This page contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info. This 7 day Oahu itinerary is the exact one we followed on our trip to the most visited Hawaiian island. It was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. We divided our time between the popular beach resort Waikiki in the capital Honolulu and the quieter North Shore. During our one week on Oahu, we surfed and snorkelled, swam with sharks and turtles, hiked up Diamond Head and through a rainforest, and admired the island from above on a doors-off helicopter ride.
Here I share ideas for what to do in Oahu for a week plus the best places to stay, how to get around, and other useful tips. Oahu is a fairly small island. A mile loop to the main sights takes at least 3. The vast majority of visitors to Honolulu stay in Waikiki , a lively beach resort minutes from Honolulu Airport depending on traffic. There are plenty of hotelsβboth budget and luxuryβas well as vacation rentals.
We spent the first four nights of this Oahu one week itinerary in Waikiki, which was the ideal base for exploring the southeast. We stayed at a one-bedroom Airbnb condo sadly no longer available in the Aston Waikiki Sunset which also operates as a hotel with suites. The building is dated, but our Airbnb was newly renovated, had fantastic ocean and Diamond Head views, and included free parking.
It was only a five-minute walk to the beach. They are pricey, so we decided to spend less in Waikiki where we were busy exploring and splurge on a nice resort on the North Shore, where you get more for your money.
There are also hiking trails to many quiet beaches. Check prices for Turtle Bay here. Back to Contents. We used comparison sites like Booking.
