The Ultimate 1-Week Itinerary to Oahu Hawaii

Booked a trip to Oahu? I’m spilling all of this Hawaiian Island’s secrets from the best things to do, best places to eat, and best beaches! You will no doubt make amazing memories with this 7-day Oahu Hawaii Itinerary.

Disclosure: This post does contain affiliate links, at no cost to you.

THE PERFECT 1-WEEK ITINERARY

Now that you’re ready to plan, let’s get started. Here’s our approximate budget for going to Hawaii. You can make it as budget-friendly or as luxury as you’d like.

Flight

We flew Southwest from PHX to Honolulu, direct flight $159 one way. I had flight credits and paid $280 round trip for TWO! (Make sure to Join Rapid Rewards!)

RENTAL CAR

We used Hertz through Priceline.com for $650 for a Convertible for 1 week (it was actually cheaper than a standard car! I suggest booking as early as possible).

HOTEL

Waikiki is where the majority of hotels are on Oahu- the most affordable too. You don’t have to stay in Waikiki the whole time- make sure to take day trips! We went with one of the more affordable options- Holiday Inn Express Waikiki. Through Priceline, it was $87 a night, less than $800 for a week with hotel fees.

PARKING

It’s important for you to know that if you’re going to have a rental car and stay in Waikiki, you will need to pay for parking. Most hotels charge 35-45 per night, which is pricey. We decided to stay at King Kalakaua Plaza across the street, for 15-25 a day based on how many hours we were there. Total parking cost: about $120.

Follow along day by day on my Google Map below!

DAY 1 (FLIGHT)

On Day 1, we took our flight into Oahu Hawaii. It was a quick 6-hour flight from Phoenix. It is a 3-hour time difference, so we got in late. To save money, we picked up our rental car the next morning, so we took a Lyft to our hotel. It was only $15 from the airport to Waikiki. Holiday Inn Express is a really charming hotel in a great location!

DAY 2 (NORTH SHORE & WAIKIKI)

WAIKIKI

We woke up on our first full day in Hawaii with a beautiful sunrise over the ocean right from our window. Our hotel was only a short walk to the beach, so we took a stroll through a local park and took our first steps into the Hawaii Ocean!

After breakfast and our walk, we packed up clothes for the day, picked up our beautiful convertible for the week, and headed for the North Shore! Haleiwa (the heart of the North Shore) is about 1 hour northwest of Waikiki.

NORTH SHORE

I highly recommend Haleiwa as your first stop on the North Shore. It is a hub for food trucks and cute souvenir shops. We stopped at Poke for the People and Surf N’ Salsa. I also highly recommend stopping by the Patagonia store and picking up a ‘Pataloha’ souvenir. You must add these stops to your Oahu Hawaii Itinerary.

I go into detail of the best places to eat in Oahu with hours, pricing, and directions on another post of mine, so I won’t do that here.

 Read More: The Best Place to Eat in Oahu

Once your belly is full with good Hawaiian food, head over to Laniakea Beach aka “Turtle Beach” for a nice walk and some turtle sighting. I will say, parking is along the road and is not the easiest! This beach has rough terrain, so if you have good water sandals, bring them! We saw some beautiful and gigantic sea turtles both swimming in the water and taking a nap on the sand. Be sure to keep 10 feet away!

Further up the road, you’ll find even more goodies! My top recommendations are Ted’s Bakery, Seven Brothers Burgers, and Sunrise Shack.

Read More: The Best Places to Eat in Oahu

I also recommend stopping by Waimea Falls/ Waimea Valley. We decided to skip it due to time, but I’ve heard from others that it’s beautiful.

When you pick up a good dessert from Ted’s Bakery, head to Sunset Beach for Sunset. Here you’ll find the famous curved palm tree, make sure to take a picture but please do not climb it (I know it’s tempting). The sand here is very loose- it’s a workout to walk through. We brought our Hammock and Hammock Straps and enjoyed the sunset swinging between two trees. If you want to capture a few pictures of your group, bring one of these affordable Bluetooth iPhone Tripods.

DAY 3 (HONOLULU HIKES)

In my opinion, you can’t go to Oahu without hiking. The best part about this island is you don’t have to travel far to get to beautiful places.

DIAMOND HEAD STATE MONUMENT

Diamond head is a must-do hike in Oahu Hawaii. You can see its beautiful landscape all the way from Waikiki Beach beckoning you to come! There are a few things you must know before going.

First, it is BUSY. The park is open from 6:00 am, and the last hike starts at 4:00 pm. We went around 10:30 am which was NOT good timing. If you’re up for it, sunrise would be the best time! We waited about 40 minutes to be able to park in their small lot. Check out their website for more details.

Second, there are fees. If you aren’t a resident (like most tourists), there is a $5 entrance fee and $10 parking fee. You can also Uber there (highly suggest) and pay a smaller walk-in fee. You will need to show your ticket to an attendant to hike.

Third, this hike is difficult! I hike every week and this hike still kicked my butt. Even though it was hard, it was fun and beautiful! When you complete your hike, there are delicious food trucks waiting for you. Our choice: sip a smoothie out of a pineapple.

Our hike really stimulated an appetite, so we found a local sandwich shop with good reviews nearby- Sprout Sandwich Shop. Since we still had a good amount of our day left, we decided to stop by Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

Pearl Harbor

While our stomachs were settling after lunch, we took a stroll around Pearl Harbor Memorial. It is free to get in and there is a lot to see. There are paid museums, which I chose not to do. The one thing I do recommend is the U.S.S Arizona Memorial Boat Tour.

Right now, they are taking reservations, but we were able to wait in the standby line and get in. It was so cool to be up close to the sunken ship and gain an appreciation for our country’s history.

MANOA FALLS

After our walk around Pearl Habor, we were ready for hike number 2 of the day- a waterfall! I researched many waterfalls in Oahu Hawaii and this one appealed to me because of its proximity to town and its stunning height. I have a whole post dedicated to this beautiful height, so I won’t go into more details here. We started around 4:00 pm and were done in time to see the sunset on the ride home. It was beautiful. You need to go!

Read More: Everything You Need to Know About Hiking Manoa Falls

DAY 4 (WINDWARD COAST)

Today I traded in my sweaty clothes and hiking boots for a cute dress and headed for the windward coast for some sightseeing. To get here, you’ll drive about 40 minutes northeast through the mountains.

BYODO-IN TEMPLE

First up on our list of stops is the Byodo-In Temple. It’s only $5 a person to get in and doesn’t take too long to explore the grounds. Here you’ll be able to hit a giant gong, step inside the temple (without shoes), and feed koi fish.  

HO’OMALUHIA BOTANICAL GARDEN

Next up is this very well-known garden you won’t want to miss. The best part about it? It’s free!! Right past the entrance is a very instagram-worthy road with towering views of Oahu’s luscious mountains. Even though people take pictures here, there are numerous signs that tell you not to and a guard watching. Don’t fret- there are many other beautiful locations in this park! We spent about an hour wandering the grounds and taking in all the greenery.

HAWAIIAN SHAVE ICE

After the temple and the gardens, we stopped in Kailua for food and shave ice of course (not shaved ice!!). I had to stop at Island snow, President Obama’s favorite shave ice. They have TONS of flavors, include ice cream with every cup, and it’s very affordable!

KAYAK EXCURSION

Up next, an excursion!! We headed to Kualoa Regional Park (right next to Kualoa Ranch where you can go on Jurassic Park Tours) for a kayak tour. We booked through Active Oahu (not an affiliate link) for about $72 for two people for 3+ hours of tandem kayaking to Chinaman’s Hat (the cutest island!!). Picking it up was super easy- we were texted specific details and were given our kayak right near the shore. 

When going on this excursion, here’s a few things you need to know and bring. You need a few water bottles to throw on the back of your kayak, your life jacket, and a Waterproof iPhone Case (I hid my keys in here too). I have kayaked before, but the ocean is ROUGH. Getting on the kayak and past the initial few waves is hard. We dumped the kayak multiple times before being successful. Everything you bring will get wet, so be prepared!

Once you pull up to the island, take a breather- you made it! I definitely recommend summiting the island. There are a few different trails up that end in the same place, so follow your gut. It is short and steep and definitely gets your heart pumping. When you’re close to the top, you’ll have to use rope guidance to get yourself up. It is BEAUTIFUL at the top. Take some pictures and relax before you head back down-going down is harder than getting up in my opinion. I do suggest good hiking sandals while doing this.

As you can probably tell, today was a LONG and exhausting (but fun) day. After our kayak trip, we headed home to clean up and rest. Make sure you bring towels to clean off after you get to your car!

DAY 5 (MORE HIKING & WAIKIKI FOOD!)

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Today we had planned on waking up before sunset and heading about for a long 8-hour hike up the famous “Stairway to Heaven” or “Haiku Stairs;” one of the most beautiful hikes in Oahu Hawaii. Unfortunately, my hubby woke up not feeling up to it, so we rested in our hotel instead. I do really regret not being able to do this hike, so plan on it if you can! I will still describe what we had planned on doing. I wasn’t able to do it, so I don’t have photos for you, but I bet you’ve seen photos before- if not, google “Stairway to Heaven” in Oahu. There’s been talk about closing it down for good as well.

As you may have already heard, there is a LEGAL and an ILLEGAL way to get up the stairs. The illegal trail starts in a local neighborhood that is manned by a security guard you would have to sneak by. This way is much shorter and actually might be safer than all the mud on the legal, back way. I will not go into details on the illegal trail- this was a little too risky for me and I wasn’t in the mood to pay a fine!

THE LEGAL WAY- MOANALUA VALLEY TRAIL

Distance: 9.6 mi total/roundtrip

Elevation Change: 3,074 ft

Difficulty: HARD

Duration: About 8 hours

Location: About 30 minutes northeast of Waikiki

Dog Friendly: Yes

Things to Bring: Camelbak, Sunglasses, Microspikes, and Hiking Sticks

Based on reading we had done and reviews on AllTrails, this hike is HARD. Make sure you are prepared with the proper equipment listed above. My husband and I have done hikes longer than this and with elevation gains higher than this at home, so we felt confident we could do it. Make sure you leave your whole day open for this long hike. I also read you SHOULD NOT go if there is rain in the forecast. I’m honestly really sad I couldn’t do it, I’ll have to go back someday! If you go, be safe and happy hiking!

DINNER ON THE BEACH

After your long hike, you’ll want to take a nap and clean up. You definitely won’t be in the mood to do any more walking, so plan yourself a nice dinner to finish the day. We wanted the beachfront experience, so we planned for Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian.

I go into full detail about the restaurant in my post here. I will admit, it was pricey. Our monthly budget for food is about $100, and this meal costs $90, haha. Honestly, I didn’t bat an eye because it’s Oahu and the beachfront experience was worth it. The food was delicious. When you’re done, take a few steps onto the beach for sunset.

DAY 6 (SNORKELING)

HANAUMA BAY

If you visit Oahu Hawaii, you NEED to snorkel. It is one of the most incredible feelings to hover above the coral reef and see multi-colored fish and giant sea turtles going about their normal business. Hanauma Bay is only about 25 minutes away from Waikiki.

There are a few things you need to know. First- it is hard to get tickets. Right now, you have to get online at 7:00 am HST two days prior to the day you want to attend. ALL of the tickets sell out within a minute. I had to try multiple times before being successful. I would start trying on your first day in Oahu to give yourself multiple opportunities. Second, it costs $25 a person, and $3 to park. You do need your license to be able to enter the park. Try to bring as little as you can. Read more on the official website.

Renting snorkeling gear is separate from the reservation. We chose Dive-Oahu, which is supported by the park. Their gear is right in the hub of the bay. We paid $42 for two and could use them as long as we wanted. You can also rent the day of, but you never know how much they will have available or how long the line is.

If you want to take photos, you NEED this WATERPROOF CASE. It’s cheap and works perfectly for underwater footage. Pro Tip: Start a video before you go under the water, you can’t click your camera button underwater.

Now you’re set for the best day snorkeling. Have a blast!

HALONA BLOWHOLE

When you’re done snorkeling, take a quick drive up the highway to see this awesome natural feature. Parking is easy, it’s free, and all you have to do is walk up to a ledge to see it! In this same area, there’s also a beautiful beach cove. If I had the energy at the time, I would have definitely taken a swim there. Makapu’u Lighthouse is also nearby, but we didn’t have time to go.

MORE SHAVE ICE (OF COURSE)!

On your way home, you need to stop for more Hawaiian Shave Ice. I chose to go to Waiola Shave Ice, which had really good reviews on google. It was so small and cute! They have two locations.

Read More: Best Places to Eat in Oahu Hawaii

DAY 7 (LUAU)

SHOPPING

Today was our last full day, so our focus was on the luau, but we wanted to make sure to get some souviners! Being outdoorsy people, we were pumped to go to a Patagonia store, we don’t have one where we live. I love their ‘Pataloha’ line that you can’t find anywhere else!

POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER

We chose the Polynesian Cultural Center for our luau. This location is about 1 hr away from Waikiki on the north shore. There are multiple reasons we chose PCC. First, you get more than just dinner and a show. You get multiple hours of immersive Polynesian experiences too! Second, it was priced well! We got access to the Polynesian Cultural Center day events as well as dinner and the luau show in the evening for $240 for two.

They set up the cultural center into each island in Polynesia- Hawaii, Tonga, Samoa, etc. At each location, you can see shows, demonstrations, and participate in activities. Activities including basket weaving, tattoos, ukulele lessons, hula instructions, and fire-making. Unfortunately, it was raining on the day of our luau, but most of the events are covered which was great. You can also take a boat ride between the islands.

Fun Fact: Most of the demonstrators are students at nearby BYU-Hawaii on scholarships funded by the entrance fees.

HOURS & OPERATIONS

Islands of Polynesia: 12:45pm-5:30pm, $69 per person

Exclusive Gateway Package: 12-45pm-9pm, Includes Islands, Dinner, Show, $139 per person

Get more info on their official website.

After the Island Experience, we headed over to our dinner. They really treat you like royalty here. Someone took our coats for us and handed us a fresh pineapple drink on our way over to our table. The dining area is huge and has an inspiring 360-degree mural. I loved the mood lighting. They also have live music! Dinner is buffet style and there are numerous food options. I’ll be honest, my dinner at Mai Tai bar was better than this luau, but it was still good!

When dinner was over, we had some free time to wander around the gift shops before the show started. I picked up a classic dashboard dancer and little tiki man. Unfortunately, you cannot film any part of the show (trust me, there are guards always making sure the audience doesn’t pull their phones out) so I don’t have any photos of it, but boy was it amazing and inspiring. I had goosebumps and teary eyes multiple times.

Overall, our experience at Polynesian Cultural center was great, I give it a 7.5/10.

SUMMARY

You won’t regret visiting Oahu Hawaii. There is an endless amount of hikes, sights, and good food. I would like to be transparent and tell you it isn’t perfect either, no trips are. Here are a few things you should know before going:

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING:

• The roads are super confusing (caused a lot of arguments haha)
• The island is pretty run down outside of Waikiki and other popular sights
• Oahu is smaller and more concentrated than some of the other islands, so you really have to try hard to have quiet time away from other people
• Your trip can be as lavish or budget-friendly as you like- there are options here for everyone
• The food isn’t as terribly expensive as everyone says!

THINGS I WISH I HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY:

• Hiked the Stairway to Heaven
• Spent more time on the North Shore
• Spent less time checking off boxes and more time relaxing

I hope my guide has helped. I do think Oahu Hawaii is a great first Hawaiian Island to visit, and I’m glad I went. If you have any questions about your trip, feel free to reach out to me on Pinterest or Instagram. Happy Hiking!