Honolulu and Oahu: The Complete Hawaii Travel Guide

Oahu is the third-largest Hawaiian island but home to roughly 70% of the state's population, the state capital, and the most recognisable beaches in the Pacific. Honolulu delivers a genuinely unusual combination: a major American city, a world-famous resort strip in Waikiki, a Pearl Harbor memorial of solemn historical weight, a wild North Shore with some of the largest surf on the planet, and a crater you can hike to before breakfast. It is busy, relatively expensive, and enormously popular for good reason. Understanding how to move around the island and when to book specific attractions separates an average trip from an excellent one.

Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach runs for roughly 2.4 kilometres along Honolulu's south shore, backed by a dense strip of hotels, restaurants, and shops. The beach is divided into several named sections: Kuhio Beach Park at the eastern end is free and has lifeguards; Fort DeRussy Beach to the west is less crowded. The water is generally calm inside the reef, making it safe for swimming and beginner surfing year-round. Surf lesson operators set up on the beach daily; a 2-hour group lesson typically costs $50–75 per person.

Waikiki is walkable from almost all its hotels. The main drag, Kalakaua Avenue, is lined with everything from ABC Stores to Chanel boutiques and Louis Vuitton. Evening in Waikiki has a relaxed energy, with free hula and live music performances at the Kuhio Beach Hula Mound most Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings at sunset.

Diamond Head State Monument

Diamond Head (known in Hawaiian as Le'ahi) is the volcanic tuff cone that appears behind Waikiki in essentially every photograph of Honolulu. The summit trail is 3.2 kilometres round trip, involves 560 steps, and gains 175 metres in elevation. It is not technically difficult, but the exposed upper section is steep and the crater interior gets hot by mid-morning. Starting by 07:00 or 07:30 avoids both the heat and the biggest crowds.

Entry costs $5 per person or $10 per vehicle (non-residents). Advance reservations are required online at hawaiistateparks.reserveamerica.com; walk-up entry is limited and unreliable on weekends. The views from the summit take in Waikiki, Koko Head, and on clear days the islands of Molokai and Lanai to the northwest. Allow 90 minutes total for the hike, including time at the top.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial

Pearl Harbor is one of the most visited historic sites in the United States, and for good reason. The USS Arizona Memorial, built over the sunken battleship where 1,177 sailors died on December 7, 1941, is a genuinely affecting place. Entry to the memorial is free, but the boat ride to it operates on a timed-entry system. Reservations open 60 days in advance at recreation.gov and sell out weeks ahead for peak season. Walk-up tickets are distributed each morning but are gone by 08:30 on busy days.

Beyond the Arizona Memorial, the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites complex includes the Battleship Missouri Memorial (where Japan's surrender was signed in 1945, $32 entry), the USS Bowfin submarine museum ($27 entry), and the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island ($30 entry). Visiting all four takes a full day. Budget around $90–100 per adult for everything combined. The site is located about 15 kilometres west of Waikiki; TheBus Route 20 runs there for $3 each way.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

Hanauma Bay, about 15 kilometres east of Waikiki, is consistently ranked among the best snorkelling sites in the United States. The bay is a collapsed volcanic crater that forms a natural reef sheltered from open ocean swell, and the coral and fish life (including green sea turtles) are exceptional by any standard. Entry costs $25 per person (non-residents over 13), and a conservation fee and mandatory video about the reef's ecology are required before entering the water.

Reservations must be made in advance online; the bay is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for conservation rest. Equipment rental costs around $12–15 at the beach. The bay is shallow (under 3 metres in most of the snorkelling area) and suitable for non-swimmers using a flotation device, though the rocky entry can be tricky at low tide. Arrive early: the car park fills by 09:00 on weekends.

The North Shore

The North Shore, on Oahu's northern coastline about 55 kilometres from Honolulu, is a world unto itself. In summer (May to September), the water is calm and ideal for swimming. In winter (November to February), north swells produce waves of 3–10 metres, drawing the world's best surfers to the Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach for competitions including the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.

Haleiwa is the main town, a relaxed surf community with good cafes, galleries, and shave ice shops (Matsumoto Shave Ice has served it here since 1951). The famous shrimp trucks along Kamehameha Highway, particularly Giovanni's (established 1993), serve garlic shrimp plates for around $14–16. The Dole Plantation, just inland from the North Shore on Highway 99, is a tourist stop offering the Dole Whip soft-serve pineapple dessert ($7) and a pineapple field train tour.

Nuuanu Pali Lookout

The Nuuanu Pali Lookout sits at 350 metres in the Ko'olau mountain range and offers a dramatic view of the windward (northeast) coast, with sheer green cliffs dropping to the Kaneohe plain below. Wind at the lookout is often fierce enough to knock you off balance. Entry is $3 per car. It is typically combined with a loop around the windward coast to see the Kaneohe Bay area and the town of Kailua, which has some of Oahu's most beautiful and less crowded beaches.

Budget and Practical Information

Oahu is significantly more expensive than most mainland US destinations. Mid-range hotel rooms in Waikiki typically run $250–400 per night, with budget options (Waikiki Beachside Hostel, various apartment rentals) available from $80–130 per night. Luxury hotels like the Royal Hawaiian (the "Pink Palace of the Pacific," open since 1927) and the Halekulani charge $500–1,000+ per night.

Food costs follow a similar pattern. A plate lunch (rice, macaroni salad, a protein like chicken katsu or kalua pork) from a local diner or food truck costs $12–18 and is typically generous in portion. Sit-down restaurants in Waikiki run $50–80 per person for dinner with drinks. The morning markets, particularly the KCC Farmers Market at Kapiolani Community College on Saturday mornings, offer fresh fruit, local food vendors, and the best acai bowls on the island.

Getting around Oahu without a car is possible if you are staying in Waikiki: TheBus network is extensive and costs $3 per journey ($7.50 day pass). For the North Shore and Hanauma Bay, a car is more practical. Rental cars cost $60–100 per day; book early as supply is often tight. Rideshare services (Uber and Lyft) operate across the island.

Best Time to Visit

April through October is generally the best time to visit Oahu. Summer (June to August) is peak season, with school holiday crowds and the highest hotel prices. April, May, and September offer a balance of good weather, smaller crowds, and prices around 15–20% lower than summer peak. Winter brings larger north swells (spectacular for watching surf on the North Shore), occasional rain on the windward coast, and lower accommodation rates. Water temperature averages 25–28°C year-round, so swimming is comfortable in any month.

Getting There and Inter-Island Travel

Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport receives non-stop flights from most major US mainland cities. Los Angeles is about 5.5 hours; New York is around 10 hours. Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines are the main carriers for both mainland and inter-island routes. A flight from Honolulu to Maui takes 25 minutes and costs $50–120 each way with advance booking. Flights to Kauai or the Big Island are similar in price and duration, making island hopping very practical if you have more than a week.

Related: Maui Travel Guide: Road to Hana, Haleakala, and the Best Beaches | Big Island Hawaii: Volcanoes, Stargazing, and Black Sand Beaches