7 Must-Do Things on Oahu: Our Shortlist + Our Itinerary

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Articles on things to do are long and overwhelming. So, we have a shortlist for you! Here are your must-do things on Oahu. No fluff included.

As a first-time O’ahu visitor, you fear you’re going to miss an iconic adventure, tour, or sightseeing. We won’t let that happen!

As a frequent Oahu visitor and former resident, here are our favorite, can’t-miss activities for your Oahu itinerary!

Itinerary Full of Must-Do Things on Oahu

We share a lot of free advice on visiting Hawaii. Our website has hundreds of articles, but it can feel like information overload. So, we get asked by newsletter readers and viewers to distill the information.

We succinctly share these details and more in our Oahu Wayfinder Itinerary. It has all of our best stuff, nothing held back, all in one download.

Yes, I’m trying to sell you on our one product. But it is good, and it has everything you need to avoid regrets on a trip to Oahu. Learn more!

You’re about to spend a lot on a trip to Oahu. Decide if a Hawaii itinerary is worth it.

3 Must-Do Things on Oahu

Here are our must-do things on Oahu. Remember! If you want to know how to put these in perfectly planned-out days, plus see more sights, then grab our Oahu Wayfinder Itinerary. We have a free sample to resolve your doubts.

These are not tours, they are experiences. Oahu, like all the Hawaiian islands, doesn’t require you to pay a lot to see the best stuff. The necessities are costly, and the luxuries are affordable in Hawaii.

The beaches, hiking trails, and wayside parks are free or have low parking fees. Here is our short list of must-do things on Oahu.

1. Lanikai Beach

The downside of Lanikai Beach is the parking issue. There is no public parking lot. Residents and non-residents must park along the street in a small, residential neighborhood. Arrive in the morning to get a spot.

And with that said, everything else about Lanikai Beach is excellent. If this is your first time on Oahu, put this beach on your list.

We enjoyed Lanikai Beach often when we lived in Ko Olina, Oahu. The beach is gorgeous with the turquoise water and the Moke Islands just offshore. You can kayak to the Mokes, or soak up the view from Lanikai Beach. You can snorkel, relax, and walk the beach.

Note: There are no public restrooms or showers, and no lifeguard on duty. Look for the numerous beach access paths to get to the beach.

If the beach is full or you can’t find parking, head to Kailua Beach. You will pass it on the way to Lanikai Beach.

Lanikai Beach is featured in our best beaches in Hawaii articles:

• Calmest Beaches in Hawaii
• 10 Best Beaches on Oahu
• 24 Best Beaches in Hawaii

2. Oahu’s North Shore

We make it to Oahu’s North Shore on every trip to the Gathering Place. We enjoy the cosmopolitan things to do in Honolulu, but we enjoy escaping to the country even more.

Take the 45-minute drive from Waikiki to the surf town of Hale’iwa. Enjoy shave ice, shopping, and the food trucks. North Shore shrimp trucks are famous.

Keep driving up the coast to explore the beaches, hikes, and Waimea Valley for a waterfall swim. At the far end of the North Shore is the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie Town. But we recommend making the PCC into its own day out on Oahu.

You can stay at the Turtle Bay Resort or its vacation rentals to spend your whole trip on the North Shore! See our articles below for more things to do on Oahu’s North Shore.

More must-do things on Oahu’s North Shore:

• Whale Watching on Oahu’s North Shore
• Best North Shore Hotels and Vacation Rentals
• Surf Lessons on Oahu’s North Shore

3. Pearl Harbor National Memorial

Welcome to the #1 bucket-list thing to do on Oahu. A visit to Pearl Harbor is the reason many people make it to the island.

It is a sobering and educational experience to learn about the infamous air raid on Pearl Harbor. You can visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, including its two museums, for free. A boat ride to the USS Arizona Memorial requires a $1 reservation. We share everything to know about visiting this must-do thing on Oahu in the articles below.

• DIY Guide to Pearl Harbor National Memorial
• Pearl Harbor Small Group Tour with a Veteran

Videos: Must-Do Activities on Oahu

Erica and I love to share our experiences in Hawaii. Our travel guides are a fan favorite on YouTube. Check out two of our must-do things on Oahu videos below.

4 Must-Do Tours on Oahu

E komo mai (welcome) to our shortlist of favorite tours on Oahu. Put one or two of these on your must-do things on Oahu list.

For first-time visitors to Oahu, we recommend one water tour and a circle island tour. A luau isn’t required, but Oahu does have some good ones! Here is our shortlist of Oahu luaus.

4. Turtle Canyon Snorkeling Tour

Do you want to swim with Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles? Visit a turtle cleaning station offshore Waikiki Beach. Turtles come to this part of the reef to have fish clean their shells.

Take a short boat ride from Kewalo Basin Harbor (about a 10-minute taxi or Uber from Waikiki) to the turtles. You will experience numerous other tour boats there, but this is still a wonderful way to see and swim with the turtles.

Our favorite tours below are small-group tours with the best moorings. Find the right one for you! This tour is perfect for first-time visitors to Oahu.

• Turtle Canyon Small Group Tour
• Most Popular: Waikiki Snorkeling Tour at Turtle Canyon

5. Polynesian Cultural Center

Behind Pearl Harbor National Memorial, you’ll find the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) as a popular site to visit. For many Oahu first-time visitors, this is another must-do activity.

The PCC is more than a luau. Arrive early for the marketplace and food area (no entrance fee), and then enter the Polynesian Island exhibits. A mix of an amusement park and cultural center, you can explore the Polynesian Islands with interactive games, demonstrations, and cultural lessons.

By evening, you can start a luau or a buffet. The day ends with their theatrical HA: Breath of Life show. See our review and descriptions of the different ticket options below. Book direct with the PCC below to get a 10% or more discount.

• Ticket Packages for the Polynesian Cultural Center
• Polynesian Cultural Center Review
• PCC Super Ambassador Luau Package Review: Worth the Splurge?
• Ali’i Luau vs Gateway Buffet

6. Waimea Valley

We enjoy Waimea Valley for numerous reasons, so it is on our must-do list for Oahu.

• Owned and operated by a Hawaiian non-profit
• Home to a waterfall swim!
• A low-cost and authentic Hawaiian experience
• An interactive botanical garden
• Home to our favorite luau on Oahu, the Toa Luau, with a matinee and evening show. We compare two epic North Shore Luaus: Toa vs PCC Luaus

Learn more about visiting Waimea Valley.

7. Circle Island Tour

We were not always fans of circle island tours. They seemed like a gimmick. As we’ve gotten older and wiser, we realized that these are an efficient and authentic way to see Oahu.

Ditch the rental car and let a local guide show you around Oahu. You can choose from a large group, a small group, or a private tour. The group tours include popular sites across the island. You can customize your route with a private tour.

We have had a blast on Oahu circle island tours. The guides help us discover new places and offer nuggets of historical context.

• Oahu Circle Island Tour with Pearl Harbor Combo
• 6 Best Circle Island Tours on Oahu
• Custom, Adventure Oahu Tours

Map for Must-Do Things on Oahu

When we start our planning for a trip, we consult maps. They help us get our bearings for what to do and where to stay. The Oahu map below shows the areas with these must-do things on Oahu.

The must-do activities on Oahu I mentioned are shown on the map below.

Yes, You Want a Rental Car on Oahu

We find that having a car is the most convenient and low-cost way to visit all of these Oahu activities.

Oahu is the best Hawaiian Island to visit without a rental car. Thanks to The Bus, Skyline metro train, Uber, Taxis, Lyft, Waikiki Trolley, and more, Oahu can be navigated without a rental car.

See our articles below for rental car discounts and transport around Oahu.

• How to Get Around on Oahu Without a Rental Car
• Discount Hawaii Car Rental

A great and easy way to see these must-do things on Oahu is to book a circle island tour or a private Oahu tour.

Jordan’s Take on the Best Things to Do on Oahu

You may have noticed I missed some things to do on Oahu. Perhaps your friend or family member made a must-do recommendation. Get as many opinions as possible when planning your vacation!

Erica and I travel to Oahu multiple times a year, even after living on the island for 2 years. We are always learning more and sharing our travels. This shortlist of our can’t-miss things on Oahu is our favorite. We make an effort to do one or two of them on every trip.

Two honorable mentions for must-do things on Oahu would be to take a surf lesson on Waikiki Beach and to try a tour at Kualoa Ranch: Jurassic Valley.

We are always exploring Oahu, looking for the best stops, tours, and places to eat. We put our absolutely best stuff in our Oahu Wayfinder Itinerary. It is worth every penny! Mahalo!