Must-see beautiful drives?

[yfamdiscruise]

What is your favorite spot/drive on the island? **Bonus points for breathtaking scenery!** I know so much of the island is beautiful, but what are your must-see spots? Beautiful drives/viewing areas would be more our style than strenuous hikes this time around.

 

[kyton]

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29222-c124540/Oahu:Hawaii:Driving.Tours.html - we've done all of these as well as just getting into the car and driving aimlessly LOL! We love the North Shore and from Aulani it is a relatively quick trip - but really Oahu is small, so you can do a round trip in one day.

 

[Sparky McGrew]

What is your favorite spot/drive on the island? **Bonus points for breathtaking scenery!** I know so much of the island is beautiful, but what are your must-see spots? Beautiful drives/viewing areas would be more our style than strenuous hikes this time around.

I'm an Oahu resident. For amazing views, drive either up or down the Windward side of the island. Lots of photo-worthy beach and mountain views. Aloha.

 

[alohamom]

I'm an Oahu resident. For amazing views, drive either up or down the Windward side of the island. Lots of photo-worthy beach and mountain views. Aloha.

I totally second this, it is hard to believe how incredible the drive can be on the East side. One of my most favorite things about Oahu is taking the H3 highway across the middle of the island to the East through the mountains. I know it isnt ocean views but the mountains are seriously breathtaking and then when you come out on the other side and you see the ocean it is unreal.

 

[spacecanada]

I was just going to say the same thing, mentioning that very highway. Definitely a memorable and beautiful drive.

 

[yfamdiscruise]

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29222-c124540/Oahu:Hawaii:Driving.Tours.html - we've done all of these as well as just getting into the car and driving aimlessly LOL! We love the North Shore and from Aulani it is a relatively quick trip - but really Oahu is small, so you can do a round trip in one day.

These will be fun to review -- perfect! Thank you!

 

[yfamdiscruise]

I totally second this, it is hard to believe how incredible the drive can be on the East side. One of my most favorite things about Oahu is taking the H3 highway across the middle of the island to the East through the mountains. I know it isnt ocean views but the mountains are seriously breathtaking and then when you come out on the other side and you see the ocean it is unreal.

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That's gorgeous! Great tip! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for replying!

 

[Amw1064]

I totally second this, it is hard to believe how incredible the drive can be on the East side. One of my most favorite things about Oahu is taking the H3 highway across the middle of the island to the East through the mountains. I know it isnt ocean views but the mountains are seriously breathtaking and then when you come out on the other side and you see the ocean it is unreal.

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yes this!!!!!

 

[OKW Lover]

Lots of great suggestions above. We especially like the tip about the H3. Also, try following the coastal road along the south east side of the island. Spectacular coast line and a blow hole to see along the way.

 

[SevenWonkas]

We’ve been to Ko Olina 5(?) times now, and finally on this last trip drove up the coast from Ko Olina. We didn’t really do any research ahead of time, just winged it, and the road ended at Ka’ena Point State Park. There was a trail to walk on, but were in flip flops, so we just walked up a little bit. We enjoyed the view and took lots of photos! We want to go back with proper attire, and explore some more!

 

[alohamom]

There was a pretty big landslide on the Pali highway/H3 on Sunday and it is going to be closed for a while so heads up to any one looking at this thread and thinking of travelling through the island via the Pali

 

[yfamdiscruise]

There was a pretty big landslide on the Pali highway/H3 on Sunday and it is going to be closed for a while so heads up to any one looking at this thread and thinking of travelling through the island via the Pali

Just to clarify since I’m not familiar with the area, is the H3 itself still open? That’s still a beautiful drive, right? Or is the issue that with another highway closed, the H3 may be extra busy or something? Just trying to figure out if we could/should still drive the H3 for some beautiful views. Thanks!!

 

[jsmith]

Pali Hwy and the H3 are the same thing-it is currently only open to cross island traffic during commute hours and closed the rest of the day while repairs are made. It is a beautiful drive but probably not a good choice for the next couple of weeks.

 

[OKW Lover]

Pali Hwy and the H3 are the same thing-it is currently only open to cross island traffic during commute hours and closed the rest of the day while repairs are made. It is a beautiful drive but probably not a good choice for the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for this info. Hopefully repairs will be complete before we go in a few months.

 

[dachsie]

I know they have a car rental place on site, can you do day rentals so if i wanted to drive the island one day I could rent for just that day?

 

[RWSmith]

What is your favorite spot/drive on the island? **Bonus points for breathtaking scenery!** I know so much of the island is beautiful, but what are your must-see spots? Beautiful drives/viewing areas would be more our style than strenuous hikes this time around.

We drove on the west coast only. It was horrible. Next time we’ll take the time to drive on the other side.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We visited Hanauma Bay and from there there is a beautiful scenic drive.

 

[Sparky McGrew]

Pali Hwy and the H3 are the same thing-

I'm an Oahu resident. The Pali Highway and the H-3 are NOT the same roads. There are three routes over the Ko'olau Mountains: the Pali, the Likelike, and the H-3. Only the Pali is closed. (Currently they are opening it during the morning and afternoon rush hours, M-F, but that could change.) Aloha.