# Best things to do on Oahu

Beaches, history and the North Shore: Oahu's top experiences according to Hawaii guidebooks, Love Oahu and island bloggers.

- 7 votes · 12 items
- Apr 10, 2026 · the_wayfarer
- https://even.best/en/l/566/best-things-to-do-on-oahu

## Top 10

1. **Pearl Harbor National Memorial** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — The USS Arizona Memorial and museums on the 1941 attack. <https://www.nps.gov/perl/>
2. **Diamond Head** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Crater hike with tunnels and switchbacks to views over Waikiki; reservations needed.
3. **Waikiki Beach** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — The famous beach of Honolulu, birthplace of modern surfing with the Duke Kahanamoku statue.
4. **Kualoa Ranch** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Valley where Jurassic Park and Lost were filmed, with movie tours.
5. **Byodo-In Temple** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Replica of a Japanese temple at the foot of the Koʻolau Mountains.
6. **Waimea Valley** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Botanical gardens and cultural sites leading to a waterfall you can swim in.
7. **Manoa Falls Trail** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Rainforest trail to a 150-foot waterfall near Honolulu.
8. **Hanauma Bay** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Protected bay of coral reefs for snorkelling, with a mandatory education video.
9. **North Shore** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Winter big-wave surf at Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay, and Haleiwa's shrimp trucks.
10. **Polynesian Cultural Center** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Six island villages and an evening show in Laie.
11. **Lanikai Beach and the Lanikai Pillbox Hike** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Powder-white sand on the windward coast and a ridge hike with views of the Mokulua islands.
12. **Iolani Palace** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — The only royal palace on US soil, home of Hawaii's last monarchs. <https://www.iolanipalace.org/>

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.