Last Updated on March 7, 2022 by Nikole
Intro
Any Island in Hawaii can be quite daunting, due to all of the adventurous opportunities.
There is so much to do in Honolulu Hawaii, with such little time to do it.
Prioritize your time, and fit in all of the wonderful Hawaiian experiences you can into one trip.
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This is a small list of things you should consider doing in and near Honolulu Hawaii so you can get the full cultural Hawaiian experience.
1.Surfing In Oahu Hawaii
For Pro Surfers
Hawaii is known for its big waves and surfing. Unless you are a professional surfer you shouldn’t go out when the swells are high.
During the months of November through March, you will find your biggest swells on the Northern and Western shores. In the months of May through September, you will find your biggest swells on the Southern and Eastern shores.
For Beginner Surfers
My husband and I stuck with the beach of Waikiki. There are several different beaches connected to each other, technically we were somewhere between Waikiki and Kuiho beach.
Along those beaches, we found several surf shacks. You can rent surfboards, paddleboards, and sometimes snorkel gear. We tried the paddleboards out, because, well, we were inexperienced. The paddleboards were around $20. I don’t think the surfboards were much more than that.
We went in the month of June and got knocked down quite a bit by some gruesome waves. Eventually, we were miraculously able to catch a few waves and managed to stay on the board. I did, however, almost surf over a local Hawaiian. Oops! I don’t think he cared much considering he was laughing afterward.
2.Hiking In O’ahu Hawaii
If you love adventures, you’re in luck. O’ahu has many opportunities for hiking, views, and waterfalls.
No matter where you are staying on the island, there will be great places to hike. Plus most hiking activities are either free or super cheap. Below are just a few opportunities to venture out onto this beautiful island.
Kalanianaole Highway offers many hiking opportunities including Koko crater, Makapu’u point, and Makapu’u Lighthouse.
Booking.com
Some of the best places to hike are off-limits. Haiku Stairs is technically not open to the public, but people hike it anyway. (p.s. I am not encouraging you to hike it.) I hear it has some of the best views, but there are 3,922 steps to get there. Yes, the whole trail consists of the dreaded…stairs!
If you have never been to a rain forest or hiked in a jungle-like environment, go to Manoa Falls. We hiked 1.6 miles to the falls and back in the pouring rain.
Diamond Head was one of my favorite places to hike. I mean, not a whole lot of people get to say they hiked inside a volcano. The trail is somewhat short, it’s about 2 miles round trip.
These were just a few of the greatest places to hike on O’ahu. There are so many wonderful places on this one island, and I will be going into further detail in This post.
3. Snorkeling In O’ahu Hawaii
Snorkeling should be on your “must-do” list. The island of O’ahu has world-class spots that will make it seem like you are swimming in a fish tank. We went to two different areas.
Kuilima Cove was free, and Hanauma bay was around $7 per person (snorkel gear not included.)
You can find many places to snorkel for free, but none of them beat Hanauma bay. It’s worth the small fee, just go!
Whale and dolphin watching tours also offer options to go snorkeling off the boats. Tours, however, are the more expensive option. Click on Hawaii Activities below to book a tour now.
4.Whale Watching Tours in O’ahu Hawaii
Whale-watching tours can get a bit pricey, but they are worth it. There are several places for tours around the island, most of them are located near Honolulu.
The price can range anywhere between $50 to almost $200. The Humpback whales usually show up around the islands from November through April.
Some tours take you on a 3.5-hour tour and will stop the catamaran to let everyone snorkel. Also, Most places will guarantee that you see a whale during certain times of the year, or your next trip is free.
Here are just a few places to check out, the links will take you straight to the booking page.
5.Go to a Luau in O’ahu Hawaii
If you love eating and watching fire being thrown through the air, then you need to attend a luau! This is an awesome cultural experience where you can take your family or loved one to spend the evening together.
We went to the Cheifs Luau. It was pricey (about $150 per person to be exact), but I feel like we got a lot for our money. Before the dinner and show started we got to make our own headbands from palm trees and got henna tattoos. Dinner consisted of a pig that they cooked in the ground (they actually make that a part of the show too).
Other slightly cheaper options include Germaine’s Luau or Paradise Cove Luau.
6.Eat Allot of Food in O’ahu Hawaii
It wouldn’t be a vacation without the dining experience. As you already know Oahu has some AMAZING food options and can be overwhelming looking for a place to eat when you are hangry.
The first day that we spent in Hawaii consisted of an hour just trying to find parking for the hotel, and then we spent another 2 hours trying to find a place to eat. Let’s just say the hubs and I were super grouchy and tired, so we just settled with a burger joint across the street in a mini shopping mall.
I’m gonna be honest that burger was the BEST burger I’ve ever had in my life! Not even exaggerating! It was located in the Royal Hawaiian center, but I never even looked at the name or price…I was That hungry.
Here are a Few other Areas to Dine Out at in O’ahu Hawaii
- If you are anywhere near the center check out some of these restaurants at Royal Hawaiian Center Restaurants.
2. If you are located in or near Waikiki there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance of any hotel. We stayed at Club Wyndham, and we had an overwhelming amount of food to choose from. I’m from North Carolina and some of these places were pricey compared to the places back home.
The plates were about $3-$5 more than what I was used to.
3. Teddy’s Bigger Burgers, was one of my favorite places to eat because it was close to the beach and the hotel. We went to the one on Kapahulu Ave. This location seemed a little run down, but their food and quick service made up for the grungy building.
4. There was also a place right across from our hotel called Yard House, and they had some great breakfast foods. Yard House had some cool patio areas up one story where you can watch the hustle and bustle of the tourists down below.
5. If you are looking for some of the most delicious fruits, go to some fruit stands. You can find the best-tasting coconut water, and usually, they will cut the hole right in front of you.
We found the most fruit stands around the north shore of the island, but you can probably find them anywhere.
7.Get Some Shaved Ice in O’ahu Hawaii
You can’t go to Hawaii and forget the shaved ice. By shaved ice, I mean the ice that’s so finely shaved it’s softer than snow. You can get these just about anywhere on O’ahu.
Matsumoto is one of the better-known places on the island and is located on the north shore. They have, in my opinion, some pretty good ice but not the best I experienced. They also had a gift shop full of souvenirs and t-shirts.
Waiola Shave Ice had the best ice and flavor. There were about 3 stores in Honolulu, but they were not easy to access as parking was often limited. However, we did go as soon as they opened and found a parking spot just fine.
8. Shopping in O’ahu Hawaii
Just like the food in Honolulu, you will find shopping everywhere you turn.
Some of the places we shopped at included Ala Moana Center, Royal Hawaiian Center, and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza. You will find most of your brand name stores in Honolulu, and you will find smaller more local businesses in other parts of the Island.
Fun Fact: Having 2,270,186 square feet Ala Moana Center makes the 10th largest mall in the United States.
9.Learn some History
If you love learning some history visit Pearl Harbor. We took the Battleships of the Pearl Harbor tour, and we got a nice package deal. There are about 14 exhibits you can check out and read up on. You will be boarding and touring two ships, and taking a catamaran out to the USS Memorial Arizona.
You can book reservations when you go, but they are likely to sell out.
Viator.com also has tickets on sale.
Also, check out Trip advisor.com for comparable prices.
If you don’t want to pay the high prices to go on a tour, you can always travel around the island and go relic searching. For example, Makapu’u point has several WWII relics.
It is completely free to go and see these, all you need to do is walk a small distance to the cliff that displays them. In the picture below you will see a part of a bunker that was located along the cliffside.
If you are more interested in Hawaii’s cultural history, check out the Bishop Museum. Ticket prices are here.
10.Chasing the “Stars”
There have been numerous movies filmed in O’ahu, and why not it’s so gorgeous. It’s a great feeling knowing you have stood in the same place as your favorite actors or actresses.
Here is a list of just a few movies that were filmed in Hawaii, along with the places they were filmed.
- Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (filmed at Lanai Lookout)
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (filmed at Kawela Bay and Waimea Valley)
- Most of the Jurassic Park films (filmed at Kualoa Ranch, P.S. you can take a tour here!)
- 50 First Dates (filmed almost everywhere)
Random Stuff
11.Photographing Stars: Hawaii has some amazing lookouts and hikes you can take to get some awesome photographs of the stars. You would need to go somewhere far away from Honolulu and any of the big cities (obviously).
12.Kayaking, surfing, body boarding: Most beaches will have shacks nearby renting these out. In Honolulu, there are tons dotting the sand along the shore. If you go to places like the North shore you may not find as many, so you may want to call or bring your own equipment if you are able.
13.Driving/Riding: This was one of my favorite activities because there was a lot to see. We came across some hidden beaches, a place to hike to a waterfall, and some fantastic lookouts. You won’t discover what the island has to offer unless you are willing to drive around a little bit. Below are some pictures I took of places we discovered while driving around.
Conclusion to O’ahu Hawaii
I feel as if I could go on for paragraphs about the many things to do in Hawaii, but that would take forever, and I don’t have forever. So, if you would like, let me know what you did on your trip in the comment section.
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