Tour # 1

 Leaving the parking lot of Gigi’s Paradise, turn left.

1. After a few miles, on your right there will be signs for Byodo-In-Temple, a Japanese Temple, very peaceful, lots of koi/fish. You’ll spend maybe 30 minutes.

 2. Old Kamehameha Hwy.  Turn left.  Right before the turn, there is a white store with a big parking lot often filled with buses. (Store is not all that great, mainly duty free items.) Right after the store is the left turn to the Old Kamehameha Hwy.  Stay on the Old Hwy, and you will get on Heeia Pier, (it will be on your left) great view of the mountain range, it’s a small fishing pier.  Not all that much to do, but it is a nice view.  

View from Heeia Pier

3. Stay on Old Kamehameha Hwy, through Kaneohe and follow the signs to Kailua/Lanikai.  Great beaches and nice homes. Lanikai is usually in the top 10 best beaches in the world every year.

4. Waimanalo Beach is a very nice beach.  There is a small parking lot on the left in the middle of a residential area.  You have to walk by a private residence from the parking lot to get to the beach.  Very beautiful.  Make sure to follow the small residential road all the way to when it becomes one way, it just curves around so you’ll be back where you came from. The homes are beautiful and the beaches are gorgeous.

5. Just keep following the Highway towards Honolulu/Waikiki, very scenic.

6. Haunama Bay.  This is where many, including novice, snorkel.  The view from the parking lot alone is worth seeing even if you don’t walk down to the beach to snorkel.

A close up of view of Haunama Bay

7. Then keep following the highway and you will end up in Waikiki.

Tour # 2

 Leaving the parking lot of Gigi’s Paradise, turn right.

 1. Sunset Beach, world famous beach for surfing and watching the surfers.  It gets rather busy around Sunset Beach, so you won’t be able to miss it.

Sunset Beach

 2. Waimea Valley Adventure Park.  It costs $25 for an adult, but it’s a great place if you love tropical gardens.  There’s an old Tahitian/Hawaiian village, a hula show and at the end of the trail there’s a diving show at the fall.  You can take the shuttle to the end of the trail and walk back up if you want or vice versa.  Make sure to take mosquito repellant, there are quite a few small hungry mosquitoes waiting for tourists.  

Hula Dancer during the show by Waimea Fall

 3. Waimea Bay Beach.  If you don’t go to the Adventure Park, at least do go to the beach, it is very nice.  It’s right across from the park, you’ll see signs.

 4. Haleiwa Town.  After Waimea Beach, keep going and when the highway splits, go to the right through the town of Haleiwa.  It’s an old rustic town with neat little shops and there are a couple of stores that sell the popular flavored ice.

 Also in Haleiwa, just as you drive into town is Jameson’s By the Sea. A great restaurant for lunch and famous for its sunset romantic dinners.

5. When you leave town, turn on Hwy 930 towards Wailua/Dillingham Airfield. You can go all the way to the end where the road ends.  At Dillingham Airfield you can take a plane glider ride.  While riding in the glider, you will have an absolutely awesome view of the coast.

View from a glider at Dillingham Air Field

6. As you drive back, you will have to drive back on the same road until you get to Haleiwa, and then I suggest going through the middle of the island on Hwy 830 or 99.  If you take 830, when you get to Schofield Barracks, you’ll have to turn back a little on Hwy 99 to go the Dole Plantation.  It’s not really a plantation anymore, both there’s a large maze in the shape of a pineapple, you can walk around and see different kinds of pineapples at different stages of growth.  Of course, there’s also a souvenir store with great pineapple snacks, such as a soft pineapple ice cream cone.  A good place to stop if “nature calls” -- the bathrooms are clean.

Dole Plantation Maze

Tour # 3

Pearl Harbor/Makaha

Leaving the parking lot of Gigi’s Paradise, turn left. 

1. Drive towards Kaneohe, take the H3 Hwy towards Honolulu.  As you get closer to Pearl Harbor, there will be signs directing you to the Pearl Harbor Memorial,  I suggest you leave early because you have to get on a list to get your tickets. It can get very busy during the summer months.

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Tour # 4

Leaving the parking lot of Gigi’s Paradise, turn left towards Kaneohe, stay on the main road until you get to Pali Hwy, #61.

1. Take Pali Hwy towards Pali Lookout, there will be road signs advising you that it is coming up.  From Pali Lookout, there is an amazing view of Kaneohe Bay.  It is extremely windy!!  

Kaneohe Bay View from Pali Lookout

2. Then keep going down Pali Hwy towards Waikiki. 

3. Diamond Head Hike – when you are in Waikiki, go past the zoo and follow the signs to the Diamond Head Hike trail start.  Bring something to drink with you on the hike, it is not a dangerous hike, but there are a lot of stairs to climb, so you will get thirsty.  The view of Waikiki and Honolulu from the very top of Diamond Head is a must!!!  Make sure to bring your camera!

Tour # 5

 Hotels to see in Waikiki

1. Royal Hawaiian Hotel – one of the oldest hotels in Waikiki.  It’s easy to find, it is not a highrise and it is Pink!

 2. Hilton Village – There’s a small bar right on the beach that is nice to have a drink or pupus (appetizers) and watch the sunset.  Very often there’s a trio playing Hawaiian music.

3. Sheraton Moana Surfrider – also of the oldest hotels in Waikiki, it’s an old white Victorian.  It is one of my favorite places to have a tropical drink, appetizers and watch the sunset.  The bar is right on the beach and in the center is a very large banyan tree.  As beautiful and wonderful as the bar is, word of warning – either sit at a table with an umbrella or make sure you are sitting away from the tree.  Birds like to sit in the tree and sometimes, well….they might just drop little presents down on your table or down your neck. Yuk!   But despite those little “presents”, it is still very much worth coming here to watch the sunset.

I hope you have a wonderful time while visiting Oahu. If you do something while on Oahu that you think others would also enjoy and you would like to share it, send me an email and I'll add it to this page.