A collage image with the Waimea Waterfall on the left with a swimming below below it. The right side has an image of the Haleiwa town sign on the side of the road with a picture of a woman surfing.

One Day on Oahu’s North Shore: The Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

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The North Shore of Oahu is known for its stunning beaches, laid-back atmosphere, and impressive waves for surfing. Its relaxed vibe is quite a contrast to the bustling area of Waikiki.

I have been to Oahu Island twice. During my first trip with my family, we visited Oahu’s North Shore as part of a full-day circle Island tour. However, we didn’t get to explore the North Shore fully on that trip.

During our most recent visit to Oahu, I dedicated a full day to exploring the famed North Shore of Oahu. We were staying in Waikiki and did a day trip to North Shore.

We hiked to the Waimea Falls and later spent some time at Waimea Bay Beach. We also really liked exploring the cool Northshore town of Haleiwa and trying the food and treats there (Matsumoto Shave Ice was yum!).

It was an epic day, and I am excited to share my day at Oahu’s Northshore with you. I highly recommend that you dedicate a day to exploring the North Shore in your Oahu itinerary.

Route to North Shore from Waikiki

The North Shore is around a 45-60 minute drive from the Waikiki hotel area, depending on where in North Shore you are going first.

➡️ Looking for a tour to the North Shore instead of driving yourself?

I recommend this Full day tour of Oahu’s North Shore that stops at a lot of attractions, including Waimea Falls.

The most common and direct route is to go up on H1 and then H2 highway along the middle of the island. On this route you will hit Dole Plantation first, then Haleiwa town and then Waimea Falls. We went straight to Waimea Falls and reached in around 50 minutes early in the morning.

A google maps image showing the map of Oahu Island and the route from Waikiki to North Shore Waimea Valley. It shows the route through the center in dark blue color and the route through the east side of the island in light blue color.
Waikiki to North Shore route options (Picture from Google Maps)

Another longer route is to take the windward (east side) of the island, which can take around 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on traffic. On this route, you will hit Byodo-In Temple, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and Kualoa Ranch on the way.

We had dedicated a whole day to the east side of Oahu, so we skipped this part during our North Shore day trip.

If you only have one day and want to do the full loop, you can start going up the windward or east side in the morning and come back from the west (technically, the H2 Highway is in the center of the island), thus doing a full circle island tour. Just start early!

➡️I downloaded the Guidealong audio tour for Oahu on my phone, and that really made the drive fun. The app prompts you about upcoming stops as you drive and also talks about the local history and culture. Nowadays, we always look for audio guides during our road trips.

A North Shore day trip is one of the top things to do in Waikiki!

Breakfast at Island Vintage Coffee

We started early in the day from Waikiki, around 7 AM, and went straight to Island Vintage Coffee in the Haleiwa town of North Shore.

My favorite drink is a hot mocha, and I usually like Starbucks mocha the best. But I loved the mocha coffee here! It was amazing. The barista said that the Hawaiian honey latte is a popular drink here. The bagels were great, and they also had acai bowls, which would be a great breakfast option.

Anu’s pro-tip: Acai bowls are thick frozen smoothie blends made of acai berries topped with various fruit toppings. They make a great breakfast or anytime filling snack! They are available all over the island and are definitely worth trying while in Oahu.

Another place to get a light breakfast is the Sunrise Shack at Sharks Cove. It’s a cute little food stand that serves coffee and various acai bowls.

Waimea Falls Hike

Our first sightseeing stop on the North Shore was the Waimea Valley and Falls.

We try to do waterfall hikes whenever we visit the Hawaiian islands, and I was excited to hike the Waimea Falls Trail in Oahu.

(The Pipiwai trail hike in Maui is my favorite waterfall hike so far!)

The Waimea Valley is a destination in itself, and you can easily spend half a day here. The falls have a per-person entry fee, which was $25 per person when we visited.

A wide paved road passes through the beautiful Waimea Valley, passing various botanical gardens, and the stunning Waimea Falls are at the end of the road.

The main attraction here is the Waimea Falls (and not the hike!), which is a 45-foot-tall waterfall that plunges into a natural pool at the base, making a perfect swimming hole. The water is tested daily so it is quite safe for swimming.

The entire out-and-back trail from the entrance to the falls is around 2 miles (3/4th to 1 mile each way). You can make it longer by exploring the gardens on the side trails.

There is also a shuttle to transport people from the entrance to the falls with a fee ($10 each way). We booked the shuttle for our parents while we walked both ways.

The plant lover in me loved exploring the various plants and flowers in the valley. There were also some small huts with various demonstrations along the way.

Finally, we reached the Waimea Falls. It was spectacular, and the swimming hole looked inviting.

Waimea Falls - the waterfall plunges into the swimming hole beneath it and several people are swimming with life jackets on.
The Beautiful Waimea Falls and the swimming hole

There is a snack shop and restrooms at the falls. We bought some shave ice, which was really welcoming after the walk in the sun.

The Waimea Falls is one of the best waterfalls in Oahu for swimming. There are lifeguards who provide life jackets.

Once back at the entrance, there is a cafe with several lunch options. We did not find good vegetarian choices, so we didn’t eat here. I had another great place in mind for lunch (more on that later!).

➡️ The Toa Luau at Waimea Valley is one of the best luaus in Oahu, and it is in such a beautiful location!

Overall, the Waimea Valley was great. It is a very easy walk through a beautiful valley, and there is also a shuttle for those who cannot walk much. I found it to be great for families with kids and seniors.

Waimea Bay Beach

Right outside of Waimea Valley is Waimea Bay Beach, a popular North Shore beach for surfing and cliff jumping. The beach itself is nice and sandy, but not suitable for swimming as the surf can be rough here, especially in winter months.

The only downside of this beautiful beach is the limited parking. While entering the Waimea Valley, I saw they offered paid parking spots for the beach, so if you don’t get parking at the beach lot, it might be worth checking out at Waimea Valley.

A wide sandy beach with small cliffs on the left side and many beach umbrellas seen setup near the water
Waimea Bay Beach: The cliffs to the left are where the cliff jumping happens.

We only spent 30 minutes or so at the beach watching the cliff jumping. This would be a nice place to enjoy a picnic or even watch the sunset.

Anu’s pro-tip: There is the Foodland local grocery store just a mile north of Waimea Bay, where you can purchase freshly prepared food and have a picnic!

Lunch at Farm to Barn Cafe

After the Waimea Falls hike, we were famished, so we went to Haleiwa town for lunch.

We went to the Farm to Barn cafe, which had some nice vegetarian options. This is a cute spot with outdoor picnic tables, and live music was playing when we visited for lunch.

Farm to Barn Cafe in North Shore Oahu, the cafe building and a covered pavillion on the left where a musician is playing
Farm to Barn Cafe in Oahu’s North Shore

We got some acai bowls, a vegetarian Buddha bowl, a burrito, and avocado toast. Everything was good, and the place overall was nice. I would recommend this to fellow vegetarians.

Other popular lunch places are Haleiwa Joe’s and Haleʻiwa Beach House, which are more seafood-focused.

There are also many popular food trucks in Haleiwa, such as Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. Being vegetarians, we didn’t explore food trucks much, except for the ones with acai and fruit bowls.

Explore Haleiwa Town

After lunch, we walked around Haleiwa town and explored the various general stores, boutiques, art galleries, and cute shops.

Colorful store buildings in North Shore Oahu

Haleiwa is so laid-back compared to the busy Honolulu and Waikiki areas. Exploring the town was a fun and welcome change. It’s the perfect place to pick up a unique souvenir or simply soak in the small-town vibe.

We parked in the Haleiwa Store Lots complex, where the Matsumoto Shave Ice is. There is a huge parking lot in the back.

The Matsumoto Shave Ice area was a fun place to be. There is a large courtyard there with benches and shade, and Island Vintage Coffee is in the same complex, too.

A courtyard area otuside Matsumoto Shave ice in Oahu's North Shore with people hanging out
Courtyard outside Matsumoto Shave Ice – Great place to hang out!

The lines for the Shave Ice were out the door, and it took us 30 minutes to order. The Shave Ice was really good, though!

A shave ice bowl with mango and pina colada syrup and various toppings.
My Shave Ice creation – It’s mango and Pina Colada with mochi and condensed milk toppings!

Make sure to add the condensed milk, ice cream, and mochi to it. I was not sure what red beans were, so I didn’t add them.

North Shore Beaches

North Shore has some popular beaches used primarily for surfing, cliff jumping, and sunset viewing. The waves are usually too strong here for swimming or snorkeling. Below are some of the top beaches here:

A sign in front of a sandy beach that reads 'Welcome to Waimea Bay'Bay
Waimea Bay Beach

Waimea Bay Beach – Right outside the Waimea Valley, this beach is nice for surfing and cliff jumping, or if you are like me just watching others jump off the cliff!

Sunset Beach – One of the best beaches to watch the sunset. The beach is really nice with great sand, and the Sunrise Shack food stand is nearby. Good spot for surfing too.

Laniakea Beach – Laniakea Beach, south of Waimea Bay Beach, is popular for its frequent sea turtle sightings. These gentle creatures often come ashore to bask in the sun, but remember to keep your distance, at least 10 feet, from them as required by law. The beach is quite rocky, and its main attraction is the turtles.

Haleiwa Beach Park – This is probably the closest beach to Haleiwa town. It has nice grassy areas as well as a nice beach for surfing or just relaxing. This is a popular local spot on the weekends. You can also try paddle boarding here as there are harbor sections shielded from the big waves.

A sandy Beach and some surfers seen in the water from a distance
Haleiwa Beach Park

Shark’s Cove – Popular spot for snorkeling. Bring water shoes as the rocks here are quite sharp.

Three Tables Beach – This nice little beach is popular for snorkeling. It is just a little south of Shark’s Cove.

Dole Plantation

We visited the Dole Plantation on our first visit as part of the Oahu Circle Island tour, so we skipped this time. But if you have never been and have an hour to spare, you can stop by for a Dole Whip treat.

The place is very touristy and busy, as most tour buses stop here. The lines to get the Dole Whip are insanely long! I remember it took us around 40 minutes! The Dole Whip was worth it, though.

Pineapple soft serve at Dole Plantation
Dole Whip at Dole Plantation

There is a train ride, a garden maze, and a garden tour here, and they all have separate tickets. We enjoyed so many other acai bowls and shave ice bowls in North Shore that we skipped Dole Plantation on our second visit. Once was enough i felt.

More things to do in North Shore, Oahu

➡️ 8-Line Zipline Adventure on Oahu’s North Shore (around 3 hours) – Ride an ATV to the top of a mountain and enjoy a series of sky bridges, ziplines, rappels, and more. Fun for the whole family!

➡️ Try a surfing lesson on North Shore with a professional lifeguard (2 hours) – Looking at all the surfers on the North Shore, if you want to give surfing a try, this surfing class is highly rated!

➡️ Cage diving with Sharks on North Shore – Believe it or not, this is a thing on the North Shore, and it is very popular! Read the reviews of this awesome tour to get an idea!

A sign board of Haleiwa town with the picture of a a girl on a surfboard
Look for the Haleiwa North Shore sign when entering the town

Wrap-up: An Epic Day on Oahu’s North Shore

Overall, I loved exploring Oahu’s North Shore! and I am so glad I spent a whole day there! My favorites were the Waimea Valley and Falls, the Matsumoto Shave Ice, and the courtyard outside it to hang out and people-watch!

More about Oahu

Check out my other blog posts about my visit to Oahu here!