The Best Oahu Itinerary + Guide

I just got back from a 9-day vacation to Hawaii and spent 5 days on Oahu! It is a great place to visit, and it was my first real solo travel trip! Here is my Oahu itinerary, and other recommendations so you can create your perfect Oahu itinerary!

Oahu Itinerary

Whether you have just a few days or a longer stay, there are so many different things to do on the island! No matter what you do, it is bound to be a good time. I loved my trip to Hawaii because I've never been to a place that was so adventurous yet so relaxing at the same time. Whether you want to hang out by the beach, take a challenging hike, casually snorkel, or take a zipline, there is genuinely something for everyone. Oahu has some of the best beaches, phenomenal bars and restaurants, and so much to do!

Each of the Hawaiian islands definitely has its own pros and cons! Honolulu is on Oahu, and Honolulu is very touristy, busy, and much more metropolitan. However, Oahu also has its North Shore, with beautiful turquoise water beaches and stunning marine life. No matter what your vibe is, you will have so many options to curate your perfect Oahu itinerary.

Where to Stay on Oahu

Since I was traveling solo, I stayed in Waikiki, downtown Honolulu, for my entire time on Oahu. I didn't have access to a car, so it was easy to access bars, restaurants, stores, and more.

Waikiki Beach Hotels

I stayed for a total of 5 days in the Waikiki Beach area of Honolulu. My first three days, I stayed at Park Shore Waikiki. It was great for what I needed for the first three days, and that was essentially just a home base to sleep and shower. For my second stay in Honolulu, I stayed at The Modern Honolulu for 2 nights. I knew that in my first three days, I would be out and about exploring the island. Then, I knew I would want to relax and chill during the second half of my stay in Honolulu, so I wanted more of a resort vibe. I absolutely loved my stay at The Modern Honolulu and would absolutely recommend it to anyone staying! Other hotels that I was considering were Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort and Prince Waikiki.

What I love about Waikiki is that everything is within walking distance, for the most part, and almost every place to stay has stunning ocean views. This was my first visit to Hawaii, and I'm glad I stayed in Waikiki, especially traveling solo, but when I find myself traveling to the island again, I'll definitely stay outside of Waikiki.

North Shore Hotels and Vacation Rentals

Hotels: The north shore of Oahu doesn't have as many hotel options as Waikiki does. There is the Ritz-Carlton Turtle Bay Resort on the very northern part of the island, or there is a Courtyard on the north-eastern shore.

Vacation Rentals: If you want to go the vacation rental route, I recommend staying in Haleiwa or Pupukea! Both areas are so cute and a great option if you want to be near all the food trucks on the north shore and other cute walkable "downtown" type areas.

What to Pack for Oahu

As an over-packer, here is what I actually packed and used for my trip to Oahu.

Beach Essentials

Reef-Safe Sunscreen: If you forget to buy reef-safe sunscreen, that's ok! There are so many ABC stores and Target locations that sell it.
CeraVe Tinted Face Sunscreen: This is my favorite summer skincare buy to date! It has the perfect tint and offers great protection.
Microfiber Towel: Although my hotels did offer beach towels, this was still really nice to have since it dried so quickly, and sand didn't really stick to it!
Beach Bag: I loved this beach bag and saw so many other people carrying it around! I was looking for a bag that had a zipper compartment so my phone, wallet, and other small personal items wouldn't get lost or covered in sand.

Click here to shop all my beach essentials.

Clothes

Sundresses: I packed 3 sundresses and wore all 3.
Basic Tank Tops: I packed 6 basic tank tops, but ended up wearing 2.
Shorts + Skorts: I packed 3 nice skorts and 1 athletic skort. I ended up wearing my jean skort and my athletic skort.
Pants: I did pack a pair of jeans and never wore them, but I did wear the pair of linen pants I packed.
Purse: I packed 3 purses, and ended up only using 2.
Shoes: I packed 5 pairs of shoes, a nice pair of sandals, a casual pair of sandals, a pair of heels, athleisure shoes, and my running shoes. I ended up wearing all but the heels.
Accessories: I packed some fun earrings, bracelets, a silk scarf, and a bucket hat. I only wore the bucket hat, but that was because I kept forgetting to pull my jewelry box out of my suitcase, so I forgot I had it with me. Out of sight, out of mind.

Click here to shop my whole summer closet.

Beauty + Skincare

Makeup: I only packed a few makeup items, E.L.F CC cream, bronzer, blush, an eyeshadow palette, mascara, eyebrow pencil, setting powder, and a fake freckle pen. I used all the makeup I brought.
Skincare: I packed micellar water, face wash, caffeine eye cream, a TULA eye balm, and moisturizer.
Haircare: I packed hair oil, a brush, a curling iron, and a thermo-brush. I didn't use the thermobrush, but did use the curling iron a few times.

Click here to shop all my beauty, skin, and haircare essentials.

How to Get Around Oahu

Uber/Lyft: I used Lyft to go to and from the airport when staying in Waikiki. They were affordable, quick, and super easy! However, if you are staying in other parts of the island or you really want to explore the island, I would recommend a rental car.

Turo: I used Turo to rent a car for a day to explore the north shore. If you don't want to rent a car for your entire stay, I highly recommend renting a car for a day or two! I had the best time driving to the north shore and exploring more of the island.

Costco Car Rentals: When I was looking into renting cars, Costco (if you are a member) offered some really affordable rental car options, too!

Parking: If you are renting a car and staying at a hotel, chances are there is a daily parking fee, too. The hotel website should have that information available so you can decide what you want to do!

My Oahu Itinerary: Waikiki Beach

My first day on the island, I wanted to walk and explore the Waikiki Beach area. It is very touristy, but I always say when visiting any big city, the touristy parts are still fun... just not for long. Here's everything I did in my 1 day of exploring Waikiki Beach.

Leonard's Bakery: I woke up and walked up to the iconic Leonard's Bakery. They have been around since 1952 and are known for their malasadas, amongst other bakery goodies. Malasadas are Portuguese donuts without a hole. They are Hawaii's original malasada bakery! The donuts are truly one of the best things I've tried; they're crispy and golden brown on the outside, and perfectly doughy, light, and warm on the inside. I got 3: original, cinnamon sugar, and guava-filled. If you get one thing... get the guava filled. SO good.
Island Vintage Coffee: to help combat the food coma and also jet lag (Hawaii is 5 hours behind Chicago), there was an Island Vintage Coffee location right around the corner from my hotel. So, if you want to avoid the line at the Royal Hawaiian Center, I recommend walking down the Waikiki strip to this location.
Explore Waikiki: I walked up and down Waikiki beach exploring all the shops, bars, restaurants, and really just getting the lay of the land.
Shop: If you want to bring souvenirs home for your family and friends, I recommend checking out some ABC stores and also Duke's Marketplace. If you are into haggling and want to explore some really cool shops, Duke's Marketplace is great for that.
Chill at the Pool: All of this happened before 10:30am, like I said, jet-lag, so to avoid total burnout, I hung out at my hotel's pool and read for a few hours.
Happy Hour Bar Crawl: I loved this activity for my first day. The first happy hour started at 2pm and the last one ended at 6pm. I picked places where there were both food and drink specials, so I could casually eat and drink in the area around my hotel. I was jet lagged and getting pretty tired, so this early happy hour + casual snacking for dinner situation was ideal. The spots were all within a block of one another, which was also so nice considering I had already walked nearly 7 miles that day. I highly recommend doing it in this order because Deck offers the most stunning views of Diamond Head, so you can start to get the beginning of the sunset if you get there at like 5:30 and stay for like an hour and a half.
- Lulu’s - Monday - Friday 2-4 food + drink | happy hour menu
- Tiki’s - Every day 3-5 food + drink | happy hour menu
- Deck - Every day drinks 2-6, food 4-6 | happy hour menu
Sunset Beach Picnic: Then, I went back to my hotel room, grabbed a Summer Club Spritz and my book, and went down to the beach for a sunset picnic. The sunsets are just so stunning!

My Oahu Itinerary: North Shore

The next day, I rented a car using Turo and was able to explore the North Shore! I am so happy I did this, it's one of the best places I've ever been.

Acai Bowls + Coffee: Since I was still somewhat jet-lagged, it was an early morning. So, I went down to Waikiki Walls for an acai bowl before going on a run. I ended up running about 2 miles around the Kapi'olani Regional Park.
Turo Pick-Up:I ended up renting a yellow Jeep Wrangler and felt like I was living my best 50 First Dates life (but minus the bad parts like the crash and memory loss). The pick-up was right around the corner from my hotel and the host picks it up and drops it off for you. It was so easy, and it was the perfect ride for the day.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial: It can't be a first-time trip to Oahu without visiting Pearl Harbor. Here are a few things to note if you want to visit Pearl Harbor.
- Parking costs $7, and you can pay right on your phone. I used Venmo, it was so easy.
- NO bags are allowed. There are lockers available for purchase. It's $7 for a small bag and $10 for a larger bag.
- Entry is free.
- There are a handful of memorials and two museums that are also free. I highly recommend making your way through both museums.
- If you want to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, you do have to purchase a $1 ticket in advance. Reservations are released daily at 3pm HST in two windows: 24 hours before and 8 weeks before.
Visit a 7-Eleven: 7-Elevens are built differently in Hawaii and offer up some amazing hand rolls, Spam musubi, and other food options. I highly recommend visiting a 7-Eleven on your way up to the north shore for some snacks.
Stop at Dole Plantation: Now, I was going to do this, and ultimately didn't end up doing it for no real reason. However, that's on your way up north, so it would be such an easy spot!
Stop at Waiema Falls: there is a beautiful, swimmable waterfall, a short hike, and incredible botanical gardens.
Explore Haleiwa Town: Haleiwa is the absolute cutest town. There are so many shops and restaurants, I stopped and grabbed a strawberry matcha from the Island Vintage Coffee location, and also shopped around for a bit.
Beach Afternoon: Next, make your way to one of the many beautiful beaches the north shore has to offer. I ended up spending a few hours at Three Tables Beach in Pupukea Beach Park. Here are some other great beach options.
- Laniakea Beach, aka Turtle Beach: This is a spot where you can post up and see Green Sea Turtles rest and feed.
- Waimea Bay + Banzai Beach: If you want to bring your own snorkeling gear. These are both known to be great snorkeling spots in the summer and great surfing spots in the winter.
Drive along the Coast: I ended up just driving all around the coast to explore more beaches and see more of the north shore.
Early Dinner at Haleiwa Joe's: I ended up changing in a public bathroom along the shore and went to an early dinner at Haleiwa Joe's. I got the Mai Tai, of course, black & blue seared ahi tuna, and the spare ribs. Everything was delicious, and the view was stunning. I got there right when it opened at 4:30 p.m. and was able to be seated on the patio.
Sunset at the Beach: I drove back and returned the car right around 7pm, which left me with the perfect timing to be able to watch the sunset at the beach, yet again.

Other spots to include on your Oahu Itinerary

Now this list encompasses my final 2 days in Oahu as well as other notable spots that you might want to check out!

ABC Stores: these are all over the place, you can get everything from quick groceries to souvenirs to alcohol at these stores.
Sunrise Shack: I got the monkey bowl and a cold brew coffee. The monkey bowl was so good!
Monkeypod Kitchen: So many people recommended the Mai Tai here, and it was SO good! It had this liliko'i honey foam on top. Amazing.
Hau Tree: if you want a bar/restaurant that is right on the beach.
Bar Leather Apron: This was another bar that was recommended to me by so many! I didn't get a chance to go there, but it was recommended so much, it should go on your list!
Honolulu Farmers Market: happens on Wednesdays from 4-7p.
Iolani Palace: This is a national historic landmark, and it was the home of Hawaii's last reigning monarchs! It served as the royal residence for years

Best Excursions and Tours in Oahu

There are so many different tours that you can take in Oahu. I didn't take any official guided tour while on the island, but if that is your jam, here are a few to look into!

Kualoa Ranch - this is one of the main filming locations for the Jurassic Park movies! They even offer tours of Jurassic Valley.
Nui Grand Tour Around the Island - you stop at 16 locations, and you're able to snorkel with the free snorkeling gear they provide. It's a tour from 8am - 5pm taking you around the whole island. They do provide food, drink, wi-fi, and phone chargers. This is a bus tour, not a boat tour.
Living Ocean Turtle Canyons Snorkel Excursion - this pick-up and drop-off site is right in the harbor on Ala Moana Blvd, so even if you don't have a car, this is so easy to get to while staying in Waikiki. It's 2 hours long and there are 3 time slots you can choose from.
Oahu Zipline - if you want to literally immerse yourself in the beautiful nature of Hawaii, you can explore the zipline tours the island has to offer!
Hanauma Bay Snorkeling - this is also a stunning area to snorkel, with excursions available!

Hikes in Oahu

If you are an outdoorsy person and want to explore Oahu via the multitude of hiking trails, here are a few of the most popular in the island of Oahu!

Diamond Head State Monument
Lanikai Pillbox Trail
Makapu'u Point Lighthouse
Waimea Valley
Koko Crater Stairs

Where to Eat in Oahu

My restaurant and bars recommendations have been sprinkled throughout this post, but to make it easy on you, here's a list of where I would recommend dining!

Lulu's Waikiki: highly recommend for their happy hour
Tiki's: highly recommend for their happy hour
Deck.: If you can make it for their happy hour, I highly recommend it! If not, I recommend snagging a reservation for around sunset, because the view of Diamond Head is stunning. I recommend getting the Not Your Average Mai Tai, it's made with a hibiscus-infused rum that is phenomenal.
The Sunrise Shack: This is a great spot to grab an acai bowl and coffee and enjoy breakfast on the beach.
Monkeypod Kitchen: This is right on the water, and if you go during high tide and sit along the windows, be careful, a wave might come up and splash over a bit! They also have live music, and their Mai Tai is incredible.
Foodland: the poke, sushi, and butter mochi from Foodland are not only so affordable, but they are SO GOOD.