One Week in Oahu, Hawaii

Beaches

• Sunset Beach: This beach is on the North Shore. It is beautiful and was empty on a weekday.

• Hanauma Bay: Nature preserve, good for snorkeling.

• LaniKai: Definitely the nicest beach on the island. It has super-clear water and white sand.

• Makapu’u Beach: Big waves, beautiful mountains in background and tide pools. There is also a lighthouse you can hike to.

• Koolina Mina: At Four Seasons, man-made coves with nice still water.

• Waikiki Beach: Good for surfing.

• Halona Beach Cove: Went here for some drone shots. It is beautiful from above!

• Sandy Beach: Good waves for surfing.

• Kahana Bay: We did a photoshoot here. The water isn’t as blue, but it has pretty mountains and trees in the background.

Hikes

• Koko Crater (1.6mi, 886ft elevation): I didn’t do this one but my friends did and said it was very challenging but amazing views!

• Diamond Head (1.8mi, 452ft elevation): A beautiful hike to do at sunrise.

• Lanikai Pillbox (1.8mi, 650ft elevation): My friends did this one after I left and loved it!

• Manoa Falls (1.7mi, 633ft elevation): A quick but beautiful hike through jungles and waterfalls! Make sure you wear bug spray! The beginning of the trail was the most beautiful. Scenes from Lost and Jurassic Park were filmed here!

Activities

• Sunset sail: We did this one out of Waikiki and it was perfect!

• Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden: This spot has the famous street with mountains in the back. Photos are no longer allowed here. There is no way to get out of your car and take them. But there are tons of other photogenic spots in the gardens.

• Pearl Harbor

• Helicopter Tour

• Surfing: I tried surfing at Waikiki Beach and it was so fun! You can get a surf lesson there, too.

• Kualoa Ranch: This spot has lots of activities like zip-lining, ATVs, horseback riding, etc.

• Snorkeling: I have heard Sharks Cove and Hanauma Bay are the best.

• Dole Pineapple Factory

• KCC Farmer's Market: This takes place on Tuesdays and Saturdays. There are so many amazing local vendors and foods to try!

• Shopping: There is some great shopping in Waikiki, and since the sales tax in Hawaii is only 4.5 percent it’s a good time to splurge on any designer items you may want.

• Deck: Go for happy hour at sunset. They have amazing drinks and views of Diamond Head.

• Sunrise Shack: This place is so cute. They have the best açai bowls and smoothies.

• Matsumoto Shave Ice: Famous shave-ice place on North Shore. Expect a line! I got the lilikoi with red beans, mochi and condensed milk and it was so unique and delicious!

• Duke’s Waikiki: Make a reservation early! It is the original famous beachfront restaurant with sunset views and live music.

• Maguro Spot: This is an amazing poké spot. It usually has a line.

• Mina’s Fish House: This was our splurge dinner! It was at the Four Seasons and had incredible views and food.

• Banan: This spot has dairy-free frozen banana desserts. It is amazing with the macadamia nut butter.

• Ono Seafood: The freshest poké we had.

• Tommy Bahama: The rooftop has live music and is really nice at sunset. The food was all so fresh!

• Maui Mike’s Fire Roasted Chicken: A great grab-and-go lunch spot with insanely good chicken and fries.

• Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck: The most popular food truck in Oahu, on the North Shore.

• Island Vintage Coffee: Great lunch and açai bowls, but always a long line.