Things To Do

Island Drive

One of our favourite ways to see the island! Rent a car for the day (we recommend a convertible!) and do the self-guided Shaka Guide Tour around the entire island to see the beauty of Oahu in a comprehensive way at your own pace. Go cruisin' around the island and stop at fun locations or bookmark them for later. The East Shoreline and North Shore drives are a must! There are plenty of hidden lookouts and beaches. There are also bus tours that take you around the island, if not renting a car.

Waikīkī Beach

Iconic beach in the city. You've got to soak in some sun here! Also kid friendly. There are also fireworks every Friday night.

Halona Beach Cove

Where this photo was taken. A secret beach that is best enjoyed at sunrise. Adjacent to the Halona blowhole and lookout point. You're going to have to climb down a small cliff to get here, but it's not difficult. If you can wake up at 4 am, this trek is worth every moment for one of the best sunrises of your life! Around here is also Sandy Beach for surfers and plenty of amazing look outs.

Makapuʻu Lookout

One of the many amazing lookouts around the island. Popular for whale watching in whale season.

Hiking!

There are a ton of great hikes with out-of-this-world views on O'ahu (ranging from easy to nightmare difficulties). Please google and research before attempting anything too hard (helicopter rescue costs a lot! haha) Check out: - The Diamond Head hike - Manoa falls hike - Kokohead crater staircase hike (very very advanced! Seriously not for the faint of heart)

Lānaʻi Lookout

The Byodo-In Temple

A beautiful japanese temple nestled in the mountains. They are also a sanctuary to cute kitties and giant koi fish

Leonard's Bakery

Leonard's famous malasadas are perfect on any road trip. This location can get busy but luckily they have food trucks near touristy spots around the island!

RESTAURANTS

CLICK THE LINK In addition: - Best Ramen (including vegetarian spicy) - Onoya Ramen - Good ramen in Waikiki - Camado ramen, morimoto - Good waterside group place to eat - Monkeypod kitchen - Sunset lanai for larger groups - Deck at Queen Kapiolani hotel - Rooftop views - Sky waikiki - Good morning grindz while at beach - Barefoot Beach cafe, Oahu Mexican grill - Well-known - Duke's Waikiki - Sunset date night - Hau Tree (especially their lanai) - Loaded grilled cheese open later - Aloha Melt Waikiki - All Vegan sushi - Tane Vegan Izakaya (generally most sushi on the island is great, look at Google reviews - Doraku is a decent choice) - Paul's favourite fried chicken - Aloha Mamacita - Korean food - O'kims - Thai - Olay Thai, Maile's Thai at Ward - Bougie but good Mediterranean - Istanbul at Ward Food halls: - STIX ASIA - Waikiki Food Hall Indian: - Tadka Indian cuisine is new and fantastic, make a reservation. - Kamana kitchen is a favourite (our sangeet caterer). - Spice Up

TIPS

- Closest Target - Ala Moana Mall - Souvenirs, Coffee, Nuts - Don quioxte or Costco, also ABC stores have a ton of stuff but more expensive - If you want to buy Kona coffee, look for 100% Kona bags, anything else is mixed and not the same quality. - Don't take lava rocks home, or you'll be cursed by Pele! - If you want to snorkel in Hanauma Bay (recommended!) - book on their website in advance since it's protected reserve and limited to tourists per day - If you want to buy luxury goods - they are generally 15% cheaper than mainland US/Canada and sales tax is 4.7%. Ask for Hawaii pricing - Aloha/Hawaiian shirts - Costco has a ton of mens' aloha shirts for about 25$ which make great souvenirs or for wearing on island. Other higher end brands are Tori Richards, Kahala, Reyn Spooner. Souvenir shops carry aloha wear too but might be pricier.

Most Instagrammable Places

Awesome list of must-see recs that we did when we came to O'ahu!