Split stay. Activities best done from Aulani ?

[eeyoresmom]

We have 3 nights in Waikiki followed by 6 in Aulani. First visit to Hawaii for us ( myself, DH and 2 adult DD's.) We are doing Pearl Harbor and hiking Diamond Head on our first full day in Waikiki. On the second we are likely visiting a large botanical garden and a Buddhist temple on the eastern side of the island. We will definitely do a full day circle tour of Oahu from Aulani with plenty of stops. What are your favorite activiites/attractions that are convenient from Aulani?

 

[kyton]

North Shore (including pit stop at Dole) is an easier trip from Aulani. Pearl Harbor is slap in the middle so can be done from either location. Diamond Head can be a long trek depending on when you get there and the weather - you could be extremely hot and sweaty to then go to Pearl Harbor afterwards.

 

[Hwing]

Kaena state park is wonderful and about 30-40 mins from Aulani. Hike will take a few hours and there is little shade, but well worth it!

 

[nkereina]

We did North Shore, Waimea Valley, Kualoa Ranch, and Kailua during our time at Aulani. We tried to avoid crossing through Honolulu and Waikiki area, and did everything in that region during our stay in Waikiki.

We are doing Pearl Harbor and hiking Diamond Head on our first full day in Waikiki.

What is your itinerary like this day? I will caution that both are best done early in the morning. At Pearl Harbor, parking becomes a challenge later in the day. You'd also need to get tour tickets in advance for a tour time, or else you'd need to arrive early for the standby line to get a tour time. I believe Pearl Harbor is open until 5, though I'm not sure what the last tour time is. At Diamond Head, the later in the day you go, parking becomes a challenge and the trail becomes very hot and crowded. Its in direct sun and there is nowhere to really pull over and take a break or get in the shade. Its a constant flow of people. We were also quite sweaty and in workout clothes, so we couldn't really do anything else before going back to our hotel to shower.

The only other thing I'd suggest during a Waikiki stay, if interested, is Hanauma Bay. Much easier/closer to get there from Waikiki, and its another place that's best done early in the morning.

 

[eeyoresmom]

We are thinking of hiking Diamond Head very early since it is out first full day and we will be on east coast time. Will probably get there around 6:30 am. I'm hoping we dont get too sweaty in late January. No telling though. The earliest tickets I can get for PH would be 11 am. I'm thinking of getting tickets for a bit later in case we do need to shower after our hike.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Another option would be to skip Diamond Head that first day and go straight to Pearl Harbor. On our second day we were going to start the day with a hike on the Haunama Bay Rim trail but should we skip this and do Diamond Head this day? Is there a shady or partly shady hike anywhere near PH that we could do after? We like a mix of activities each day.

 

[nkereina]

We are thinking of hiking Diamond Head very early since it is out first full day and we will be on east coast time. Will probably get there around 6:30 am. I'm hoping we dont get too sweaty in late January. No telling though. The earliest tickets I can get for PH would be 11 am. I'm thinking of getting tickets for a bit later in case we do need to shower after our hike.

Going early will be cooler temperature-wise, but it is a hike. We were sweaty just from the cardio component of it. I would plan to arrive at Pearl Harbor at least an hour before your tour time, and you'll want give yourself at least 20-30 minutes to commute there from Waikiki. I say to arrive an hour before your tour because parking can be challenging later in the day, and you'll also have to store any bags at bag check. You don't want to leave things in the car there. There's also the free museum area to check out before the tour, and I recall lining up for our tour about 15 minutes prior to our tour time.

Another option would be to skip Diamond Head that first day and go straight to Pearl Harbor. On our second day we were going to start the day with a hike on the Haunama Bay Rim trail but should we skip this and do Diamond Head this day? Is there a shady or partly shady hike anywhere near PH that we could do after? We like a mix of activities each day.

I can't speak to Hanauma Bay hiking, but I know the snorkeling is good there - were you planning on doing that? Might make for a good morning there. I'm not familiar with anything close to a hike near Pearl Harbor, seems to urban for that maybe someone else can advise.

Is Diamond Head a must do? We enjoyed the views for sure, but it was a one and done for us. There's also Manoa Falls which is often recommended, and Waimea Valley.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Thanks. I'm researching doing Manoa falls after Pearl Harbor on day 1, then Diamond Head and a driving tour of the east coast on Day 2.......or, possibly DH on our 3rd morning in Waikiki before we check into Aulani.

 

[jkips]

Thanks. I'm researching doing Manoa falls after Pearl Harbor on day 1, then Diamond Head and a driving tour of the east coast on Day 2.......or, possibly DH on our 3rd morning in Waikiki before we check into Aulani.

We just tried to do Manoa falls yesterday (11/27) and found out they are now closing the trail Monday through Friday for repair work. I don’t know how long it’s supposed to last but if you are thinking about doing a midweek trip like we did you should research it so you don’t end up like us.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Thank you. Our visit would be on a Sunday