The best way to discover the beauty of Oahu is to drive along the island’s scenic coastline.

Upon arriving at Oahu after an unforgettable time on the Big Island, we were eager to venture away from bustling Honolulu, yearning to escape the hectic crowds that filled the city. Our journey began along the picturesque coastline, where stunning vistas unfolded at every turn. As the beautiful landscape unfolded before us, we knew we were in for an extraordinary adventure on Oahu!

Waikiki To The North Shore

The North Shore is the most beautiful area of Oahu. It’s less crowded, less touristy, and less commercial.

Several shuttles run between Honolulu and the North Shore, but taking them means skipping out on seeing the best parts of the island. Also, if you were to take the shortest route between Waikiki and North Shore, you’d probably miss out on an incredibly scenic route.

So, if you plan to get to the North Shore from Honolulu, I highly recommend taking the long scenic way around. It’d probably take you 4x the time but you’ll get to discover Oahu’s beauty – its gorgeous beaches, iconic mountains, and coastline.

Oahu’s Scenic Drive Map

Locals advised us that instead of heading northwest, head southeast to get to the North Shore. I know that that sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s the most scenic route.

The map below shows you the route they advised us to take.

Part 1 of the Oahu Scenic Drive

We split this scenic drive over a couple of days. Our road trip started in Honolulu and ended in Laie, where we spent our first night. We drove from Waikiki to Hanauma Bay, all along the Windward Coast and finally to the North Shore. Along the way, we stopped at some stunningly pristine beaches and drove between the mountains and the sea.

Part 2 of the Oahu Scenic Drive

For the next couple of days, Laie served as our base as we drove around the North Shore to the western tip of Oahu, before heading back to Honolulu. By spending a couple of nights on the North Shore, we were able to take our time discovering Oahu’s coastline.

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Hotels Recommendations for North Shore

I would advise you to spend a couple of nights at the North Shore, or in the vicinity of the North Shore. This gives you a chance to not only enjoy this scenic drive but also appreciate the beauty of the North Shore at a more comfortable pace.

<US$ 300

1. Turtle Bay Resort – Iconic luxury property on the North Shore that’s been featured in numerous Hollywood movies. The resort is like a small town and offers practically every facility. Great for families!
2. Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore – Relatively new hotel near North Shore. This is where we broke our scenic drive on the first night.

>US$ 200

Hale O Kaunala – Fantastic location, a few minutes walk from the beautiful beaches of North Shore and the famous Ted’s Bakery. Great reviews!

>US$ 100

Aloha Wahiawa – Located in the town of Wahiawa, a 20-30 minute drive from the North Shore.

This part of the island is just so beautiful that it’d be a mistake to not spend a couple of days exploring it.

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Oahu’s Scenic Drive – Points of Interest

So, let’s get back to the drive. Here is a list of all of the scenic points of interest along Oahu’s coastline.

Our first stop out of Waikiki was Hanauma Bay.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

Given its proximity to Waikiki, it’s no wonder that Hanauma Bay is crowded. The bay area was once inside a giant cinder cone, and as the water made its way through, it left behind an area rich in life-sustaining nutrients.

Today, thousands of visitors descend upon Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve to snorkel with the fish and see its beautiful corals. Sadly, the corals have taken a beating from so many tourists over the years.

Unlike some of the other snorkelling areas (Shark’s Cove for example), entrance isn’t free at Hanauma Bay. But here’s a tip, get the Go Oahu Card, which includes access to Hanauma Bay among several other attractions in Oahu.

Visitors are expected to sit through a short film before they can enter. You can sign your name in their register if you think you’ll be back within a year (so that you can skip the short film the next time).

Although the beach is overcrowded, it is absolutely beautiful!

Sandy Beach

Sandy Beach is one of the most popular beaches for surfers in Honolulu. The waves here are among the strongest. We were warned by several people that we shouldn’t try and risk swimming at Sandy Beach. Sadly, a surfer had lost his life just the day before 🙁

Sandy Beach as seen from the Halona Blowhole Lookout

Halona Blowhole Lookout

Just before Sandy Beach is the Halona Blowhole Lookout. The powerful waves around this area make for a beautiful blowhole. The view from the lookout is spectacular!

The Halona Blowhole (please do not attempt what this couple is doing in the photo)

Do not ignore the signs and go down to the blowhole. It’s extremely dangerous and unpredictable.

Waimanalo Beach

This was probably one of my favourite beaches along the drive. The vast expanse of white sand, blue water, and mountains made this beach feel so big, yet so cosy. I could imagine myself sitting on this beach reading a book (which I did see someone else doing). And I would have done it had it not been for the fact we had a long way to go before our hotel.

For me, Waimanalo Beach was the perfect beach!

Lanikai Beach

Probably the most overhyped beach on the North Shore. Lanikai Beach is located close to Kailua Beach Park and isn’t the easiest beach to get access to. It’s located behind a row of beach houses and there’s hardly any parking available. Also, with all the houses overlooking the beach, it doesn’t feel that secluded. I guess, all that hype built up the beach for me. I honestly thought that the beaches close to Waimanalo, or Banzai are way more secluded and beautiful.

Lanikai Beach, Oahu

Kaawa

This was my favourite aerial photo of Hawaii. Somewhere along Kaawa, the road gets squeezed between the mountains and the sea. The sudden change of scenery feels beautiful, yet intimidating. It is probably one of the most photogenic parts of Hawaii in my opinion. And its beauty hasn’t gone unnoticed.

We stopped along the Kamehameha Highway close to Makahonu Point to take a few photos. This was my favourite.

Honestly, driving along, and exploring, this part of Oahu was one of the highlights of our trip!

Kualoa Ranch

If the photo above looks oddly familiar to you, it’s because Kaawa is where the 4,000-acre Kualoa Ranch is located. Over the years, almost 80 movies and TV shows such as Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, 50 First Dates, You, Me and Dupree, Hawaii Five-0, Mighty Joe Young, Pearl Harbor, Windtalkers, Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Jumanji, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle were all shot at Kualoa Ranch! So, it would be a huge mistake if you came all this way and didn’t take a tour of the ranch.

Depending on how adventurous you are, or want to be, Kualoa Ranch offers the following experiences:

1. Kualoa Ranch ATV Raptor Experience in Hawaii
2. Kualoa Ranch Hollywood Movie Sites Tour
3. Jurassic Jungle Jeep Expedition Tour
4. Kualoa Jurassic Valley Horseback Riding in Hawaii
5. Kualoa Ranch Jurassic Valley Zipline Experience Tour

Given the ranch’s massive size, you can easily spend a day exploring the movie sites or on the adventures they offer!

Kahana Bay Beach

Kahana Bay Beach is a secluded and relatively calm beach on the North Shore. From the number of pyres on the beach, I got a sense that this beach sees a lot of bonfires.

Kahana Bay Beach Park, North Shore, Oahu

Punalu’u Beach

Not to be confused with the Punaluu Black Sand Beach on the Big Island, the Punaluu Beach on Oahu is a thin, narrow stretch of sand located along the North Shore. The views of the sea and the views of the mountains behind made this beach unique in my opinion.

Punalu’u Beach on the North Shore, Oahu

Turtle Bay

Turtle Bay Resort is probably the most iconic, and biggest resort (850 acres) on Oahu. Although not as famous as Kualoa Ranch, Turtle Bay Resort has also been featured in numerous Hollywood movies from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. So, naturally, we had to stay here.

The resort’s beaches and snorkelling areas aren’t restricted to the general public. So, even if you aren’t staying at Turtle Bay Resort, head on down to the Kuilima Cave for snorkelling, or Turtle Bay to see magnificent sea turtles.

But just for good measure, I’d highly recommend staying at this iconic property in Hawaii (even if it’s just for a night)!

The view from our room at Turtle Bay Resort, North Shore, Oahu

Banzai Pipeline

Banzai Pipeline (also known as “Pipeline” or just “Pipe”) is another epic beach worth visiting. The beach is famous for its notorious waves that draw surfers from all across the island.

Shark’s Cove

Shark’s Cove is famous for two things – snorkelling, and food trucks.

The rocks in the area provide a natural bay for fish, and sea turtles to stay within, and feed. That’s what makes it a perfect spot for snorkelling. It’s also not as crowded as Hanauma Bay.

Shark’s Cove, Oahu North Shore

Waimea Bay Beach Park

Waimea Bay Beach was another one of my favourite beaches on the North Shore. The beach has a giant diving cliff from which divers jump into the ocean, which gives it a unique character.

Laniakea Beach – Famous For Sea Turtles (Honu)

Although Laniakea Beach stretches for miles, you’ll always find most of the crowd concentrated in one corner of the beach. The reason is sea turtles.

Every day, numerous giant sea turtles come to this corner of Laniakea Beach to feed on the seaweed in the area. You can even snorkel here with the turtles but be warned that these guys will creep up on you without a warning.

Sea turtles at Laniakea Beach, Oahu

Given how many cars are parked around the turtles’ feeding area, and the number of people crossing the street, it’s hard to miss Laniakea Beach.

Kaena Point Trail

The Kaena Point Trail is a hike that leads you to the westernmost tip of Oahu, Kaena Point. The point at which the hike starts is quite literally the end of the road on the North Shore.

The hike is deserted, save for a few campers, and offers some of the most gorgeous sunset views. The hike can take about an hour to complete (if you don’t stop) and offers amazing views of the ocean all along the way.

Although we had set out to reach Kaena Point, we eventually decided not to go all the way. Why? Well, we wanted a secluded spot for a sunset, and we got that wherever we stopped on the trail. So what if it wasn’t at the tip of the island?

But more importantly, there is no light nor a paved road to hike back at night. In pitch darkness, it can get dangerous. We did have a flashlight on us, but I still wouldn’t advise hiking back in the darkness, unless you’re confident.

The Short Drive Back To Honolulu

On our way back from the North Shore to Honolulu, we drove back along the main freeway. We were disappointed at how quickly we arrived in Honolulu. So yeah, we wouldn’t advise that you drive this way to the North Shore from Waikiki.

When we drove up to the North Shore, it had taken us 6 hours with all the stops. The time taken had given us a sense of space between Honolulu and the North Shore. On our way back, it took us under an hour to get back to the airport. This made us realise that we weren’t that far away after all. North Shore just feels like a different world when compared to Honolulu, and downtown Waikiki.

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There are tons and tons more beaches along the North Shore, but I hope this post gave you an idea of where to stop and what to explore. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you share it on the social media channel of your choice.

Car Rental Options in Honolulu

And finally, car rental choices in Oahu. There are plenty of car rental agencies across the city and at the airport. But if you’re looking for the best prices, I would suggest comparing the prices online before you go. I use this website that allows me to search for multiple rental options in one go.