Things To Do
Haleiwa town North Shore (45min drive from venue)
One long highway with great restaurants, shaved ice, coffee, shopping and photo opportunities! Bring cash as some places are cash only! Our personal favorites are Kua’aina or Seven Brothers for burgers, Matsumoto shaved ice, Hale’iwa bowls for the BEST açaí bowls on the island, Waialua bakery & juice bar for yummy food and the BEST cookie ice cream sandwiches and any of the shrimp food trucks (yes they may look sketchy but they know what they’re doing on the grill I promise!).
Banzai Pipeline/Ke’iki Beaches (40min drive from venue)
These are two of our favorite North Shore beaches on the island! Very open beaches, street parking, beautiful drive, GREAT for watching some of the best surfing! Not ideal for swimming in the winter due to the wave sizes (please listen to the lifeguards and look for “safe to swim” signs on the beaches!).
Waimea Botanical Garden (across from Waimea Beach!)
A beautiful walk through some of Hawaii’s local plants and flowers which ends in a waterfall! There is a general admission fee with ranging prices (adult, children, senior, group rates) so check the website in advance! The property offers a shuttle for a small fee as well if you don’t want to walk the whole way! This property also offers a luau which can be found on the website in order to book.
Waimea Bay Beach Park (~30min from venue)
Another great beach to relax, soak up the sun, possibly swim depending on conditions of the ocean and cliff jump if life guards are allowing it the day you go! Beautiful drive and great views! Parking is a little tight at this beach and resorts to street parking if the lot is full so prepare for that and be careful!
Kualoa Ranch (~15min from venue)
4000 acre private nature reserve and working cattle ranch with insane greenery, views and filled with tons of activities including UTV tours and boat rides! Browse website for all they have to offer and to book any activities!
Lanikai Beach or Kailua Bay or Waimanalo Beach or Makapu’u or Sandy Beach (~50-60min from venue)
All of these beaches along the east side of the island are some of our favorites! Most of these are very swimmers/kid friendly! Kailua and Lanikai area are very tourist friendly with lots fo activities to offer (SUP, kayak etc). Makapu’u beach also has a Lighthouse paved trail for a mildly challenging walk to a very beautiful view!
Hikes (ranging in distance from venue, google maps is very accurate for each one)
1. Manoa Falls (near UH campus) - tourist friendly, go early morning to beat the rush of people! Level: easy, mix of paved and dirt, waterfall at the end! 2. Diamond Head Summit Trail - tourist friendly, Level: moderate, 1.6mi round trip, $10 per vehicle, great views at the top! 3. Koko Head Crater Trail Hike - ~1100 steps straight up to the top, Level: very hard but SO worth it to see the insane views at the top! 4. Lulumahu falls - beautiful waterfall hike!! Level: moderate-hard through bamboo forest and stream crossings, ~1.5-2miles round trip
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (snorkeling!!)
Incredible snorkeling on the island! Check website in advance for booking and reserving! $3 parking fee, $25 entry fee per person (children, student, senior may differ). Stunning views, uphill/downhill walk to and from snorkel beach (shuttle available), very educational and sooo fun! An Oahu staple activity!