To experience even a fraction of O'ahu's charms, you need a minimum of four days and a bus pass. Five days and a car is better: Waikiki is at least a day, Honolulu and Chinatown another, Pearl Harbor the better part of another. Each of the rural sections can swallow a day each, just for driving, sight-seeing and stopping to eat. And that's before you've taken a surf lesson, hung from a parasail, hiked a loop trail, or visited a botanical garden. The following itineraries will take you to our favorite spots on the island.
First Day in Waikiki
You'll be up at dawn due to the time change and dead on your feet by afternoon due to jet lag. Have a dawn swim, change into walking gear, and head east along Kalakaua Avenue to Monsarrat Avenue, and climb Diamond Head. After lunch, nap in the shade (sunburn!), do some shopping, or visit the nearby East Honolulu neighborhoods of Mo'ili'ili and Ka'imuki, rife with small shops and good, little restaurants. End the day with an early, interesting, and inexpensive dinner at one of these neighborhood spots.
Windward Exploring
For sand, sun, and surf, follow H1 east to keyhole-shaped Hanauma Bay for picture-perfect snorkeling, then round the southeast tip of the island with its wind-swept cliffs and the famous Halona Blowhole. Fly a kite or watch body surfers at Sandy Beach. Take in Sea Life Park. In Waimanalo, stop for local-style plate lunch, or punch on through to Kailua, where there's intriguing shopping and good eating.
The North Shore
Hit H1 westbound and then H2 to get to the North Shore. You'll pass through pineapple country, then drop down a scenic winding road to Waialua and Hale'iwa. Stop in Hale'iwa town to shop, to experience shave ice, and to pick up a guided dive or snorkel trip. On winding Kamehameha Highway, stop at famous big-wave beaches, take a dip in a cove with a turtle, and buy fresh Island fruit at roadside stands.
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an almost all-day investment. Be on the grounds by 7:30 AM to line up for Arizona Memorial tickets. Clamber all over the USS Bowfin submarine. Finally, take the free trolley to see the Mighty Mo battleship. If it's Wednesday or Saturday, make the 5-minute drive mauka (toward the mountains) for bargain-basement shopping at the sprawling Aloha Stadium Swap Meet.
Town Time
If you are interested in history, devote a day to Honolulu's historic sites. Downtown, see 'Iolani Palace, the Kamehameha Statue, and Kawaiaha'o Church. A few blocks east, explore Chinatown, gilded Kuan Yin Temple, and artsy Nu'uanu with its galleries. On the water is the informative Hawai'i Maritime Center. Hop west on H1 to the Bishop Museum, the state's anthropological and archeological center. And a mile up Pali Highway is Queen Emma Summer Palace, whose shady grounds were a royal retreat. Worth a visit for plant lovers: Foster Botanical Garden.