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My boyfriend and I are going to Oahu from 2/1/2019- 2/6/2019.
I am confused, there are lots of things to see. I need help organizing the trip, which places you see fit together in one single day?
Keep in mind:
February 1 we're arriving at 2 pm. So don't have full day.
February 2-5 (four full days).
February 6 heading to the airport at 11 am.
Our list:
1- Pearl Harbor.
2- USS Bowfin.
3- Arizona Memorial
4- Diamond Head.
5- Scenic driver around the island Hanauma Bay.
6- Waikiki Beach
7- Maik Kai Drink
8- Polenation village in Luau
9- Shark cove north shore
10- Turtle beach
11- Dole Pineapple farm
12- The imperial palace? Lolani Palace
13- Ala Moana Center
14- USS Missouri
15- Royal Hawaiian Center? Market
16- Shangrila Islamic collection
17- Moanalua Garden and falls?
18- Lanikai Beach (white sand).
19- Moana Hotel
20- Sunset Beach (big waves).
21- World War Valor in the pacific national Monument
22- Hoomaluhia Gardens
23- Sunset beach
24- See the rainbow?
25- Koko Crater Arch during sunrise
26- Wiliwilinui ridge trail
27- Cromwell’s rock pool
28- Have a coconut on the beach!
29- China walls cliff!
30- China town on Sunday
31- See the trees at the Judd Trail
32- Cockroach cove?
33- Hilton pool for Friday fireworks show every Friday at 7:45 pm.
34- Parasailing at Waikiki?
35- Photograph the Milky way at night?
36- Makua Beach?
37- Get an acai bowl on the North Shore.
38- Try Haupia Pie ( coconut pudding!!_ on the north shore at Ted’s Bakery). Malasadas!
39- KCC Farmers Market from 7 to 11 every Saturday. Actually opens at 7:30.
Add to that a list of places I got yesterday while watching a YouTube Video (might be repetitive):
Waimanalo Beach
Lanikai Beach
Kahona Bay Beach
Waimea Bay
Sunset Beach
MaKA Pu'u Beach
Ala Moana Beach
Waikiki Beach
Hanamua Bay
North Shore: Kahuka Land Farms
Haleiwa Village
Kane ohe : Botanica Gardens and the Valley of Temples.
There are many beaches! Which to pick? Also, places like pearl harbor, do you think it is better to book online?
Also, I forgot to mention that almost 90% of the places on the list weren't made by us, it is available in the forum, we add other places however. Frankly, we feel we're overwhelmed with how many places should we cover since it is our first (could be last) to Hawaii because we're from Quebec, Canada but living now in Arizona for a while, we'll move back to Canada this October.
Please leave any comment, every single comment would count into making our trip a better trip!
Without knowing your age or interests, it’s hard to say. But here are a couple ideas. For me, I would skip Pearl Harbor. It take quite a bit of time and frankly, I didn’t feel what I saw was worth the time. And you won’t even have a full week.
I’d spend Friday afternoon wandering around Waikiki. Just getting familiar with it. Walk the strip. Take a swim in Waikiki Beach. Have a nice dinner. Watch the Fireworks. Then head down to the Beach Bar at Moana Surfrider for a couple cocktails and live music.
Saturday morning I would get up early and go to the KCC Farmers market. Eat breakfast there. Diamond head is right next to the KCC Farmers market. So hike Diamond Head after the Farmers market.
I would rent your own car for 1 day and use it for a full day drive around the island at your own pace. Doing this, you can hit a lot of the items listed on the trip. It’s a beautiful drive. Stop at Sandy Beach. See the temple at Valley of the Gods. Stop at Sunset Beach. Stop at Sharks Cove (you won’t see any sharks there), Get a Shave Ice in Haleiwa at Matsumoto Shave Ice. Then hit the Dole Plantation before returning to Waikiki. If you are adventurous, schedule a shark cage dive via one of the boats out of Haleiwa in advance.
I’d also recommend you go to the Iolani Palace and China Town. You can easily do both on the same day.
You might also add Hanauma Bay. That will take at least half of a day or more.
Mostly I’d recommend a light outline for each day but have some flexibility and don’t don’t try to pack too many things into a single trip.
Here is a tip: for $2 you can hop onto the Waikiki Trolley Pink Line and it runs a loop through Waikiki and over to Ala Moana Mall. So if you do want to go to that mall, you can ride the trolley there and then also walk across the street to wander around Ala Moana Beach Park if you want to go there.
6 days in Oahu is time to relax. I spent 2 weeks in Oahu and only did a few things. This is my second time in Oahu. But I think you should narrow down to what you want to do.
Hanamua Bay is worth seeing. Kailua Beach was very nice too. My husband and I went to see Pearl Harbor, but we are retirees interest in history and WWII.
I didn’t see any turtles at Turtle beach either.
1- Pearl Harbor.
3- Arizona Memorial
2- USS Bowfin.
14- USS Missouri
These would take a full day, not sure how much war memorial you'd want on a vacation. Pearl Harbor is the location, Missouri & Bowfin are a ship and a sub that you can tour. The Arizona ship & memorial is a film about Dec. 7th attack on Pearl Harbor followed by a boat ride to a wall of names above the sunken battleship, Arizona. You can't see much of the actual battleship anymore, other than barnacles. FWIW, I thought it a bit expensive for what it was, but there aren't a lot of opportunities to visit military ships by civilians.
For more war memorials, there's also Punchbowl which is probably your
21- World War Valor in the pacific national Monument
That's a drive thru cemetery with a bit of a stroll thru the memorial building, takes about half an hour to an hour, depending on how far you want to wander and how fast you go. It's free and has a nice overlook over Honolulu/Waikiki from one of the paths
Things to see when driving around the island
5- Scenic drive around the island Hanauma Bay.
8- Polynesian village in Laie
9- Shark cove north shore
11- Dole Pineapple farm
18- Lanikai Beach (white sand).
23- Sunset beach
20- Sunset Beach (big waves).
32- Cockroach cove?
36- Makua Beach?
37- Get an acai bowl on the North Shore.
38- Try Haupia Pie ( coconut pudding!!_ on the north shore at Ted’s Bakery). Malasadas!
Kaneohe : Botanical Gardens and the Valley of Temples.
North Shore: Kahuku Land Farms
29- China walls cliff!
I didn't sort them in order of what you'd see when driving around. Hanauma bay, if you snorkel there would be at least several hours and may be better as an excursion from Waikiki due to parking and renting snorkel gear.
Big waves at Sunset is entirely chance, sometimes they are there, sometimes they aren't. If it's really big, the traffic will be horrendous or if the waves are even bigger, the road will be closed.
Polynesian Village Luau could also be an excursion from Waikiki. Then someone else will be driving the bus and you'd have time to look out the windows. Polynesian Village takes several hours to see, with a luau even longer.
Lanikai beach isn't visible as a drive by, Kailua beach nearby (also white sand) has parking and is much easier to get to. Cockroach Cove is a side beach to Makapuu, there's an overlook above them which is very scenic and unless you're actually going to the beach, probably the best viewing spot. Sandy Beach is between Makapuu and Waikiki so you'll drive past that too. Kailua/Lanikai/Bellows/Waimanalo/Cockroach Cove/Makapuu/Sandys are all more or less the same stretch of beach although there's some breaks in it. The road doesn't follow the beach, though, you have to go inland and then back down to the beach.
If you're staying in Waikiki, these will be near your hotel
4- Diamond Head.
6- Waikiki Beach
7- Maitai Drink
15- Royal Hawaiian Center? Market
19- Moana Hotel
33- Hilton pool for Friday fireworks show every Friday at 7:45 pm.
34- Parasailing at Waikiki?
You can see the Friday fireworks from pretty much anywhere along Waikiki beach, not necessarily the Hilton pool.
Just outside of Waikiki - could be a long walk or short cab/bus ride. From the Hilton Hawaiian Village end of Waikiki, Ala Moana beach and shopping center is just over the Ala Wai bridge.
13- Ala Moana Center
16- Shangrila Islamic collection
27- Cromwell’s rock pool (the beach below the Duke estate)
39- KCC Farmers Market from 7 to 11 every Saturday. Actually opens at 7:30.
Downtown Honolulu
12- Iolani Palace
30- China town on Sunday
Why on Sunday? There's also a botanical garden, Foster Garden, near Chinatown which is nice.
10- Turtle beach
25- Koko Crater Arch during sunrise
Not personally sure where either of these are, although Turtle beach is probably north shore near Turtle Bay and Koko Crater is most likely Koko Head Crater. But at sunrise? On vacation? Should you be hiking in the dark?
Probably best to pick just one botanical garden due to time constraints. There's also Foster Garden and a bamboo forest along one of the hiking trails which aren't on your list. (As if you needed more options)
17- Moanalua Garden and falls?
22- Hoomaluhia Gardens
26- Wiliwilinui ridge trail
31- See the trees at the Judd Trail
Unsorted since there's no specific area involved
24- See the rainbow?
28- Have a coconut on the beach!
35- Photograph the Milky way at night?
Rainbows just appear when they want, no scheduling them.
Not sure who sells coconuts along the beach, most coconut trees anywhere near people - especially tourist areas - have the nuts removed so they don't fall and hit people on the head.
It may be hard to find enough dark on Oahu for good night time photos, but if you get out of Honolulu/Waikiki area at night, you may be able to find enough dark.
1- Pearl Harbor.
3- Arizona Memorial
2- USS Bowfin.
14- USS Missouri
These would take a full day, not sure how much war memorial you'd want on a vacation. Pearl Harbor is the location, Missouri & Bowfin are a ship and a sub that you can tour. The Arizona ship & memorial is a film about Dec. 7th attack on Pearl Harbor followed by a boat ride to a wall of names above the sunken battleship, Arizona. You can't see much of the actual battleship anymore, other than barnacles. FWIW, I thought it a bit expensive for what it was, but there aren't a lot of opportunities to visit military ships by civilians.
For more war memorials, there's also Punchbowl which is probably your
21- World War Valor in the pacific national Monument
That's a drive thru cemetery with a bit of a stroll thru the memorial building, takes about half an hour to an hour, depending on how far you want to wander and how fast you go. It's free and has a nice overlook over Honolulu/Waikiki from one of the paths
Things to see when driving around the island
5- Scenic drive around the island Hanauma Bay.
8- Polynesian village in Laie
9- Shark cove north shore
11- Dole Pineapple farm
18- Lanikai Beach (white sand).
23- Sunset beach
20- Sunset Beach (big waves).
32- Cockroach cove?
36- Makua Beach?
37- Get an acai bowl on the North Shore.
38- Try Haupia Pie ( coconut pudding!!_ on the north shore at Ted’s Bakery). Malasadas!
Kaneohe : Botanical Gardens and the Valley of Temples.
North Shore: Kahuku Land Farms
29- China walls cliff!
I didn't sort them in order of what you'd see when driving around. Hanauma bay, if you snorkel there would be at least several hours and may be better as an excursion from Waikiki due to parking and renting snorkel gear.
Big waves at Sunset is entirely chance, sometimes they are there, sometimes they aren't. If it's really big, the traffic will be horrendous or if the waves are even bigger, the road will be closed.
Polynesian Village Luau could also be an excursion from Waikiki. Then someone else will be driving the bus and you'd have time to look out the windows. Polynesian Village takes several hours to see, with a luau even longer.
Lanikai beach isn't visible as a drive by, Kailua beach nearby (also white sand) has parking and is much easier to get to. Cockroach Cove is a side beach to Makapuu, there's an overlook above them which is very scenic and unless you're actually going to the beach, probably the best viewing spot. Sandy Beach is between Makapuu and Waikiki so you'll drive past that too. Kailua/Lanikai/Bellows/Waimanalo/Cockroach Cove/Makapuu/Sandys are all more or less the same stretch of beach although there's some breaks in it. The road doesn't follow the beach, though, you have to go inland and then back down to the beach.
If you're staying in Waikiki, these will be near your hotel
4- Diamond Head.
6- Waikiki Beach
7- Maitai Drink
15- Royal Hawaiian Center? Market
19- Moana Hotel
33- Hilton pool for Friday fireworks show every Friday at 7:45 pm.
34- Parasailing at Waikiki?
You can see the Friday fireworks from pretty much anywhere along Waikiki beach, not necessarily the Hilton pool.
Just outside of Waikiki - could be a long walk or short cab/bus ride. From the Hilton Hawaiian Village end of Waikiki, Ala Moana beach and shopping center is just over the Ala Wai bridge.
13- Ala Moana Center
16- Shangrila Islamic collection
27- Cromwell’s rock pool (the beach below the Duke estate)
39- KCC Farmers Market from 7 to 11 every Saturday. Actually opens at 7:30.
Downtown Honolulu
12- Iolani Palace
30- China town on Sunday
Why on Sunday? There's also a botanical garden, Foster Garden, near Chinatown which is nice.
10- Turtle beach
25- Koko Crater Arch during sunrise
Not personally sure where either of these are, although Turtle beach is probably north shore near Turtle Bay and Koko Crater is most likely Koko Head Crater. But at sunrise? On vacation? Should you be hiking in the dark?
Probably best to pick just one botanical garden due to time constraints. There's also Foster Garden and a bamboo forest along one of the hiking trails which aren't on your list. (As if you needed more options)
17- Moanalua Garden and falls?
22- Hoomaluhia Gardens
26- Wiliwilinui ridge trail
31- See the trees at the Judd Trail
Unsorted since there's no specific area involved
24- See the rainbow?
28- Have a coconut on the beach!
35- Photograph the Milky way at night?
Rainbows just appear when they want, no scheduling them.
Not sure who sells coconuts along the beach, most coconut trees anywhere near people - especially tourist areas - have the nuts removed so they don't fall and hit people on the head.
It may be hard to find enough dark on Oahu for good night time photos, but if you get out of Honolulu/Waikiki area at night, you may be able to find enough dark.
Thanks! Just saw the comment! This is super helpful.
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