Food & Travel: North Shore of O’ahu Hawaii

The North Shore has to be one of my favorite places. The food, the endless sandy beaches, the shopping and activities can’t be beat. As long as you have a car you can do everything this island has to offer in 6 whole days. If you can I recommend staying another 3-4 days so you can relax even more.

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About this itinerary

O’ahu is my favorite Hawaiian Island. Maybe because it’s small and that allows you to do so much in just a few days. The North Shore is just miles and miles of pristine sandy beaches. And Haleiwa is a charming little beach town with the best food and shopping. It’s honestly a place I could call home. In this custom 7 day North Shore Itinerary I will walk you through step by step how to book the trip, how to prep for the trip, how to pack and share our most memorable and favorite activities. So you can enjoy every single moment of your vacation without any stress.

Highlight include

Beach hopping on the North Shore
Horseback riding at Gunstock Ranch
Kayaking in Haleiwa with the turtles
Surfing or Boogie Boarding at Castles
Snorkeling at Sharks Cove

Planning

Know when you are going to travel. Whenever traveling to Hawaii the most crowded and expensive time will always be the summer months, spring break and major holidays. If you travel during the “off” season January-beginning of March or end of September to beginning of November the crowds are far less which means hotels, other accommodations, and activities will be slightly more affordable. Bronson and I visit during mid October. The weather is so nice. Warm and sunny during the days and slightly cooler in the evenings. You might get some light rain but you can actually park in the beach parking lots and find a good spot to tan for the day. It really is the best time to go!
Make sure you have a credit card. If you travel without a credit card you are missing out. The right credit card gives you points or miles back on every purchase (this is how Bronson and I get free flights on our trips every year.) Has no foreign transaction fees. Provides free TSA or Global Entry Pre Check. And comes most of the time with travel insurance, rental car insurance, etc if you used your card to make the reservation. It’s the smart way to travel and builds your credit at the same time. I never leave my house without my Capitol One Venture X card. It’s how I travel affordably. Check it out and others if you don’t already have one. Then you can reap all the benefits too.
Get your Flights: Now that you know when you will be traveling begin searching for the flights. You will need to book one round trip flight from your home airport to Oahu and back. For reference, Hawaii is 4 hrs behind mountain standard time. When planning your flight to Hawaii account for that. I always plan two days as travel days. One day to get to the destination and the other day upon leaving to go back home. When flying to Hawaii out of the U.S. a round trip flight is about 5 hrs or less. Use Hopper and Google flights to find a good flight. You can use both to watch for prices and book when a good deal arises and remember booking through the airline is most likely cheaper and also offers you the most benefits as a flyer if a cancelation or something were to happen. Use your credit card and points if you have them.
Accommodations. Now that the flights are taken care of its time to book a place to stay. I normally like booking through Bookings.com but in Hawaii an Airbnb is best. Especially if you can find one with beach access. Bronson, me, my brother and his girlfriend stayed at The Modern Mango Beach Home our last trip, hosted by Geoffrey and had a blast! It comes with a fully equip kitchen, private beach access and beach gear, like boogie boards and surf boards. I highly recommend it. If you need a place for two, this beach studio apartment, hosted by Alicia is perfect. It is close to the Polynesian Cultural Center and has beach access and beach equipment too. As well as a washer and dryer. I enjoyed both places so much.
Experiences. When ever I travel I use Get Your Guide and Trip Advisor to scout for fun activities. Sometimes I find hidden gems through Airbnb experiences. Tip: after browsing sit can be cheaper to book directly through the businesses website instead of a third party website. Just check your sources first.
Transportation: For this Itinerary you will need transportation. Get a rental car for your entire stay. I typically look at Kayak for a good rental first and then source other websites like Bookings.com to find the best price.
Packing: Pack light. You don’t need more than a carry on. You can also bring a personal bag/backpack too if you feel like you need it. I also recommend packing cubes, a wet bag and a liquid toiletry bag to help keep your luggage organized to maximize the most space. Oh and a towel. Only bring two pairs of shoes. Wear a pair of tennis shoes comfortable for walking and hiking and pack a set of sandals. If you are trying to travel on a tight budget, pack a personal backpack with small nourishing things like oatmeal packets, protein powder (Just Ingredients Travel Packets are my favorite), Chomps (beef jerky), trail mix, Wild Zora instant soups and That’s It energy bars to be able to replace some of your meals. Or just shop at Costco in Honolulu before driving to the north shore and get groceries for the week. I like to buy meals for breakfast and lunch or dinner everyday and eat out once a day on vacation in Hawaii. And always allow room for treats.
ID’s: Please don’t forget your driver licenses. I always carry all of mine and Bronson’s important documents and items in a crossover bag (get one that stays in front of you in case of pickpocketers) that stays with me at all times. Get TSA pre check to make going through airport security faster. If you have a travel card like my Capitol One Venture X card, your credit card company will reimburse you for it. Double check. I prefer Global Entry because you also get TSA pre check. It’s a double win. Especially if you like to travel abroad.

North Shore of O’ahu Hawaii: 7 day Itinerary

Day 1: After arriving to Hawaii, get your rental car and stock up on food necessities for the week at Costco in Honolulu or groceries from Foodland in Laie. Since it’s the first day and you might be tired from traveling, just head to the beach. Change into a swimsuit, grab a towel, sunscreen and take a nice nap somewhere sandy, sunny and warm. I would just go some where close. Bronson and I were in walking distance to Laniloa Beach at Laie Point. Perfect for tanning, watching the sun set and collecting coral and sea shells.

Day 2: Wake up, pack a lunch and grab a surf board and boogie board to spend the day at castles beach for some waves. If you want a little snack get an acai bowl from Crispy Grindz in Laie on the way there. When you are tired and ready for a shower, head back to the house to rest and get ready to hit the town for a burger at Seven Brothers. The Shem Burger is my favorite!

Day 3: Start the day by visiting Sunset and Pipeline Beach. You might want to stop by a fresh fruit market on the side of the road on your way there. You could snack on it while watching the pro surfers practice. A lot of pros hang out at Sunset and Pipeline. Then make your way over for some snorkeling at Sharks Cove. It’s best to go before 10am or it can get crowded. After snorkeling, cross the street to the food trucks. If you can find The Elephant Shack eat there. They serve some of the best Thai food I have ever had. End the day at Waimea Bay for some cliff jumping and beach bumming.

Day 4: Choose a fun hike to do in Haleiwa in the morning. Here’s a list from All Trails to choose from. Then re fuel at Waialua Bakery. They have the best sandwiches, baked goods and smoothies. Make sure you have cash because they don’t accept cards. After eating walk around, shop and end at Surf N Sea. If you go around back you can rent a kayak for an hour or two and paddle down the bay. Bronson and I saw so many sea turtles! Afterwards dine at Surf N Salsa. It has the best Mexican food on the island. Do yourself a favor and get the fresh chips and guac with a large horchata (with ice) along with your meal.

Day 5: Take the day to chill and do what you want. Just end the day with a sunset horseback riding tour at Gun Stock Ranch. I had the best time. It was one of my favorite activities this trip. Maybe it’s because I love horses but I also got to see the island from a high point while gazing at the amazing coral sunset covering the sky. Views for days! The goats and pigs were also fun to pet and play with beforehand at the Ranch. I also enjoyed brushing down my horse.

Day 6: Last day before flying home. Take the time to do another activity or go back to some of the places you love. We went back to Castles Beach for another beach day and got malasadas (Hawaiian doughnuts) from Paalaa Kai Bakery and finished the day watching the sunset at Laie Point.

Day 7: Stay on the North Shore until you have to head to the airport. Honolulu is over crowded and theres not much to do. I would hang out in Haleiwa.

Last but not least

I hope you enjoy this Itinerary and that it helps you to have a more enjoyable, less stressful trip. Make sure to make it your own. Remember everything I mention above is for reference and ideas. Please leave a review below and let me know your thoughts. I appreciate all the feedback. Happy travels and Aloha!