Top 5 Things to Do on Oahu: Golf, Surfing, Pearl Harbor & More

Coming to Hawaii and staying on Oahu?

Waikiki Beach may be the first thing that comes to mind, but there's much more to experience around the island.

You can play golf in the morning, learn to surf in Waikiki, drive around the island, visit Pearl Harbor and even take a day trip to another Hawaiian island.

Here are 5 things we recommend doing during an Oahu vacation.

1. Play Golf in Hawaii

If you're a golfer, don't travel all the way to Hawaii without playing at least one round.

Oahu offers a surprisingly wide variety of golf experiences, from polished resort golf to mountain courses surrounded by tropical scenery.

Popular Oahu golf options include:

Ko Olina Golf Club
Hawaii Prince Golf Club
Waikele Country Club
Royal Hawaiian Golf Club
Royal Kunia Country Club
Kapolei Golf Club
Ewa Beach Country Club
Turtle Bay Palmer Course

Whether you want ocean and resort scenery, mountain golf or simply a convenient round while staying in Waikiki, there's an Oahu course that can fit your trip.

Book Your Golf Before You Arrive

If golf is important to your vacation, don't wait until you arrive in Waikiki to start looking for tee times.

Popular courses and desirable morning tee times can become limited.

Hawaii Tee Times has been helping visitors book golf in Hawaii for more than 25 years. We're a local Hawaii company and can help you compare courses, tee times and transportation options before your trip.

VIEW & BOOK OAHU GOLF WITH HAWAII TEE TIMES

Didn't Bring Your Golf Clubs?

No problem.

If you're staying on Oahu and don't want to travel with a golf bag, Hawaii Golf Club Rentals offers golf club rentals from its convenient Waikiki location.

Rental options are available for men, women, juniors and left-handed golfers, along with premium sets and a large selection of putters.

This can be particularly convenient if you're only planning one or two rounds and don't want to deal with airline golf-bag fees or transporting your clubs throughout your vacation.

VIEW & BOOK OAHU GOLF CLUB RENTALS

2. Try Surfing in Waikiki

You don't have to be an experienced surfer to get into the water in Hawaii.

Waikiki is one of the world's most famous places to experience surfing, and its generally approachable beginner conditions have introduced generations of visitors to the sport.

If you've never surfed before, take a lesson rather than trying to figure it out by yourself.

Instructors can help with paddling, positioning, standing up and basic surf etiquette.

Even if you only stand up for a few seconds, you'll have a pretty good answer when someone asks what you did in Hawaii.

You surfed Waikiki.

3. Rent a Car and Explore Oahu

Waikiki is only one small part of Oahu.

Rent a car for a day and explore the island.

Depending on your route and how much time you have, an Oahu driving day can include places such as:

Diamond Head
Hanauma Bay area
Makapuu
Oahu's Windward Coast
Kailua
Kualoa
North Shore
Haleiwa
Waimea Bay
Sunset Beach

Don't treat it like a race to check every location off a list.

Stop when you see something interesting. Have lunch somewhere local. Walk on a beach. Take pictures. Watch the surfers on the North Shore.

One of the best ways to understand Oahu is simply to get out of Waikiki and see the rest of the island.

4. Visit Pearl Harbor

A trip to Oahu should include some understanding of the island's history.

Pearl Harbor is one of the most historically significant places in Hawaii and one of Oahu's most important visitor experiences.

The Pearl Harbor National Memorial tells the story of the December 7, 1941 attack and the events surrounding America's entry into World War II.

The USS Arizona Memorial is the centerpiece for many visitors.

Depending on how much time you want to spend in the area, there are additional historic sites and museums around Pearl Harbor as well.

This is not an attraction to rush through.

Give yourself time to understand what happened there and why the location remains so important.

5. See Another Hawaiian Island

Oahu is only one part of Hawaii.

If your vacation is long enough, consider seeing another island.

Short inter-island flights make it possible to add Maui, Kauai or the Big Island to a Hawaii trip.

Maui

Maui offers beautiful resort areas, beaches, dramatic scenery and excellent golf.

Kauai

Kauai is known for mountains, lush scenery, dramatic coastline and a quieter atmosphere than Honolulu.

Big Island

The Big Island gives visitors a completely different Hawaii experience with volcanic landscapes, the Kohala Coast and spectacular resort golf.

If you have enough time, staying at least a night or two is generally a better way to experience another island than trying to rush through everything in a few hours.

And if golf is part of your outer-island trip, Hawaii Tee Times also offers golf on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.

VIEW HAWAII GOLF COURSES & TEE TIMES