Oʻahu
The everything island. Waikiki and Honolulu eating, North Shore beaches, Kailua on the windward side.
Waikiki
The famous crescent, still worth a morning swim before the crowds and a mai tai after.
Diamond Head State Monument
The classic crater climb over Waikiki.
Honolulu Zoo
Royal land, real animals, easy family morning.
Waikiki Aquarium
Small aquarium, serious reef science.
Duke's Waikiki
Beachfront mai tais where Waikiki learned to surf.
Musubi Cafe Iyasume
Spam musubi made fresh, grab two.
Blue Note Hawaii
A real jazz room in the middle of Waikiki.
Waikiki Brewing Company
House beer steps from the beach.
Hula's Bar & Lei Stand
One of Waikiki's longest-running LGBTQ landmarks, above Kapahulu.
House Without a Key
Sunset hula under a century-old kiawe tree.
KCC Farmers Market
The Saturday market at the foot of Diamond Head.
Honolulu
Chinatown bars, Kakaʻako murals, Kaimuki dinners. The city half of the island, and it eats well.
ʻIolani Palace
The only royal palace on American soil.
Bishop Museum
Hawaiʻi's great museum of the Pacific.
Honolulu Museum of Art
Courtyards, quiet, and serious art.
Hawaii Theatre
The 1922 movie palace that still headlines.
The Republik
Where touring acts play Honolulu.
Helena's Hawaiian Food
James Beard-honored Hawaiian food since 1946.
Rainbow Drive-In
Plate lunch, two scoops rice, no fuss since 1961.
Leonard's Bakery
The malasada that started the line.
Liliha Bakery
Coco puffs and a counter-seat breakfast.
Maguro Brothers Hawaii
Fish-market poke from actual fishmongers.
The Pig and the Lady
Vietnamese cooking with a Hawaiʻi accent.
Fête
Chinatown's James Beard winner, zero stuffiness.
Bar Leather Apron
A tiny downtown temple to the cocktail.
Honolulu Beerworks
Warehouse taproom from a Honolulu original.
Hana Koa Brewing Co.
Kakaʻako's big, easygoing beer hall.
Nico's Pier 38
Fish this fresh because the auction is next door.
Koko Head Cafe
Island-style brunch worth the Kaimuki wait.
SALT at Our Kakaʻako
One block of shops, coffee, and murals.
Foster Botanical Garden
Giant old trees hiding beside Chinatown.
Lyon Arboretum
A rainforest research garden deep in Manoa.
Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside
The Tantalus lookout that explains Honolulu at a glance.
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl)
Punchbowl crater, held in quiet honor.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
Oʻahu's marquee snorkel bowl, managed with care.
Koko Crater Railway Trail
Old tramway ties, straight up.
North Shore
Haleʻiwa to Kahuku: surf beaches, shrimp trucks, and winter waves you watch from the sand.
Waimea Valley
Botanical valley, sacred ground, swimmable waterfall.
Matsumoto Shave Ice
Haleʻiwa's famous shave ice, worth one line in your life.
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
Garlic shrimp from the truck that started the craze.
Ted's Bakery
Chocolate haupia pie by the slice at Sunset Beach.
Kahuku Farms
Lunch and dessert grown on site.
Seven Brothers Burgers
Family burgers with North Shore roots.
Haleiwa Bowls
Post-surf acai, thick and cold.
Kono's Northshore
The breakfast bomber that built a following.
Surf N Sea
Oʻahu's oldest surf shop, still renting boards.
North Shore Soap Factory
Soap made inside an old sugar mill.
Polynesian Cultural Center
A day across six Pacific island cultures.
Sharks Cove (Pupukea)
Summer snorkeling in a protected rocky cove.
Waimea Bay Beach Park
Glassy summer swimming, giant winter surf.
Windward Side
Kailua and Kaneʻohe under the Koʻolau cliffs. Softer water, greener drives.
Kailua Beach Park
Powder sand and green-blue water, windward style.
Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden
Gardens under the Koʻolau cliffs.
Byodo-In Temple
A Japanese temple replica at the base of the cliffs.
Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside
The windward panorama, with wind to match.
Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail
Paved climb, lighthouse views, whales in winter.
Kualoa Ranch
Ride through Hollywood's favorite Hawaiian valley.
Kailua Beach Adventures
Kayak out to the Mokes.
Buzz's Original Steakhouse
Steaks across from the beach since 1962.
Kalapawai Market
The green corner store that runs Kailua mornings.
Island Snow
Shave ice with a presidential paper trail.
Waiahole Poi Factory
Poi, laulau, and kulolo on the windward road.
West & Central
Ko Olina lagoons, plantation-town plate lunch, and the drive up through pineapple country.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
The USS Arizona, honored where she rests.
Battleship Missouri Memorial
Stand where World War II ended.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
WWII hangars that still wear 1941.
Dole Plantation
Pineapple kitsch, done right.
Green World Coffee Farm
Coffee stop with its own trees out back.
Highway Inn
Hawaiian food the Waipahu way since 1947.
Tanioka's Seafoods & Catering
Waipahu's poke counter of record.
Ko Olina Lagoons
Four calm lagoons strung on one seaside path.
Kaʻena Point State Park
Hike to the island's wild western tip.
Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area
The ʻAiea Loop, a forest reset above Pearl Harbor.
Wahiawa Botanical Garden
Tree ferns and deep shade in central Oʻahu.