Thanks to our incredible host Maxwell, Bryn and I had the amazing opportunity and privilege of seeing the majority of the Hawaiian island Oahu via our 7 days in Honolulu (here). Oahu is the home of Honolulu – Hawaii’s capital and its biggest metropolitan city and business district – as well as several beautiful beaches and unique terrain and flora and fauna. Maxwell graciously drove us around Oahu, showing us ALLL of the beautiful beaches from the North Shore to the West Shore to the Lower East Side and everywhere in between. I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to see so much of one of the many islands in the state of Hawaii, as every island is unique and has its own distinct culture and history (and also within different parts of the islands including Oahu, too). We also spent a gorgeous day on the island of Maui (here). In this post, I will be sharing seven places to visit around Oahu, Hawaii.
While we visited different places around Oahu, Hawaii with Maxwell, if you plan to visit Honolulu and want to sightsee beyond the city, I would highly recommend renting a car. After riding as a passenger amongst the highways of Oahu, I would recommend renting a car and being prepared for a different driving environment than you’re used to back in what locals to Hawaii call the mainland United States. The driving there is a bit stressful and something to prepare for and be ready for. Be prepared and ready for a change driving-wise!
For more United States travel inspiration, check out my Exploring 50 States expedition page.
7 Places to Visit in Oahu, Hawaii
1 – Nu’uanu Pali Scenic Lookout (Nu’uanu Pali Drive, Kaneohe)
To kick off our time sightseeing around Oahu, Hawaii, Maxwell took us to hike the Nu’uanu Pali Scenic Lookout. Offering panoramic views of Oahu’s Windward Coast, Nu’uanu Pali Scenic Lookout truly takes your breath away and was a lovely introduction to the beauty that Hawaii has to offer! While a brief and easy hike that I did in a dress and sandals, the hike was definitely worth it for the incredible views and being immersed into Hawaii’s local environment view the local flora allll around you. We ran into locals and tourists alike while hiking which made for a fun kickoff to sightseeing around Oahu. As a so-called “Hollywood hiker,” I would do it again any day!
2 – Kualoa Regional Park (49-479 Kamehameha Regional Highway, Kaneohe)
Having a public access beach and regional park for all to enjoy, I first touched the Pacific Ocean at the beaches at Kualoa Regional Park! One of the unique things that I learned while visiting was that the locals enjoy their cooking out at the public and private beaches within their communities as a way to come together. We saw kids playing, families simply being together, and meals being enjoyed while at our Kualoa Regional Park stop – truly a beautiful thing. Besides learning about one of the beautiful aspects of Hawaiian life and culture on Oahu, Bryn and Maxwell and I enjoyed taking in the beautiful beachfront views and terrain behind us. Indeed, Kualoa Regional Park offers BREATHTAKING views at every corner!
3 – Turtle Bay Resort (57-091 Kamehameha Regional Highway, Kahuku)
Situated alongside Oahu’s North Shore, Turtle Bay Resort: a Ritz Carlton Resort is a beautiful place to stop for a refreshment as a part of your Oahu adventures! We grabbed cocktails at the resort’s onsite Lei Lei’s Bar and Grill and had the best service (the staff are ultra-kind!) and stunning oceanfront views. Alongside a variety of cocktails and drinks, Lei Lei’s Bar and Grill also offers lunch and dinner items alongside small bites and is open to all guests, including those stopping in and not staying at the resort.
4 – Beaches on Turtle Bay
Right by the Turtle Bay Resort whether onsite or nearby, there are beautiful public access beaches on Oahu’s Turtle Bay situated on the North Shore. When we went it was super peaceful and the water was crystal clear and indeed a dream come true to be at! We all swam in the water and simply enjoyed the beautiful moments!!
Note: While you can (we did!) see sea turtles swimming around at the beaches alongside Turtle Bay, it is important to keep your 10 feet distance from them at all times, according to federal guidelines as stated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (here).
5 – Beaches on the West Shore
Oahu’s North Shore isn’t the ONLY place to see beautiful beaches on the island. Oahu’s West Shore also has some breathtaking beaches to visit, too! A fun fact is that Disney’s Resort Aulani is located on Oahu’s West Shore about an hour away from downtown Honolulu. We stopped at a beautiful beach overlooking terrain and *even* having a cave that the waves would crash into – which was super cool and crazy to see!! The terrain on Oahu’s West Shore is unique and distinguishes itself from Oahu’s North Shore terrain which is also unique in itself. Visiting Oahu’s West Shore taught me the beauty of Hawaii and the differences in life and culture across the island of Oahu.
6 – Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline (8751-9057 Kalanianaʻole Highway, Honolulu)
Even though paved hiking trails are offered at the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline, we opted to simply stop at a scenic lookout alongside the drive as Bryn and I were to be boarding our flight back home that afternoon. I felt a bit sad as we were leaving Oahu while we visited, but as always, I found myself in awe with the beauty that this scenic shoreline has to offer. Oahu is nothing short of beautiful beaches and getting to see the stunning shoreline views one last time at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline was indeed the icing atop of the cake of an incredible trip!
7 – Manoa Falls
Manoa Falls is a 150-foot waterfall located just outside of downtown Honolulu. Most notably, Manoa Falls is known as a place of healing. I feel very lucky to say that I got to experience Manoa Falls’ healing powers, myself, and am grateful that I got to (more on that here). Manoa Falls is beautiful and I would recommend bringing the proper shoes to hike it as I 10000% did not – LOL!
Wrap-Up
Oahu is a beautiful Hawaiian island filled with several unique beaches and opportunities to learn about Hawaiian life and culture, whether by the shore or not. Through it all, I am so grateful for the memories that we made jamming out to music in Maxwell’s car amongst the sheer beauty of Oahu. Truly grateful!
Mahalo, Oahu!
XOXO – Katie <3