Oʻahu · Sights & Parks
Things to Do on Oʻahu
Pearl Harbor and ʻIolani Palace, a hike up Lēʻahi, a rainforest waterfall above Honolulu, and windward lookouts — with dated notes on reservations and what’s closed.
Sights
National & State Parks
National, state, and county parks — from wildlife refuges to coastal trails.
National & State ParksWaikiki
Lēʻahi (Diamond Head State Monument)
It’s a short, real climb with a payoff that explains Honolulu at a glance: Waikīkī’s shoreline on one side, the Koko Head coast on the other.
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National & State ParksWindward Oahu
Kualoa Regional Park
Wide lawns, a long sandy shore and the Kualoa ridges behind you make it the best free picnic stop on the windward drive.
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National & State ParksNorth Shore
Kaʻena Point State Park
It’s the one place on Oʻahu where the road simply stops and the coast goes wild, with monk seals hauled out on the rocks and no buildings in sight.
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Waterfalls
Rain-fed falls you can see from an overlook or reach on a short walk.
WaterfallsHonolulu
Mānoa Falls Trail
It’s the easiest way to stand in real rainforest from a Honolulu hotel, and it feels a world away from the beach.
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WaterfallsNorth Shore
Waimea Valley
It’s the easiest waterfall walk on Oʻahu, and the valley’s cultural sites and gardens make the walk there as good as the falls.
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Lookouts & Scenic Points
Valley overlooks, sea cliffs, and viewpoints worth the detour.
Lookouts & Scenic PointsEast Oahu
Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail
It’s a paved trail with a big coastal payoff, and from November through May you have a real shot at seeing humpbacks from the top.
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Lookouts & Scenic PointsHonolulu
Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout
Fifteen minutes from downtown, you step out of the car into a wall of trade wind and the whole windward side opens below you.
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Lookouts & Scenic PointsHonolulu
Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside
It gives you the whole city in one frame, Diamond Head to Pearl Harbor, without a crowd or a reservation.
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Culture & History
Palaces, heiau, gardens, and museums that tell the islands’ story.
Culture & HistoryHonolulu
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
Standing over the sunken USS Arizona is quiet and moving in a way no museum panel can match, and the park handles it with real care.
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Culture & HistoryHonolulu
ʻIolani Palace
It’s the clearest place to understand that Hawaiʻi was an independent kingdom, told in the rooms where it happened.
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Culture & HistoryHonolulu
Bishop Museum
Hawaiian Hall alone is worth the trip, and it gives the rest of your time on Oʻahu much deeper context.
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Culture & HistoryWindward Oahu
Byodo-In Temple
The red temple against the green, fluted Koʻolau cliffs is one of Oʻahu’s most striking sights, and it is calm even with visitors around.
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Tours that pair well
Getting around
You’ll want a rental car.
Public transit is limited and the best sights are hours apart. Pick up at Honolulu (HNL) and compare every major company in one search.