiki, well you could, but driving around the Island of Oahu is a great way to spend a day on your trip to the Hawaiian Islands.
We rented a car in Waikiki and spent a full day driving around Oahu, well half of it – we got to Haleiwa on North Shore Oahu then cut back through the middle of the island to downtown Honolulu.
It was such a pretty drive, especially on the South East Coast. It was also how we discovered Hanauma Bay, Lanikai Beach, the North Shore beaches and the historic town of Haleiwa.
3. Go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay
One of our favorite things to do was snorkeling in Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, which is one of the best places to go snorkeling due to the diversity of marine life there.
Located 30-minutes east of Waikiki, this stunning cove was once a volcanic crater and now plays home to clear blue waters and lively reefs full of colorful fish.
Hot tip: Go early, arrive around breakfast time as this place gets CRAZY busy and there are only 300 parking spots. And if you wait till mid-morning or lunch the water gets churned up which affects visibility for snorkeling.
Bring your own snorkeling gear if you have it, though you can rent gear there. We rented masks, snorkels, and fins from a kiosk at the beach.
Hanauma Bay is open every day except Tuesdays. There is an entrance fee for adults but kids 12 and under are FREE.
Check out this guided snorkeling tour in Oahu
4. Take a tour of Pearl Harbor
One of the most important and historical points of interest is Pearl Harbor. We questioned whether it would be appropriate for our kids to do a tour of Pearl Harbor and would it be worth the expense?
They’d never been exposed to anything to do with war before, and another day relaxing on Waikiki Beach is hard to give up.
But I’m glad we did; it was a fantastic educational experience for our kids.
It was a beautiful memorial, and you can visit the grounds and museum before catching a boat over to the USS Arizona Memorial, the ship that sunk and is now the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed.
You can also wander the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, The Battleship Missouri Memorial, and USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park.
This is the place to go to learn more about WWII history and Hawaii’s involvement in the war. As we were short on time, and without a car, we joined a tour.
Depending on your available time and budget, consider the half day tour or full day tour through Get Your Guide, both come highly recommended and have skip-the-line tickets!
5. Spend a few hours (or a whole day) on Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach is the most famous beach on Oahu and is a must-see. Whilst the main section in front of The Royal Hawaiian Hotel (the Flamingo Pink) gets crowded, and it can be hard to find a spot to put your towel, as a city tourist beach we were impressed.
The water is perfectly temperate, generally safe for kids to swim with calm waves, and the views over Diamond Head are like a picture from a postcard!
It’s here where most of the outrigger boats operate and learn to surf schools. Once you get sick of the beach, you are right near the main shopping area of Waikiki along Kalakaua Ave.
Families who love to shop will want to visit the Royal Hawaiian Center, an outdoor shopping center in the shopping district of Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki.
6. Swim at Lanikai Beach
Probably our favorite spot on our drive around Oahu was Lanikai Beach. Consistently rated the best beach in Oahu, this strip of beach is just gorgeous and a perfect place to stop and have a swim with your kids.
It was so much quieter than Waikiki Beach or Hanauma Bay when we visited, and would be a great spot for kayaking or stand up paddle boarding – if we had more time we would have kayaked to the nearby islands or enjoyed supping.
7. Indulge in an acai bowl
We’ve had acai bowls before in Australia and abroad, but they seem to be on offer everywhere in Hawaii. And if you’re looking for a healthy breakfast option, it’s hard to go wrong with this superfood from Brazil.
If you haven’t tried one before, an acai bowl is like a really thick smoothie topped with oatmeal and fruit.
For a great acai bowl, we recommend the Heavenly Island Lifestyle Cafe, or Bogarts Café & Espresso Bar – eat at Bogarts after you have done the Diamond Head walk (25-minute walk from the Monument, so if your kids are tired catch an Uber).
8. Take a surfing lesson
Our eldest daughter Kalyra learned how to surf back in Australia, so she just wanted to hire her own board and play in the waves with me.
But if you are interested in learning to surf, Waikiki Beach is one of the best places to learn. With clear waist deep water and gentle waves, you’ll be standing up in no time.
There are several operators spanning the beach, offering group or private lessons, and a 90-minute surfing lesson could set you back over $100.
Or you can simply do what we did and hire a board – we paid a quarter of the price for two hours of board hire and took it in turns!
Check out surf lessons on Waikiki Beach here
9. Enjoy a Waikiki Sunset
Just press play every evening and nature will provide a stunning sunset over Waikiki Beach. After a day of exploring Oahu or shopping in Waikiki, why not grab a spot on the sand or sit in one of the restaurants on the beach to enjoy a spectacular Waikiki sunset?
Sunset is also a good time for a walk along the beach, especially down the western end of Waikiki near the Hilton Hawaiian Village – some cool bars along that stretch too!
10. Visit Manoa Falls
Manoa falls is a huge 150-foot waterfall, which is a wonderful sight to behold. Its magnitude is impressive, and the surrounding green landscape with trees almost as tall as the falls and moss-lined cliff faces, makes it feel even more powerful.
The waterfall lands in a pool, though it’s not really for swimming. You’ll find plenty of hiking trails, picnic areas and scenic views in the surrounding park.
11. Witness Big Wave Surfing
We were hoping to witness the world-famous surf that North Shore Oahu is famous for, but considering we visited in March, we were a little too late.
It’s wintertime when the huge waves roll in (between November and February is best), so if you find yourself in Hawaii during winter, be sure to watch some big wave surfers in swell that can reach up to thirty feet high!
We still stopped in at the famous North Shore beaches including Sunset Beach, Pipeline, and Waimea Bay for a look on our drive around Oahu, with some decent waves still rolling in at Pipeline.
12. Play at Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon
Even if you don’t stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, I highly recommend you take your kids to this lagoon.
We enjoyed a fun afternoon playing on the paddle boats, stand-up paddle boarding, swimming, and kicking back on the sand.
Kalyra loved perfecting a cartwheel on the stand-up paddle-board (SUP) how does she do that? And Caz had fun taking Savannah for a ride on the SUP board.
It’s a safe place for families to hang out and a popular spot to take in the sunset.
13. Eat Poke
For a traditional Hawaiian dish, order some poke. This healthy food is trending around the world and people are embracing it. In case you didn’t know, Poke is a japanese/Hawaiian infused dish made with fresh raw fish, cold rice, and salad.
One place we ate Poke at was the
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