Oahu is where most journeys to Hawaii begin. Home to Honolulu, Waikiki and around two-thirds of everyone who lives in the state, it packs a capital city, world-famous surf, wartime history and steep green mountains onto an island you can drive around in a day.
Honolulu and Waikiki
Honolulu is the state capital and the only real city in Hawaii, a place of high-rises, traffic and excellent food set between the Koolau mountains and the sea. Downtown, ʻIolani Palace was home to the last two monarchs of the Hawaiian Kingdom, King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani, and it is the only royal palace on United States soil. It is worth an hour to understand that Hawaii was an independent kingdom until 1893.
Waikiki is the strip of beach and hotels most people picture when they think of Hawaii. Once a retreat for Hawaiian royalty, it is now crowded, lively and genuinely fun, with gentle rolling waves that make it one of the best places in the world to take a first surf lesson. At its eastern end rises Diamond Head, or Lēʻahi, a volcanic crater with a short, steep summit trail and a view over the whole south shore. Non-residents need to reserve an entry time in advance.
Pearl Harbor
On the morning of 7 December 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, pulling the United States into the Second World War. The battleship USS Arizona sank with more than 1,100 of her crew, and the white memorial that spans her wreck is the most visited site on the island.
The memorial is part of Pearl Harbor National Memorial, run by the US National Park Service. Entry to the visitor center is free, but the boat out to the Arizona runs on timed tickets that are best reserved online well ahead. Bags are not allowed inside, so bring only what fits in your pockets or a clear pouch.
The North Shore
An hour north of Honolulu, the North Shore is a different world of small towns, food trucks and long golden beaches. In winter, roughly from November to March, swells from the North Pacific build waves that can reach the height of a house at Waimea Bay, the Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach, and the best surfers on Earth come to ride them. Watch from the sand; these are not waves for visitors.
In summer the same coast often turns calm and clear enough for snorkelling. Haleʻiwa, the main town, is the place for shave ice and garlic shrimp, and green sea turtles regularly haul out to rest on beaches along the coast. Give them space: the official guidance is to stay at least 10 feet (3 metres) away.
The windward coast
The eastern, windward side of Oahu catches the trade winds and the rain, which is why it is so green. The Koolau cliffs rise like a wall behind Kailua and Lanikai, two of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii, with soft white sand and the twin Mokulua islets offshore. Kualoa, further north, is a valley of fluted ridges that has stood in for prehistoric landscapes in films such as Jurassic Park.
Hanauma Bay, on the south-east tip of the island, is a protected marine life conservation district inside an old volcanic crater. To protect the reef, numbers are limited: you need an advance reservation, there is an entry fee, and the bay is closed on some days of the week, so check before you go.
Getting around
Almost every visitor arrives at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu. Waikiki and central Honolulu are easy without a car, using TheBus, ride-hailing and your feet. To explore the North Shore and the windward coast, a rental car gives you the most freedom; avoid Honolulu at rush hour if you can.
When to go
Oahu is warm all year, with daytime temperatures usually between about 24 and 31°C. Winter brings more rain to the windward side, big surf on the North Shore and humpback whales offshore from around December to April. Summer is drier, the north coast is calmer, and prices peak during US school holidays.