15 Best Things to Do on Oʻahu’s North Shore
From the world-renowned Pipeline Beach to the beautiful hiking and camping in both the Koʻolau and Waiʻanae Mountain Ranges, the North Shore of Oʻahu is one of the most diverse areas on the island, stretching more than 35 miles (56.3 km) from Punaluʻu to Kaʻena Point.
For this reason, I truly believe there’s something for every kind of visitor on the North Shore—from snorkeling to great food to beautiful trails and world-class ocean tours! Therefore, seeing it all really takes time in all different seasons to truly appreciate the vastness in all of the things to do!
15 Best Things to Do on Oʻahu’s North Shore
The following list is written in no particular order of best or worst, but for many of these recommendations, you would ideally have a rental car. However, don’t discount the bus system for a budget trip. It may be slow from places like Waikīkī to the North Shore, but it is cheap!
More importantly, the waves and surf during the winter are nothing to take lightly, and getting in the water during any time of the year when there’s a swell is most definitely not advised. However, this is also when it’s best to sit back, relax, and watch the best surfers in the world do what they do best!
1. Sunset Beach
Of all the beaches across the North Shore, Sunset Beach in Pūpūkea stands alone for being the best year-round place to watch the sunset!
By this, I mean that between the seasons, the sunset varies from north to south, sometimes setting behind Kaʻena Point off in the distance.
However, Sunset Beach is located in just the right spot, so that you can sit back and hopefully enjoy the green flash on a clear Hawaiʻi evening!
Google Maps Directions: Sunset Beach
2. ʻEhukai Pillbox Trail
Distance: 1.3 miles / 2.0 km
The ʻEhukai Pillbox Trail is a visitor and local favorite, especially for watching the sunset from this upper vantage point above Pūpūkea.
Furthermore, this North Shore adventure is a great kid-friendly day hike, and either pillbox makes for one of the best places to watch the big waves roll into the island come winter!
Read My Separate Post: ʻEhukai Pillbox Trail
3. Shark Diving Tour
Out of all the islands, Oʻahu has the best shark tours!
I have a good friend who works for the most popular Oʻahu shark tour company, and this is how he describes the difference between a cage and cageless experience.
In terms of safety, there is no difference between a cage and cageless tour. It’s purely about your comfort level. From what my friend has said, the sharks get a lot closer to you during a tour with the cage than without. Without the cage, they tend to circle at a deeper depth below your feet.
In any case, choose a time for the first boat of the morning. Compared to later in the day, the morning is typically when the water is the most glassy, and the winds are the calmest. This is all to say that you have less of a chance at getting seasick if you go early.
I hope this helps when making your decision!
4. Kaʻena Point Trail & Pillbox
Distance: 2.4 miles / 3.9 km
The Kaʻena Point Trail is a flat, coastal hike along the far reaches of the North Shore to Oʻahu’s westernmost point in Mokulēʻia.
The trail is a great hike to enjoy the beauty along one of Oʻahu’s few stretches of undeveloped coastline, largely due to the fact that Kaʻena Point State Park is a protected area for many of Hawaiʻi’s endangered plants and animals.
However, this is all without saying that there are two different trails to reach Kaʻena Point, both from the West Side and the North Shore, and I encourage you to click on either to read my side-by-side comparison of the two.
Read My Separate Post: Kaʻena Point (North) / Kaʻena Point (West)
5. Banzai Bowls
There’s a lot of açaí bowls to choose from on Oʻahu, but none stand out to me as much as Banzai Bowls on the North Shore!
I say this because everything on their menu is always a good choice, and other places on the island don’t give you as much value for your money.
For these reasons, I recommend checking them out at either of their two North Shore locations: Haleʻiwa and Sunset Beach.
Yelp: Banzai Bowls
6. Kawela Bay
Do you remember the beach from the second Hunger Games movie..? Well, yes, that is Kawela Bay, and it’s located within walking distance of the beautiful Turtle Bay Resort.
Overall, Kawela Bay is a quiet, calm, kid-friendly beach that makes for a great place to escape the crowds at other, more popular beaches across the North Shore, like Laniākea Beach.
Google Maps Directions: Kawela Bay
7. Giovanni’s Shrimp
If you’re heading to or coming from Kawela Bay mentioned above, Giovanni’s should be on your list when you’re in the area.
Their shrimp plates make for a great lunch, and if someone in your group isn’t up for shrimp, there are tons of other places to grab food within walking distance, including Seven Brothers Burgers, which I talk more about below!
Yelp: Giovanni’s Shrimp
8. Snorkeling at Kapoʻo (Shark’s Cove)
Kapoʻo, or more commonly known as Shark’s Cove, is one of Oʻahu’s most popular snorkeling destinations because some of the best places to enjoy the turquoise-blue water are only a short swim from the beach!
That being said, the water clarity typically gets better and better the further you swim out past the waves that stir up the sediment, which is exactly where this photo was taken.
However, snorkeling at Shark’s Cove, or getting in the water anywhere on the North Shore, is a summer-only activity, as the ocean simply becomes too dangerous to access places like Kapoʻo when the large winter sets are rolling in!
All said, you may want to consider booking a tour on either the North or West Side of Oʻahu when this is the case, as these local operators know exactly how to find the best conditions when the ocean isn’t otherwise accessible from shore.
Google Maps Direction: Kapoʻo (Shark’s Cove)
9. Private Surf Lessons
If this is your first time learning how to surf, I highly recommend private surfing lessons!
That being said, 2-3 ft. (0.6-0.9 m) waves are generally a perfect size to learn on, but if it’s your first time, I would not recommend going out on your own. Instead, I recommend learning from one of the full-time instructors in Haleʻiwa.
To book your experience, the first option is great to learn at a local beginner surf break on the North Shore, or consider one of the second two options if you’d like to learn in Waikīkī.
10. Kauna Loop Trail
Distance: 5.4 miles / 8.7 km
As far as trails on the North Shore go, the Kaunala Trail in Pūpūkea is one of the most hidden local adventures there is!
Overall, the Kaunala Trail isn’t one for jaw-dropping views, but what makes Kaunala a local favorite is that it’s a quiet, secluded hike through the forest where you’re almost guaranteed to see very few others on the trail.
For this reason, Kaunala makes for a great place to escape the crowds in an otherwise very busy area on the North Shore just down the road.
Read My Separate Post: Kaunala Loop Trail
11. Seven Brothers Burgers
With locations spread across the North Shore, Seven Brothers Burgers is a local favorite for specialty burgers, fries, and shake!
They have four North Shore locations: one in Lāʻie, Kahuku, Shark’s Cove, and in Haleʻiwa.
Personally, I like to go to Seven Brothers in Lāʻie after a long day hike, such as Kōloa Gulch, but be aware that Seven Brothers is closed on Sundays.
Yelp: Seven Brothers
12. Kōloa Gulch Trail
Distance: 12.0 - 14.0 miles / 19.3 - 22.5 km
The Kōloa Gulch Trail is one of my favorite waterfall hikes on Oʻahu, but this doesn’t go without saying that Kōloa Gulch is the most challenging and involved day hike on this list.
That being said, Kōloa is not for the faint of heart, as the trail requires good navigational skills and most importantly, good weather!
To learn more about this challenging but beautiful trail, I encourage you to read more in my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Kōloa Gulch Trail
13. North Shore Horseback Riding
Typically speaking, the North Shore of Oʻahu can be busy on any given day of the week. However, the Mokulēʻia stretch of the North Shore is pretty much the exact opposite of what you can expect from Haleʻiwa to Pūpūkea. It’s quiet, there’s no traffic, and this is exactly where you can have the opportunity to ride horse on a few of Oʻahu’s secluded beaches and trails.
Additionally, the last option is in Lāʻie, which makes for an easy adventure if you’re staying at or near the Turtle Bay Resort.
14. Camping at Peacock Flats [4x4 Needed]
Peacock Flats is a large public campground located in the heart of the Waiʻanae Mountain Range, with a nearby trail that leads to one of my favorite overlooks on the island above Mākua Valley. That being said, getting to Peacock Flats can be tricky for out-of-state visitors with no family or friends on the island, but if you do the proper planning, you can enjoy one of the best drive-up camp spots on Oʻahu!
How to Camp at Peacock Flats?
Book your Reservation - Reservations are required through the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, and they may not be easy to come by. From experience, it’s best to reserve your dates right when they are released, with weekdays always being easier to book than weekends.
Book Here: Peacock Flats Permits
Drive [4x4 Needed] - The second most important thing is that you will need a 4x4 vehicle to drive, or if you don’t have one, there is the option to hike the 3.6-mile (5.8 km) trail from the North Shore to the campground. This is what truly makes this a North Shore adventure, as this will most likely be the practical option for out-of-state visitors.
If you choose to drive, the 4x4 drive begins up the road at the Space Force Tracking Station just before Yokohama Beach on the West Side. It’s here that you will present your permit and IDs of all those listed on the permit to the guard. If it’s a private vehicle, make sure the registration and safety inspection are current and accessible because they may ask to see.
From here, you will drive up the road and usually be escorted through the base until the start of the 4x4 road on public land. If you don’t know where you are going, download a map beforehand because there are multiple roads through the forest reserve. At the end of the long and bumpy 7-8 mile (11.3-12.9 km) road, you finally arrive at Peacock Flats, where there are a few campgrounds spread throughout the open area.
Google Maps Directions: Kaʻena Point Space Force Access Point
Hike (North Shore) - To hike to Peacock Flats, you walk an entirely paved but steep road starting from Oʻahu’s North Shore in Mokulēʻia, all the way to the campground—about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) each way.
To learn more about this option, I encourage you to check out my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Mokulēʻia Access Road
15. Hauʻula Loop Trail
Distance: 2.7 miles / 4.3 km
The Hauʻula Loop Trail is one of the North Shore’s best hidden gems, and in my opinion, it’s one of the best trail running hikes on Oʻahu!
All said, the Hauʻula Loop Trail is a great kid-friendly adventure, and based on where it’s located on the North Shore, I recommend the trail as a morning to midday adventure because the beautiful forest is best enjoyed when the light shining through is at its brightest!
Read My Separate Post: Hauʻula Loop Trail
Native Hawaiian Plants on Oʻahu
I wanted to include this last section on this post because this is a subject that’s personal to me.
The native plant biodiversity in Hawaiʻi is insane! 90% of the native plants that you will see around the islands are found nowhere else on earth, and I say these things for two reasons.
The first is that I ask that you please do everything you possibly can to minimize your impact on our trails because so many of our native plants are at risk of extinction. The second is that if you have personal interest in the subject or may be curious about something that you found, I wrote a separate post entirely about native Hawaiian plants. I wrote it to help others around Hawaiʻi ID anything that you might be curious about.
For example, this species in the photo below can only be found on the island of Oʻahu and nowhere else on earth.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
