Help with Oahu please!!

We are a family with one 19 year old arriving June 13th. Precruise we will not be renting a car. We will have one post cruise. We are staying at the HHV precruise and at the Hampton Inn Kapolei post cruise. Here is my current plan:

Day 1-Wed- Arrive HNL transfer to HHV. Enjoy resort, walk around Wakiki, beach

Day 2- Thurs- Beach day, surf lesson, Show at Kuhio in the evening

Day 3- Pearl Harbor, Ala Moana Mall

Day 4- Sat- Diamond Head Hike, KCC Market in the morning, return to hotel collect luggage and transfer to ship

Day 4- 11 Pride of America Cruise

Day 11- Sat- Disembark, go to airport to rent car and head to hotel. Drop off luggage and head to North Shore, Dole Plantation, Turtle Beach, Haleiwa

Day 12- Sun- Hanauma Bay, Makapuu trail, , Halona Blowhole, shopping in Kapolei

Day 13- Mon- ??? Not sure what to do here. Our flight is not until 9 pm so I am up for suggestions. We will check out as late as possible and would like relaxing activities as we will be traveling to Miami.

I know staying in Kapolei may not be what some would suggest, however, I have a good rate on the hotel, it includes breakfast, free parking, and has no resort fee. Since we will have a car the distance does not seem to be a big issue. Opinions please.

I’d maybe flip day 3 and 4- Pearl Harbor can be done in the morning and the mall is close to the ship. It’ll give you time for a more leisurely hike.

Friday nights at Hawaiian Hilton Village there are fireworks on the beach.

If your driving to Pearl Harbor get there early as parking is limit but it is free. Also check web site to make sure that maintenance is not being done as it will be closed.

Also get to Hanauma Bay early as they allow only so many people at a time. If your late then you much wait until people leave.

You have an active list. Enjoy Hawaii.

I stayed at that Hampton Inn last june for 3 nights when I was over there. It is brand new and connected to a mall. Nice hotel very nice to be able to just walk to eat dinner or grab an ice cream while winding down at night.

Keep in mind that with Pearl Harbor if you want to visit the USS Arizona you must have a ticket. They go on sale 60 days out and sell out quick. (They are time slotted). They then make a batch avail 24 hrs before and lastly they have some walk ups the morning of. (I tried at the 60 day mark (even at the exact hour with the time difference) and there were NONE avail. I ended up having to wake up at 6am the day before (I was wiped out as I had done a half marathon on the big island and was flying to Ohau later that morning) and there were only about 10 slots open scattered through out the day. (ended up with an 11:30 spot I think it was). You can visit the rest of the things no problem (USS Bowfin, USS Missouri, aviation museum etc etc) but the movie and boat ride to the Arizona is the tough ticket.

also...Oahu traffic SUCKS.

Thank you for the replies!!

Trucker Dave,

Did you find the hotel's location to be inconvenient? I was thinking since we will have already have spent 3 days in Wakiki, it wouldn't be too bad as a base to go to other sites.

Check out a movie tour at Kualoa Ranch. It was beautiful. We did the premier tour & that one allowed us to stop and get out of the air conditioned van. Lots of other activities there too.

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If you want to go to the Arizona go to the Parks Service Website & purchase your tickets in advance. They are technically free but there is a $1.50 service charge. It beats being 1st in line at the Park.

You can take The Bus to all the local stuff.

The Dole Plantation isn't all that great. It's fake & over priced.

Day 12, if you can fit it in before sunset, maybe continue the drive to Kailua, take the Pali Hwy back. Move the shopping to the next day, if needed.

Day 13, spend some time in Ko Olina before your flight. Skip the shopping, if needed. [emoji4]

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On you last day...Kapolei is near some very nice beaches. There is a public beach with really nice shower and restrooms at the Aulani Ko'olina beach. I would probably choose to have a great beach day and head to the airport after dinner. Some nice spots for lunch and dinner or pic nic food in Ko'Olina.

Re shopping...my one stop shopping is the Aloha Stadium Flea Market. If it fits into your schedule you might check it out. It is basically across the street from PH.

Have a great time, Cherie

Thank you for the replies!!

 

Trucker Dave,

Did you find the hotel's location to be inconvenient? I was thinking since we will have already have spent 3 days in Wakiki, it wouldn't be too bad as a base to go to other sites.

I only spent 2 or 3 nights there (can't remember exactly right now). (I was on the big Island for most of my trip and did a couple days on Ohau before flying home from HNL). The hotel is great for going to Pearl Harbor as it is west of Honolulu and the airport.. Basically east to west is Honolulu, airport, pearl harbor and then the hotel. I would not make concrete plans on visiting stuff until you figure out when you can get Arizona tickets. You might have to put PH at the end of your visit. (This is assuming you want to visit the Arizona. The other stuff there you can always visit as they are not limited. So you can go any day).

I found the location perfect. It is pretty easy to get to the airport as you can stay off the interstate and take the side roads. (the traffic is miserable around honolulu during rush hr.). I didn't do much touristy stuff there as my main thing was P.H. (and the middle loch where the navy boneyard is.) I really didn't go west of the hotel at all so I don't know what was/is there to do.

I’d maybe flip day 3 and 4- Pearl Harbor can be done in the morning and the mall is close to the ship. It’ll give you time for a more leisurely hike.

Depending what you want to see and do in Pearl Harbor; if you want "only" the Arizona, then princton is right, but if you want to see the Mighty Mo, the Submarine and the Airborne Museum as well; then you cannot do it in under 7 hours ! (Did everthing last November; Black Friday; and arrived around 8 am; got my Arizona-Tour at 9 am and left the park finally around 3 pm, which gave me even with the slow public Transport bus enough time to see the huge Mall)

I agree with the comments about Pearl Harbor, to see everything is pretty much a full day, but the shopping mall is open in the evening so your Day 3 is doable but perhaps a little tiring. Kapolei is a good area to stay in now. White Plains Beach is not far from that hotel for non-expert surfing. Ko Olina beaches are very nice, there are four separate ones, you can snorkel in the protected lagoons but no surfing (too rocky outside the beach area). Parking is tight but they now have a signboard at the main Ko Olina entrance that shows in real time the available parking. If necessary you can always pay to park in the marina parking lot. There are also several snorkel/tour boats that operate out of the Ko Olina marina.

On your final day - as some have said - Oahu traffic is terrible - we lived in Ewa Beach (just each of Kapolei) for several years. Keeping the traffic in mind, I wouldn't plan on heading east until at least 9 am - but I would try to get into town by about 3-4pm.

In the morning you could go to several of the beaches at Ko'olina and then go shower quick prior to check out - or you could drive all the way out West and hike Kaena Point.

You could then shop out in Kapolei. Or you could head into town for drinks / dinner with a view prior to leaving - I would recommend the Royal Hawaiian or Halekulani.

That's an agressive iteniary, but if you're on your own for the North Shore/Dole day, you can always cut things short. I got lost doing the Dole Pineapple maze several years ago, and that of course slowed me down (fortunately I had a 12 year old with a good sense of direction).

One thing lots of people don't realize you can do is hike up Diamond Head. It's actually a state park.

http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/hiking/oahu/diamond-head-summit-trail/

Up and back, depending on how quickly you want to walk and how crowded it is, won't take more than 2 hours. The view is, of course, incredible.