Beginner’s Guide to Oahu, Hawaii

Hawaii is the ultimate paradise in the United States! From the island of Hawaii aka Big Island, all the way to Ni’ihau or the forbidden island, this archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is truly a wonder. This guide to Oahu will help you be ready once you touch the ground!

Like many, you’ll probably want to fly to Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. Though small, it’s the most populous of all the Hawaiian islands. My first trip to Hawaii was to celebrate my 30th birthday, and it was probably one of the happiest weeks of my life. Five days of this trip were spent on Oahu, and there’s a ton to do!

You may be tempted to stay in Waikiki, however, I’m going to advise against this as it’s so different from the rest of the island and not the real Hawaii at all. Personally, I spent about three hours there and wasn’t a fan. It’s filled with luxury shopping, big hotels, and mediocre food. If you want a resort though, then it’s probably going to be your go-to. That’s, my two cents, at least!

If you want great weather and lower crowds then visiting during the off-seasons, April-May and September-October are ideal.

Peak time tends to be November-February and June-August. You can expect bigger crowds and maybe even higher fees and transportation costs. Don’t be totally turned away by these months though if that’s what fits in your schedule. I visited in February because I went over the week of my birthday which is peak season!

It does not matter how much melanin you have in your skin! Hawaii gets bright and the sun means business! Make sure to wear good sunscreen to prevent burns so you don’t ruin your trip on day one! I have made this mistake and trust me, it sucks. If you’re planning on swimming, make sure your sun screen is reef safe. Hawaii has a lot of unique ocean life and they work hard to protect it.

Oahu does have public transportation, but it can be complicated and slow! The government has been building an above ground train, but it’s been nicknamed the “Fail Rail”. Which doesn’t give me the most confidence.

If you want true flexibility and reliability to get around the island, you need to get a car for your stay. Use your credit card with the best auto rental insurance and make sure to work this into your vacation budget! Trust me, it’s worth not cheaping out on this!

This is one of the most beautiful shopping malls in the country! It’s a large outdoor shopping center in downtown Honolulu. It does have plenty of popularly known brands, but also has some lovely Hawaiian stores. Going to a mall isn’t normally something I think about when going on vacation, but it’s one on the more unique side for all the greenery, and it’s open-air style. This is also where I tried my first spam musubi!

Hawaii’s museum of natural and cultural history! It’s the largest museum in Hawaii and holds the world’s largest collection of Polynesian artifacts. This museum was created by Charles Reed Bishop to honor his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who was the last legal heir of the Kamehameha Dynasty. It’s made up of multiple floors, starting with history on the Hawaiian gods, which was my favorite floor! As you go up, you can see more of the historical artifacts.

The museum also has shows in their planetarium! I highly recommend the one on wayfinding, the ancient skill of navigating using stars. It’s a very cool presentation going over how this practice was nearly lost, and then you even get to practice your own wayfinding skills! It only costs a few extra dollars to see, but is well worth it!

You may not expect to see a full recreation of a Japanese Buddhist Temple in Hawaii, but alas, it is there! This is a non-practicing temple, so no rituals or services are carried out here. There is a modest entry fee of about $8, and it’s very easy to explore on your own. The area is surrounded by koi ponds and incredible greenery, you really would almost feel like you’re in Japan. Inside the temple, you can light incense, but you do have to remove your shoes.

There’s also a large bell you can ring, which is fun! Of course, there’s a gift shop if you’d like to pick something up. I thought this entire area was absolutely beautiful and couldn’t believe it wasn’t Japan! (But that’s also coming from someone who hasn’t been to Japan yet…..tragic)

Ah yes, if it doesn’t have pineapple, is it really Hawaiian? Except, did you know pineapples aren’t actually native to Hawaii?? They’re actually from South America. It’s like we’ve been lied to this whole time. Crazy. If you’re willing to look past all of that and honestly most of Dole’s dark history…the Dole Plantation is a fun little spot to stop! The main reason I wanted to go was for none other than dole whip! Yes, that deliciously creamy pineapple soft serve topped with fresh pineapple. Nothing like eating that at 11am. It was lovely, and I’m glad I got it. It’s huge though!

The Dole Plantation is surprisingly small. It has a main store and food counter, a maze, train ride, and tons of photo ops. Thankfully, you don’t have to pay a fee to visit the area in general, so you can park get your dole whip and leave if that’s what you’d like to do! There were lots of families, so I would say this is a very family friendly activity.

If you love Japanese grocery stores, you’ll love this mega Don Quijote! It’s like the Walmart of Japan, minus the boom boom sticks. The store is decked out in their penguin mascot and super bright and colorful! You’ll find aisles and aisles of different Asian cuisines and products. There are even hot grab-and-go items, a poke counter, fresh onigiri, and so many other restaurants. It was newly opened when I visited, so some restaurants weren’t even operational yet.

The entire store felt like I was a little kid excited about an amusement park, so take that as you will. I love a good, fun grocery store.

Oahu’s first visitor coffee farm! This is a very cute and fun thing to see, as Hawaii is the only place in the US that can grow coffee. They house a retail store, espresso bar, and farm tours which are completely free with no reservation required!

Highly recommend you stop in first at the espresso bar to grab a drink and maybe even a pastry! I ordered an iced macadamia nut latte and a lilikoi (passion fruit) bar. The lilikoi bar didn’t taste much like lilikoi, it was mostly just sweet. Loved the latte though! After you grab your treats, you can walk around their store if you’d like to take anything home. They have an array of coffee cups, art, fresh coffee beans, and more! Pay attention to certain fresh items if you’re permitted to travel out of Hawaii with them. They have notes on the products this pertains to.

Definitely go outside and see their coffee farm! You can sit in the sun to enjoy your coffee and even hang out with the chickens! Don’t worry, they didn’t try to steal any of my food.

Up by the North Shore is Hale’iwa which has lots of cute shops and restaurants! I spent some time walking around the Hale’iwa Town Center where I picked a new luggage tag, some passion fruit coconut syrup, and the prettiest shell earrings! I bought the earrings from a small vendor setup in the open part of the square called Beach Walk Gallery. The guy at the booth free dives for the materials, which makes them all the more special!

Just a fun fact, the McDonald’s in this area has a VERY HAWAIIAN exterior and might be a fun stop just to see it! Hawaiian McDonald’s also uniquely sells a taro pie. Unfortunately, it was sold out when I tried to get one.

If you want to watch real life surfing, North Shore is the place to do it! In the winter is when the waves get more intense and dangerous. It’s also when the pros tend to be the only ones out there. I got to see surfers catch some serious waves….and also completely wipe out.

If you know anything about Hawaii’s history before it was made a state, it was actually a kingdom with a royal family. The palace became the official royal residence starting with King Kamehameha III up until Queen Liliʻuokalani under the Kalākaua Dynasty. I highly recommend you look up more about the history of Hawaii because it’s both fascinating and dark.

For my visit, I took an audio tour, which lasted about an hour. You have to wear covers on your shoes to protect the floors and can take photos, but no video. I was also lucky visiting on a Friday as the Royal Band was playing, so I got to hear the end of their concert. After your tour, there is more to see in the basement of the palace, so don’t run off right away!

This place is extremely unique as it’s the only official royal residence in the United States. I really would not miss this!

Right across the street from Iolani Palace! King Kamehameha was the king who united all the Hawaiian islands. It’s just a statue, but it’s a cool looking one!

One of the US’s sadder days in history, but today Pearl Harbor, is still an active military base. It’s one of the few civilians are allowed on due to the museums and memorials. In order to get on base, make sure you look for the Arizona Memorial Place sign, DO NOT TAKE the Hickham AFB/Pearl Harbor exit from the freeway. This will lead you to the active base. Unless you’re with someone with an active military ID, they won’t let you in that entrance.

I mostly was just given a drive by tour on base, but it was surreal being there. Also, very cool to see all the old planes outside!

This is an all day activity! Show up when they open! If you want to learn about more Polynesian history, the Polynesian Cultural Center is a great place to go. It is run by Brigham Young University, and most of the performers are students attending their Hawaii campus.

I recommend getting there as soon as they open at noon because there’s a show on the water at 12:30pm that’s very cool and only done once! As you work your way through the island villages: Tahiti, Tonga, Aotaeroa (New Zealand), Samoa, Easter Island, and Hawaii, many of the programs repeat at least one more time. It can take some time to get through each village, and they start to shut down around 5pm. You’ll want about 45 minutes at each one to not feel too rushed. There’s no way you’ll have time for every presentation so try to pick out the ones you really want to see.

Unless you’re planning to spend multiple days here, I would skip their luau because you won’t have time to finish all the villages. Instead, you should do the Gateway Buffet, which I thoroughly enjoyed, or there are food trucks near the marketplaces. Another cannot miss is their HĀ: Breath of Life show! This starts much later, as it needs to be dark. I won’t spoil it, but think of it as a full Broadway production, but outside! It’s very impressive!

This is a Hawaiian feast with music and live performances! This is a great evening activity and something I would recommend doing closer to the end of your trip. Mine was the night before I left, but that’s just how the schedule worked out.

There’s a ton of food! The star of the meal is typically kalua pork, but you can also find huli huli chicken, poi, lomi lomi, haupia, mac salad, and other Hawaiian dishes. Luaus are a great way to try things you might have missed throughout your trip or were more difficult to find.

There are usually lots of dances, the performers can interact with the crowds, and maybe you might have a chance to go on stage! I participated in learning a Somoan dance, which was a ton of fun! No pressure if you get stage freight.

Oahu is an extremely popular island in the Hawaiian archepeligo and caters to tourists pretty heavily. There’s a lot to see and learn about Hawaiian culture. You can have amazing time while also being respectful of the locals. I really loved my time here and finally understood why it was such a popular destination as someone who prefers to travel outside of the United States. Hawaii is truly it’s own thing despite being a US state. Mahalo!