Duration: 11 days (including Arrival and Departure)
Hotel: Hilton Hawaiian Village (Ali’i Tower) & Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa*
*We stayed in Hilton for the first 5 days then switched to Hyatt for the remaining days to experience different ends of Waikiki Beach.
Flight: Hawaiin Airlines (duration: nonstop 8 hour flight from Austin, TX)
How to get around: Rental Car
DAY 1: ARRIVAL
Breakfast: At home
Lunch: Hawaiin Airlines (provided)
Snack: Hawaiin Airlines (provided)
Dinner: Teddy’s Bigger Burgers
Walmart: Stop at the closest grocery or convenience store to pick up snacks.
Waikiki Beach and Resort: Check out the resort property and explore Waikiki beach.
Pro tip! Hilton Hawaiin puts on a free firework show every Friday, so if you happen to arrive on a Friday this would be a great way to start off your vacation.
DAY 2: DAY AT WAIKIKI BEACH + EXCURSIONS
Breakfast: Starbucks @ the hotel
Lunch: Pai’s deli
Snack/Dessert: Island Vintage Shave Ice
Dinner: Yard House
Hawaiin Parasail – book it in the morning when the wind and ocean waves are calmer.
Surfing Lesson – what better place than Waikiki to learn how to surf.
Atlantis Submarine – goes 115 ft underwater, you’ll see some fish and shipwrecks. The submarine itself is big and spacious. This excursion is a fun one for kids.
Sunset Catamaran Sail – take Bonine if you have motion sickness.
Note:
We did 2/4 activities listed above. You could either do it all if you’re feeling adventurous or just choose to spend the entire day relaxing at the beach.
Pro Tip! If you have the days, I recommend taking the first full day slow so you can get over jet lag and save your energy for the rest of the days.
DAY 3: DOLE PLANTATION + TANTALUS DRIVE + NIGHT SWIM
Breakfast: Starbucks @ the hotel
Lunch: Maui Mike’s Fire Roasted Chicken
Snack: Waiola Shave Ice
Dinner: Maharani Indian Restaurant
Dole Plantation – Enjoyable activities for kids like narrated pineapple express train tour, a garden maze, and garden walk. The highlight of the plantation was the gift shop and dole whip.
Tantalus Road Top Drive/Puu Ualakaa State Park – Best scenic drive with amazing panoramic views of the city. Highly recommend it if you have people in your group that cannot hike, but don’t want to miss the views. Warning: tight curves and narrow roads, drive safe!
Waikiki Beach – Back to the hotel. Relax or go for a swim!
DAY 4: DIAMOND HEAD HIKE + SCENIC EAST COAST DRIVE
Breakfast: Acai bowl from one of the vendors at Diamond Head
Lunch: South Shore Grill
Snack: Leonards Bakery
Dinner: Round Table Pizza
Diamond Head Hike or/and Hanuoma Bay – Bring cash and go first thing it opens
China Walls – Hidden Gem in an upscale neighborhood. A quick stop, great for watching pro surfers and cliff divers. Keep far from the edge, the waves WILL drag you in.
Lanai Lookout – amazing views, a must stop.
Halona Blow Hole – Stop by if you have time, it’s not a must imo.
Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail– Well paved trail if you plan to hike and a great place to whale watch during the winter season with spectacular views.
Waimanalo Beach – Briefly stopped by because it came on our way to the next destination.
Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout – More breathtaking views without a hike. Bring a sweater, it was pretty windy and cold even in July.
Pro Tip! Hanauma Bay waters are clearest first thing on Wednesday morning since it’s closed on Tuesdays. This is the most popular place to snorkel. Reserve your spot in advance, so you don’t have to wait.
DAY 5: PEARL HARBOR + MANOA CHOCOLATE + EXPLORE WAIKIKI
Breakfast: Starbucks
Lunch: Ganesh Dosa (next door to Manoa chocolate) / Restaurant 604 (2 min from Pearl Harbor)
Snack: Manoa Chocolate
Dinner: Duke’s Waikiki
Pearl Harbor National Memorial – Great for history buffs. Personally, just went there to check it off the list. You must reserve the actual boat ride to visit the USS Arizona Memorial online and in advance. It’s like $1 per person. If this isn’t your thing go to Diamond Head or Hanuoma Bay if you didn’t already get the chance to.
Manoa Chocolate Hawaii – Free chocolate and tea tasting at a small chocolate shop+factory which isn’t a must-do, but still, a fun stop if you are close by.
Switched hotels to Hyatt
The Royal Hawaiin – The iconic pink hotel with beautiful grounds. check out the surrounding area for shopping and eats.
DAY 6: NORTH SHORE
Breakfast: Haleiwa Bowls
Lunch: Food trucks- Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck, The Elephant Truck (Thai), Impossible Pizza
Snack/dessert: Matsumoto Shave Ice, Ted’s Bakery
Dinner: Haleiwa Joe’s
Hawaii Shark Encounter – If seeing some galapagos, sandbar, and tiger sharks up close is your cup of tea then this would be a memorable thrilling excursion. If you are lucky, you might even see hammerheads. I skipped this one.
Laniakea Beach – this is your chance to see sea turtles if you’ve never seen one!
Waimea Falls – A 30 min hike through a botanical garden with a waterfall at the end, you can swim in it.
Banzai Pipeline – Wintertime is a surfers paradise with waves reaching 20 ft. I recommend just admiring the surfers, it’s not safe to swim here even in summer.
Sunset Beach – As the name suggests, a great place to watch the sunset.
Pro Tip! Get the famous chocolate haupia pie at Ted’s bakery, drive to the closest beach (sunset beach) and enjoy your pie while watching the sunset.
DAY 7: POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER (PCC)
Breakfast: The Sunrise Shack
Lunch: Guadalajara Grill @ Hukilau Marketplace outside of PCC
Snack: N/A
Dinner: Alii Luau Buffet included in ticket @ PCC
Hukilau Marketplace – Located right outside of the PCC. Arrive at 11 AM, have lunch before going to the PCC.
Polynesian Cultural Center – Go right when it opens at 12:45, so you can make the most out of your time and actually see all the 6 island villages.
Alii Luau Buffet – A Luau experience while visiting Hawaii is a must, and this one is one of the best in Oahu.
HA: Breath of Life – A spectacular evening show featuring over 100 performers, animation, fire knife dancing.
Pro Tips! 1. Buy tickets to the PCC months in advance as the tickets sell out fast. The package I recommend is the Exclusive Alii Luau Package, which includes a self-tour of the 6 islands, an award-winning Alii luau buffet dinner, and Ha: Breath of Life evening show. 2. Download the Polynesian Cultural Center App beforehand to get familiar with the layout and the cultural presentation times.
DAY 8: BYODO IN TEMPLE + HO’OMALUHIA BOTANICAL GARDEN
Breakfast: The Sunrise Shack
Lunch: Zia’s Caffe, Don Goyo’s Mexican Food (this is where we ate and liked it, but Zia’s has excellent reviews and is near the garden)
Dinner: Tommy Bahama Restaurant
Byodo In Temple – Very peaceful and beautiful replica of the 950+ year old temple in Japan. Don’t forget to bring cash to enter.
Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden – Could easily spend hours here. Beautiful picturesque views. Best part is, it’s FREE.
Free Time – use the rest of the day to relax at the resort, hit the beach, go shopping, etc
DAY 9: KUALOA RANCH
Breakfast: Starbucks
Lunch: Cafe @ Kualoa Ranch, try the burgers and shrimp plate!
Snack: N/A
Dinner: Cheesecake Factory
Jurrasic Adventure Tour – If you are a fan of the Jurrasic franchise like me, this tour takes you to all the famous sets and extra iconic film sites. Binge-watch the movies before the tour for the best experience!
ATV Raptor Ride – An intimate and fun experience with your family and friends to drive through Jurassic valley, learn some history, and see breathtaking views.
Chinaman’s Hat – You can see this from a distance while visiting Kualoa Ranch. It’s not a must-visit, but if you have time to spare it could be a short stop to take some photos.
Pro tip! If you are going to just do one tour at Kualoa, I suggest doing the 2 hour ATV ride. Don’t forget to book in advance, it sells out fast. Also, wear something you are ok with getting dirty and arrive early so you have time to check-in.
DAY 10: LANIKAI BEACH
Breakfast: Breakfast
Lunch: Skipped (had a late breakfast)
Sack: Honolulu Cookie Company
Dinner: Oahu Mexican Grill
Lanikai Beach – ranks as one of the best beaches. Softest, powdery sand compared to all the other beaches in Oahu and the water is crystal clear!
Pro Tip! Arrive early, we did not and it took around 40+ minutes just to find parking during July weekday.
DAY 11: LAST DAY (DEPARTURE)
Breakfast: Starbucks @ Airport
Lunch: Hawaiin Airlines (provided)
We had an early flight, so we did not do anything on the last day.
