5 Day Oahu Itinerary

Make the Most out of

5 Days in Oahu

I really hit the jackpot when I found last-minute round-trip tickets to Oahu for only $200. With that deal in sight, I quickly flew out to the island. I only had 5 days, so I packed them with the best sights and activities. I want to share with you my exact 5-day itinerary, my thoughts and opinions, and my overall recommendations.

Day 1

  • Landed at the airport!!
  • đź“ŤPearl City
    • Pick up necessities at Walmart
      • Walmart will be one of the cheapest places to find miscellaneous necessities. When I got there I bought Motrin, nail polish, a few different snacks, and a Hawaiian shirt. If you are looking for souvenirs such as Honolulu cookies, lais, or rum punch, I would recommend looking at Walmart or Costco as well.
    • Hana Tea ($6)
      • I needed something to drink after all that shopping. This place was really sugary, but if you like Boba this is a good stop. 
  • đź“ŤHaleiwa
    • Hale’iwa Bowls for Acai ($10)
      • This was my favorite acai on the island! It was amazing and it was served in a coconut bowl which made it so much more fun. I ordered the regular acai with peanut butter and strawberry add-ons. It is super cute and located on the side of the road. There is a bridge next to it that some of the locals were jumping off of. Unfortunately, I couldn’t participate after my recent knee surgery, but if you’re looking for somewhere fun to jump into the water you can always look into doing this. 
  • đź“ŤWahiawa
    • Where we stayed
      • We stayed with friends at the military base here, but I would definitely recommend staying in this area. It was really nice being centrally located on the island and being able to drive anywhere we wanted without having to cross the entire island each day. 

Day 2 (North Loop)

  • đź“ŤChinamans Hat
    • Kayak to the island
      • We were able to borrow kayaks from my friends, but if you rent kayaks or go with a kayak company I definitely think that it’s worth it. We were able to kayak easily over to the Island where there was an opportunity to hike to the top. It was beautiful and gives an amazing view of the mountains on Oahu. Chinaman’s hat has some of the most beautiful photo locations as well.  
  • đź“ŤKualoa Ranch
    • Lunch ($15)
      • This dining hall looks like a cheap food court, yet the food I had was amazing! I ordered teriyaki chicken and rice and I loved it (honestly one of the best meals I had all week). There are cute seating areas outside overlooking the ocean. Note that this is one of the better food places you will see until you get up to North Shore. I would suggest looking into all the amazing things to do at this Ranch. We did not have enough time to explore, but they have so many different tours and activities to do here. This is where they filmed movies such as Jurassic Park, Hunger Games, 50 First Dates, and TV shows such as Lost. They have an amazing movie tour here that I wish I could have experienced. 
  • đź“ŤPolynesian Marketplace
    • North Shore Crepes Cafe ($6)
      • Good Coffee and crepes! They have a really cute Volkswagen van in Haleiwa as well. There are lots of different food trucks in this area that provide a variety of snacks and meals. It is right outside the Polynesian Center, so if you wind up going you can always get food before. Because the Polynesian Center is run by Mormons, there are no caffeinated drinks served inside the center so I would recommend grabbing coffee here before going in. 
  • đź“ŤSunset Beach
    • Sunrise Shack ($12)
      • Probably the most iconic acai stand in the world! Great for pictures and good acai. It’s right off of the freeway and easy to miss if you don’t pay attention. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite considering how expensive it was, but nevertheless, it was worth it. This is a must-stop in North Shore.
    • Sideways Palm Tree
      • We just pulled over for a quick picture. It was pretty, but you are not allowed to sit on it. 
  • đź“ŤWahiawa
    • Green World Coffee Farm ($6)
      • The coffee is good (definitely better than Starbucks) but it’s really cool that it is locally grown and supports a small business. They also have a coffee farm garden that we did not get the chance to look at, but if you have the time it might be fun. It is really neat to see the coffee is grown directly on the property.
  • đź“ŤHaleiwa
    • Haleiwa Joe’s Seafood Grill ($30)
      • This was a nice restaurant located directly across the street from Hale’iwa Bowls. It was a fun atmosphere as we sat outside with tiki torches. It is good to note that most things on this end of the island close early, so there is not much to do at night other than explore the local restaurants.

Day 3

  • đź“ŤWahiawa
    • Surfers coffee ($5)
      • My favorite coffee on the island! I got the Dawn Patrol with Almond milk and I highly recommend it. Although It is located in a mildly run-down area, it is worth the DeTour for the coffee.
  • đź“ŤLaie
    • Polonesian Cultural Center ($70+)
      • I definitely recommend this place for a number of reasons! If you are looking to learn about Hawaiian culture and history then this is it. This experience will take you through all of the islands of Polynesia. You will have opportunities to watch shows, go spear-throwing, learn music, cooking lessons, get tattoos, flower leis, and more. There is also a canoe ride that takes you through all of the islands so you can get an overview of each one before you go and explore. For an additional cost, they have a luau and a show called Ha Breath of Life which is a show dedicated to the history of the different Polynesian Islands. If you book this experience early you can get a discount or you can even experience it through the go City Pass as your premium activity. It is open from 12:45-5:30 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It is run by Mormons so be warned they will try to get you to tour BYU!
  • đź“ŤKapolei
    • Germaine’s Luau ($110+)
      • I am always down for a good Luau and while it was fun, it would not be my top recommendation—especially during Covid. If you can, I would try to do the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center or at a resort. This place was cute, right on the beach, and locally owned which was nice. Our appetizers all came prepackaged and the buffet was served by others and then shut down right away due to “covid”. At other luaus, there have been activities beforehand and this one did not have them due to “covid”. They were very sensitive and made everyone park every other car and wear masks in the bathrooms. The good side about this luau is that because it was small we got to sit very close to the stage and it felt very authentic. If you like a smaller atmosphere and are looking for something more low-key, this could be a great luau.

Day 4

  • đź“ŤElectric Beach
    • Snorkeling
      • Because we visited during the winter months, the North Shore is not the best to snorkel at so we went to the west side of the island. During the summer months, I would highly recommend North Shore for snorkeling. Electric Beach at this time of year has a pod of dolphins that go through. It also has some of the clearest water in Hawaii to go snorkeling. There are turtles and dolphins and lots of coral reefs. Because an electric power plant is nearby, there is a pipe that extends out into the water and releases warm water, therefore, attracting lots of sea life. This will be one of the more advanced snorkeling spots as you do have to swim out far.
  • đź“ŤKo’Olina
    • Island Coffee Vintage ($5-$15)
      • Good coffee and fun food! I had a purple bagel made out of local Taro.
    • Lagoon Snorkeling
      • There are four lagoons that are attached to resorts, but the beach is open to the public and you are allowed to go snorkeling. There will not be as many fish or sea creatures, but it is going to be easy snorkeling and shallow waters. The resorts are not super well-regulated (at least at the time of year that we went) and I asked a lifeguard if I could take pictures in the pool at the Disney Aulani; he said it was fine so we hung out in the pool and the hot tub for about an hour after photos. They have infinity pools and infinity hot tubs as well as water slides.
  • đź“ŤWaikele
    • Leonard’s Bakery ($2+)
      • It is difficult to find at the Waikele location, but it is in the back of the Waikele Shopping Center. This bakery is very popular on the island, but the wait can sometimes be up to an hour if you go to the bakery location in Honolulu. The food truck locations however usually do not have much of a wait. We found this truck on our way home and so we stopped by and there was no line. Leonard’s Bakery serves Malasadas, which are basically like giant donut holes. You can get them plain or with filling and they are amazing! They are really big so I would only suggest ordering one per person. They are delicious sweet treats that you absolutely have to try.
  • đź“ŤHaleiwa
    • Surf N Salsa ($5/taco)
      • This Mexican food truck was recommended to us by all the locals and it was very good. I feel a little spoiled with our amazing Mexican food here in Southern California and I would say this truck is comparable. If you are craving Mexican food on the island I would recommend stopping by here because it was delicious!
    • HE>I
      • This is a Hawaiian Christian store that I absolutely love. We stopped by to get a few T-shirts and a journal.
    • Matsumoto Shave Ice ($3.50+)
      • This was another place recommended to me by all the locals. They said it was the best shaved ice on the island and I have to agree. The line was out the door and super long but moved by pretty fast and the shaved ice was worth it! This is a must-stop in Haleiwa.
  • đź“ŤWahiawa
    • Dole Plantation
      • This is the plantation where Dole pineapples are grown. You can find a myriad of ordering options. There is also a Pineapple Express that you can take around the plantation and learn about how pineapples are harvested. They also house the largest natural maze in the world—the best part is the middle section is cut out into the shape of a pineapple! This is a great place to learn the history and process of harvesting food on the island.
  • đź“ŤHonolulu
    • Royal Hawaiian Center
      • There were three hula and music shows going on while we were shopping at this center. The shows were free to watch and very well done. Honolulu Cookie Company has a store location here. I would recommend stopping by for some of the best cookies on the island. My favorite were the chocolate chip macadamia cookies. They are delicious and make great gifts to bring back for people. Vintage Island Coffee has a location here as well. There are so many little shops and restaurants to look around.
    • Duke’s Waikiki ($30+)
      • This is the original Duke’s restaurant location. It is a great atmosphere and they always have amazing food. There was about an hour-long wait when we arrived, so we were able to walk up and down Waikiki Beach and watch the sunset. There was live music and we sat outside right near the beach. There is also a Sunrise Shack location right next to it if you are looking for something sweet to get after dinner.

Day 5

  • đź“ŤLanikai
    • Lanikai Beach
      • We woke up Super early to catch the sunrise here. Although it was about an hour away from where we were staying, it was totally worth it. There are two islands that sit out in the ocean and you can watch the sunrise in between both of them. The water was crystal clear blue and it was so surreal. There are good breakfast places near here as well. This is an out of the way location, but I knew I had to get photos here. This beach is rated to have the best sunrise on the island. If you’re not a morning person, I would not recommend going because you do have to get up super early and there’s not much to do around here.
  • đź“ŤAhuimanu
    • Byodo-In Temple ($5)
      • This was a gorgeous photo location and I absolutely recommend it. It’s only $5 and you will get to experience an ancient Japanese Temple. There’s not much to do while you’re there and I only spent about 45 minutes, but the landscape was gorgeous. I would recommend getting there early in the morning before large crowds come and invade your photos. If you are coming to experience the history of Hawaii, there is lots of history to be found at this building.
  • đź“ŤKaneohe
    • Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
      • This place had some of the most beautiful nature on the island. This is where the famous road aligned with palm trees is located. It is easy to miss as it is the main entrance to the Botanical Gardens. Right now no one is allowed to stop or take pictures on this road, however, depending on who is working they will take tips and bribes. We gave the man at the guard shack $10 and he let us take a picture. Once you get past the first mile of the entrance you are allowed to stop and pull over and take photos of whatever you would like. This is free and a gorgeous way to experience the nature of Hawaii.
  • đź“ŤHonolulu
    • ARVO ($5+)
      • This was recommended on so many websites that I saw so I absolutely had to try it on my way to the airport. It was super cute and instagrammable. They have toast with different foods on it that taste delicious. I got the Nutella toast and I 10/10 recommend it! It is in a little shopping center with a bunch of small different shops. You can also find locally grown chocolate and a poke bowl restaurant. 
    • Airport to leave

Recommendations

  • Oahu Go City Pass
    • I wish I had known about this sooner becuase it is a great investment. This pass can be used for so many different activities. If you get the pass for three or more days it will allow you to participate in a premium activity which can include swimming with dolphins or going to a luau or relaxing on a secret island. Activities that are unlimited include lei making, kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and so many more! 
  • Polanisian Cultural Center
    • I already wrote a brief description under day 3, But this is definitely something I would highly recommend. If you’re wanting to do a luau and the Polynesian Cultural Center then you can get a pretty good deal on doing both of the activities. If you’re going for the history side of Hawaii then the Ha Breath of Life Sounds really interesting. I would have gone if they weren’t sold out of tickets. This is going to be the best place on the island to learn and understand the history of not only Hawaii but all of the Polynesian culture.
  • Kualoa Ranch
    • Unfortunately I only stopped here for lunch, but I wish I could have spent an entire day exploring. This is the location for the movies such as Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, The Hunger Games and so much more. They have a movie tour that you can take which shows you all the different filming locations from movies. There is even an entire Jurassic Valley where you can take a tour solely dedicated to Jurassic Park. They also have activities such as kayaking trips and expeditions. Something that I really wanted to do here (but did not have the opportunity) was going to the “secret Island”. It’s about $50 a person and you get two hours on a private beach with limited people and access to paddle boards, kayaks and snorkeling equipment.
  • Pearl Harbor
    • This was something I wish I could have done while I was on the island and it is still on my bucket list! There is so much history of Hawaii, our military, and World War II located here. I believe it’s free to go and it’s an amazing trip!
  • Hikes
    • My top recommendations are Pillbox hike, Lighthouse hike, and Diamond Head Hike. Because of my knee surgery I was unable to do hikes on this trip, but these are the top three that I have heard about and wish I could have done.
  • Waimea Valley Falls
    • This was rated one of the best waterfall hikes on the island. You can even swim here! The path to get there is all paved and easy to get to.