One Week on Oahu

This Oahu travel guide will give you the ins and outs of one week on Oahu to give you an authentic experience!

I have always wanted to visit Hawaii. I have heard from everyone that has been that it is incredible. This year we had an excellent opportunity to go to Hawaii. My cousin was in a gymnastics competition on the island of Oahu and I had lots of family going. We decided to join along for the ride!

I love to do tons of research before going on a trip. Not only does it build excitement but I LOVE to plan and do research and be organized. I took all my research and my own experience on the trip to break it down for you here! Keep reading to find must sees, where to stay on the island (this one always gets me!), and a perfect 7 day itinerary.

Where to Stay in Oahu?

The majority of people in Oahu stay in Wakiki. However I love to get out there and see the more untouched (or less touristy) places when we travel. For this reason I was so thankful where we stayed.

For first timers to Oahu I would recommend staying in Hawaii Kai (Windward Coast) if choosing to not stay in Waikiki. If I were to go back to Oahu I would stay in Kailua (also on the Windward Coast but further up). My favourite two beaches on the island were Kailua and Lanikai beach. But more on that later! And I also LOVED the town of Kailua.

Wakiki

Wakiki is famous for having a skyscraper skyline right on top of a beautiful beach. It is very busy, there are tons of people everywhere, but there is also lots of amenities right at your fingertips.

Pros : don’t need a rental car, can walk to anything you might need including the beach, easy to find a range of accommodations, beach has great swimming waters, if you do rent a car you are in the middle of the island and it’s easy to get around, tons of shopping and dining options

Cons : very busy, TONS of people, I feel you don’t get to experience the laid back culture of Hawaii as much, Waikiki tends to be more expensive

North Shore

The North Shore is full of cute little surfer towns. There is the ultimate laid back vibe, does not feel super touristy, and tons of great food options.

Pros: Authentic Hawaii experience, great food, if you love surfing it has some of the best surf in the world… and if you don’t there are some of the best surfers in the world to watch!

Cons : Not a lot of accommodation options, far from everything (1 hour from Waikiki for example), in the winter the ocean has crazy waves which are not great for swimming

Windward Side

This is where we stayed! The Windward side of the island is the east coast and technically encompasses the drive along the coast from the North Shore East to the furthest point of the island and then South eventually wrapping around back to Waikiki.

We stayed on the other side of the mountain of Hanauma Bay in Hawaii Kai. I loved the neighbourhood we were in, it was easy to get around, and it was peaceful. It was right off the H1 highway so we were 25 minutes to Waikiki, 30 minutes to Kailua Beach, and 20 minutes to Diamond Head.

Pros : the best beaches on the island in my opinion are on this coast (Lanikai and Kailua Beach), calmer and more relaxing vibes, less touristy and more local, I found the absolutely best weather was here… We could see rain everywhere else on the island but it was always sunny in Hawaii Kai

Cons : I’m not sure I really saw hotels here however there are tons of AirBNBs (that is how we booked), have to drive a fair amount further to explore the rest of the island

Leeward Side

This is the opposite side of the island from the Windward Coast and starts at the North Shore and wraps around the West side of the island.

Truth be told the furthest west we went was to Haleiwa which is still considered part of the North Shore.

Pros : The Aulani Disney resort is here!, more resort based, secluded and quiet

Cons : Limited accommodation options, a bit of a drive to Waikiki and definitely far from my 2 favorite beaches (Lanikai and Kailua)

Must Sees:

• Hike Lanikai Pillbox Hike (See Day 6)
• Waikiki Beach
• Drive the North Shore (see Day 5)
• Hike Diamond Head (see Day 2)
• Snorkel at Hanauma Bay (see Day 4)
• The best beaches in Oahu… Lanikai is my number one. We parked in a residential area right beside Lanikai Park. The beach was quiet, the sand was my favorite on the island, water was blue, great snorkelling. Next up is Kailua. It is right beside Lanikai so you get a lot of the same pluses but it is way busier and feels way more public.

One Week in Oahu

Day 1

I always looks to take my first day on vacation a little easy. We left Edmonton late and didn’t get into Hawaii until 11 PM. By the time we got our bags, got our rental car, and then made our way to our place we were out for the night!

On our first real day we made our first trip to Waikiki beach! It was everything I thought it would be. There was people everywhere, a beautiful ocean in front of me, a skyscraper skyline behind me, view of diamond head to the left… You got views of a little bit of everything. The weather at Waikiki is almost always perfect. This was the perfect first day to be able to unwind, experience the famous Waikiki beach, and swim in the gorgeous waters.

It was a pretty low key day but I like to relax on my first day of vacation.

Day 2

After a more relaxing day yesterday I was ready for more adventure. We got up early and hiked Diamond Head. I do recommend going early because it will help you avoid the crowds and the heat. And let me tell you, the heat on that hike is pretty serious!

The Diamond Hike is a beginner hike however there are stairs and some steep portions. Casual sneakers are okay, however if you can wear more stable runners that would be better. Ensure you bring water.

After Diamond Head we took the rest of the day easy. Diamond Head is not too far from Waikiki beach so this is a good opportunity to go back to Waikiki beach if you desire.

Day 3

Day 3 for us was a Saturday which means in Hawaii there is lots of markets! First we went to the KCC Farmers Market. There was tons of fresh fruit and delicious local food items. We stocked up on fruit such as rambutan (couldn’t get enough of this!) and bananas.

Next we went to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. This is Hawaii’s largest outdoor swap meet and it was crazy how big it was! The swap meet circled around the entire football stadium and in some places was a few layers deep. There is a lot of opportunities for souvenirs if that is what you’re looking for. We also got some delicious food including shaved ice, coconut peanut butter (we wish we bought more! We are trying to find some anywhere here!!), Maui onion sea salt, and coconut syrup.

If you’re over by the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, you are right by Pearl Harbor. If you are interested this is the time to do it.

Day 4

I like to switch up my busy days and then have a more relaxing day. On day 4 we went to Hanauma Bay to go snorkelling! The water was beautiful and there were so so many fish. If you love to snorkel this is a must visit! If you bring snacks and tons of water you can easily set up for the day here.

Tips for Hanauma Bay:

• Go early! I have heard they only let so many people in everyday because it is a national park. Beyond that the beach is so busy so it’s good to get a spot early.
• When you get there walk to the far side of the beach. It is way less busy!
• Bring snacks and water. There is nowhere at the beach to purchase.
• Bring eco friendly sunscreen.

Day 5

One thing I was dying to do was adventure to the North Shore! The drive was gorgeous! It was exactly what you picture when you picture Hawaii.

We were staying in Hawaii Kai so we made that point our starting point. Even if you aren’t staying in Hawaii Kai I recommend starting here. The drive from Hanauma Bay to Waimanalo Beach is GORGEOUS. It reminded me a lot of the pacific coast highway and I recommend experiencing it!

When you continue on your way you will pass Kualoa Ranch which is famous for filming movies and having so many fun activities. We didn’t end up stopping but next time we would! You will also pass by the Polynesian Cultural Center which we did not have a chance to visit but my family did and they said it was unbelievable. They said it was kind of like Epcot Center at Walt Disney World. If you have time and are around when it is open we definitely recommend.

We stopped by Turtle Bay but didn’t have time to snorkel unfortunately so we missed out on the Turtles! I was so disappointed.

We finished off our adventure in Haleiwa which I fell in love with. It is the sweetest little beach town. We parked by the Haleiwa beach park and then walked the street. There are so many cute shops and dining options. I so badly wanted to try Haleiwa Bowls but it was closed before we had a chance.. So if you want amazing acai bowls make sure to be there before 6 PM!

Continue on your way and stop as you please! Enjoy the drive and stop and take as many pictures as you can. My favorite place we stopped was totally by chance. We were driving and saw tons of cars and wanted to see what it was all about and it turned out it was the Banzai Pipeline!

Places to stop on your way along the North Shore:

• Halona Beach Cove
• Kualoa Ranch
• Polynesian Cultural Center
• Turtle Bay
• Sunset Beach
• Banzai Pipeline (craziest surfing here!!)
• Laniakea Beach
• Haleiwa

And if you finish your drive early enough you can pop by the Dole plantation on your way back through the middle of the island! But trust me, you will fall in love with the North Shore and will definitely fill your day!

Day 6

Today was another day that I was so excited for!

We started with the Lanikai Pillbox Hike, but we did it at sunrise. The hike is about 30-40 minutes. So we googled when the sun was going to rise and planned to be at the top about 15 minutes early so we could catch the whole sunrise.

The hike seemed way easier on the way down (in the light LOL) then on the way up. So plan for more time up then down. It wasn’t too hard of a hike but if you’re going in the dark it is more intermediate, in the light it is more of a beginner hike.

To be honest we missed the sunrise because there were some clouds. But the experience was so worth it and we did it for the experience not just the moment of the sunrise.

After the Lanikai Pillbox Hike we went into the town on Kailua and went to Lanikai Juice for acai bowls and they were GORGEOUS. We took our acai bowls back to Lanikai beach and set out camp for the day.

Lanikai beach as I keep raving about was beautiful. It felt local, the sand was so soft, the water crystal clear. Definitely plan on spending a day here!

This was the perfect last full day in Oahu.

Day 7

Last day of vacation 🙁

The last day of vacation is perfect to do any last thing you might have missed or double back to your favorite thing.

My hubby missed Waikiki on the first day because the boys went and watched a PGA tour that was in Hawaii. I couldn’t let him leave without seeing the famous beach! We checked out some cute shops (Olive and Oliver is a MUST) and made our way to the beach for one last day in the sun before we headed home.

Have you ever been to Oahu?! What was your favorite thing? I would love to hear!

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