The Best 1 Day Itinerary for O’ahu’s North Shore

If you’re lucky enough to be visiting O’ahu then spending some time on the island’s North Shore is an absolute must. Alongside Maui’s road to Hana exploring the North Shore was one of the highlights of our time in Hawaii and gave us our first taste of island magic.

We visited the North Shore in early November which is the beginning of the high surf season meaning large waves and strong currents. Whilst this gives you a great opportunity to experience O’ahu’s famous surf culture, it’s not advisable to swim at certain locations on the North Shore during this time. The water tends to calm down from April through to October and gives you a wider array of beaches to choose from. You can get up to date swimming and surf conditions from the Hawaii Beach Safety website.

There are so many amazing places on the North Shore that you could explore for a week and not get bored. As we were limited on time, this guide reflects what we prioritised and managed to do in a day. Check out the honourable mentions section at the end for some extra recommendations that we couldn’t fit into this visit.

This guide assumes you have your own car and are travelling from the Waikiki or Honolulu area, if you’re coming from elsewhere on the island then feel free to arrange this itinerary to suit your needs.

1 – Breakfast at Foodland Farms Pearl City

If you’re anything like us, your days are planned around what to eat and when. So with that in mind, we’d recommend a quick pit stop at Foodland Farms in Pearl City which is about half an hour from Waikiki heading towards the North Shore. They have a great variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood to cook at home but the reason we stopped in was for their ready-to-eat offerings.

Across the various counters, there’s a selection of Hawaiian classics including Musubis and Poke as well as a huge choice of breakfast bento boxes to suit all tastes. Between us we grabbed a fresh fruit salad and a bacon and egg bento box to kick start our day of exploring.

If you’re looking for an easy spot to grab a quick bite without eating into your day too much this is it. They have multiple locations across the island but it just so happens that this one is conveniently located along the route from Honolulu. Don’t forget to stock up on snacks like Maui style potato chips or macadamia nuts while you’re there.

2 – Waterfall Swimming at Waimea Valley Botanical Gardens

As your first stop after driving along some of the beautiful North Shore coastal road we’d recommend the Waimea Valley botanical gardens. The gardens open at 9am and it pays to get there early. We made the mistake of heading to the Waimea Valley as the second stop of our day around mid morning and finding parking was a real challenge. Cost of admission ranges from $14 for a child up to $25 (as of August 2023) with discounts available for Hawaiian residents and military personnel.

The gardens themselves are stunning with an amazing variety of colourful plants on display as well as wild peacocks. The Waimea Valley was an important site of cultural significance for ancient Hawaiians and you can see a recreated stone village as you wander through the gardens.

The main draw for most people at the botanical gardens is the waterfall located towards the top of the valley. The waterfall is roughly three quarters of a mile (1.2km) from the main entrance and the hike is a gentle uphill slope most of the way. It’s not too challenging but there is a shuttle service for those who need it.

The waterfall itself is beautiful and one of the safer spots in Hawaii to go wild swimming due to the presence of lifeguards and the availability of life vests. There are changing rooms nearby so make sure to bring your swimwear and a towel. We’d also recommend some water shoes as the banks of the pool are a little rocky. The water can be cold but it’s definitely worth taking a dip and taking some great photos if you have a waterproof camera or pouch for your phone.

3 – Turtle Spotting at Laniakea Beach

Once you’ve dried off from your dip in the falls, we’d suggest a quick trip back down the road you just came from to visit Laniakea beach. Again, we made the slight mistake of heading here too early in the day and whilst the beach was beautiful, it was a little too early to spot any turtles. Whilst searching for them we ran into some of the amazing volunteers from Mālama i nā honu who suggested we come back a little later on when we’d have a better chance of seeing them.

After visiting the Waimea Valley we came back around midday and were lucky enough to see a couple of green sea turtles basking on the beach. The volunteers do a great job of educating visitors about the turtles as well as protecting them which includes ensuring everyone is at least 10 feet from the turtles at all times to avoid disturbing them. This distance is more than close enough to appreciate them in their natural habitat as well as snap some amazing photos.

If you’re interested in learning more about the turtles or volunteering to protect them, visit the Mālama i nā honu website for more information.

4 – Lunch at Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp

You might be hungry again by this point so we’d suggest checking out one of the North Shore’s many famous shrimp trucks. There are tons of these dotted all over the North Shore and everyone has their own recommendations on which one is the best. It was a tough choice but after doing our own research and asking around we decided to check out Fumi’s Kahuku shrimp just outside Kahuku.

They have a selection of flavours including original, garlic butter, spicy garlic and lemon pepper shrimp that all come with rice and a slice of pineapple. We got the garlic butter and spicy garlic shrimp between us and both were absolutely incredible! We’d also recommend grabbing 1 or 2 extra portions of sauce for pouring over your rice. Top it off with an aloha lilikoi (passion fruit) juice for an authentic Hawaiian street food experience.

5 – Snorkelling at Turtle Beach

Next up, grab your snorkel and head over to Turtle Beach at Kalewa Bay. At first glance the beach appears to be part of a larger resort but there is public parking and you are able access to the beach without being a hotel guest. Whilst this beach doesn’t have the rugged beauty of Laniakea, it makes up for it with amazing snorkelling.

We header just off the shore and were able to see multiple sea turtles swimming around the bay. Keep in mind that there are legal consequences for disturbing a sea turtle and it’s very easy to get too close to them. Do your best to admire them from a distance and don’t risk ruining your trip by getting slapped with a hefty fine. The image above was originally taken from a safe distance and has been zoomed and cropped.

Cinema fans among you might recognise the hotel here as the one featured in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

6 – Shopping and Shave Ice in Haleiwa

If you’re visiting in the winter months, it’s likely you won’t have a lot of daylight left and you might want to think about heading back towards Waikiki. If you’ve still got time to fill then check out the honourable mentions section below for some suggestions on where to go next but if you’re wrapping up your day, we’d recommend making a stop in the historic town of Haleiwa.

There’s a bunch of cute shops here selling everything from Hawaiian shirts and t-shirts to surf gear and art. However, one of the most famous spots in town is Matsumoto’s shave ice. Visiting towards the end of the day meant the line wasn’t too long but at peak times expect to be in for a long wait. You can grab a small or large and select up to 3 flavours from their extensive menu which has classics like lilikoi (passion fruit) and banana as well as more experimental offerings like root beer or green tea. The menu also features some suggestions on popular flavour combinations if you’re not sure what to go for.

The staff are super friendly and will gladly help you out if you’re not sure what to go for. It’s a great experience watching the team prepare your order and you can also add a bunch of extra toppings like a scoop of vanilla ice cream under the shave ice or condensed milk and azuki beans drizzled over the top.

If you’re looking for a sweet treat to cap off your day exploring the North Shore then don’t miss out!

Wrapping Up

With so much to do on the North Shore, it’s impossible to see it all in one day and a result we had to miss a few things out. If you’ve got a bit more time to explore than we did then we’d recommend adding some of the following to your itinerary:

• Watch the pro surfers at Banzai Pipeline
• Swimming or surfing at Waimea Bay Beach Park
• Snorkelling at Shark’s Cove
• Visit the Dole pineapple plantation
• Hike the Ehukai Pillbox Trail