DIY circle tour of Oahu

[theloo]

I was considering doing a tour, but the timing (8am-5:30pm) doesn't work with my port stay.  I'm wondering if anyone has rented a car and did something similar.  How was it and what did you do?  

[princeton123211]

10 hours ago, theloo said:

I'm wondering if anyone has rented a car and did something similar.  How was it and what did you do?

Extremely easy to do. We rented a car from Avis in Waikiki (so we could drop off at Waikiki and avoid paying for a parking spot that night). 

 

We just took the H2 to Highway 99 towards the North Shore. You can visit the Dole Plantation along the way. From there we got on the Kamehameha Highway which is along the shore up to Turtle Bay. We had lunch at the Turtle Bay Resort right on the water (which I would recommend and is a great place to stop for an hour) but there are also plenty of food trucks along the road there just beyond. The surf viewing from the hotel is beautiful. 

 

From there we just stayed on the road back to Honolulu going all the way around. Its a pretty drive and a nice way to mix up a few days on Waikiki by doing something different. 

[Philob]

We did this during Spring Break this year, but from the south (Diamond Head-72) to north 83. Note at that time there was road work south of Turtle Bay on 83 that had 30+ minute waits.

[dog]

Have done this many times. Leave time for traffic- congestion week days.  Airport car rental may have line ups. We rent in Waikiki.

[theloo]

@scottca075 do you have a drive recommendation for Oahu?  (I followed most of your path in Kauai.)

[KeepCalmBearOn]

It depends on what you want to see, what you enjoy. Look at the two routes below.

 

Return via Pali Highway. https://goo.gl/maps/Nweuwz9Wx3Tn3BcF6

 

Complete circle https://goo.gl/maps/JU6eFTKfkMJ44nYG7

 

I really like the Pali Highway and the Pali Lookout. If you take the Pali Highway instead of the complete circle, you miss Koko Head Crater, Makapu'u Point, and a few other things.

 

The points I used to create the maps are not necessarily recommendations, just easy points of reference. I do like Dole Plantation for a bathroom break, Dole Whip and buying t-shirts in the gift shop. I think the train ride is worthwhile too to see the pineapple fields.

 

[theloo]

Hwy 83 looks a little scary.  Is Turtle Bay worth it?  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

22 minutes ago, theloo said:

Hwy 83 looks a little scary.  Is Turtle Bay worth it?  

 

It is more commonly called the Kamehameha Highway or Kam Highway, and it is not the least bit scary.

 

The Turtle Bay Resort is a nice place for lunch, Turtle Bay itself is the only place where swimming might be possible in the winter when the surf is up.

 

What to see depends on interests.

 

TripAdvisor (parent of CruiseCritic) stopped updating Traveler Articles in 2016, but the link below is still pretty valid.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29222-c124540/Oahu:Hawaii:Driving.Tours.html

[princeton123211]

24 minutes ago, theloo said:

Hwy 83 looks a little scary.  Is Turtle Bay worth it?  

Nothing scary about 83-- just a normal two lane road by Hawaii standards. It isn't even that windy and doesn't even come close to the cliff hugging you do on a road like the one to Hana on Maui. In fact most of the road is at sea level. 

 

Turtle Bay, if you stop at the hotel for lunch, can be a very nice place to stop and regroup. You can sit at their Sunset Bar and literally watch big surf go by you while you eat. 

[theloo]

Will be there in late December between Christmas & New Year's.  Will it be super crowded with surfers?

[princeton123211]

12 hours ago, theloo said:

Will be there in late December between Christmas & New Year's.  Will it be super crowded with surfers?

I don't think much more than usual. The North Shore is mainly locals-- there isn't nearly the amount of tourists, which would presumably cause a holiday surge, as there is on the south side of Oahu in places like Waikiki and Ko Olina. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 9/14/2023 at 7:03 PM, theloo said:

Will be there in late December between Christmas & New Year's.  Will it be super crowded with surfers?

 

Do you mean the North Shore? It will be if the North Shore is pumping at Sunset or the Pipeline and the Eddie Aikau contest can run any time from Dec. 13 to March.

 

But during the week is better than a weekend,

[dog]

On 9/14/2023 at 10:03 PM, theloo said:

Will be there in late December between Christmas & New Year's.  Will it be super crowded with surfers?

I spent two Christmas & New Years at Turtle Bay. Loved it. Much more expensive now. It was very busy at the surfing beach but further up the North Shore was fine. Such a beautiful island.  I’ll be staying up in the North Shore in October and a few days at RH in Waikiki.

[Cruise Junky]

Heading there on Friday.  (turtle bay).  The road can be absolutely nuts with surfers on a weekend or during competitions.  Much better in the week. It’s a great drive around the island.  

[theloo]

I will be there December 28 (a Thursday).  How do I find out if there's any competition that day?

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, theloo said:

 

I will be there December 28 (a Thursday).  How do I find out if there's any competition that day?

 

You can’t really- the big competitions are all based on surf conditions. For example, the Eddie Aikau— the more famous of them, is scheduled this year to take place between Dec 14 and March 12, 2024 only when average wave height reaches 40 ft.

 

They can’t schedule these things on a particular date- just a range and when the surf is big enough they go.