One week itinerary in Oahu, Hawaii

Aloha friends! I am so glad you will be, or are interested in, going to Hawaii!


Oahu is the most popular island in Hawaii. It is famous for its iconic Waikiki beach and Pearl Harbor. In this post, I will show you what you can do for a one week trip there. The day to day itineraries are interchangeable, but I try to put events nearby on the same day.


Summary

Day 1

  • Waikiki beach

  • Downtown Honolulu

Day 2

  • Dole plantation

  • Polynesian culture center

Day 3

  • Diamond head

  • Mānoa Falls Trail

  • Ulupō Heiau State Historic Site

  • Lookout spots

Day 4

  • Where can I get a snorkeling device?

  • Where can I go to snorkel?

Day 5

  • USS Missouri

  • Pearl Harbor



Day 1

Depending on when your flight arrives, if you have some time to spare, check out Waikiki beach and downtown Honolulu.

Waikiki beach 

There are a lot of dining options in this area. Watching the sunset at the beach is beautiful and romantic. There are also a lot of hotels nearby. 

If your hotel / airbnb is not walking distance to the beach, then try to plan your parking before going. Since this beach is in the downtown area, parking can be difficult to find. Check out this post for more parking info there: Free & Cheap Parking At Waikiki Beach

Downtown Honolulu

There are lots of dining and shopping places there. It felt like a pretty safe area when I was there. Here are a few things you can do in downtown:

  • Iolani Palace

  • Aloha Tower

  • Foster Botanical Garden

  • Hawaii State art museum

  • King Kamehameha Statue

Day 2

Dole plantation

Dole plantation is a historical pineapple plantation. There are a number of activities you can do there:

  • Pineapple garden maze (~40 min)

  • Pineapple express train ride (20 min for the ride, but there could be a long waiting time for the train if you come on a busy day)

  • Garden tour 


When we visited, they didn't take reservations or allow ticket purchase in advance. You can check their website for the latest. You can buy tickets separately, but buying a tour package is cheaper if you want to do multiple events.


Before going, I thought their maze was all pineapple plants, but they are actually a kind of plant with beautiful red flowers instead.


In the garden, there are coffee, cacao, banana trees and a lot of other tropical plants.


Polynesian culture center

It is a 40 min drive from dole plantation. This is one of my favorite spots on the island. There is music, dancing, activities, shows, and culture about different islands and a Luau. On their website, there are multiple different package options. Make sure you buy your tickets well ahead of time, because they tend to sell out very quickly. 


They also have a free shuttle that drives around town, which sounds nice, but it actually just takes you to the local Mormon temple. If you’re not interested in exploring Mormonism, feel free to skip the shuttle tour.


Day 3

Diamond head

This hiking trail is a 1.6 mile round trip with 762 feet elevation gain. It will take about 2 hours for the hike. Only the beginning of the trail is paved. Towards the end, there are a lot of stairs you need to climb in order to get to the top.  This hike takes you through a historic (but since decommissioned) military facility and artillery bunker.


On the way up, you will see the whole diamond head crater:


At the top, you get a very nice view of the coastline and city of Honolulu:


Mānoa Falls Trail

Mānoa Falls Trail is a 1.6-mile trail on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. This area is always very wet. Make sure to bring bug spray if you don’t want to get mosquito bites. 


At the beginning of the trail, the landscape looks very lush.


At the end of the trail, you will see a 150 foot waterfall called Manoa Falls. 


Ulupō Heiau State Historic Site

This is a historical site and is sacred to Hawaiians. Please be respectful and don’t walk on the rocks.


Lookout spots

After visiting Ulupō Heiau State Historic Site, we drove down south along Highway 72 and stopped by at a few lookout spots:

  • Makapu'u Point Lookout

  • Halona Blowhole Lookout

  • Hawaii Kai Lookout


Here is a view from Makapu'u Point Lookout, where you can see two small islands:


Day 4

Snorkeling! I love snorkeling. Swimming with tropical fishes and sea turtles in clear water is just magical.

Where can I get a snorkeling device?

You can buy them ahead of time and bring them to Hawaii. If you want to rent them, there are a lot of snorkel rentals in Oahu as well. We got our devices from Snorkel Bob’s. They are very good quality and there is barely any water leakage past the goggles.


Where can I go to snorkel?

My favorite snorkeling spot at Oahu is Hanauma bay. There are so many coral and fishes there.


In April 2021, they started a reservation system to limit the number of people there. Please check on their website for the latest. 


When you rent your snorkel devices, you can ask the staff there about snorkeling location suggestions. They always give very good suggestions based on the wind situation of the day and your skill levels.


Day 5

USS Missouri

USS Missouri is a battleship built during World War II. You can get tickets ahead of time on their website. They offer guided tours and self tours.

Pearl Harbor

This is the national historic landmark. There is no entry fee to visit its visitor center. You can find more info on their website.


Other things to do in Oahu:

There are many other things you can do:

  • Waimea Valley

  • Kualoa Ranch

  • Lanikai Pillboxes Hike

  • Visite beaches

  • Book a boat ride tour

  • Book a whale watching tour

And the list goes on. 


Fun fact: I always thought Aloha means hello in Hawaiian. It actually has three meanings: hello, goodbye and love. 


I aloha this island and I hope you will too.



Check out the itineraries for other Hawaiian islands:

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