The Ultimate 4 Day Oahu Adventure Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1 will be nice and relaxing because you are bound to be exhausting after your flight. I know we were!

Morning – Airport to Turtle Bay Resort (1 hour drive)

After you have picked up your rental car from the airport, it’s time to head straight up to the North Shore. The drive from Honolulu International Airport to The Ritz Carlton on the North Shore is about 1 hour. Dave and I found this drive pretty long after a red eye flight from Australia which neither of us slept on.

We actually ended up stopping along the way at the Polynesian Cultural Centre to get some food and have a little nap in the carpark.

Midday – Check out Turtle Bay and relax on the beach

Once you arrive at The Ritz-Carlton Resort, you can either have lunch here or if you are a fan of the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” just pop in and have a look. This is the hotel where the movie was filmed and the only resort on the North Shore of Oahu.

There is  a beach bar called Beach House by Roy Yamaguchi where you can get food and drinks. This is the first place that we ate at and it made us feel like we were suddenly on a tropical vacation.

Once you have filled up on delicious food and cocktails, grab your swimsuit and a towel and head down to the beach at Kuilima Cove. Here you will find a nice grassy area underneath some palm trees in the shade to chill out and relax at. This is where Dave and I had our second nap and it was such a good one.

After recovering from the food, you can take a dip in the water to cool off. The heat in Hawaii is no joke so you will definitely need it!

Depending on where in the world you are travelling from, you may or may not be completely exhausted like we were. Take your time to relax and recuperate your energy for day 2.

Afternoon – Dinner and Sunset

You can choose to do these either way around depending on how hungry you are. In Hawaii, the sun sets at around 7pm in Summer so we found it pretty hard to decide whether to have dinner before or after.

There are not many restaurants located up on the North Shore itself, except for some food trucks near Shark’s Cove and the restaurants at The Ritz-Carlton.

Instead, I recommend driving down East a little to Kahuku. Here, you will find some great restaurants such as the Kahuku Grill, which serves American/Hawaiian Food and Seven Brothers, which has incredible ratings, serves American and is vegetarian friendly.

Sunset Beach lives up to its name! It is one of the best places to watch the sunset on Oahu Hawaii. From Turtle Bay Resort, the drive to Sunset Beach is about 10 minutes.

Once you get there, you can park in the Sunset Beach Parking lot which also has a bathroom. The beach itself is super popular at sunset so don’t expect to have it to yourself, especially not during the busy Summer months.

Day 2

On day 2, you will get to go snorkelling, experience a Luau AND check out some of the famous food trucks of Oahu. If you try anything while you are in Hawaii, let it be the Garlic Shrimp from one of the food trucks because me oh my it is delicious!

Morning – Breakfast and snorkelling

Get all of your snorkelling gear ready to go and head over to your breakfast spot, which just so happens to be right next to your snorkelling spot.

One of the most popular and Insta-famous breakfast spots on the North Shore of Oahu is the Sunrise Shack. Located at Shark’s Cove, it is super convenient because you will be snorkelling at Shark’s Cove! Don’t worry though, it’s not called Shark’s Cove because there are sharks.

At the Sunrise Shack, you can get really interesting coffees (just check out their menu!) healthy shots, smoothies and superfood smoothie bowls.

Shark’s Cove is one of the best snorkelling spots on Oahu. If you don’t have your own snorkeling gear (mask and fins), you can rent some from Surf N Sea which is not too far away from Shark’s Cove. While you are snorkeling, look out for sea turtles! This Oahu snorkelling spot does get pretty busy, so I recommend trying to get there as early as possible.

Midday – Lunch at the food trucks

For lunch, you can head across the road to the food trucks. There is lots of different types of food available but I highly recommend trying the Garlic Shrimp because you can’t go to Hawaii without having the Garlic Shrimp at least once.

Afternoon / Evening – Luau

After a morning of snorkelling and food trucks on the North Shore, ending the day with a luau is the perfect way to slow things down and experience Hawaiian culture in one place. This is the Luau I recommend for a first trip to Oahu because it combines culture, food, and one of the island’s most beautiful valleys in a single evening.

Luaus tend to sell out quickly on Oahu so I recommend booking nice and far in advance.

My Top Pick

Toa Luau at Waimea Valley

• Price: Starting at $130 per person
• Duration: 3 hours
• Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐
• Explore Waimea Valley and enjoy a Polynesian Luau with fire knife dancing
• Be greeted with flower lei and walk through fragrant flower lei gardens
• Cultural demonstrations, dancing, and enjoy traditional Hawaiian food and cocktails

Book Luau!

Day 3

Day 3 will have you moving onto the East side of Oahu. Along the way, you will get to do an incredible but short hike where you will get absolutely stunning views of the mountains and the blue ocean. You will also be visiting Kualoa Ranch.

Morning – Breakfast and Crouching Lion Hike

Unless you are super keen to have breakfast at the Sunrise Shack again, which, if you are I don’t blame you, you could try the Farm to Barn Café and Juicery. This café has a lovely outdoor seating area and amazing food such as bagels, waffles, avocado on toast and more!

Crouching Lion Hike (from Farm to Barn Cafe: 1 hour drive)

Distance: 0.8km / 0.5 miles Time: 1-2 hours Elevation: 90m / 300 ft

The Crouching Lion Hike is a classic, with absolutely awesome views overlooking the Hawaiian mountains and ocean, although the trail is technically “closed.” From the Farm to Barn Café to the Crouching Lion trailhead, it is about a 1 hour drive.

The trail is extremely short, but steep. I recommend wearing enclosed shoes with some grip if you have some.

Afternoon – Arrive in Kailua and relax on the beach (from Kualoa Ranch: 35 mins drive)

Once you arrive in Kailua, if you haven’t already had lunch, definitely go grab something to eat from the town first. Kailua is very residential so the town has plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes.

Go check out Kailua Beach Park or Kalama Beach Park. These parks are right next to each other and have lovely still water which you can swim in and a sandy beach to relax on.

Dinner – Buzz’s Original Steakhouse

Buzz’s Original Steakhouse is one of the best cocktail bars in Kailua. It is located right next to Kailua beach and is ALWAYS busy. I remember waiting about 30 minutes to get in to just have a drink. Worth it thought! The vibes are fun and the cocktails were yum! We celebrated our engagement here!

I recommend booking a table if you want to go there for dinner. To make a reservation and to check out their menu, click here!

Day 4

On day 4, you will be doing a classic Hawaiian ridgeline hike and visiting the famous botanical gardens that you have probably seen all over social media. From the top of the hiking trail, you will be able to see all of the way out to Waikiki and the ocean!

The day we did this hike and visited the botanical and visited the botanical garden, Dave and I had just gotten engaged on Lanikai Beach that morning at sunrise. It was absolutely magical and we were both on a high for the entire day.

Morning – Lanikai Beach, Oahu

Visit Lanikai Beach in the morning. I highly recommend sunrise because it is stunning and a real event. We were surprised at how many people were there walking along the beach that early in the morning. Everyone stopped what they were doing at the moment the sun rose over the horizon to watch. If you are not a sunrise person, no worries! You can still enjoy Lanikai Beach later in the morning.

Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail

Distance: 7.6km / 4.7 miles | Time: 3 hours | Elevation: 493m / 1,617 ft

Once you have finished your brunch, it’s time to grab your hiking gear and drive to the Wiliwilinui Ridge Trailhead. The Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail is one of the best beginner ridge hikes on Oahu. We still found it kind of scary at the time though because of all the mud and the crazy fast changing weather conditions!

Tips

• Don’t wear your favourite white shoes. It is a muddy trail. Hiking boots or trail runners are best.
• Download offline maps. The trail is pretty easy to follow but it’s always best to have a back-up map.
• Watch the weather. Hawaii can have sudden crazy storms and lots of rain. I highly recommend avoiding this trail during or after rain as it is very muddy and will be quite slippery.
• Have fun!

Afternoon – Botanical Garden

On your way back from the trail, you can stop off at the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden. This garden has been very popular on Instagram over the past few years.

So much so, that they have actually banned taking photos where you drive in. The first photo pictured below is of the iconic IG photo spot, which I took from our moving car. You can no longer take photos here as it is illegal.

Entrance to the gardens is free and you can walk around for as little or as long as you like.

Dinner – Tokoname Japanese Restaurant

If you like Japanese food, Dave and I finished our engagement adventure day with dinner at Tokoname and it was delicious! If you don’t like Japanese, there are plenty of other restaurants in Kailua to choose from.

Bonus day in Waikiki

If you have an extra day in Waikiki, it’s the perfect change to unwind or explore more of Honolulu. You could just chill out on the beach, try out some amazing restaurants or go on a fun adventure around the city.

The Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort is the perfect combination of comfort, affordability and bougie and also located right on Waikiki Beach.

Top Pick in Waikiki

Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort

• Starting at $250 per night
• Directly on Waikiki Beach with ocean views
• Perfect for couples, families, or solo travelers

Book Now

Where to fly into

To get to Oahu, you will need to fly into Honolulu International Airport which is the main airport in Hawaii. For many of the other islands, you will need to fly into Honolulu first and get a connecting flight to the other islands, however some islands now have direct flights from certain US airports.

Driving

For this itinerary, I recommend renting a car from the airport so you can explore the island easily. The hardest part about driving on Oahu is when you initially leave the airport and get straight onto the highway. Once you have left the main busyness of Honolulu, the rest of the island is a bit less hectic.

Public Transport

If you choose not to rent a car, but you still want to get around the island, you can use the Oahu bus system. This will mean that you will need to plan ahead a little more to make sure that you don’t miss any buses but you can still reach many of the popular tourist destinations.

Join a Tour

One of the best ways to explore Oahu is by joining a tour. Some of the best Oahu tours are:

• North Shore Experience and Dole Plantation
• Oahu: Kualoa Movie Sites, Jungle, and Buffet Tour Package
• Oahu: Waikiki Sunset Catamaran Sail and Swim

When is the Best Time to Visit Hawaii?

The “best” time to visit Hawaii will really depend on what you want to do while you are there. For this specific itinerary, the best time to visit is anytime between the months July – October or you could stretch to the months between May – November. In other words, outside of Winter so that you can enjoy the snorkelling on Oahu while the water is calmer.

Winter in Hawaii

Winter is the best time to visit to see the surfing competitions in Hawaii because this is when the swell is biggest. Winter is not ideal for snorkelling as the swell is so large, however if you know where to look, you might be able to find some good snorkelling spots during Winter. Morning is usually the best time to go snorkelling as the ocean is at its calmest.

Spring in Hawaii

Spring is a great time to visit Hawaii as this is the start of the dry season and when the temperatures begin to heat up reaching the high 70s and low 80s Fahrenheit which is 21 – 27 Celsius. There are also less crowds during Spring as opposed to Summer and you may be able to find some travel deals and save some money when booking your trip.

Summer in Hawaii

Summer is the most popular and therefore the busiest time on Oahu for tourists. This is because the weather is nice and hot and beautiful. You will find that accommodation and likely flights are most expensive during Summer.

Fall in Hawaii

The water temperature is warmest in September and October in Hawaii and the overall temperature outside is still warm too. The crowds start to die off after the crazy Summer period. In other words, after reading up on it, Fall seems like a wonderful time to visit Hawaii. We visited Hawaii in Summer so were able to experience to crazy crowds but I’m thinking next time we might try Fall.

You may still get some rainfall during Fall/Autumn in Hawaii but it’s a tropical part of the world so can only be expected.

How Many Days to Spend on Oahu

There is a lot to see and do on Oahu and of course you probably want to spend a bit of time relaxing as well. I think that 4, 5 or 6 days on Oahu would be perfect.

Where to Stay

I want to start by saying that there are more places to stay on Oahu besides Waikiki.

During your 4 days on Oahu, if you decide to use this itinerary, I recommend staying 2 nights on the North Shore and 2 nights on the East Coast in the town of Kailua. There are loads of short term apartment rental options in Kailua but not really any actual hotels or resorts!

Hopefully, you then have time for 1 additional night in Waikiki to enable you to spend 1 day in Waikiki.

North Shore Accommodation

• The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay – the hotel from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall and my personal dream hotel!
• Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore

Kailua (East Coast) Accommodation

• Modern Kailua Beach/LANIKAI bedroom apartment
• Private Beachfront Rental

4 Day Oahu Packing List

When planning a trip to Oahu, you are going to want to make sure you bring along everything you need to make the most out of your trip. This means the right walking shoes, swimsuit, adventure clothes and nice clothes to eat out in and even your snorkel set if you have your own.

I have put together the below list to help you pack your bags for your 4 Day Oahu Trip!

Our Thoughts

Hawaii and Oahu in particular is one place that we could happily go back to more than once. I will say that a lot of the hikes in Hawaii are on another level of scary, but the ones that I have listed in this itinerary are not too bad.

Enjoy the beauty Hawaii has to offer and happy adventuring!

You might also enjoy:

• Where Can I Snorkel With Turtles on Oahu
• Bucketlist Things to do on Oahu
• How to Hike the Crouching Lion Trail
• Best Things to do on Kauai
• The Ultimate 4 Day Kauai Itinerary
• How to Spend a Perfect One Day in Waikiki
• Where to Stay on Kauai: Breakdown by Area
• The Best Beginner Ridge Trail on Oahu

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