Introduction
I spent five days on Oahu in January 2025, hiking, eating, and lounging around the island. This was my first time visiting Hawai’i’s most populated island (I’d visited Kauai in 2017) and I was excited to explore everything it had to offer.
If you’re planning a trip to Oahu and looking for the best hikes, best beaches, and where to eat on Oahu, this is my full review of everything I did and what I’d skip.
Best Hikes and Viewpoints in Oahu
Lanikai Pillbox #2: Great sunrise spot
- Time: 1–2 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate (short and steep)
Lanikai Pillbox is known for being a fantastic sunrise hike on Oahu. The “pillboxes” are concrete lookout structures used during World War II. Today, they offer panoramic views of the ocean, the surrounding towns, and the mountains.
I would not hike this trail after heavy rain, as it gets extremely slippery and muddy.
Ka’ena Point Trail: Good for a chill walk
- Time: Can turn back whenever (I went partway and spent about 2 hours)
- Difficulty: Easy (very few hills)
The Ka’ena Point Trail is a scenic and relaxing coastal walk along the northwest side of Oahu, passing beaches, huge waves, and potentially seals.
The views are similar throughout the trail, so you can turn around whenever you feel like you’ve seen enough.
There are two trailheads – one starting from the south and one from the west. I took the west side trail so that I could stop by North Shore for food before starting the hike.
Makapu’u Lighthouse: My personal favorite (best views!)
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Difficulty: Easy (paved, mostly uphill)
The Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail was easily my favorite hike on Oahu. It’s short, easy, and has ridiculously rewarding views.
The lighthouse itself is cool, but my favorite part was the view of the Oahu coastline, which felt like the real highlight of the hike.
Parking can be a little difficult, but there was plenty of parking along the road leading to the lot. The trail is also very sunny throughout with limited wind in some sections, so bring lots of water.
Koko Head: Brutal but quintessential Oahu hike
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Difficulty: Hard (short, very steep, uneven footing)
Three days a week on the stairmaster didn’t fully prepare me for the hike up to Koko Head.
Koko Head is a short but brutal hike on old railroad tracks, and the last stretch is the steepest. There’s also a sketchy section in the middle where the trail is just tracks without a bottom, which can be fun or scary.
The view at the end is great, though slightly less impressive than Makapu’u in my opinion. Koko Head is still worth it for people looking for a challenge.
Diamondhead: Most popular hike, overrated in my opinion
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Difficulty: Easy (short, paved)
This hike was underwhelming for me.
The summit view overlooks Waikiki, and it was cool seeing the Diamond Head Lighthouse and the crater itself, but the crater has basically turned into the parking lot for the hike, so the view wasn’t impressive like Makapu’u and Koko Head.
It also requires an advance reservation and entry fee, unlike many other trails on Oahu. Overall, I’d recommend skipping it unless you’re trying to check off the most famous hike on Oahu.
Best Beaches in Oahu
Waikiki Beach: Great sunset spot, tourist central
Waikiki Beach is the most famous beach on Oahu and easy to access. It gets very crowded by midday, but early mornings are peaceful.
It’s a fantastic spot for watching the sunset, and the calm coves make it great for beginner swimmers and surfers.
Waimea Bay: Great spot for watching surfers
Waimea Bay is one of the most popular beaches along the Kamehameha Highway and a great place to watch surfers, relax, and enjoy the scenery.
Parking can be tough on weekends at the main beach area, but there are nearby roadside beaches with easier parking.
Kawela Bay: Quiet and peaceful
Kawela Bay was the most peaceful beach we found on Oahu. It’s tucked away off the Kamehameha Highway and feels secluded, calm, and sheltered by trees.
Kahe Point: Cliffside viewpoint, a bit of a letdown
Kahe Point is a viewpoint on Oahu’s west side overlooking the ocean, but there’s no beach access, just a parking lot and cliff viewpoint.
The sunset view was kind of mid, and we also saw a drug bust happening while we were there. Would not recommend.
Maunalua Bay Beach Park and Kuli’ou’ou Beach: Sunset and sandbar
Maunalua Bay Beach Park is a quiet shoreline near Hawai’i Kai with plenty of parking and rock ledges that make it a great spot for sunset.
Kuli’ou’ou Beach, located across the road, has very shallow water that leads to a sandbar. There were tons of cute off-leash dogs running around and splashing in the water. Not a great sunset spot (blocked by trees), but still worth stopping by.
Kailua Beach: Beautiful scenery
Kailua Beach is a beautiful beach with soft sand, scenic palm trees, and lush green mountains in the background. It wasn’t too crowded and felt like a great balance of beauty and calm.
Best Things to Do in Oahu
Surf lesson at Kahu Surf School
I took an hour-long beginner surf lesson with Kahu Surf School. They advertise that 90% of students stand up on their first lesson, and that was true for me.
Overall, the lesson was a fun experience and a cool way to try out surfing in Hawaii.
I sprained my knee during the lesson, and I don’t think I necessarily learned the “right” techniques – they teach what works to let newbies stand up quickly, but not work for more advanced surfers.
Best Places to Eat in Oahu (and Places to Avoid)
Food was a huge part of my trip, and some of the food on Oahu is really good. These were my food highlights and lowlights.
Best Food in Oahu
Best Restaurants
- Great selection, great value, convenient fast casual spot near Waikiki. Often has long lines (even early morning), but the line moves quickly and food comes out fast and fresh.
- Recommend: Unagi don, thin beef udon.
Maguro Spot ($$)
- Fresh and delicious poke spot. They also offer a free topping during certain hours if you follow them on Instagram.
- Recommend: Salmon poke bowl with sesame sauce.
Sato Seafood ($$)
- Unique and very good poke spot.
- Recommend: Macadamia seared salmon bowl (so good I got it twice).
Hale’iwa Bowls ($$)
- Great and fresh açai, good portions, a bit too sweet.
- Recommend: Açai bowl.
Best Bakeries and Desserts
Leonard’s Bakery ($)
- Incredible malasads, hype is deserved.
- Recommend: Coconut malasada.
- Skip: Li-hing malasada (acquired taste).
Saylor’s ($)
- North Shore coffee shop inside a historic bank.
- Recommend: Banana bread (one of the best I’ve had).
Makua Banana Bread ($$)
- Specialty banana bread bakery. They only sell full loaves, one of the best banana breads I’ve had, no notes.
- Recommend: Classic banana bread.
Moena Sweets ($$)
- Ice cream with Hawaiian flavors. Expensive but big portions.
- Recommend: Black sesame and kona coffee ice cream.
Waiahole Poi Factory ($$)
- Roadside restaurant known for plate lunches (I didn’t try their food).
- Recommend: Haupia ice cream (creamy, huge portion, strong flavor)
Best Coffee
Rise & Grind ($)
- Recommend: Cold brew (strong nut and chocolate notes).
Food to Avoid in Oahu
Restaurants to Avoid
Mama Woo’s BBQ ($$)
- Korean BBQ plate lunch spot. Great service and value, but food was lacking.
- The BBQ chicken & bulgogi were dry. The sides (broccoli, cucumber salad, noodles) were pretty good.
Kono’s North Shore ($$)
- Known for their kalua pork, but I found it extremely dry and way too salty.
Bakeries and Desserts to Avoid
- Long wait, expensive, and not worth it. The black sesame kouign amann was too sweet and barely tasted like sesame. The banana bread was ridiculously sweet and stodgy.
- I enjoyed their macadamia nut opera cake from b-patisserie though.
Nanding’s Bakery ($)
- Huge letdown.
- Tried the ube ensaymada, cinnamon ensaymada, and ube twist. No discernible flavor besides sugar, way too sweet, and the bread tasted dry and stale.
- Not bad, but unimpressive. Kona coffee kouign amann had no coffee flavor and the pastry was dry.
- Famous shave ice spot, very artificial tasting and too sweet.
- Pretty terrible, but I think it’s because I don’t like shave ice.
Final Thoughts: Is Oahu Worth Visiting?
I had a great time in Oahu and felt like I had a great mix of hiking, relaxing, and eating while exploring the island.
If you’re planning a trip to Oahu, I’d strongly recommend:
- Going early, before things get too crowded
- Renting a car to explore beyond Waikiki
- Checking out North Shore for the banana bread
- Doing the Makapu’u Lighthouse hike for the best views
- Catching as many sunsets as possible
Oahu is definitely crowded in some areas, but the hikes, beaches, and food make it worth it.
Planning a trip to Hawai’i?
ADJENTURING 