Day 1 Devote your first day on O'ahu to Waikiki. A good place to start a walking tour is the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, home to an armada of pleasure boats and two members-only yacht clubs. It's located just makai (toward the ocean) of the Renaissance 'Ilikai Waikiki at 1777 Ala Moana Boulevard. From here head toward the main intersection of Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalia Road, turn right at the big sign to Hilton Hawaiian Village, and wander through this lush, 20-acre resort complex past gardens and waterfalls. Continue walking toward the ocean on Kalia Road to Ft. DeRussy Beach, home of the U.S. Army Museum. Across the street, on Saratoga Road, nestled snugly amid the commerce of Waikiki, is an oasis of

 

tranquillity: the tea house at the Urasenke Foundation, where the art of Hawaiian hospitality bows to the art of the centuries-old Japanese tea ceremony. With a little taste of Asia and some Zen for the road, head mauka (toward the mountains) on Saratoga Road until you reach Kalakaua Avenue. Then turn right toward Diamond Head. At the intersection with Lewers Street, stop and peer into the lobby of the First Hawaiian Bank for a quick view of the island's history in six massive wall murals. Diagonally across Kalakaua Avenue is one of Waikiki's architectural landmarks, the Gump Building. Walk down Lewers Street toward the ocean, which dead-ends at the impressive Halekulani, one of Waikiki's most prestigious hotels. From the Halekulani, stroll toward Diamond Head along the paved oceanside walkway. It leads past the Sheraton Waikiki to the gracious, historic, and very pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Back on the mauka side of Kalakaua Avenue, walk two blocks 'ewa (away from Diamond Head) and one block mauka to the IMAX Waikiki Theater, home of continuous huge-screen films. Return to Kalakaua Avenue and walk toward Diamond Head. Your next stop on the mauka side of the street is the International Market Place, home to shops, stalls, and artisans who display their wares in an open-air bazaar setting. Catch some shade beneath the banyan tree that features its very own Swiss Family Robinson-style tree house. Across Kalakaua Avenue is the oldest hotel in Waikiki, the venerable Sheraton Moana Surfrider. Wander through the breezy lobby to the wide back porch, called the Banyan Veranda, or take a quick tour through tourism history in the Moana's second-floor historical room. From here, walk down the beach and head toward Diamond Head. Next to Kalakaua Avenue you'll find the four Kahuna (Wizard) Stones of Waikiki. Said to hold magical powers, they are often overlooked and, more often than not, irreverently draped with wet towels. Continue your walk four blocks down Kalakaua Avenue toward Diamond Head, then turn mauka onto 'Ohua Avenue and you'll find the only church in Waikiki with its own building, the Roman Catholic St. Augustine's. In the back of the church is the Damien Museum, a small but fascinating exhibition on the life of Father Damien, a Belgian priest who died while ministering to the victims of Hansen's disease (leprosy) on the island of Moloka'i. Day 2 Begin your second day at the Hawai'i Maritime Center at the harbor front, across Ala Moana Boulevard from Alakea Street in downtown Honolulu. This museum traces the history of Hawai'i's love affair with the sea. Just 'ewa of the Hawai'i Maritime Center is Aloha Tower Marketplace, a complex of harborside shops and restaurants where you can also view the luxury cruise liners in port and the traditional Hawaiian Boat Days celebrations that greet each arrival. Cross Ala Moana Boulevard, walk a block away from Diamond Head, and turn toward the mountains on Ft. Street Mall, a pedestrian walkway, until you reach King Street. Turn left, and in a few blocks you'll reach Chinatown, the old section of downtown Honolulu. Here you can find a Buddhist temple, a Japanese shrine, shops, art galleries, ethnic restaurants, and a big open market. Walk back toward Diamond Head along King Street until it intersects with Bishop Street. On the mauka side is lovely Tamarind Park, a popular lunchtime picnic spot for Honolulu's workforce, which gathers under its shady plumeria, kukui, and monkeypod trees -- and one tamarind. Continue down King Street until you reach 'Iolani Palace. This graceful Victorian structure was built by King David Kalakaua in 1882. Also on the palace grounds is the Kalakaua Coronation Bandstand, where the Royal Hawaiian Band performs at noon most Fridays. Across King Street from 'Iolani Palace is Ali'iolani Hale, the judiciary building that once served as the parliament hall during the kingship era. In front of it is the gilded Kamehameha I Statue, which honors Hawai'i's greatest monarch. Walk one block mauka up Richards Street to tour the Hawai'i State Capitol. Almost across the street from the state capitol is Washington Place, the home of Hawai'i's governor. Return to King Street via Punchbowl Street, stay on the mauka side, and proceed in the direction of Diamond Head. Walk past the palace again till you come to the massive stone Hawai'i State Library, a showcase of architectural restoration. At Punchbowl Street is Honolulu Hale, or City Hall. Across the street is the Kawaiaha'o Church, perhaps Hawai'i's most famous religious structure. On the Diamond Head side of the Kawaiaha'o Church is the Mission Houses Museum, where the first American missionaries in Hawai'i lived. From here it's three long blocks toward Diamond Head to Ward Avenue and one block mauka to South Beretania Street, where you'll find the Honolulu Academy of Arts is worth the extra mileage (you might choose to drive here instead). It houses a world-class collection of Western and Asian art. Wrap up your day at sunset with refreshments or dinner back at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, which stays open late into the evening, with live entertainment on the harbor front. Day 3 At once historic and contemporary, serene and active, the east end of O'ahu holds within its relatively small area remarkable variety and picture-perfect scenery featuring windswept cliffs and wave-dashed shores. From Waikiki there are two routes to Lunalilo Freeway (H-1). On the Diamond Head end, go mauka on Kapahulu Avenue and follow the signs to the freeway. On the 'ewa end, take Ala Wai Boulevard and turn mauka at Kalakaua Avenue, continuing until it ends at Beretania Street, which is one-way going left. Turn right off Beretania Street at Pi'ikoi Street, and the signs will direct you onto the freeway heading west. Take the freeway exit marked Pali Highway (Highway 61), one of three roads that cut through the Ko'olau Mountains. On the right is the Queen Emma Summer Palace. The colonial-style white mansion, which once served as the summer retreat of King Kamehameha IV and his wife, Queen Emma, is now a museum. As you drive toward the summit of the highway, the road is lined with sweet ginger in summer and red poinsettias in winter. If it has been raining, waterfalls will be tumbling down the chiseled cliffs of the Ko'olau. If it is very windy, those waterfalls can look as if they are traveling up the cliffs, not down, making them a sight to behold. Watch for the turn to the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout. There is a small parking lot and a lookout wall from which you can see all the way up and down the windward coast -- a view that Mark Twain called the most beautiful in the world. As you follow the highway down the other side of the mountain, continue straight along what becomes Kailua Road. If you're interested in Hawaiian history, look for the YMCA at the Castle Hospital junction of Kalaniana'ole Highway and Kailua Road. Behind it is Ulupo Heiau, an ancient outdoor shrine. Ready for a detour? Head straight on Kailua Road to Kailua Beach Park, which many people consider the best on the island. The road twists and turns, so watch the signs. Retracing your route back to Castle Junction, turn left at the intersection onto Kalaniana'ole Highway, where you will eventually come to the small town of Waimanalo. Waimanalo's two beaches are Bellows Beach, great for swimming and bodysurfing, and Waimanalo Beach Park, also safe for swimming. Another mile along the highway, on the right, is Sea Life Park, home to the world's only "wholphin," the offspring of a whale and a dolphin. Across the highway from Sea Life Park is Makapu'u Beach, a beautiful cove that is great for seasoned bodysurfers but treacherous for all but the most experienced swimmers. The road winds up a hill, at the top of which is a turnoff on the makai side to Makapu'u Point, a fabulous photo opportunity. Next you'll see a long stretch of inviting sand called Sandy Beach. Tempting as this beach looks, it is not advisable to swim here because the waves are powerful and the rip currents more than tricky. From here the road twists and turns next to steep cliffs along the Koko Head shoreline. Offshore, the islands of Moloka'i and Lana'i call like distant sirens, and every once in a while Maui is visible in blue silhouette. For the best photos, pull into the parking lot at Halona Blowhole. At the top of the hill on the makai side of the road is the entrance to Hanauma Bay, one of O'hu's most famous snorkeling destinations. From here back to Waikiki the highway passes several residential communities called Hawai'i Kai, Niu Valley, and 'Aina Haina, each of which has a small shopping center where you can pick up a soda or snack. Right before you turn off from Kalaniana'ole Highway there's a long stretch of green on the makai side. This is the private Wai'alae Country Club, scene of the televised annual Sony Hawaiian Open Golf Tournament. Take the Kilauea Avenue exit. Turn left at the stoplight onto Kilauea Avenue. Here you'll see Kahala Mall, an upscale shopping complex with yuppie eateries, high-fashion stores, and eight movie theaters. A few blocks past the mall, take a left on Hunakai Street and follow it until it dead-ends at Kahala Avenue. Turn right and drive through Kahala, O'ahu's wealthiest neighborhood. Kahala Avenue becomes Diamond Head Road. Follow it straight to Kapi'olani Park. Stay on the right side of the park until you hit Kapahulu Avenue. Take a left, and you're back in Waikiki. Day 4 On the fourth day, get an early start in order to see the Arizona Memorial and Battleship Missouri Memorial, since the waiting lines lengthen throughout the morning. Or take the early morning boat tour to Pearl Harbor. From here, drive to the Bishop Museum and spend some time immersed in Hawaiiana. Keep the rest of the day low-key until evening, when you can take in a cocktail or dinner show followed by dancing. Day 5 Devote the fifth day to the North Shore. Drive to Hale'iwa for breakfast and shopping, then tour Waimea Valley and Adventures Park, and finish with a late-afternoon or early evening visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center. When to Visit Oahu Long days of sunshine and fairly mild year-round temperatures make Hawai'i an all-season destination. Most resort areas are at sea level, with average afternoon temperature during the coldest winter months of December and January at 75°F; during the hottest months of August and September the temperature often reaches 92°F. The ideal seasons to visit O'ahu are spring and fall, when there are fewer tourists and the weather is warm but not too warm. Fall is also fun thanks to the Aloha Festivals, a monthlong program of free Hawaiian-style celebrations and special events. Festival highlights on O'ahu include a floral parade and evening block parties downtown and in Waikiki. Because many families travel in the summer, most O'ahu hotels offer children's programs from June through August. Come December, downtown Honolulu is a veritable wonderland during its holiday festival of lights.