These are some of the activities that are recommended by me to do on the island of O`ahu. The information and links are current as of July 2023. For a more extensive list of things to do on O`ahu, read this post.
Hiking to the top of Diamond Head
Enjoy 360 degree panoramic views from the top of one of the most iconic mountains on the island of O`ahu. The hike starts at the base of the crater floor and is only 0.8 miles one way to the top but has a climb of 560 feet to the summit.
- Requires a reservation for non-Hawai`i residents. Cost is $5 per person.
- Parking is $10 and does shorten the length of the hike. If you don’t want to pay for parking, you can park outside the crater but will have to cross into the crater via a narrow tunnel with cars driving through it.
- Crater opens at 6AM and is another activity I recommend starting early to avoid the crowds and most importantly the heat as there are sections of the trail which are exposed with no shade.
- Bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water on the hike.
- An alternative hike which does not require an entrance fee or reservation is hiking the Koko Crater stairs. There is NO SHADE and best done early in the morning. It is also significantly steeper (885 feet elevation gain) and a longer hike (1.6 miles) so best kept for those who are able to physically handle it.
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Swimming/Snorkeling at Hana`uma Bay
Fun and easy place to snorkel with lots of fish to see. Water is calm and protected year round within the bay of this nature preserve. Lifeguards are on duty at this beach.
- Requires a reservation for non-Hawai`i residents.
- Entry fee is $25 per person (over the age of 12) and parking is $3.
- The Bay is closed all day on Monday and Tuesday.
- Bring only reef-safe sunscreen. Sunscreen which contain ingredients that are not safe for coral reefs are no longer sold in Hawai`i but still sold on the mainland. Please read the ingredients on your sunscreen bottle before packing your sunscreen. The offending ingredients that I see most often are oxybenzone and octinoxate.
- The park is open at 6:45 and I would highly recommend getting there as close to opening as possible. Parking is limited and this is a good way to secure a parking spot and to have less people swimming at the beach. This is a good activity to plan toward the beginning of your trip to take advantage of any mainland jet lag.
- Shark’s Cove on the North Shore is an alternative to Hana`uma Bay for snorkeling. However, there is no lifeguard and would only snorkel there during the summer when waves are smaller. Waves on the North Shore can be dangerous in the winter. Going earlier in the day will also ensure that you get a parking spot.
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Visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial.
This is the site of the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941 which brought the United States into World War II.
- Admission is free to visit Pearl Harbor but large bags are not allowed and parking costs $7. They will turn you away at the gate if your bag is too big.
- If you want to take a boat ride to the Arizona Memorial (which is built over the remains of the sunken battle ship and the men interred there when the ship went down), a reservation is required and costs $1. Reservations are released daily at 3PM HST 8 weeks before and 24 hours before (a limited number of tickets are reserved for release 24 hours before). Tickets are required for everyone including infants and children.
- If you have time and want to make a day of it, a visit to Ford Island and the USS Missouri (where the treaty to end WWII was signed) or the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum can be done via a free shuttle bus departing from the Pearl Harbor visitor center. Ford Island is an active military base and you can’t drive on the island without Department of Defense identification.
- There is a separate Ford Island bus tour that you can take which does require a reservation and will take you by the memorials to the USS Oklahoma and Utah which were also sunk on December 7, 1941.
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Visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center is a place where you can learn about the different cultures of the islands in Polynesia. The Polynesian triangle encompasses Hawai`i to the north, Easter Island to the south east, and New Zealand to the south west. All of the islands within this triangle are considered Polynesia. At this center, you can learn about Hawai`i, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, and Aotearoa (aka New Zealand). You will also learn the differences in culture between these islands. For example, what you may have previously thought was hula dancing may actually be Tahitian dancing.
- Tickets can run over $100 per person (depending on package).
- Opens at 12:30
- “Ha: Breath of Life” Show starts at 7:30 and ends at 8:45PM. Fire dancing at the show is especially exciting to watch and worth staying to see.
- An alternative to the Polynesian Cultural Center is booking a reservation to one of the many lūʻau on the island. You may not get as in-depth about the cultures, but you’ll learn a thing or two about Polynesian cultures and enjoy some Hawaiian food. Some lūʻau dinners are: Paradise Cove, Germaine’s Lūʻau, Waikiki Starlight Lūʻau (at the Hilton Hawaiian Village).
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In closing, to take advantage of any mainland jet lag where you’ll likely be waking up early and going to bed early, I would recommend the following itinerary:
Day 1: Hike to the top of Diamond Head (opens at 6AM) or Koko Crater (if you think you can handle it)
Day 2: Snorkeling at Hana`uma Bay (opens at 6:45) or as an alternative in the summer, Shark’s Cove
Day 3: Visiting Pearl Harbor (first boat to the Arizona Memorial runs at 8AM)
Day 4: Visit the Polynesian Cultural Center (opens at 12:30PM). Stay for show (starts at 7:30). Hopefully you’ll be more adjusted to Hawaiian time by the 4th day to stay awake for the show. An alternative to visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center is to book a reservation for a different lūʻau dinner.