Oahu is a dreamy island located in the Central Pacific, which belongs to the Hawaiian chain. It’s one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. Oahu is really diverse, it’s full of epic, green mountains, tropical, lush forests, sandy beaches, waterfalls, stunning hikes and more. On this island you can find a perfect mix of relaxing and exploring, which makes it a perfect place to visit. In this blog post I’ll share the best places to visit on Oahu, best things to do, my favorite hikes, but also the hidden gems on the island & instagram worthy spots. I hope you enjoy this travel guide to Oahu! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more travel inspiration (@sarowly).

How to get to Oahu?

The easiest (and probably the only) way to get to Oahu is by plane. We flew from San Francisco to Honolulu with Alaska Airlines. We paid around $220 for a round trip (for one person) + $30 for a check-in bag. This is a really good deal, when you find flights to Hawaii from California for around $200-$250, don’t hesitate to buy them! We visited Oahu in May.

How to get from Honolulu Airport to Waikiki?

I don’t recommend renting a car at Honolulu Airport. The prices are much higher than at the different location in the city. If you’re staying in Waikiki or Honolulu, I suggest taking a bus from the airport. We took a bus number 20 directly to Waikiki, the tickets were so cheap, only $2,75 per person (bring some cash to pay the driver at the entrance). You can also take an Uber/Lyft or taxi, but the prices range from $40-50 per ride, this is why I recommend using a bus.

Where to stay in Oahu?

Waikiki/Honolulu

Most of the hotels on Oahu are located in Waikiki and we like staying this area, but we always rent a car and we explore the island. Most of the people who come to Oahu stay in Waikiki the entire time. It was extremely crowded when we came, and it was so hard to find a spot on the beach. In spite of tones of tourists I love the Waikiki vibe, it’s a great place to grab drink and have dinner after a day full of adventures. It was our second time on this island and we stayed again in White Sands Hotel (you can book it here). It’s a recently renovated boutique hotel, with retro Hawaiian vibe and nice bar. We loved out experience there, it was so unique and different than staying in skyscraper hotels.

North Shore

The North Shore of Oahu is way more peaceful than Waikiki, and it’s closer to tones of stunning beaches in the North and West. You definitely need a car if you decide to stay there. Here are some hotels & airbnbs that I recommend booking on the North Shore:

The best places to visit on Oahu

There are so many places in Oahu, from scenic view points from the mountains, to long, sandy beaches with crystal clear water. We spent on the island 7-days and I’m sharing below our one week itinerary. Here’s a list of my favorite spots in Oahu:

Best beaches on Oahu

Lanikai Beach

Lanikai Beach is my favorite beach on Oahu, it’s often listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Try to come there on a weekday, since it can get really crowded on the weekend. There is a free street parking in the neigborhood, but please remember to respect the privacy of the residents. Also, don’t forget to hike to Lanikai Pillbox, it’s an easy hike with amazing views! (you can read more below)

Makua Beach

Less popular, but absolutely gorgeous beach on the west side of the island. It’s surrounded by epic mountains. It’s quite long, sandy, and we also saw sea turtles there!

Kainoa Beach/Waimanalao Beach

I think that Kainoa Beach and Waimanalao Beach are one of the most instagrammable beaches in Oahu, with tall palm trees and villas facing the ocean. They both lay next to each other and they are absolutely gorgeous! This part of the island is ofter covered with clouds, so remember to come on a sunny day.

Lanikaea Beach

Lanikaea Beach is better known as Turtle Beach and it’s located on Oahu’s North Shore. It’s a great place to watch sunsets, but also admire the sea turrles. There are so many beautiful houses facing the ocean, it’s such a nice place!

Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach is the most popular & busy beach on Oahu. The spite the fact is usually crowded, you can find there many different activities such as paddle boarding, surfing and kayaing. It has eight different sections, and they make up two mile stretch of white sand. The water is usually calm here, that’s why it’s a good spot for swimming.

Best hikes on Oahu

Diamond Head Crater Hike

Diamond Head Crater Hike it’s an easy 1.6 miles roundtrip hike and one of the most popular ones on the island. It’s easily accesible from Waikiki, I recommend walking here or taking a bus (the parking is usually packed). The entrance is $10 per vehicle or $5 per visitor.

The entrance to Diamond Head is open from 6 am to 6 pm, but the cutoff time to start the hike is 4.30 pm. We went to Diamond Head Crater at 4 pm and it was a perfect time! The trail was almost empty, the parking as well. The views from the top were incredible,

Pink Pillbox Hike (Pu’u o Hulu)

This hike is located on the east side of Oahu, it’s surrounded by beautiful mountains and vistas. Pink Pillbox hike is a quite short, breathtaking hike which leads through the ridge and up the hill. It took us around 45 minutes to get to the top. The hike is quite steep and I conider it as moderate. We went there for sunset and the views were absolutely breathtaking!

Koko Head Crater Hike

This is the most steep hike with no shade that I’ve ever done! It’s quite tough but the views are so rewarding. Koko Head consists of climbing 1048 steps to the top of the crater. It’s a 1,6 mile out and back hike, it took us 45 minutes to get to the top (we took a few breaks). The stairs are old railroad tracks and they were using by the military in the past. We went to Koko Head Crater to watch sunset and it was such a great experience! I recommend it hiking either early in the morning or just before sunset, since the trail is exposed and there is no shade.

Lanikai Pillbox Hike

This hike is my favorite one on Oahu with the most picturesque views. It’s located close to Lanikai Beach, you can visit those two places in one day. Lanikai Pillbox Hike is a short, sometimes narrow hike, but it offers the best views on the island. There are many pillboxes on top, it took us 20 minutes to get to the frist pillbox. From Lanikai Pillbox you can admire Lanikai Beach, and the views are amazing!

Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden

The Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden is such a beautiful and stunning garden located on Oahu. It’s a must-seen place on the island, with over 400 acres of lush, tropical scenery. The main road which leads to the entrance of the garden is a famous, instagrammable spot. You can see the green mountains in the back. The garden is open every day from 9 am to 4 pm, but they don’t allow taking pictures close to the gate (there is a security guard and lots of signs along the road!). You can walk or drive further and take your pictures there. This is what we did, check out below how the pictures turned out! Some people say you can come before 9 am to take photos at this part of the road, but honestly it’s not worth it because there may still be someone watching and you will have plenty of white signs in your pictures.

Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch is a 4000-acre nature preserve which offers stunning views over three valleys and plenty of activities. The views there are similar to the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden or even more beautiful! Many movies were filmed in Kualoa Ranch, such as Jurassic World or Lost. In the ranch you can admire all the movie backdrops and stunning views of Hawaii, it’s a must-seen spot and it’s less busy than the Botanical Garden. I loved this place and I highly recommend it!

Pro tips for visiting Oahu, Hawaii

Lastly, I’d like to give your some tips and advices regarding your travel to Oahu. Here is what you need to know & prepare when planning your trip:

Book your car rental in advance, the cars book up fast in Hawaii. When you do it you can also get the best rate! We always rent a car from Enterprise, I highly recommend this company
Bring some warm clothes, sometimes it can be windy especially on the hikes up the hills!
Bring bug spray & sunsreen (reef-friendly)
Have some cash on hand for parking, bus tickets and other small expenses
Enjoy the island life!

I hope you guys enjoyed this complet travel guide to Oahu, and I inspired you to visit this beautiful island! You can also follow me on Instagram @sarowly to see more travel adventures and pictures!

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The Complete Travel Guide to Oahu, Hawaii