Things To Do
Historic Haleiwa Town
The quaint little town of Haleiwa Hawaii lies smack in the middle of world-famous North Shore. So basically, Haleiwa (pronounced: hah-ley-ee-vah) is a surf town. There are many restaurants, surf shops, art galleries, and souvenir shops. With numerous restaurants and a few bars, Haleiwa is a great place to find refreshment after an exhausting day at one of the incredible North Shore Beaches. Then after you eat, stroll around and do some window shopping.
Jump off Waimea Bay rock
Waimea Bay is an amazing beach on the North Shore. It has rock climbing, turtles, underwater tunnels and huge waves in the winter. However, it’s most popular feature is a giant rock resting half in the water half on the shore. It is easy to climb onto the rock and from there you can join the crowd of nervous jumpers who wait their turn to leap off the rock. It isn’t incredibly deep but usually, it is just deep enough. Jumping off the rock is one of the most iconic things to do on Oahu.
Lanikai Beach
Ranked one of the best beaches in the world. This beach features two offshore islands, soft white sand and clear blue water.
Kawela Bay
Kawela Bay is one of the most secluded beaches on Oahu. Located near the Turtle Bay Resort on the island's North Shore, it is a perfect spot to unwind. Bathe in the calm water or enjoy a peaceful stroll along the beach. The sandy beach is narrow and backed by coconut palms and ironwood trees. This curved bay is one the most protected on Oahu's North Shore because of the reef that diffuses high waves during the winter months when other North Shore beaches get pounded by high surf. Kawela Bay's nearshore waters are calm year-round.
Lanikai Pillbox Hike
The Lanikai Pillboxes hike (a.k.a, Ka’iwa Ridge Trail) is well known for being one of the easiest hikes on the island and one of the most scenic. Start your day with this hike and then head to Lanikai Beach afterwards to cool off.
Sharks Cove
Sharks Cove is one of Oahu’s best snorkeling and dive beaches. Located on Oahu's world famous North Shore, this small rocky bay forms part of Pupukea Beach Park and boasts blue water and an impressive amount of sea life. The bottom is made up of large smooth boulders and coral heads forming small caves and ledges for marine life to hide. The walls of the surrounding cliffs provide calmer water attracting schooling surface fish.
Cockroach Cove
Cockroach Cove is right next to Halona Blowhole. Although tourists will come and go en masse in the carpark above the cove it is actually a great spot to chill out. Turtles often feed in the area, also the rock formations and little caves make a great backdrop for an afternoon chill session. Sandy’s is right around the corner if you get bored and want to go get smashed by some waves.
Ka'ena Point Trail
The 3.5 mile trail to Ka‘ena Point follows an old railroad bed and former dirt road that ran along the westernmost point of O‘ahu. The trail leads to Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve, a remote and scenic protected area harboring some of the last vestiges of coastal sand dune habitat on the island, and home to native plants and seabirds. Whales frequent this shoreline during the winter
Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail
The Makapuu Lighthouse Trail, is the second most popular of all the Oahu hiking trails, next to the Diamond Head Hike. This easy to moderate summit trail is definitely one of the most memorable, with stunning views overlooking Makapuu Beach, Koko Head, the windward coast, and Molokai & Lanai neighboring islands. You will also discover some exciting points of interest along the way including Makapuu Point, old military pillboxes, giant tide pools, a hidden blowhole, and the popular Makapuu lighthouse landmark.
Koko Head Trail
Koko Crater Trail, better known as “Koko Head Stairs”, is your StairMaster workout for the day, with a rewarding panoramic view up top. This Oahu hike will test your endurance and strength to continuously take each additional step up the mountain as you stride over 1,000 steps to reach the top! As challenging as it sounds, hiking the Koko Head trail is a fun and very popular hike on Oahu.
Manoa Falls Trail
Less than fifteen minutes from Waikiki, you will find Manoa Falls Trail. Here you can enjoy a short hike at the filming locations of Jurassic Park and the television show LOST that is highlighted by a massive waterfall. Manoa Falls is a relatively short hike of 1.6 miles return, taking about an hour out and back or two hours out and back if you stop to take in all of the plants and have a dip in the waterfall. It is moderately flat and although there is no paved path, the dirt path is quite well worn from the thousands of tourists visiting the waterfall every week.
Get a poke bowl from Foodland
Hawaii's favorite poke bowls feature freshly made poke on top of steaming hot rice. You can also create your own bento, pairing the poke of your choice with their popular crispy fried chicken in a bento box.
Teds Bakery
One of our favorite places to eat is Ted's Bakery. It is a beloved destination for chocolate haupia pie – a whipped cream-topped pie filled with chocolate pudding and haupia, a tapioca-like treat made with coconut milk. In addition to a variety of pies, cakes and pastries, Ted's also offers a wide assortment of sandwiches, plate lunches (our favorite), coffee drinks, teas and smoothies. We will be serving Ted's delicious food for the wedding!
Doraku Sushi
This is our favorite place to grab sushi. They also have an amazing happy hour. There are two locations one in Waikiki (preferred) and one in Kaka'ako.
Try Garlic Shrimp on the North Shore
The North Shore of Oahu is famous for surf, beaches, and the chill vibes. But you can’t visit the North Shore without trying some famous garlic shrimp. There are plenty of food trucks lining the coast all claiming to be the best and the original. Giovanni's, Hono's Shrimp Truck, Big Wave Shrimp, Romy's, & Fumi's.