Oahu, HI in 1 week
- Jan 28
- 11 min read
Updated: Jan 30
Aloha! If it's your first time visiting Hawaii, I would recommend staying on Oahu. You can experience the best of the beaches, mountains, and city life. We've put together a 1-week itinerary below that we personally followed, including some tips we learned along the way! Take a look at the budget for an estimate of overall costs.
Quick tips
Should I rent a car?
Yes! It is the most convenient way to see everything, especially some of the most recommended activities on the itinerary. However, for the transit enthusiasts, there are buses that service the whole island.
Where should I stay?
It's best to keep your home base near Waikiki since that is where all the shops and amenities for tourists are located. We found reasonably-priced accommodations at the Surfjack Hotel. They also have the option for cheap off-site parking, which will come in handy if you choose to rent a car.
What reservations do I need to make in advance?
Diamond Head: a couple weeks before
Hanauma Bay: two days before at EXACTLY 7am HST. Read below for details.
Lu'au: Try to book one run by locals
Kualoa Ranch: see which tour interests you the most and book ASAP!
Must Do
Must Eat
Musubi
Açai bowls
Poke
Joja's smashburgers
Matsumoto Shave Ice
Roy's Waikiki
Waialua Bakery and Juice Bar
Da Bald Guy Food Truck
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
Leonard's Bakery
Rainbow Drive-In
Meh
House Without a Key
Banzai Bowls
The Country Eatery
HK Cafe (don't go)
Day 0: Arrive
We had took an afternoon flight and arrived late in the evening, so we just checked into our hotel and went to sleep. The next day on the itinerary is very active, so be sure to get a good night's rest.
Day 1: Hike Diamond Head
After sleeping in, start your morning off by picking up some musubis from Musubi Cafe IYASUME. Then, take it all in with a long stroll by Waikiki Beach.
For lunch, head on closer to Diamond Head and grab an acai bowl from Da Cove. We took our bowls to-go and ate as we walked to the trailhead. If you're not up for it you can always eat your bowl there and take a bus.
Make sure to arrive at Diamond Head during your reservation window. It is important that you book your reservation at least a couple weeks in advance! Hike the crater and enjoy the many viewpoints of the ocean, the island, and the rest of the park. To the left is one of the scenic views I captured from one of the lookout points along the trail.
The hike is moderate with an elevation gain of 560 feet over 0.8 miles one way. Hiking Diamond Head is a must-do part of your itinerary if you are able!
In the evening, we decided to go to a local Obon festival. These are Japanese festivals held in the summer to commemorate ancestors who have passed. You can expect food (for purchase as a fundraiser), dancing, and a small community feel. Most of the attendees will be part of the church where the Obon is held, so be mindful and respect the culture of the space that you're in. You can check the dates and locations online.
Alternatively, there's a fireworks show that happens on Friday nights in Waikiki around 8pm. You can learn more about that show here. We did not see this show, but it seems like a nice family-friendly activity.
Day 2: Kaka'ako Farmer's Market
There are multiple farmer's markets held in the area, and all of them have great vendors. We decided to try out the Kaka'ako Farmer's Market specifically because we wanted to try the smashburgers from Joja's Foodtruck. The burgers were soooo bomb. They are pretty popular on social media so the line gets long. We got in line around 10am and finally sat down to eat around 10:45am.
The farmer's market has public picnic tables for people use. We ended up sitting with a lovely group of women who were local to Oahu. The vibes at this farmers market were super welcoming, and we enjoyed checking out the other vendors as well!
After the farmer's market, treat yourself to a little matcha pick-me-up at Okayama Kobo bakery on the other side of Ala Moana mall. Again, the line was long but worth it. In the picture to the left you can see that we ordered a matcha latte, houjicha latte, and salt & butter roll. Everything was great! There's not much seating here, so plan on having your drink to-go and possibly window shopping through Ala Moana.
In the mall, there is an amazing grocery store called Foodland. It's a chain that you can find in other locations on the island as well. The grocery shopping experience is unique to Hawaii, particularly the self-serve food bars. They have a poke counter (similar to a deli counter) that is very busy during mealtimes. It's a great option if you craving a quick snack while you're shopping! They also sell cute Foodland branded reusable bags that make a great souvenir or gift.
In the evening, we went out for a nice dinner at House Without a Key. It was perfectly fine, with beautiful sunset views and live music from local artists. The food left something to be desired, though. In retrospect, we would have liked to try Side Street Inn. We've heard so many good things about it from friends and family. It seems like the perfect spot for some classic Hawaiian comfort food.
Day 3: North Shore
The next days' activities are best done while having a car. It was on this day that we started our car rental.
We drove to the Dole Plantation where they have a variety of attractions. You enter through the gift store, where you should grab something pineapple-related to eat before doing the other activities they offer. We chose to go through the pineapple garden maze and the pineapple express train tour. The maze is completely outdoors with very little shade. As fun as it was, we had to tap out with one checkpoint left to find because we were overheating. That's when we decided to do the much less fatiguing train tour. It was super interesting to learn about the history of the plantation and see all the different crops grown on the land. If you know you want to do both activities, buy the combo pass for a slight discount.
You must stop by the gift store at the end to stock up on souvenirs. They have everything you could ever think to make out of pineapples, as well as a surprisingly large corner filled with Hello Kitty branded items.
For lunch, stop by the famed Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. The portion was super generous and slathered in garlic! In the moment it really impressed us. Read ahead to Day 5 for a truck that we think had similar quality (or even better) shrimp. The truck is located in a small park that charges a cash-only fee for parking. If you don't like shrimp, it's not worth the stop. The other food trucks were either closed or didn't serve anything particularly of interest.
After filling up on shrimp, stop by Matsumoto Shave Ice for a refreshing dessert. Shave ice is a classic treat in Hawaii. Flavorful syrups are poured over thinly shaved ice crystals and can be topped with condensed milk and other sweets. Like at many of the other popular spots mentioned in this article, you should expect a line.
There's also a Snoopy's Surf Shop in that same mall, which sells Hawaii- and Haleiwa-exclusive merchandise. If you're a fan of that cartoon beagle, you'll like looking around even if you don't want to buy anything.
In the evening, watch the sunset at Waimea Bay Beach Park. It is truly a spectacular view. Parking is usually pretty tough, so get there far before the sunset to enjoy lounging on the beach and swimming in the water. We also saw quite a few people having fun jumping off of Waimea Rock into the beach below!
Day 4: Lu'au
You'll be heading to the north side of the island again! On your way there, pick up a sandwich and smoothie at Waialua Bakery and Juice Bar. We stumbled across this when looking for a cheap breakfast bite and wow, did it deliver! They have a many smoothies and sandwiches to choose from, including a seasonal flavor. Soursop was the fruit when we arrived. It has a tart flavor that we were surprised yet extremely delighted by. This shop can be easy to miss, so make sure to have it saved. (If you keep your eyes extra peeled, you might even see a little gecko while you're there.)
Book yourself a lu'au. We went to a lunchtime offering at Toa Luau, which was fantastic! Before the actual feast, they have a variety of activities you can participate in like how to spin the fire knives or cracking open your own coconut and drinking the water inside. They also demonstrate the traditional way that their food is cooked outdoors. The lu'au itself showcases the different cultures of Hawaii, Tonga, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa through dance and stories. One of the coolest parts of the show is the fire knife dancing, and you just have to see something like that in person.
Their luau package also grants you access to Waimea Valley, an attraction in its own right. Walking along a paved trail through a lush forest leads you to a waterfall where you can swim in the pool below. It's like an outdoor museum with plants identified next to the path and educational signs posted for you to read.
On your way back, stop by another beach to hang out again! As the saying goes when in Hawaii... Then pick up another acai bowl at Banzai Bowls. In our opinion it's not on the same level as Da Cove, but it still hits the spot.
Day 5: Kualoa Ranch
Begin Day 5 with a free drive through Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden. It has some of the most awe-inspiring views on the island. Depending on how often you park and enjoy the views, it takes around an hour to drive in an back. Quite a few people were having photoshoots since it's a beautiful, verdant, mountainous backdrop.
Pay Da Bald Guy a visit for lunch. His food truck was featured on a Netflix show and lives up to the hype. This is where you can get shrimp that rival's Giovanni's, and we prefer it! Make sure to get there early so you can get their most popular items before they sell out for the day. We unfortunately didn't make it in time, but still thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered. The portions are large and priced to match.
Nearby, there is a cafe called The Country Eatery that we went to for a matcha and blueberry lemonade. They were okay, but there are probably other cafes more worth your time.
Now you can time your arrival to Kualoa Ranch for your reserved tour. It's been a prime location for filming a myriad of movies of a variety of genres from romcoms to action. We made the mistake of not booking far enough in advance for their most popular tours, so we went for the Jurassic Adventure tour. Even though it wasn't our first choice, it was still a great time! The tour guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and know the best angles to get pictures. If I were to go again, I would look further in advance for reservations for the one of the UTV tours.
In the evening, check out Don Quijote, a Japanese supermarket. It's like a Japanese/Hawaiian version of Walmart. They have food, souvenirs, clothing, suitcases, household supplies, and more! If you forget anything on your trip, you can probably find a cheap replacement at Don Quijote. There are so many products you could probably spend hours in there and not get bored.
Day 6: Hanauma Bay
There is only one thing you ABSOLUTELY must do when you visit Oahu, and that is to go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. You can relax on the beach all day every other day, but this one has to be on your list. The catch is that it's extremely difficult to get tickets on your own. Like Taylor-Swift-Eras-Tour level of competition. Tickets go on sale 7am HST two days in advance and sell out quickly. Mark your calendar, set alarms, do whatever you need to make sure you are online at that time. We learned that the best strategy is to make sure all you personal information and credit card information is saved to your browser so that when they do go on sale, you can fly through the registration by relying on autofill. We were only able to snag 1 ticket this way since only one of us had that set up.
If you don't want to deal with the online war zone that is the online reservation system, you have two other options:
Book a tour. There are many tour operators that offer entry to Hanauma Bay as well as snorkeling gear. This is the most stress-free option.
Show up EARLY (around 6:30am-6:45am) to Hanauma Bay on the day-of and try your luck for a stand-by ticket. The people working there are very strict about the lines and ensuring no cutting, so just go with the flow once you're there. We got there at around 6:45am and were able to get a timed entry ticket for 8:30am, which happened to be the same time slot as our online ticket.
In terms of what to pack, snorkel gear is available for rent down at the beach, so just worry about bringing your personal beach items. At the gift shop, there will be warnings that you must only use "reef safe" sunscreens and entice you to purchase them there. However, we were told at the ABC Store around the corner from our hotel that all sunscreens sold on Oahu are "reef safe." It makes sense then to just leave your sunscreen at home and buy it once your arrive on the island and you should be good to go.
Okay, now that we have all the logistics out of the way we can finally explain why it's all worth it in the end. Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve. The waters are pristine, there are plentiful fish to see, and most of all it is extremely safe for swimming. My partner is not a strong swimmer at all and felt completely comfortable floating face-down in a lifejacket to venture deeper into the bay. There are so many fish that one might even argue that snorkel gear is unnecessary. As soon as we stepped into the shallow waters, small schools of fish zipped by our ankles. It was like a Disney movie in real life. There is no time limit once you're down at the beach, so feel free to explore as much as your heart desires.
Unfortunately I don't have any photos of down at the beach since we were
~living in the moment~
but trust me and the thousands of other people online who can vouch.
Now you're probably hungry, so go to the iconic Rainbow Drive-In for a Loco Moco or Corned Beef Hash plate (or really anything on the menu). It's the epitome of Hawaiian comfort food. Loco moco is a hamburger patty and fried egg covered in gravy served over rice and originated as a cheap meal to satisfy hungry surfers after a day of riding the waves.
Then, stop at another iconic institution, Leonard's Bakery, for malasadas. It's a sweet, donut-like pastry that can come plain or filled with a multitude of different flavors. There are a lot of informational signs that piqued my interest on the history of the business. Oh, yeah, and the malasadas were hot, fresh, and scrumptious!
We spent the latter half of the afternoon grabbing matcha in Chinatown at a cafe called pō 'ai by pono potions. They have a very interesting selection of matcha flavors on the menu. The ones we ordered didn't exactly suite our fancy, but it's still cool to check out the menu if you're in the area.
For dinner we went to Roy's Waikiki. This meal was one of the best we had on our trip. The appetizers were especially memorable. We would recommend this as one of your "nice" dinners of your vacation.
Day 7: Last Day Poke
A trip to Hawaii wouldn't be complete without trying poke! Ono Seafood is one of the best on the island. With a modest storefront and minimal seating, it doesn't look like much at first glance. Once you try the poke, though, you'll know you're at the right place. This was our last hurrah before heading to the airport for our flight home.
Mahalo and we wish much love to Oahu for all it had to offer us <3
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