First Trip- Seeking Planning Advice

taylormorgan26

wishing upon a star
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Hello! I am in the very, very early stages of planning our first visit to Hawaii from the East Coast, CO-VID permitting. I've been reading through treads for a bit now- so much info to unpack!

We are DVC members as well as Military so we will also be spending a few nights at Hale-Koa. Those of you that are seasoned veterans, can you please let me know-

1) What is the recommended length of stay in Hawaii for a solid first visit vacation? We will be visiting Disneyland for a couple of days on one end!
2) What islands and how many days at each would you recommend?
3) What are some "must-do's" apart from Pearl Harbor and the pineapple plantation? All adults in my traveling party!
4) Would I be better off using a travel agent to weed through all of this? If so, do you have one you recommend?

Thank you!
 
coming from the East coast be prepared for extreme jet lag. I think 8 days is perfect as the travel is long and jetlag is terrible so we usually leave Friday morning on the plane and then return to come home the following Saturday afternoon. I don't know about other islands but some things we liked are

-visit the North shore, go to Giovannis shrimp truck, Matsumoto shave ice etc
-Waimea Valley botanical gardens - you "hike" up a long paved path (or take a tram that costs extra) and can swim in the waterfall at the end (bring water shoes and don't drink the water)
-Hanaumau Bay for snorkelling
-Luau (we like Fia Fia at the Mariott)
-Hike Diamond head
-Hike to Manoa Falls
-Visit Kualoa Ranch (might want to watch some of the movies shot there beforehand like 50 first dates, Jurassic park, Jumanji 2 and many others)
-USS Missouri and USS Bowfin tours at Pearl Harbour we liked, the Aviation Museum not so much but its worth a visit also
-Skip Honolulu imo


The pineapple place is just a tourist trap/gift shop but its on the way to North shore
 
Hello! I am in the very, very early stages of planning our first visit to Hawaii from the East Coast, CO-VID permitting. I've been reading through treads for a bit now- so much info to unpack!

We are DVC members as well as Military so we will also be spending a few nights at Hale-Koa. Those of you that are seasoned veterans, can you please let me know-

1) What is the recommended length of stay in Hawaii for a solid first visit vacation? We will be visiting Disneyland for a couple of days on one end!
2) What islands and how many days at each would you recommend?
3) What are some "must-do's" apart from Pearl Harbor and the pineapple plantation? All adults in my traveling party!
4) Would I be better off using a travel agent to weed through all of this? If so, do you have one you recommend?

Thank you!
Hello! I am in the very, very early stages of planning our first visit to Hawaii from the East Coast, CO-VID permitting. I've been reading through treads for a bit now- so much info to unpack!

We are DVC members as well as Military so we will also be spending a few nights at Hale-Koa. Those of you that are seasoned veterans, can you please let me know-

1) What is the recommended length of stay in Hawaii for a solid first visit vacation? We will be visiting Disneyland for a couple of days on one end!
2) What islands and how many days at each would you recommend?
3) What are some "must-do's" apart from Pearl Harbor and the pineapple plantation? All adults in my traveling party!
4) Would I be better off using a travel agent to weed through all of this? If so, do you have one you recommend?

Thank you!
I expect you will get some replies that are exact opposites of each other, but that’s good! You’ll get pros and cons of stuff that way. The thing one person hated about something might be a thing you love....

iMO the recommended length of stay is “as long as you can afford!!” You could easily stay a month and not do anything twice—the islands are small but there’s so much to see. Same answer regarding how many islands—as many as you can!

Realistically, you could look at all the things to do on all the islands and then decide which activities interest you more, and let that drive the decision. Like if Pearl Harbor is a must, you have to do Oahu. Want to see live lava? Only on the Big Island? Black sand—BI or Maui. Those kinds of things. Honestly if island hopping turns out to not be an option, you can have a very interesting trip only on Oahu. (I’d say the same about Maui or BI too, if you’d already seen Pearl Harbor.)

Now the must-do’s are where it will go all over the map! But with all adults, the Dole plantation would NOT be on my list. It’s important to know if these are active, adventurous adults or more onlooker types.

I’m assuming active with my must-do list. I say Hanauma Bay is a must on Oahu—some say too touristy but it’s very easy snorkeling in a huge (uncrowded) area. We loved it. I also think climbing up Diamond Head is a must, for the views, including down into the crater. Some say the Tantalus lookout is comparable views without the climb if that doesn’t appeal or make the cut. It was more strenuous than I expected (since it seems like everyone has done it) but plenty doable. I’d put Kualoa Ranch on my list for “next time” on Oahu; we just couldn’t do it all. Waikiki Beach was one and done for me; I’m not into the urban scene when there are beaches to be had! The free hula show was good though, if you want to see hula without a luau. Although I’ve always heard great things about the Hale Koa luau. And of course, you have to stay at or at least visit Aulani!!

I’m currently planning to go back to Maui for everything we missed there, but I’m making more time for the black beaches this time (especially Wai’anapanapa—possibly my favorite spot on the planet). Also the Pipiwai Trail through the bamboo forest. Both of these things are near Hana, and we drove the road (a must-do ONCE) before but want to revisit the faves. Haleakala is a must, although if you can’t handle sunrise, sunset or broad daylight are cool too; it’s worth seeing any time of day. We also enjoyed driving though upcountry to see the farms and vineyards, and we plan to go horseback riding this time. My biggest must for this next trip is to take full advantage of all the great free snorkeling right from the beaches. Molokini was #1 on my list, but the reviews (including from a friend who goes yearly) have really declined in the last few years, and I’ve decided to nix it. A must for me somewhere in the trip is a luau. Thought we’d do a sunset sail for DD’s 21st bday, but she’d rather do another luau!

On Kauai, Waimea Canyon is a must. It’s an easy drive but make sure you go all the way to the top; the road dead ends into the parking lot, so you can’t miss it. The whole island looks like Jurassic Park, so just driving around is awesome. We saw monk seals at Poipu Beach, so that was awesome. Another must is seeing the Naapali coast, and you can do it by air or boat. You can also hike it, but I think it’s about 10 miles to really see it and we weren’t up for that. We saw it from a cruise ship and it was amazing; a catamaran would be awesome too.

And on the Big Island, my main agenda was LAVA! Actual molten rock! Enough said. The lava tubes are fun too and I’d say a must IF you’re going to Kilauea. But I wouldn’t go to the BI just for the tube, KWIM? I also had the green sand beach on my must-do list....and was so bedazzled by the lava that I forgot all about it!! LOL. Kona Brewery was a must for me because I was on the island but again—I wouldn’t go just for that. Rainbow Falls was also pretty but not life-changing. (My kids were actually underwhelmed by the waterfalls in general—“we’ve got waterfalls that big at home...” Go figure.)We only spent two days on the BI, so I’m sure I missed several musts.

And IMO, no, I’ve never used a TA and don’t see the need. Between the “Revealed” guidebooks and the internet, I did my own research and made my own plans, including air, hotels, a cruise, and rental cars on every island.

So WOW that’s prob way more than you wanted to hear!! But just get familiar with what’s actually there before you decide where to go. And this forum is a great place for info. Happy planning!!
 
The biggest thing to know is Aulani is in a man made residential community. It is remote and you will need a car unless you are choosing to stay put at the resort. There is no public transport - only private companies should you choose not to drive. It is very understated Disney - the emphasis is more on the Hawaiian culture so don’t go thinking it’s going to be like a Disney hotel at the parks. First and foremost it is a very relaxing resort. We like to think of any stop at Ko Olina as our relax and sit lagoon side for hours each day.

Hale Koa has just had massive renovations to their outside areas - from all accounts it is a brilliant stay for those with military service. It is on our favourite part of the beach in Waikiki - and is ABSOLUTE beachfront, which there are only a handful in Waikiki that can say that.

Coming from Australia, our family has a rule that we will not stay less then 1 day for each hour of air travel. So to Honolulu it is a 10hr flight so we have never stayed less then 10 days (most visits are a minimum of 14 days). My husband and I have been sonewhere between 27-29 times to Oahu, our kids 11-13 and we still haven’t seen and done everything. Rest assured you can spend your whole trip on Oahu and never be bored.
 


I also had the green sand beach on my must-do list....and was so bedazzled by the lava that I forgot all about it!!

Not the OP but question did you ever make it to the green sand beach? It looks really, really cool, but I also heard it's a 2.5 mile hike with no shade in a pretty remote area. Sounds like a real hassle to get to.
 
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Note the OP but question did you ever make it to the green sand beach? It looks really, really cool, but I also heard it's a 2.5 mile hike with no shade in a pretty remote area. Sounds like a real hassle to get to.
No!! It does sound tough but I wanted to see if we could do it. There’s a red beach on Maui with a similar treacherous-sounding hike, and it’s just so hard to know from online reviews. One person will say it’s insanely dangerous and the next person says they took their toddlers....plus I’m sure conditions make a big difference from day to day.
 
Given that you’re a DVC member, I would also recommend checking out RCI properties on the different islands as a way to save money on lodging. You can typically find a 1 bedroom RCI property for about 150 points for a week stay. As OP have said, stay as long as you can afford to. I have a lot of points, but I normally stay for 2-2.5 weeks when I go to HawaiI. The first week I spend at Aulani, since I own there and the second week I spend in a RCI accommodation on another island.

To maximize your time at DL, decide whether to do it on the outbound or inbound flight based on what time you will arrive at LAX. I’ve done it both ways while traveling through LAX and I don’t know that I have a preference. If you haven’t been before, DL is very different form WDW. I normally only spend 3 days there because it only takes 1 day to do each park (Magic Kingdom & California Adventure). I always stay at the Grand Californian because I own there, but if you have enough points you can use them to stay there or DL hotel (concierge collection).

@cgattis gave a great list of things to do. Below were my “must dos” on my first trip to each island:

1) Oahu—Pearl Harbor, museums, Circle Island Tour, Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), Paradise Cove Luau, snorkeling. On subsequent trips I went to the North Shore, Kualoa Ranch, Byodo in Temple (on the way to Kualoa Ranch), etc. As OP said, there is so much to do you can come back numerous times and still not do it all.

2) Maui—Most people stay on the Lahaina or Wailea/Kihei side. Must sees: Mt. Haleakala, Road to Hana (takes about 10-12 hours to drive the entire route), snorkeling, Old Lahaina Luau, Iao Valley, Lahaina, etc.

3) Big Island—Most people stay in Kailua-Kona (Kona) or Waikoloa area. Kona is the “downtown“ area. Must sees: Volcanoes National Park, Akaka or Rainbow Falls, Circle Island Tour, museums, etc.

I’m Type A, so I always do my own planning and research. If you haven’t already, check out the TripAdvisor reviews for any activity or hotel you’re considering. You can also see reviews on the various tour operators. Good luck with your planning.
 


We are also on the East Coast, and my husband is a former Marine. We were stationed on Oahu for 3 years at Kaneohe (95-98), and have stayed many times at the Hale Koa and the Marriott Ko Olina (we own two every other year weeks there).

We go every other year typically now, and never for less than 2 weeks. We only visit Oahu (we’ve been to the other islands when we lived there, so just enjoy Ko Olina as a “vacation home”. Three years ago, we did what many owners there do and locked off our 2 bedroom villa, so first two weeks it was just myself and my youngest in the studio, then my DH and oldest joined us in the one bedroom for another two weeks. It was very relaxing to have the month there.

If you want any advice on local places we liked on Oahu, message me!

It’s a long trip getting there; we always do it with one stop either in Dallas, Atlanta, or last trip Detroit. I’m at an age now where I won’t fly that far in coach, so book lie flat seats for the longer flight (either AA or Delta). There is a nonstop from Dulles on United, but we’re so close to BWI that we opt for flying out of there.

If you island hop, take into account that you “lose” a day with packing up, flying, getting new car and checking in. For us, we like to settle in so we don’t, but if you do want to do so, I’d suggest a few days if Kauai, but if you go to the Big Island, a week is good to see Kona and VNP. We did that once, staying half the time in Kona, driving to Hilo and stayed a few days at Kilauea Military Camp (that was fun; they have cabins and it’s right there in the park).

There are lots of places that give military discounts. There used to be a tour desk at the Hale Koa (I’m sure it’s still there), and they can help with booking things like luaus, shows, submarine ride, etc. We’ve met lots of retired military folks that go to the Hale Koa for long stays (I think you can book up to 30 consecutive nights there).
 
I agree with @cgattis that you should stay as long as finances allow, but I wouldn't take a trip for shorter than 10 days, if at all possible. As others have said, the jet lag is a killer, and you lose an entire day each way to travel, so for us, it's just not worth less than 10 days. When we island hop, we typically do 3-4 days on another island and then spend a week at Aulani. We usually do the other island first and then like to relax at Aulani. In terms of must-do's, I would highly recommend Wild Side Tours if you're interested in a guided snorkel.
 
1) What is the recommended length of stay in Hawaii for a solid first visit vacation? We will be visiting Disneyland for a couple of days on one end!
2) What islands and how many days at each would you recommend?
3) What are some "must-do's" apart from Pearl Harbor and the pineapple plantation? All adults in my traveling party!
4) Would I be better off using a travel agent to weed through all of this? If so, do you have one you recommend?
1) 10 days. Allow time to acclimate from your flight. Its a long flight and there is 6 hours difference in time zones from the east coast.
2) at least 7 days on 'Ohau, especially if you do this at the beginning of the trip. No opinion on the other islands.
3) I'd agree about Pearl Harbor. Not huge on the pineapple plantation but you could include that as a stop on the way to the north shore. Also plan on a visit to Diamond Head. After that continue along the coastal road around the south east/east coast of the island. Spectacular scenery! Once you get to Kaialua take the H3 back across the island.
4) A TA won't really help a lot but if you decide to use one, the sponsors of the DIS Boards is Dreams Unlimited Travel.
 
Already great information here, just throwing in my two cents!

1) What is the recommended length of stay in Hawaii for a solid first visit vacation? We will be visiting Disneyland for a couple of days on one end!
Our honeymoon was also our first visit and we were there for 16 day across three islands. If/when we are able to visit again, we will likely do 10 days and maybe two islands. As PPs have mentioned, it takes a good 2-3 days to acclimate to the time change. Hawaii does not observe daylight savings, so they were 6 hours behind us coming from NY when we visited in September. For the first 2-3 days after arriving, we were ready for bed by 8-8:30pm and up by 4-4:30am. Takes some time to shake off the jet lag and feel back to yourself after that kind of travel and time change.

2) What islands and how many days at each would you recommend?
This is really going to vary depending on people's preferences. Many here say you need a good week to truly experience everything there is to see and do on any particular island. I don't disagree, but we will never have that kind of time to dedicate, so we had to be selective about how we approached each island.

We first spent 3 nights in Waikiki (Oahu) which is when we did Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head - both of these are best done early in the morning, and it worked out well for us adjusting to the time change in the beginning. We also did not have a rental car during this time due to the traffic/parking costs and used organized tours for these two spots, as parking can be a challenge at both. From there we flew to Maui for three nights, staying at the Westin in Kaanapali. The resort was gorgeous so I baked in resort time, and we also visited Lahaina and did a luau here as two of the highest rated luaus in Hawaii are in Maui. We would have had plenty of time for the Road to Hana or Haleakala, but opted not to do it. From there, we flew to Kauai for three nights and stayed at he Marriott in Lihue. We did a sunset dinner cruise around the Na Pali Coast and a helicopter tour of the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon. We could have made time for hiking at Waimea Canyon, but DH and I are not much for hiking and I wanted to keep our itinerary less than packed to allow some relaxation and flexibility. Finally, we flew back to Oahu to spend 6 nights at Aulani. We did get a rental car for this portion and planned our days doing every other as a resort day and a touring day. Visited the North Shore, Kualoa Ranch, and Kailua during this time.

In our experience, everything worked out perfectly and exactly as I wanted it to. I didn't feel we had too much or too little time at any spot we visited, and would definitely plan it the same way in the future. Now that we have experienced what we wanted to, we would likely spend the majority of our time on Oahu since it offers the most for us to do - it has a little bit of everything from beaches to culture to history to hiking to shopping. The other islands all have bits and pieces, but Oahu has it all. Kauai would be our second choice to return to because it had the most natural beauty and felt the most exotic to us.

3) What are some "must-do's" apart from Pearl Harbor and the pineapple plantation? All adults in my traveling party!
I would by no means consider the Dole Plantation to be a must do, especially with adults only in your party. As mentioned, its a kitschy tourist trap. We did visit and are glad we did, but wouldn't return. Definitely something I would only do if time permitted and you don't have to scrap anything else in favor of it.

For adults, the North Shore, Kailua, and Waikiki would be my must do's. We loved the relaxed pace and scenery in the North Shore and Kailua, and the beaches in Kailua were the most gorgeous we saw in all of Hawaii. Swimming was also great there. Waikiki is a touristy area, but a ton of fun for people watching, having a nice dinner, grabbing drinks, shopping. It has a completely different vibe than any other place we visited in Hawaii, and its about the only area you'll find some semblance of night life. We found that most of Hawaii is pretty quiet in the evenings, and acclimated to going to bed early and waking up early because of that.

4) Would I be better off using a travel agent to weed through all of this? If so, do you have one you recommend?
Even though I did a ton of research and picked out most hotels and activities on my own, we booked everything through a local agent that works for national agency. We wanted the peace of mind that they had a 24 hour help line, we wanted excellent travel insurance since it was quite an expensive vacation (they had options), and we wanted someone with knowledge of Hawaii to confirm my plans made sense and make sure I wasn't leaving out anything that should be a must do. I believe TA's also have the ability to pair flight segments together for you and can give you plane information, which was important to me. I really wanted a flight that arrived somewhat early on the way in and left late on the way out, and I wanted a certain seat configuration and entertainment options. I was willing to pay more for these amenities because I wanted us to be comfortable, and our TA was able to help with that.

Dreams Unlimited runs these boards and can certainly help with your trip planning. There are agents who specialize in Aulani bookings, but also have a great familiarity with Hawaii. Tracey Heinrichs is one - she's booked a cruise for me in the past and is very quick and easy to work with. She's also been on Dreams' Aulani podcast and I took some of her advice when we traveled there.


On a related note, I assume you're planning to stay at least part of the time at Aulani since you're posting on the Aulani forum? Being that your party is adults only, just wanted to clarify that. DH and I enjoyed it as Disney fanatics, but we were on our honeymoon and its still a very much family oriented resort with kids abound. Evening options are relegated to drinks at Olelo Room, sometimes with live music, and there's not much else to do in the immediate vicinity of Ko Olina. I do think its worth at least a visit for dinner or even short stay for the Disney fanatic in Hawaii, but just throwing this out there so you choose your lodging accordingly :)
 
I am looking at just a 6 night trip at Aulani, plus a day before and after in California. This will be a one and done for us (our 25th wedding anniversary trip) and I know that we will most likely never return, but regardless we will still will be blessed to get to have this experience. I am now thinking about renting a car for two days or 1.5 days to explore the island. First time out, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head or Tantalus Lookout, and Hanauma Bay. Second time out a trip to the North Shore. So what would I be looking at to do at the North Shore? Advice?
 
I am looking at just a 6 night trip at Aulani, plus a day before and after in California. This will be a one and done for us (our 25th wedding anniversary trip) and I know that we will most likely never return, but regardless we will still will be blessed to get to have this experience. I am now thinking about renting a car for two days or 1.5 days to explore the island. First time out, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head or Tantalus Lookout, and Hanauma Bay. Second time out a trip to the North Shore. So what would I be looking at to do at the North Shore? Advice?
For a lovely meal with great people watching and beach views, I recommend Haleiwa Beach House! We also walked around the shops in Haleiwa and watched the surfers. That was pretty much it for the North Shore for us.
 
For a lovely meal with great people watching and beach views, I recommend Haleiwa Beach House! We also walked around the shops in Haleiwa and watched the surfers. That was pretty much it for the North Shore for us.
Oh, really. Hmmmmm, makes me second guess it then.
 
Oh, really. Hmmmmm, makes me second guess it then.
I think many people spend a lot more time there than we did. I know the shrimp trucks are a hit among many. The North Shore definitely has a very laid back vibe. For us, a partial day was enough.
 
I think many people spend a lot more time there than we did. I know the shrimp trucks are a hit among many. The North Shore definitely has a very laid back vibe. For us, a partial day was enough.
May not do the North Shore then. Getting our snorkeling in at Hanauma Bay will be enough I think. May just do one day at Pearl Harbor and the rest of the day at the East side of the island.
 
May not do the North Shore then. Getting our snorkeling in at Hanauma Bay will be enough I think. May just do one day at Pearl Harbor and the rest of the day at the East side of the island.
Like @jodybird511, we didn’t really DO a lot at the north shore. We snorkeled at Shark’s Cove and enjoyed it, but not as much as Hanauma Bay. Shopping in Haleiwa was cute but I could only do that for about an hour and then I was ready to see something else gorgeous! Lots go to Matsumoto’s there for shave ice, but the line was literally about 100 deep, so we skipped that. We also did a little antiquing in Halawa (I think) abd got some excellent lemonade at WowWow Lemonade (mine was lemon lilikoi—yum) as our snack stop instead. There’s pretty pounding surf all year I think, even when they aren’t tall waves, so I wouldn’t let my kids surf or jump off the cliffs, so yeah, it was just a laid back half day. That’s why I didn’t call it a must-do.
 
First time out, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head or Tantalus Lookout, and Hanauma Bay.
IMO, there is not enough time in one day for all three of these. I know that Hanauma Bay is best done early due to parking challenges and crowds, but some have luck going later in the afternoon. I believe they are open until 6pm/7pm depending on time of year.

Diamond Head is also best done early in the morning because of parking but also because the trail is in direct sunlight and gets very crowded the later in the day it gets. We hiked Diamond Head around 9am and near the end of our hike, we had people coming up the rear on us and a consistent stream of people coming down. No places to pull over and take a break or get shade. The hike took us about two hours to go up and come down, and we were very sweaty and in workout clothes. We could not have gone to another destination after without showering first, except for maybe snorkeling/swimming.

Pearl Harbor requires you to obtain tickets for a tour time. Some have luck obtaining them 60 days in advance online but they have a limited amount. Otherwise, you'd have to arrive early before they open and wait in the standby line. They assign tour times in the order of the line. If you're near the end of the line, you could get a tour time up until about 3pm (they close at 5pm). It kind of wastes the day when you're there at 7am, get a 12pm tour time, and then need to find something to do between 7am and 12pm. Traffic is always a variable, and parking can be a challenge there later in the day. Plus, its recommended to not leave anything in your vehicle because theft is rampant there which makes it difficult to bring a bag with a change of clothes, or go shopping, or whatever.

IMO, if you're able to obtain a morning tour time for Pearl Harbor, you may have time for Hanuama Bay after. Our tour time was 9:15am and we were leaving by 11:30am. Its about a 30-40 minute commute to Hanauma Bay from there, so it would give you the better part of the afternoon. Alternatively, you could also hike Diamond Head in the morning and then do Hanauma Bay in the afternoon. But logistically, I don't see how all three could be done in one day.

I'm not familiar with Tantalus Lookout so no comments on that.

Second time out a trip to the North Shore. So what would I be looking at to do at the North Shore? Advice?
We stopped at the Dole Plantation on our way to the North Shore. We did the train ride, got a Dole Whip, got some souvenirs for people at home. Took us about 2.5 hours so we spent most of the morning there. From there, we drove to Haleiwa and parked and walked around. Browsed some of the stores and got lunch at Kono's which was amazing. The shrimp trucks are also in the vicinity which people love. After, we drove to Waimea Valley and walked to the waterfall. We also stopped at Laniakea Beach on the way to see the sea turtles. On our way back through Haleiwa, we stopped at Matsumoto's for a shave ice (a must do IMO). I've heard great things about Haleiwa Beach House and we had it on our list for dinner, but ended up not being hungry enough for a sit down dinner.

IMO, Waimea Valley and Dole Plantation are not must do's. We enjoyed them fine, but its not something we'd repeat. There's some good beach spots to stop off at and watch surfers, and Turtle Bay resort is a little further up the road where there's some dining. Plus its a recognizable resort from several movies. We loved the North Shore area and the laidback, casual vibe. Felt very comfortable there and would plan on spending more time there on a future trip.

If you can't make it to Hanuama Bay, there are snorkeling opportunities in the North Shore too.
 
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IMO, there is not enough time in one day for all three of these. I know that Hanauma Bay is best done early due to parking challenges and crowds, but some have luck going later in the afternoon. I believe they are open until 6pm/7pm depending on time of year.

Diamond Head is also best done early in the morning because of parking but also because the trail is in direct sunlight and gets very crowded the later in the day it gets. We hiked Diamond Head around 9am and near the end of our hike, we had people coming up the rear on us and a consistent stream of people coming down. No places to pull over and take a break or get shade. The hike took us about two hours to go up and come down, and we were very sweaty and in workout clothes. We could not have gone to another destination after without showering first, except for maybe snorkeling/swimming.

Pearl Harbor requires you to obtain tickets for a tour time. Some have luck obtaining them 60 days in advance online but they have a limited amount. Otherwise, you'd have to arrive early before they open and wait in the standby line. They assign tour times in the order of the line. If you're near the end of the line, you could get a tour time up until about 3pm (they close at 5pm). It kind of wastes the day when you're there at 7am, get a 12pm tour time, and then need to find something to do between 7am and 12pm. Traffic is always a variable, and parking can be a challenge there later in the day. Plus, its recommended to not leave anything in your vehicle because theft is rampant there which makes it difficult to bring a bag with a change of clothes, or go shopping, or whatever.

IMO, if you're able to obtain a morning tour time for Pearl Harbor, you may have time for Hanuama Bay after. Our tour time was 9:15am and we were leaving by 11:30am. Its about a 30-40 minute commute to Hanauma Bay from there, so it would give you the better part of the afternoon. Alternatively, you could also hike Diamond Head in the morning and then do Hanauma Bay in the afternoon. But logistically, I don't see how all three could be done in one day.

I'm not familiar with Tantalus Lookout so no comments on that.


We stopped at the Dole Plantation on our way to the North Shore. We did the train ride, got a Dole Whip, got some souvenirs for people at home. Took us about 2.5 hours so we spent most of the morning there. From there, we drove to Haleiwa and parked and walked around. Browsed some of the stores and got lunch at Kono's which was amazing. The shrimp trucks are also in the vicinity which people love. After, we drove to Waimea Valley and walked to the waterfall. We also stopped at Laniakea Beach on the way to see the sea turtles. On our way back through Haleiwa, we stopped at Matsumoto's for a shave ice (a must do IMO). I've heard great things about Haleiwa Beach House and we had it on our list for dinner, but ended up not being hungry enough for a sit down dinner.

IMO, Waimea Valley and Dole Plantation are not must do's. We enjoyed them fine, but its not something we'd repeat. There's some good beach spots to stop off at and watch surfers, and Turtle Bay resort is a little further up the road where there's some dining. Plus its a recognizable resort from several movies. We loved the North Shore area and the laidback, casual vibe. Felt very comfortable there and would plan on spending more time there on a future trip.

If you can't make it to Hanuama Bay, there are snorkeling opportunities in the North Shore too.
I was actually wondering about the time issue with PH, DH and HB in one day. Thanks for advice, I will take it.
 

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