Sheila
Sep 24th, 2007
Sep 24th, 2007
10 Best Free Activities and Sites on Oahu
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 sites on Oahu. If you are going to Oahu on a honeymoon or to celebrate an anniversary, many of these activities can be quite romantic. Then again, if you are going to Oahu with a friend, these activities can be enjoyed by anyone.
- 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. It is a solemn place and very much worth the time to visit it. (When you go be sure that you are prepared for the strict security rules. No bags of any kind are allowed at the visitors center.)
- 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.
- Take a 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 Polynesian dance and music show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Friday nights. After the Polynesian show, you’ll be treated to fireworks. Check this link for show times.
- See the free torch lighting ceremony and hula show at Kuhio Beach Park. The show begins at 6:30 p.m.. This show is provided every night except for Monday nights. Follow this link to learn more about the Kuhio Beach hula show.
- Lace up your hiking shoes and hit the trails. Check out Backyard Oahu’s lists of hikes and advice. Two very popular hikes are the 540-foot straight up climb to the top of Diamond Head crater and the easy two-mile round trip hike to Manoa Falls.
- 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 south 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 lunch.
- 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. A top spot for watching the winter surf is at Waimea Bay.
- 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. 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.
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14 Responses to “10 Best Free Activities and Sites on Oahu”
Nice list! Combine with your post 3 Ways to Have a Luxurious Hawaii Vacation on the Cheap and you can Go Visit Hawaii for peanuts!
Well, maybe not peanuts
, but for a much more affordable price than you might expect!
OK, maybe mac’ nuts, they’re a little more pricey.
(Mmmmm, macadamia nuts!)
You can visit part of the Polynesian Cultural Center for free (they have several shops and a snack bar that can be accessed at no cost), if you want to just browse around or watch people eat. PCC also offers a free 3 day pass to visit PCC three days so long you purchase a regular package. This is convenient because it is difficult to do everything in one day, just the same way it is difficult to experiene all of Disneyland in one day.
I also like to visit the Hawaiian temple (heiau) above Waimea Falls beach. It is a State Park and there’s free parking too. If you visit, please do not touch any stones or offerings.
Laie Point is a great place to visit at no charge. Also, Hukilau Beach is one of Oahu’s best beaches and there is plenty of free parking too. Castle Beach near Kahuku is a nice park with free parking.
It’s interesting to visit the Birthing Stones monument near Whitmore Village. It’s a very peaceful area. It is where ancient Hawaiian royalty were born (in the middle of Oahu).
Christian - Thank you for sharing your top picks.
I agree that the PCC has more than enough to see in one day!
Is the temple that you mentioned near the Foodland grocery store off the Kam highway?
Laie Point is beautiful! And you could spend a day or two just stopping to admire all the beautiful beaches on Oahu!
I’ve not been to the Birthing Stones. I read some interesting things about the Hawaiian customs about the stones. If I remember correctly, priests would watch the baby being born and then take the baby away from the mother immediately. The child would be raised by other people because it was common for royal decendents to be stolen away by rivals.
Hi Sheilka,
Here is a link to the Kukaniloko Birth Stones location in the middle of Oahu:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see/kukaniloko_birth_stones.htm
Yes, the other temple is just above the Foodland in Pupukea on OahuL:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see/puu_o_mahuka_heiau.htm
Some of these other places are free:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/sites_to_see/default.htm
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/kauai/sites_to_see
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/mauyi/sites_to_see
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/molokai/sites_to_see
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/lanai/sites_to_see
When you get to Oahu, pick up the local Advertiser or Honolulu Star Bulletin for announcements. There always seems to be some kind of free festival celebrating the many ethnicities in Hawaii, or a hula festival, or sunset on the beach, different sports events like surfing, block party, outdoor craft fairs, a parade…usually held on the weekend.
I was born and raised on Oahu but now live on the Big Island. What I miss most are the restaurants. Hilo only has a few places that I like.
Thanks for adding your advice, HVG! You know what, we have had a hard time finding good restaurants on the Big Island in general. Maybe we were just having bad luck when we were there. I didn’t get to try the Merriman’s restaurant and I’d like to give that a try.
Hey Sheila, these are all great ideas. In fact, I’ve added a link from our blog so readers can check it out!
[...] Sometimes the best things in life are free and we here at Go Oahu Card are all about helping you get more bang for your travel buck. That’s why we wanted to share a link to an article called 10 Best Free Activities and Sites in Oahu. Sheila at Go Visit Hawaii has some great ideas, including going snorkeling, visiting the USS National Arizona Memorial, and admiring a beautiful Hawaiian sunset. Happy travels! [...]
Mahalo, Susan! I’m glad you like the ideas!
I’m so glad that I found this as I’m heading to Oahu next month– great links here!
Aloha Karen - I’m even more glad that you found Go Visit Hawaii! I love to provide tips to help people make the most of their Hawaii vacations.
Since you are going to Oahu soon, you might also find these recent articles on Oahu restaurants to be helpful:
http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/04/25/top-oahu-restaurants-dave-alices-picks/
http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/04/23/where-are-the-best-oahu-restaurants/
I hope you have a wonderful visit to Oahu!
[...] it a day. Mom, Linda and I walked over to see a hula show, thanks to Stephen Hopson’s advice: Free places to go on Oahu. This show featured local talent and some older [...]