First Hawaii visit advice needed

[eeyoresmom]

Hi everyone. We are visiting Oahu for the first time Jan 25-Feb 3. It is myself and DH and 2 adult DD's. We have Aulani booked for our last 6 nights and I am most certain we will stay in Waikiki for the first 3 nights. We dont have a Waikiki room booked yet so we can stay elsewhere if advised. What are your favorite things to do/see? We will have a rental car the whole time. The only things we've added to our list are Pearl Harbor, hike Diamond Head and a quick stop at the Dole Plantation. We are interested in everything which is a problem, haha. What would you suggest?

 

[kyton]

Diamond Head you can do from your Waikiki days, combine a stop at Dole (it really is only a 20min stop, not a lot to do) on your way to the North Shore from Aulani (if you leave after 8.30 the traffic is easier but return either before 3.40 or wait until after 6.00 as the traffic back into Ko Olina is a nightmare with locals commuting).

Waikiki - outrigger ride off the beach, Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific combined with Tantalus Lookout, Honolulu Zoo, Fort De Russy Military museum.

Aulani - North Shore (it is big wave season when you visit so swimming will be almost impossible at times but it’s still interesting to drive past the famous surf breaks), Pearl Harbor - Mighty Mo - Bowfin - Pacific Aviation Museum, Makapu’u Lighthouse hike, drive down to Yokohama Bay.

These are only a small amount of things to see and do - we’ve been 27-ish times and I still find things to see.

 

[dachsie]

We have a tour booked at Kualoa Ranch - they have several to choose from. There is also the Polynesian Culture center in addition to what was listed by OP

 

[nkereina]

PP has a good list. My trip report is in my signature which outlines a lot of the "tourist" things we did over our trip. On Oahu, we did Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Dole Plantation, North Shore, Kailua, and Kualoa Ranch.

I would visit the North Shore on the day you do the Dole Plantation, and I would do Dole first when they open so you aren't stuck in the lines for the attractions. We combined Kualoa Ranch and Kailua - loved both and would return to both. Kailua had the best beaches on the island.

As PP mentions, I would do Diamond Head and even Pearl Harbor during your Waikiki stay. We also stayed in Waikiki for 3 nights and opted not to have a car during that time. We took advantage of bus tours with transportation provided to both Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor, which worked out well. We didn't have to worry about encountering parking challenges at Diamond Head or obtaining our own tour tickets with Pearl Harbor. We also knew these are both best done early in the morning, and with adjusting to the time change at the start of our trip, we were up early during our days in Waikiki so it worked out.

We stayed at the Marriott Waikiki Beach during our Waikiki days which was nice - good price point, very centrally located. I always advise against Hilton Hawaiian Village when doing a split stay with Aulani. I personally didn't want a resort complex during our Waikiki portion - location was most important because I was more interested in the seeing the area than enjoying the resort. HHV is at the far end of the strip making for a long walk to where all the action is.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Thank you all so much. I am researching activities and have a very loose, preliminary list. Our must do's are Diamond Head hike, Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor ( what do the free tickets from the park service include? what additional sites there would you pay for? None of us are history geeks but we would like to get a feel for what happened there), the Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe and a drive around the island. Looking into but not committed to the Waimeia Valley botanical gardens and falls and possibly the beach with rock jumping, the Iolani Palace, the Polynesian Cultural Center and Koaloa Ranch. These last 2 are expensive so I want to make sure I am not repeating experiences. Also, when stopping at beaches across the island, what do you bring? Do you buy a cheap umbrella and chairs? Thanks for any advice, it is greatly appreciated!

 

[ReginaMBK]

Thank you all so much. I am researching activities and have a very loose, preliminary list. Our must do's are Diamond Head hike, Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor ( what do the free tickets from the park service include? what additional sites there would you pay for? None of us are history geeks but we would like to get a feel for what happened there), the Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe and a drive around the island. Looking into but not committed to the Waimeia Valley botanical gardens and falls and possibly the beach with rock jumping, the Iolani Palace, the Polynesian Cultural Center and Koaloa Ranch. These last 2 are expensive so I want to make sure I am not repeating experiences. Also, when stopping at beaches across the island, what do you bring? Do you buy a cheap umbrella and chairs? Thanks for any advice, it is greatly appreciated!

We stumbled upon the botanical gardens and it was totally worth it! It's an easy, beautiful walk. Kualoa Ranch is also totally worth doing. We rented a UTV which was awesome - it could be a good option for your family because it fits up to 6. When visiting other beaches, we just brought towels. You'll see people out with chairs but not a lot, and definitely not a lot of umbrellas.

 

[nkereina]

( what do the free tickets from the park service include? what additional sites there would you pay for? None of us are history geeks but we would like to get a feel for what happened there)

The free tickets reserve you a time to take the boat out to the Arizona memorial. This is a memorial in the middle of the water where you can exit the boat, walk through the memorial, and look over the sides to see the remnants of the sunken ships there. They also show you a 20 minute video prior to going out to the memorial to give you history and context. The rest of the site that is back on land is a free museum that anyone can visit and tour at their leisure with no set time or ticket. There are also tours of the Missouri which, from my understanding, are in a different location and can be longer. We did not do this one - we just did the Arizona and the museum.

Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe

I will caution that this was a 15 minute stop for us. Its on the other side of the island from Aulani, and its not worth going out of your way for, IMO. We happened to pass it on our way from Kualoa Ranch to Kailua so we stopped in - I think it was $3 a person entry and parking was tough. Its a self-guided walkthrough of beautiful grounds and you will need to remove your shoes to go inside,

Waimeia Valley botanical gardens and falls

This was an hour stop for us and we didn't think it was worth it. Its $16 per person entry and its essentially a walk on a paved path with pretty foliage. You can swim at the falls at the end of the trail, but its my understanding that its very deep and cold, filled with bacteria, and you're required to wear a life jacket. It was a one and done for us.

Polynesian Cultural Center

This can take up a full day for people depending on your interest in the educational and historical aspect of the Polynesian culture. Its also run by the LDS church.

Koaloa Ranch

We loved Kualoa Ranch and would return on a future trip. Its such a unique property, and so many popular and famous moves are filmed there. We did the VIP Movie Tour and we were able to go on a set from Jurassic World and see all the sights from the various movies filmed there. The Jumanji re-boot was also being filmed while we were there so it was fun to watch that from afar. In addition to the various tours you can book there, the food is excellent and I think all of the beef comes right from the ranch. We just ate the buffet, but we heard about people buying steaks to bring back and grill at Aulani.

 

[mackel1994]

I love Waikiki and have been quite a few times so happy to answer any questions you might have! Like others have said, Diamond Head is best done in the morning and during your Waikiki stay. We went up almost as soon as the park opened (just got an uber to the carpark) and there weren't too many people. Once we got back to the bottom it was starting to get much busier with tour groups arriving.

For Pearl Harbour you'll need to either pre-book tickets or show up as soon as they open to get the limited allotment they have for the day. It's very worth doing.

The Polynesian Cultural Centre is a great day out, but be aware that it is a FULL DAY. We got picked up at 10am and weren't back until around 11pm. Could be a lot if you're only in Waikiki for three days.

One of my other favourite activities is Hanauma Bay, which is about a 20-minute drive from Waikiki. Again, get there as soon as they open so you can be done before the tour groups arrive.

I've always stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, it's right on the beach and has some great restaurants and bars in it, with shopping right next door. Their service is second-to-none. If you don't need to be right on the beach, they also have the Outrigger Reef Resort which is at a slightly lower price point.

Make sure you also just take some time to chill out, swim in the beach, have a happy hour cocktail (or two!) and just relax. Enjoy your trip and like I said message me if you have any questions

 

[PinMan]

What exactly is the Polynesian cultural Centre , what will I see ?

 

[kyton]

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For Pearl Harbour you'll need to either pre-book tickets or show up as soon as they open to get the limited allotment they have for the day. It's very worth doing..

I've always stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, it's right on the beach and has some great restaurants and bars in it, with shopping right next door. Their service is second-to-none. If you don't need to be right on the beach, they also have the Outrigger Reef Resort which is at a slightly lower price point.

Outrigger Reef is still beachfront - it’s just a little more removed from the ”main” beachfront. We actually prefer the Reef end - the sand in front of a Fort DeRussy is more open and doesn’t tend to feel as crowded.

Arizona Memorial releases a lot of tickets 60 days out, then a second lot 24hrs - after that you can line up on the actual day. The pre-release tickets are for tours after 11am.