Activities & Attractions

Oahu’s combination of a thriving cosmopolitan city, exciting resorts, beautiful natural places, and quaint towns and neighborhoods offer tremendous diversity that the visitor and resident alike can enjoy. Things to do on Oahu are as varied as the island itself - from cosmopolitan Honolulu to the pristine shores of the North Shore. Honolulu showcases the best museums and arts & culture exhibits in the State, yet minutes away, some of the best hiking trails and outdoor activities are available. Waikiki’s history, culture, nightlife, and beach activities are just some of the many exciting experiences available. Oahu’s famous North Shore, Windward, and Leeward coast are also filled with activities that take advantage of the natural paradise that truly is Oahu. There is something exciting, fascinating, and fun for every age, interest, and budget.

Explore the natural side of Oahu. For the outdoor enthusiast, Oahu offers a playground to enjoy from hiking to surfing to snorkeling and diving to paddling to biking. Discover the rich fauna of the island. The animal lover will find Oahu to be teeming with life - from marine sanctuaries to dolphin programs to bird-watching hikes. For those who want to enjoy Oahu’s tropical paradise with little exertion, Oahu provides options from helicopter and seaplane tours to cruises and guided sightseeing tours.

Walk in the footsteps of history and delve into Hawaii’s rich culture. Oahu has Hawaii’s largest collection of museums. Be intrigued and fascinated by the voyaging Polynesians that first made Hawaii home, the missionaries that influenced the island’s cultures, the reign of the Hawaiian monarchy, the Asian immigrant that came to work on the plantations, Pearl Harbor’s involvement with World War II, and by Hawaii’s entrance into Statehood. There are historic monuments such as the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and prominent Hawaiian sites such as ‘Iolani palace, the only Royal Palace on American soil. Learn more about the arts and culture at one of Oahu’s many acclaimed art museums, theaters, and galleries. World-class exhibits and productions that, generally, are not seen elsewhere, can be found on Oahu.

Discover the magic of Oahu at night. With a bustling city and resort, Oahu offers, those who want activity when the sun sets, a myriad of nightlife. From luau and Polynesian shows to cool clubbing and martini bar hopping to theater performances and comedy acts to romantic dining and the sounds of the ocean breeze and ukuleles, Oahu is a night lover’s paradise.

Beaches & Watersports

Oahu has over 125 miles of awe-inspiring sandy shoreline. You are most likely familiar with world-famous Waikiki Beach, and you’ve undoubtedly heard of the big-wave north shore surf beaches Pipeline and Sunset. But you’re in for a surprising treat when you discover the sandy wonderlands in between.

The beaches here offer far more than sunbathing and people watching. They’re ideal for all kinds of water sports including swimming, surfing, windsurfing, boogie boarding, snorkeling and fishing. Whether you’re looking for high adventure on the waves, a romantic spot to watch the sunset, or a protected swimming for the kids, it’s sure to be nearby.

With water temperatures at the island’s 139 beaches ranging from 75ºF to 80ºF year-round, it’s easy to understand why locals and visitors alike are regularly drawn to the blue waters off Oahu.

The South Shore coastline is known for its many sheltered beaches ideal for families. (However, in the summer the surf can get unusually high.) Snorkeling, tide pooling and swimming make great activities for families picnicking along these beaches.

The West Shore (Leeward side) also has many excellent swimming beaches. This coast is known for offshore fishing spots. Winter months see the largest waves, which reach heights of more than 15 feet.

The North Shore is best known for its world-class surfing and huge winter swells. During the winter months, waves reach heights of 25 feet.

The East Shore (Windward side) beaches tend to be more lush and tropical. Northeast trade winds keep the coast cool 90 percent of the year, making it a favorite location for windsurfing and sailing enthusiasts.

Golf

Great golf is one of the main reasons Oahu is a favorite destination. There are more golf courses on Oahu than any other islands. You can choose from more than forty public and private courses, ranging from casual municipal links to elegant resort courses. They offer not only superb challenges, but also spectacular vistas. Some call them “distractions,” but make the game beautifully challenging.

The backdrop for a shot here might be mountainous desert-like terrain or the impressive sweep of the Pacific. There are even courses built of former ranch lands, fields of sugar cane, and seaside layouts that resemble British links. Wander off the fairway and there may be no rough to speak of, only lush rainforest. Oh, and avoid the sand traps, because you may feel the urge to spread out a towel and sunbathe.

Constant sunshine makes for long hours of dependable golfing weather, and the spectacular surrounding scenery quiets the mind and stirs the heart. So relax and enjoy some of the most pleasant golf in the world. It’s all right here.

Top-rated resort golfing can be found at the Prince Resort, Ko Olina and Turtle Bay. There’s also the state’s oldest course, Moanalua Golf Club, near downtown Honolulu that has been attracting players since 1898. Tucked up against the rampart of the Koolau Mountains on the windward side of Oahu, the US Golf Association has ranked the Koolau Golf Course the most challenging course in North America, but even novices will appreciate its tremendous beauty.

Outdoors & Adventure

We had struggled for five hours, straight up through dense undergrowth, ohia forests and vast colonies of bamboo. Green, in all its millions of tones and inflections, was the only color we had seen until we reached the top of the ridge where we emerged into a white so thick and featureless it left us dizzy and disoriented. Just in time, the cloud blew over the ridge line and was gone, leaving us gasping at the view that suddenly appeared revealing the sheer, 3,000-foot drop at our feet. It was magic.

The lure of adventure is strong in man and nowhere in the world does it find greater expression than here in the Hawaiian Islands. Is hang-gliding your thing? Do you long to leap from the heights at Makapu’u and, soaring high above the beach, make lazy circles for an afternoon? Perhaps you’d like the heart-pounding intensity of the big winter surf at Waimea. Or the thrill of sailing down the Molokai Channel. Or the skiier’s rocket ride down the slope of sometimes snow-capped Mauna Loa; palm trees in the distance, hard lava coming up.

Or maybe a safer, less terrifying adventure would suit you better. Something like a bicycle ride down Haleakala or a hike inside its moonscape crater. Or riding a very sensible mule-who’s made the trip a thousand times-down the cliffside to Kalapapa and back again. Or taking a glider ride or a parasail. Because of Hawaii’s benign year-round climate, just being outdoors is an adventure to folks fleeing winter. Adventure, after all, like art, is in the eye of the beholder and for every urge there is an outfitter.

For many modern people, eco-tourism is a green way to enjoy the great Hawaiian outdoors and learn about something bigger than themselves. But whatever the call to action, the numbers of people participating in outdoor adventure are increasing rapidly. They’ve been there, done that and the wild places in Hawaii are seductively inviting.