So if you are looking for tips on what to do in Oahu, down below we’ve listed the top activities in Oahu we did experience and recommend you add to your itinerary for your own Hawaii vacation.
It was right at the top of our things to do in Waikiki list and we really enjoyed it – the views over Waikiki Beach and the Pacific Ocean are stunning! Go early though, we arrived at the entrance at about 8 am and it felt like the whole of Waikiki was there, so I suggest getting there for park opening at 6:30 am.
We rented a car in Waikiki and spent a full day driving around Oahu, well half of it – we got to Haleiwa on North Shore Oahu then cut back through the middle of the island to Honolulu.It was such a pretty drive, especially the South East Coast.
One of the other most popular things to do in Oahu Hawaii on a family vacation is visiting Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve to explore the marine life of Hawaii. It’s one of the best places in Hawaii to go snorkeling.
It was a beautiful memorial, and you can visit the grounds and museum before catching a boat over to the Arizona Memorial, the ship that sunk and is now the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed.
5. Spend a few hours (or a whole day) on Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach on Oahu Island is famous. Whilst the main section in front of The Royal Hawaiian Hotel (the Flamingo Pink) gets crowded and it can be hard to find a spot to put your towel, as a city tourist beach, we were impressed.
It was so much quieter than Waikiki Beach or Hanauma Bay when we visited, and would be a great spot for kayaking or stand up paddle boarding – if we had more time we would have kayaked to the nearby islands or enjoyed supping.