Honolulu Things To Do
A great list of things to do and places to see when you visit Honolulu, Hawaii on Oahu.
- Stay in a treehouse bungalow at Sunset Beach on the North Shore
- Check out our review of the best Airbnb Rentals on Oahu
- Go swimming in the Jackass Ginger Pool
- Go parasailing or skydiving
- Swim with sharks (cage or scuba-diving)
- Hire a car/scooter/Harley
- Venture out of Honolulu to see more of Oahu
- Hire a surfboard
- Go to the North Shore
- Walk along Waikiki Beach (cheesy, but gotta do it)
- Go swimming at Waikiki Beach!
- Hike Diamond Head Crater (around dawn is ideal)
- Go to the beach at Bellows Air Force Base (fairly empty and pristine)
- Tour Pearl Harbor
- People-watch
- Get shave ice, it’s delicious!
- Haunauma bay snorkeling
- Try The Shack at Hawaii Kai for some great burgers
- If you want to go on a hike, pick up a copy of The Hikers Guide to Oahu for some great info
- The Haiku Stairs are amazing and afford beautiful views of Oahu
- See the Pillboxes in Lanikai
- Maunawili is an enjoyable hike and at the end, there’s a waterfall to jump from
- Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden
- Ultralight planes are a ton of fun
- Even if you try, you can’t miss the ABC Stores, they’re everywhere
- Go for a run in Honolulu
- Get coffee at Honolulu Coffee Company or check out this list of shops
- Go golfing
- Fly on an authentic World War II airplane with Pacific Warbirds tours
- See cool Hawaiian fish at the Waikiki Aquarium
- Tour the Dole Plantation and see one of the biggest mazes in the world!
- Best beach for kids would be Lanikai Beach
When is the best time to visit Hawaii?
Surprisingly, some of the best times to visit are in spring and fall. The busiest time of the year is the two-week period before Christmas. The New York Times and Frommers published an excellent article outlining the best times to visit Hawaii and Honolulu.
But you know the truth: The best time to visit is when you can! Temperatures are fairly consistent in the Hawaiian islands throughout the year, and it will probably be 75 degrees no matter when you visit.
I’ll be honest, you can find some amazing deals using vacation home rental web sites. My favorite is Airbnb.com, but you will also want to check some of the other sites since they are some times less costly.
