Week 2 of our trip was spent on Oahu. (You can check out our first week in Kauai here) Let me say Oahu has a completely different vibe than Kauai. Kauai was very quiet with no big cities and hardly any traffic. Kauai also had every climate imaginable. We went from tropical to desert to freezing cold all within a couple hours drive. Oahu has that big city feel in Honolulu but also has the small town feel that Cam and I love the most if you head up to the North Shore. Below you can find our itinerary for our week in Oahu!
Day 1: Travel Day: Kauai to Oahu
- We got into Honolulu around lunch time and decided for lunch to try out the very popular restaurant The Pig and the Lady located in Chinatown. This place was amazing, a must go if in Honolulu!
- We walked around Chinatown a bit after lunch wasting time until we could check into our AirBnB.
- On our way to the AirBnB we stopped at a go to in Honolulu: Leonard’s Bakery for the famous Malasadas.
- Brandon was going to get a hand tapped tattoo while in Oahu so that night while he was at his consultation, Cam and I headed to Ala Moana Center Mall. Its a gorgeous 4-level outdoor mall.
- When Brandon had finished we all went to the Ala Moana Beach Park to catch the sunset and hang out a bit.
Day 2: Diamond Head/Kaimuki/Honolulu
- We woke up early to beat the crowds to do the Diamond Head Crater Hike. Definitely try and get to Diamond head around when it opens, it gets PACKED!
- We really enjoyed the hike and at the end we got some Dole whip!
- After the Diamond Head hike we headed to Diamond head Beach Park and walked to the Diamond Head Lighthouse.
- Next we made a stop to Kahala Beach. INCREDIBLE. Worth going for sure!
- We headed to Kaimuki Town to explore and also grab lunch at Koko Head Cafe. Awesome food! After we explored the town we grabbed some coffee from Coffee Talk.
- We headed back to our AirBnB after a couple hours in Kaimuki.
- We grabbed an Uber to downtown Honolulu to check out the Ohana Hale Marketplace. This is a large indoor market with local food and retail vendors.
- We grabbed dinner at Big City Diner before walking around more downtown.
- We wanted some ice cream and came upon Ward Village which had a great selection of unique shops and Lucy’s Lab Creamery. This creamery had a large selection of interesting flavors including Ramen Noodle flavor. Don’t worry, they also had a selection of normal flavors!
- We ended the night taking another beach walk at Ala Moana Beach Park. So beautiful at night.
Day 3: Lanikai Pillbox Hike/Kailua/Makapu’u
- To start the day off course we found a great coffee shop. Island Brew Coffeehouse was awesome. Great coffee, great food and great views.
- Next up we did the Lanikai Pillbox hike. AMAZING. A must do if your into hiking. It was a difficult hike. A lot of climbing and some rope assisted areas but the views were incredible. We got there a little late so parking was tough.
- After the hike we were hungry and thirsty. We headed to Kailua town and went to Lanikai Juice Company for some delicious smoothies. After exploring the town a little bit we got a bit to eat at Maui Brewing.
- On our way back to Honolulu we stopped at the Makapu’u Lookout.
- Also on the way back was the Lanai Lookout.
- The last lookout we stopped at was the Hawai’i Kai Lookout.
Day 4: Haleiwa/Sunset Beach/Ted’s Bakery
- Today was a travel day for us going from Honolulu to the North Shore where we would be the remainder of the trip. We stopped off at the Dole Plantation since it was on the way. We explored around a little bit and got some Dole Whip before heading back out.
- We made our way to the town of Haleiwa in North Shore which is where we spent the majority of the day. This is a must visit town and one of my favorites of the trip. North Shore is known for its shrimp trucks and you will see them lined up everywhere. Definitely stop for lunch/dinner at any of the trucks, you can’t go wrong and the shrimp is amazing.
- After doing some exploring and shopping we stopped at Hale’iwa Ali’i Beach Park to hang out and rest a bit. We even were able to spot a sleeping Hawaiian Monk Seal.
- We grabbed coffee from Coffee Gallery before heading to check into our AirBnB. Great coffee.
- After resting up a bit we wanted to watch the sunset at Sunset Beach.
- For dinner we went to Ted’s Bakery. Ted’s is a must. Not just for the Chocolate Haupia Cream pie but for coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. We went multiple times on this trip and everything we ordered was fantastic.
Day 5: Lāʻie Point State Wayside/Sharks Cove/Laniakea Beach
- We knew we wanted to head to Laniakea to see Sea Turtles so we decided we would stop at different spots along the coast on our way there.
- Our first stop today was to Lāʻie Point State Wayside. I had no idea what this would be, I just saw it on the map and we decided to stop and check it out. Definitely a really cool stopping point.
- Next stop was to Sharks Cove. One of my favorite spots on the trip.
- This is a great spot to go swimming and snorkeling. The water is crystal clear and there are so many fish in this cove.
- We then headed to Laniakea Beach where I had heard there would be sea turtles resting on the beach. We saw one turtle on the beach and saw a handful more swimming near shore.
- We ended the day going back to Coffee Gallery for some much needed coffee.
Day 6: Ehukai Pillbox Hike/Sharks Cove/Polynesian Cultural Center
- Today was our last day in the North Shore before heading back to Honolulu. When I’m telling you we loved Ted’s Bakery, we LOVED Ted’s Bakery. We went for breakfast and lunch. We definitely ate way too much before going hiking though.
- We heard good things about Ehukai Pillbox Hike so we decided to give it a try. The trailhead is a bit hard to find but it is located behind the Sunset Elementary School.
- Next up was to go to Sharks Cove and actually go swimming this time. Such a blast and so many fish to see.
- After swimming we headed to our final meal at Ted’s Bakery.
- We decided to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center. We didn’t pay for any shows or the luau but we walked around the shops and read a lot of the history they have posted. It was a really neat place.
Day 7: Honolulu/Waikiki
- We got up early to drop Brandon off at the airport. So we decided to spend our last day in downtown Honolulu to relax, shop and go to Waikiki beach. We left North Shore around 4:30 so after dropping Brandon off we went to our hotel. Although the room was not ready yet we hung out by the pool and had some breakfast.
- We went and got coffee at Vintage Island Coffee and found a table to do some reading for awhile before checking out some of the shops and Waikiki beach.
- For lunch we went to Tim Ho Wan for Michelin star dumplings. They were fantastic. This was recommended to us by one of our Uber drivers.
- After lunch and shopping we were exhausted and in need of a nap. Back to the hotel we went until dinner.
- We decided on an early dinner at the cheesecake factory to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary. Cheesecake factory is one of our favorites.
Day 8: Travel day: Oahu to Raleigh
- We checked out of the hotel and headed to Kona Coffee located in the International Marketplace. We grabbed coffees and read for a bit before doing some shopping at the marketplace. Definitely a neat mall which was built around a 100 year old Banyan tree. Really incredible.
- We then headed to the airport for our overnight flight back to Raleigh.
Hawaii was an incredible place. We absolutely loved our time there. We have heard that all of the islands are different and have a different vibe so we are excited to one day visit Maui and Island of Hawaii.
Some of my recommendations if your planning to visit:
- Spend at least 5-7 days on an island. We considered trying to hit 3 islands but felt we would feel more rushed and that we wouldn’t get to experience that island fully.
- When renting a car definitely spend the extra to get an SUV.
- Listen to locals, they know the island better than anyone. Some tourist traps are a must but we love talking with locals and finding out where they love to eat and what they love about their home. Also the locals we met were some of the nicest people we have met.
- Hiking is a must when going to Hawaii. We absolutely loved being outside. Many hikes are a bit difficult but definitely worth it. So find the one that works for you and go for it!
- Bring clothes for cold weather too!
- The pineapple really is amazing. Also hit up a farmers market! They are fantastic.
