12 Memorable Spots as First Time Visitors to Oahu

Our first introduction to Hawaii was in 2022 when we picked Maui as our honeymoon / first year anniversary destination. We loved the slower pace of life and the laid back feel and the Maui sunsets? Nothing like it. Oahu was a completely different experience! Waikiki felt like the Vegas of Hawaii with endless hotels, luxury stores, chain restaurants, and people trying to sell you tours on almost every main street corner. Regardless, we had an amazing time and are so grateful for your recommendations. With only 6 nights there, we had to narrow down the places we visited on the recommended list but you can see the full list here! 

In no particular order… 

Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa is a 4,000 acre private nature reserve also known as Jurassic Valley as it is the filming location for many movies you may be familiar with. There are countless tour packages you can book here from movie tours and horseback riding to something a little more thrilling like ziplining. There are no words to describe how beautiful this place is, it’s something you have to see for yourself! Our ziplining tour was 3 hours long and already included a mini movie tour during the drive to the base. It was worth every penny and an experience we’ll never forget! 

Da Bald Guy

When on the North Shore, shrimp trucks are a must! We stopped at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck which was highly recommended and we also stopped at Da Bald Guy’s truck, a place that’s been on our list since we watched them on Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race”. Between the two, we much preferred Da Bald Guy’s truck! Click here for the full list of recommended shrimp trucks and more. 

Kula Shave Ice

We stumbled upon this shave ice spot while we were on the North Shore and absolutely loved it! The prices are a little higher than other spots because they use real fruit and natural ingredients but it was worth it.

Sunset at Turtle Bay Resort 

This is probably in the Top 3 for our favorite experiences during this visit and a must if like me, you love sunsets. Appropriately named, “Sunset” is a bar located inside Turtle Bay Resort and it’s open to the public. Imagine sitting at the bar with the sun setting, the waves crashing, and live music in the background. Paradise!

Kyung’s Seafood 

Many of the best food gems on Oahu can be found outside of the tourist areas. Kyung’s Seafood doesn’t look like much from the outside but once you get a taste of their Kalbi, Poke, and more, you’ll understand why it’s on our favorites list! 

Mitch’s Fish Market & Sushi 

Located near the airport, this spot might as well be your first stop getting off the plane. It’s a popular sushi spot among celebrities and once I took a bite of their Toro Aburi, I understood why. Reservations are recommended but we went on a weekday for lunch and had no problem getting a table. 

The Pig and the Lady

This award winning Vietnamese fusion restaurant needs to be on your food list. Bump something else on your itinerary because their famous “Le Fried Chicken Wings” alone is worth it! Reservations fill up fast so plan ahead! 

Aloha Stadium 

If you have a lot of people to buy souvenirs for, this is the spot to get a good deal. You can get souvenir t-shirts for as low as $4 each and they’re actually good quality. Entrance is $2 per person and it’s best to bring cash. 

Marugame Udon (To-Go) 

If you’ve ever seen a long line-up wrapping around a restaurant, it’s likely Marugame Udon. Now you guys know I love food but line-ups? I’m not a fan. Thankfully, we noticed that there is a Take-Out window with no one in line. In 5 minutes, we’d already received our order which we just took back to our room to enjoy on our balcony.

Don Quijote

While ABC stores are on every street corner, it’s usually more expensive so if you have time, head over to Don Quijote for groceries, snacks, souvenirs, and many other random imported things from Japan. We actually enjoyed this more than Costco and It’s open 24hrs!

Foodland / Waikiki Market

Foodland was our very first stop for fresh poke but if you’re staying in Waikiki, there is a Waikiki Market (by Foodland) that will be much closer to you. It’s like the Whole Foods of Foodland so it’s a little bit more expensive but they have some unique items which you won’t find elsewhere. Waikiki Market also has plenty of seating and even a full bar with live music! 

Waiola Shave Ice 

This was recommended to us by visitors and locals alike so we made the journey to the original Waiola Shave Ice from the 40’s located on Waiola St. While we preferred the natural flavors of other shave ice spots (like Kula mentioned above or Island Vintage Shave Ice), no one beats Waiola’s ICE, it was flawless and a deal at $5. 

Getting Around

If you’ve booked an AirBnB, chances are parking is already included but if like us, you booked a hotel, get ready to pay $50/nt just to park your rental. We weren’t willing to spend $300 to park for our entire stay so we were strategic in planning our itinerary. We booked a Turo for the day we went to Kualoa and North Shore and it was worth it to be able to just pick up the vehicle and return it at the end of the night (without paying for hotel parking!). For the rest of our stay, we enjoyed walking and also used public transportation every day. We got a bus pass at ABC and just reloaded it online daily. It only costs $7.5 for a day pass and we were able to travel everywhere on the bus!