Oahu attractions abound! This island is so stunning that the alii, the kings of Hawaii, made it the capital of the island nation.
Modern day all-star attractions include Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor Memorial, Polynesian Cultural Center, Hanauma Bay, Sea Life Park, Bishop Museum, Waikiki Aquarium, historic downtown Honolulu, Kailua Bay, historic Chinatown, art galleries, artisans’ boutiques - the list is endless!
One of the most deeply moving Oahu tourist attractions is the Pearl Harbor tour.
Stand on the decks of the USS Arizona Memorial and join Pearl Harbor survivors as they remember December 7, 1941, in a 1 hour audio tour narrated by Ernest Borgnine, actor and US Navy WWII veteran. Then, travel across the Ford Island Bridge for a special guided tour of the battleship USS Missouri.
The best time to visit is in the morning before the tour buses arrive. The center opens at 7.30am and it includes a fully restored WW II submarine and an aviation museum complete with fighter planes and flight simulators.
You are now here in island paradise. Put on your flip-flops and take a pick of Oahu attractions. Take a 1 or 2 hour walk of historic Chinatown, which has recently undergone a massive urban renewal. Start and finish at North Hotels and Maunakea street. Watch fresh noodles being made at the Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory. Look through the cloud of white flour and see dough being rolled through noodle machines - perfect noodles come out the other end. On Maunakea, follow the perfume of flowers to see how beautiful leis are made on the premises by leimakers. And remember that bargaining is a way of life in Chinatown, so don't miss that!
On the first Friday of every month, you can dive deep into the vibrant local art scene, one of the most loved Oahu attractions. At each "First Friday", art galleries open their doors with exhibits, free entertainment, and light refreshments. On these occasions, art galleries fill up just as quickly as the downtown bars ;)
Oahu is the epicenter of art in Hawaii. Not far from downtown is the island’s general fine art museum. The Honolulu Academy of Arts has a permanent collection of over 38,000 pieces. Stroll from gallery to gallery and check out one of the finest collections of Asian art. Take in either a foreign or indie film at the Doris Duke theatre.
At night, let the sounds of the slack key guitar soothe you... On any given night, there is a variety of live music, from smooth jazz to house in any of Honolulu’s nightclubs. Treat yourself to a free concert on Fridays at noon at the Coronation Place at the Iolani Palace, the only official state residence of royalty in the United States.
Otherwise, spread out a mat at Kuhio Beach for sundown concerts and live hula.
This is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating attractions in Oahu, if not in all Hawaii!
Allow at least 3 hours, even the whole afternoon, to visit this mini-glimpse of the Pacific, filled with interactive activities, luau and great entertainment.
Walk through seven Polynesian villages: Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, the Marquesas, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Samoa and Hawaii.
You will be thrilled to meet the tongue-sticking warriors and exotic dancers wearing grass skirts and coconut bras.
For kids, Oahu attractions mean Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium and Sea Life Park. Here, they can rub noses with dolphins, hand-feed the resident seals, come up close and personal to a sea lion, and marvel at the rays, turtles and sharks in the 300,000-gallon reef tank.
At the Waikiki Aquarium come eye to eye with a shark and watch the resident Hawaiian monk seals lounge. An attraction that will delight both you and your kids is the flashlight reef exploration tour at night. Wade up to your knees with aquarium staff and see how many crabs, shrimps, eels and octopus you can spot with your night vision. Check if fish really sleep with their eyes wide open!!
