Wondering what to do in Honolulu, Oahu? We detail all our beach trips, hikes, and eats here in this post.

If it’s your first time in Hawaii, you’ll likely touch down in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. The most touristy area in all of Hawaii has to be Waikiki, which is a little strip in the city of Honolulu that all the hotels, resorts, and shops are. On one particular street, you feel like you’re walking around in Beverly Hills. Whether you’re driving or taking the bus, Waikiki is a convenient place to stay because you’ll never be bored! Beaches, restaurants, stores, and sightseeing surround this area. Here are the spots we hit up during our time in Honolulu earlier this month.

Where to Go

Diamond Head hike

Whatever you do, go early (i.e. before 8am) because once the parking lot is full, you’ll be turned around to find parking at the bottom of the hill. We parked in the Kapiolani Community College (KCC) parking lot for free and walked the extra 20 or so minutes to get to the parking lot, where you’ll pay $1 entrance fee per person. From there it’s an easy hike, although it will get hot as the sun positions itself directed overhead at midday. The view is best when you get to the top. On one side you’ll look over at all the buildings in Waikiki and on the other you’ll gaze out to the endless deep blue ocean (that is the side I prefer more). Surprisingly, looking back into the crater of Diamond Head isn’t nearly as exciting. As with anything you do on Oahu, wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water; the Hawaiian sun is no joke. I have never burned in my life but I did burn my shoulder and my nose within the first 3 days.

Hanauma Bay

I almost don’t want to share this ‘secret’ but for the greater good, I will. If you go before 7am, not only is it less hot and less crowded, you’ll actually find parking in the lot and both parking and admission will be free! You won’t need to shell out any money to enter this snorkeling paradise and you’ll also get to skip the conservation video they usually make everyone watch (it’s important information, so if you don’t watch it, please do not touch the coral or any other wildlife nor take anything away with you.) Hanauma Bay is not only a short drive (or a single bus ride) from Waikiki, it is possibly the best snorkeling site on the entire island! Therefore, it is a must-go. The entrance to the water is easy, there are restrooms, showers, and water fountains on site, and there is plenty to see in the ‘keyholes’ of the bay (Google that if you don’t understand what I mean). We swam for 1.5 hours straight when we arrived and kept jumping back in for more. Try searching for the massive Parrotfish and Christmas Wrasse; those are my two favourites. Keep it mind the bay is closed on Tuesdays.

Spitting Cave

Hit up this this short sightseeing pit-stop after snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. Enter this address into your GPS: 5 Lumahai Street, Honolulu and park a the mouth of the roundabout where signs allow. There is an obvious trail entrance on the right-side of the road (if facing the roundabout). Walk about 5 minutes down the steep path and you’ll be rewarded with an open ocean and majestic ridged cliffs. You’ll need to walk down to the right in order to see the spitting cave. Enjoy the ocean breeze (it’s fairly strong) while you wait for a large wave to force the cave to spit.

Free hula show

There is a free hula show every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at Waikiki Beach in front of the Hyatt Regency. Arrive shortly before 6:30pm with a beach towel and soak in some local culture as you enjoy the storytelling dance. Great activity if you have a free evening or need something to do before/after dinner.

Sunset at Waikiki Beach

Some may argue it’s not the best sunset viewing spot, but it’s fairly decent considering how convenient it is. The sun sets around dinnertime, so after watching the sky turn pink then red, and snapping a few photos, ya’ll can head to dinner. There will always be a lot of people on the beach, so be prepared to have some ‘neighbours’ lurking in the background of your photos.

Manoa Falls

A short hike through the lush jungle will take you to a lovely waterfall where you can take a dip and hide from the mid-day sun. Since the entire trail is shaded by the tall trees, this hike is a great afternoon activity. It will likely be muddy even if it hasn’t rained recently, so don’t wear your favourite sneakers. Bring plenty of water to drink and relish the verdant scenery that makes you feel like you are in Jurassic Park.

Cactus garden

If you’re a keener like us (or just have jetlag) and arrive at the KCC Farmers’ Market before they open, explore the cactus garden near the parking lot. You’ll find huge cacti! #plantladyalert

What to Eat

KCC Farmers’ Market

The biggest and most popular farmers’ market on the island, and it doesn’t disappoint! You’ll find plenty of locally grown produce and lots of ready-to-eat foods. Our favourite picks are the red-fleshed mangoes (they’re expensive but totally totally worth it), teriyaki tofu musubi, and pineapple guava juice.

Banan

OMG guys, this place is the BOMB. We went to the food truck location on Monsarrat Avenue. Vegan soft serve (i.e. really good banana nice cream) with delicious toppings like homemade macadamia nut butter. If you’re craving some dessert, get the chocolate mac flavour with macadamia nut butter and chocolate. Or if you’re feeling fresh ‘n fruity, get their acai flavour. You can even get your soft serve in a papaya boat! After a hike up Diamond Head in the scorching sun, you’ll really appreciate this frozen treat and their shady seating.

Matcha Cafe Maiko

Located in the same strip plaza as Marukame Udon, is this matcha-lovers’ delight. Be sure to find a time to try their matcha soft serve ice cream with super soft mochi balls. Whether you choose to go simple with a fresh waffle cone, or more extravagant with a shave ice sundae or drink float, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

Leonard’s

Made-to-order, hot, fluffy, sugary donuts. What could go wrong? Every one goes crazy over Leonard’s malasadas, including a mysterious donut thief at Hanauma Bay (yes someone actually stole three donuts out of our picnic bag). Everyone in our group had a different favourite, but I particularly enjoyed the chocolate filled one.

Lanikai Juice

With additional locations on the North and East shore, Lanikai Juice makes it easy to get your hands on delicious acai and smoothie bowls for under $10. We had lunch here after Hanauma Bay. The pitaya (pink dragon fruit) and hula bowl are more liquid-y than their acai bowls, but nonetheless delicious and filling.

Marukame Udon

Need a cheap lunch or dinner idea? Look no further than these freshly made udon noodles in the heart of Waikiki. This is the only restaurant we went to more than once because it’s so dang cheap and so delicious. Both times I got the cold udon noodles. Don’t stress too much about whether you get the bukkake or zaru udon because they use the same soup base. Fill your hungry belly up for only 5 or 6 bucks!

Cheesecake Factory

This is not unique to Hawaii, but there isn’t a Cheesecake Factory where we live so we wrapped up our trip with a special dinner here. It is busy every night, so expect to wait around 1 hour for a table during peak meal times. If you can help it, try not to have eyes bigger than your stomach because it is mandatory that you save room for dessert. Their entrees are delicious, but the cheesecake will always be the highlight. Veggie friends, you can order the ‘Evelyn’s Favourite Pasta’ which is a delightful pasta entree with roasted veggies or the falafel or the California guacamole salad. Their salads are quite filling! We ordered a platter of cheesecake to surprise our best friend for her birthday and on it were 5 different flavours. Our favourites were the chocolate hazelnut, mango key lime, tiramisu, and Adam’s peanut butter. I drool just thinking about their cheesecake.

Nisshodo Candy Store

Hey, more dessert! Mochi-lovers, you must must must pay Nisshodo a visit because you will find the softest pillows of mochi that will ever grace your mouth. It’s located among automobile garages, but holes in the walls are the best! Go early in the morning because I’ve heard they sell out quickly. Be sure to try the lilikoi (purple) and coconut (light pink) ones! We went on our way to the West shore of Oahu,; they make great beach snacks.

Happy hour at Swim

You can’t go to Hawaii without trying a Mai Tai now can you? If you aren’t of age yet, or just don’t like alcoholic drinks (that would be me), the Swim Poolside Dining at the Hyatt Regency has fabulous virgin drinks (subtract $3 from the menu price if virgin). Even though mai tais are popular here and are on special during happy hour, the pina colada or lava flow (i.e. pina colada with strawberry) definitely taste the best. Order some nachos and edamame hummus off the happy hour menu to snack on, or if you need a more hefty meal, the vegan burger is delicious and very decently priced! The taro mayo and sundried tomato ketchup are perfect for dipping the side of fries. You can also add an extra side (we chose onion rings) for $5 so it can feed a few more mouths. We had great service and a fabulous fun time at Swim.

Foodland Farms

Located in the Ala Moana shopping center, this Foodland location is bigger than the usual grocery store and has a section of ready-to-eat foods that resembles Whole Foods. There is a salad bar, hot food bar, pizza station, sandwich station, poke station, bakery, and more! We ate dinner here twice as everyone in the group can pick what they’re craving. We loved the tofu poke bowl (around $7) from the poke counter and the curried cauliflower dish from the hot bar. We also grabbed a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from the freezer aisle because there are so many more flavours in the USA (cookies ‘n cream cheesecake core anyone?) You can find Ted’s Bakery pies here for a cheaper price, so don’t bother going to their original North Shore location. We never had the chance to try it, but there is a Pressed Juicery near Foodland Farms so if you have room for dessert, walk over there to grab some vegan soft serve.

Other Tidbits

Where we stayed

The Cabana is on the east end of the Waikiki strip, a bit out of the way of all the buzz and glamour but it is quieter at night and easier to score free parking along Ala Wai Boulevard and vicinity. The only downside to this location is it can be a little bit sketchy at night because there are some homeless people sleeping overnight along Cartwright Road (it’s more of a back lane) and some likely illegal stall selling Caribbean food out of crock pots. One night we were walking home and saw police shutting them down. They were back two days later though. Not to scare you though! We travelled as a group of five all the time and felt fine. Our unit was very clean and recently renovated so other than the lack of an elevator and a lobby, we didn’t feel like we were in an old building. The five of us fit in a studio unit with 1 king bed and 1 trundle bed. There was a small stove and oven that we never utilized, and a full-sized fridge which kept all our fruits and water chilled during our trip. Every time we opened the door, we were greeted with the amazing aroma of ripe tropical fruits. Half way through our trip we discovered boogie boards on the porch we could borrow. Upon checkout, we left a beach umbrella there for the next guests to utilize too (you’re welcome).

Parking in Waikiki

As I mentioned above, it is possible to find free parking in Waikiki. The rates for parking at hotels can be astronomical, anywhere from $15 per day to $40 for 1 hour. Yeah, it’s cray. The most popular free parking is along Ala Wai Boulevard, which is a one-way street that runs parallel to the canal. I speculate that people working in Waikiki park there because it is often full by 7am. I think the best time to find parking is late afternoon, around 2 to 4pm. If you manage to score some parking there, mind the signs and be sure to remove your car between 8:30am and 11am on Mondays and Fridays as they do street cleaning then. If you are unable to find parking along Ala Wai, you can park at the Honolulu Zoo which costs $1 per hour. On the nights we were unable to obtain parking in our building for $15 per day, we would park at the zoo for 10 to 16 hours overnight. There was always plentiful parking spots at the zoo.

Car or bus?

As students on a budget, we initially planned to only have a rental for the first three days of our week-long trip. But after realizing the convenience of having a car and how unpleasant waiting for a bus in the heat would be, we called our rental car company to extend the rental to last our entire trip. Since I am under 25, I had to pay extra fees and buy insurance, which increased our expenses a lot. Despite that, we still felt it was very worthwhile because we were able to hit up so many more places per day and had the freedom to alter our itinerary depending on how we felt that day. So if you are eligible to rent a car, I would 120% encourage you to.