10 Best Free Activities and Sights on Oahu

Posted on Mon, Sep 24, 2007 by Sheila

Last week I shared my top free things to do on Maui, I continue the series with my top pick of free (or almost free) activities and sights on Oahu. As I’m writing my recommendations for the top things you should do and see on each island, I try to focus on the aspects that are unique to that island. For Oahu, I think the military history and scenery are two of the major highlights and you’ll see that reflected in this list of suggestions for what to see and do on Oahu.
(Click the links for detailed information on each activity)

Visit the USS Arizona National Memorial in Pearl Harbor. The first time I saw the memorial, I was speechless for a while and then I was moved to tears. Though it is a solemn place, the history that you’ll learn here is very much worth the time to visit it. There are several things you need to know so that you are prepared for your visit, so see my detailed advice for visiting the USS Arizona Memorial.
See Punchbowl National Cemetery. This is a another solemn, yet peaceful site. Where else would you find a cemetery in the crater of an extinct volcano? You will find tremendous views of Honolulu at lookouts here.
See the stunning scenery. If you don’t have a rental car and you are on a limited budget, you can take Oahu’s excellent public transportation, TheBus, to tour around the island. TheBus’ Web site actually has has some very useful information aimed at sightseers. I’ll list just a sampling of the places I’d love for you to see. I’ll attempt to put them in somewhat of a logistical order starting Southeast and going counterclockwise around the island.
- The rocky coast line, beautiful beaches and small islands from Hawaii Kai to to Kailua Beach Park. (Follow Kalanianaole Highway 72 and then divert off to Kailua and Lanikai beaches.) Some consider Lanikai Beach to be the most beautiful in the world. See my post on visiting beautiful Lanikai Beach.
- Byodo-In Temple near Kaneohe is simply stunning.
- Mokolii (Chinaman’s Hat),
- Laie Point
- North Shore beaches
- Ancient Hawaiian temple at Puu O Mahuku to learn about ancient Hawaiian culture and a great view, too.
- Scenic Haleiwa town for a shave ice
- The Pali Lookout towards the center of the island is off of the Pali Highway, Hwy 61.
- On foot, consider taking a self-guided walking tour of Waikiki. You can download a free guide with a map. (Note: it’s 21 pages long and the map is on page 21.)

See a free fireworks show from Waikiki Beach at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Friday nights. See my post on this fireworks show.
See the free torch lighting ceremony and hula show at Kuhio Beach Park in Waikiki. You’ll find a delightful show filled with traditional Hawaiian music and dancing. The excellent beach side setting can’t be beat. This show is presented every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights around sunset (around 6:00pm or 6:30pm) depending on the time of year. Follow this link to learn more about the free Kuhio Beach hula show.
Lace up your hiking shoes and hit the trails. Check out Backyard Oahu’s lists of hikes and advice as well Oahu hiking section of the Hawaii State Parks site. Two very popular hikes are the 540-foot straight up climb to the top of Diamond Head crater (note a $1 walk-in fee or a $5 parking fee is required) and the 1.6 mile round trip hike to Manoa Waterfalls. Those two hikes will give you a great contrast of scenery.
Admire the turtles at “Turtle Beach”. You’ll find this beach on the North Shore between Haleiwa and Waimea Bay off of Highway 83. The best landmark for finding this beach is to look for the southern end of Pohaku Loa Way and the cars parked off the mountain side of the road. This spot would make a nice place to have a picnic at lunch or sunset. I should make sure I caution you that Sea Turtles (Honu) are protected and you should never approach one or attempt to touch one. Remember that you are in their territory and they are coming to land for a rest.
Go snorkeling. Some of the best snorkeling spots on Oahu are Hanauma Bay around Honolulu and Shark’s Cove on the North Shore. For more information on snorkeling on Oahu, see this guide.
In the winter, watch those incredibly tall waves along the North Shore. The top spots for watching the winter surf are at Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach and the famous Banzai Pipeline at Ehukai Beach. Also in the winter, watch for humpback whales splashing in Hawaii’s water. A great vantage point is to take a short hike on the Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail (off Hwy 72 north of Hawaii Kai) or at the lookouts off Diamond Head Road just above Diamond Head Beach Park on the east side of Diamond Head Crater.
Watch the sun sink into the ocean with a sunset picnic. You can either pick up your own picnic supplies from a grocery store or restaurant. Even the ABC Stores that are all over Waikiki have a decent selection for a picnic. Alternatively, many resorts will offer “to-go” picnic baskets. Please note that alcoholic beverages are prohibited on Hawaii beaches. I’ll cover the best free things to do on Kauai next.