Oahu Travel Tips: START HERE If You’re Planning a Trip to Oahu
Oahu is by far the most visited Hawaiian Island. Home to Honolulu (the state’s capital) and Waikiki (Hawaii’s bustling tourist hub), there’s a LOT going on on Oahu. It’s easily the island with the most attractions and sites to tour, see, and do (even though every island has plenty to do) so information about how to have the best vacation on the island is in demand.
I’ve got 30+ posts on Oahu on this site (not including the other islands or general Hawaii planning posts)…that’s a lot of info! To pull it all together in one place, this page is “home base” for all of my Oahu travel tips.
Oahu Travel Tips
First things first…if there’s one post on my blog you’ve got to read it’s this one: Hawaii Travel Tips. It’s not island specific, but it covers things like which airports to fly into on each island, the scoop on illegal vacation rentals, rules about not touching wild animals that are federally protected in Hawaii, the unspoken rules for driving on the island, how to get along with locals, what to expect and MORE. It’s a whopper of a post (7000+ words) and it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss. Check it out here.
Where to Stay on Oahu
This is where it all starts when you’re planning your trip. The big question is whether to stay in Waikiki or not.
To be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with Waikiki. Mooooostly I just think there are a dozen better places to stay in Hawaii, but there are times when it can be fun. There are a lot of pros and cons for staying in Waikiki and staying somewhere else on the island though.
My Favorite Boutique Hotels in Waikiki
If you’re set on staying in Waikiki (or want to read up on all of the reasons why you may love it), this post has my favorite boutique hotels in Waikiki.
Where to Stay on Oahu Besides Waikiki
If you’re trying to avoid Waikiki, this post breaks down all of the other places to stay on the island.
If you’re trying to settle on the best place to stay in Ko Olina, this post breaks down all of your options.
Specific Hotel Reviews
More Posts about Disney’s Aulani Resort
Aulani Tips: Everything You Need to Know about Staying at Aulani
Is It Worth It to Stay at Aulani?
How Many Days to Stay at Aulani?
The Best Things to Eat and Drink at Aulani
More Where to Stay Posts:
Enjoy the finer things in life? You’re going to want to read about the best Luxury Resorts in Hawaii
Like things a little smaller and more personal? Check out my favorite Boutique Hotels in Hawaii
Oahu Condos: Are you really trying to watch the budget? Or just want more space to spread out with friends and family? You’re definitely going to want a condo or vacation rental. There are a ton of condos and vacation rentals on Oahu (plus areas where most rentals are illegal) so it’s a little overwhelming. This post breaks down not just different condo complexes, but also which areas are totally fine to rent places through Vrbo and Airbnb and which areas you need to watch out for.
5 Day Oahu Itinerary
The Best Oahu 5 Day Itinerary: I’ve noticed that people either seem to book their airfare and hotel first and then figure the rest out, or they want to lay out an itinerary and then decide how to book their flights (how long to stay) and where to stay. Either way, having a solid itinerary (even if it’s just a lot of built in relaxation time peppered with some activities) can make your vacation sooooo much better. Read that post here.
Rentals Cars on Oahu
You absolutely will need a rental car. Hawaii is not an all-inclusive destination where you’ll arrive by shuttle and never leave your resort (I mean you could do that…but it’s pretty expensive just to get to Hawaii so most people want to actually see Hawaii. If you want a cheaper resort only vacation, just go to Mexico).
Also, Oahu is a pretty large island. Throw in not the greatest roads and a lot of traffic there’s 1 million people on this island!) and it can take a while to get around. Oahu is the only island with any kind of reliable public transportation. The Bus and trolley system is pretty good for getting around Waikiki and ok for Honolulu, but if you’re wanting to venture much beyond the city (and you definitely should) you’re going to need a car.
I always book through Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. They’re seriously the only company I ever use. They’ll give you the very best prices, you don’t have to reserve with a credit card or pay until you show up, you can cancel and re-book anytime if you find a better rate, and they usually have a special that adds additional drivers for no fee. It’s a no brainer. Click here to check rates for your trip.
And you can read more about the rental car situation in Hawaii here.
Oahu Restaurant Recommendations
If you’re anything like me, your vacation probably revolves a bit around where you’re going to eat. Oahu has the best food scene of all the islands. Read up on some of my food recommendations:
Where Do Locals Eat in Waikiki? 40 Spots to Try That Aren’t the Cheesecake Factory ; )
The Best Restaurants in Ko Olina
Oahu Luaus
If there’s one thing I get asked about more than pretty much anything else, it’s about luaus. So I’ve written a LOT about them.
The Best Luaus on Oahu (and Which Ones to Avoid)
Is the Polynesian Cultural Center “Worth It?” A Full Review
Paradise Cove vs Polynesian Cultural Center
Things to Do on Oahu
One of the top questions I get asked is when the best time to book activities/tours/excursions is. Honestly, if there’s something you know you want to do for sure…you should book it as soon as you can. There’s no advantage to waiting until the last minute. You won’t find better deals and more than likely you’ll end up missing out because things sell out. In the post COVID landscape, so many activities and tours in Hawaii (luaus, snorkeling tours, ziplining, atv rides, even RESTAURANTS) are fully booked 2-4 months in advance.
Jurassic Park in Hawaii: If you’ve ever watched any of the Jurassic Park movies with your jaw on the ground, you’re going to want to go to Kualoa Ranch. So many movies have been filmed there and it’s a visitor’s paradise with so many different tour options to choose from.
Tips for Visiting Pearl Harbor: The lowdown on how to get tickets for the USS Arizona, how long you need, and more.
Things to Do in Waikiki: Tons of options from classic Waikiki experiences to adventure activities to cultural and historical spots.
Secret Things to Do on Oahu: Off the beaten path, hidden gems, etc.
8 Easy Hikes on Oahu: Nothing illegal or “extremely dangerous” but all out of this world beautiful.
Things to Do in Ko Olina: Fun in the sun on Oahu’s west side.
Things to Do in Kailua & the Windward Coast: A full day on Oahu’s east side
Things to Do on Oahu’s North Shore: Plus recommendations on where to stay and where to eat.
Best Spas on Oahu: For when you just need to chill for a bit. Recommendations for Waikiki, Turtle Bay, and Ko’olina.
Shangri La & the Honolulu Museum of Art: My personal favorite “underrated” spot on Oahu.
Miscellaneous Hawaii Planning Posts
Want more Hawaii planning info? Here are some of my best posts:
Which Hawaiian Island to Visit: Maybe you’re settled on Oahu or maybe you’re still trying to decide. This post will breakdown each island and help you figure out which one is right for YOU.
The Best Time to Visit Hawaii: Cheapest time of year to go? Best weather? When are the whales in town? I’ve got all that info here.
How Much Does the Average Trip to Hawaii Cost? Another top question I get asked.
Hawaii Trip Planning Timeline: How far in advance should you start planning? Do you book for airfare or room first?
How to Find Cheap Flights to Hawaii: But also, which are the BEST flights to Hawaii regardless of price.
Luxury on a Budget: Some of my best tips for finding NICE places to stay at cheaper prices.
How to Survive the Long Flight to Hawaii: Just exactly how long is the flight to Hawaii? Plus tips on what to bring and how to fight jet lag.
The Ultimate Hawaii Packing List: 26 things you don’t want to forget at home!
What to Wear in Hawaii: Casual is the name of the game in Hawaii, but here are some specifics of the kinds of clothes you’ll probably want to pack.
Here’s one more really important thing you need to know before your Hawaii trip…
Reservations You Need to Make BEFORE Your Hawaii Trip
You’ve got your airfare, hotel, rental car and your big activities booked, so you should be good to go, right? Wrong!
Travel is BOOMING in Hawaii so a lot of state and national parks used the closure and reopening to institute reservation systems at some of the island’s most popular spots to make things a little more sustainable.
That means that there are now over half a dozen sites (beaches, trailheads, etc.) that require advance reservations. And some sell out well before you arrive on the island so you really need to have some sort of a plan.
I recently saw somebody in a Hawaii travel group post in a panic that they didn’t know they had to make reservations for things in advance…they thought they could just show up and “go with the flow.” I was tempted to say, well, “as long as the flow doesn’t take you somewhere that requires reservations, you can!” ; )
But I don’t want YOU to be that person, so I’ve pulled together a list of all the places you need to reserve entry in advance (plus all the details on booking windows, price, links, etc.) and a handful of popular tourist hotspots that book out really far in advance too.
P.S. Thanks for sticking around and reading this whole post! If you have ANY questions about planning your trip to Hawaii, you can join my free Facebook group here. I’m there answering questions every day and there are 7500+ other friends who have a ton of Hawaii information to share!
Also, if you want to follow along on my travel adventures in real time, you can follow me on Instagram (@caitylincoln). My post captions are full of travel tips and I have a ton of story highlights and videos with great info. And please share my account with your friends that are headed to Hawaii! Your support really helps me keep this blog running!