Waikiki: 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Go

We just got back from a trip to Waikiki, Oahu, and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I grew up in Hawaii, and my parents avoided Waikiki as much as possible. I totally understand why, and you can read more about the reasons in Waikiki Pros & Cons. But overall it was an enjoyable trip and if you’re looking for a beach vacation, with hotels only a few blocks away from sunshine and salt water, Waikiki hits the top of the list. Though it can be pricey in some areas, Waikiki has a lot of great things to offer, namely, the convenience and the beach!

This article covers the following questions:

How do I get to Waikiki?
Where do I stay?
What should I do in Waikiki?
Where should I eat?
How do I get around?
What should I try?
How much does it cost to vacation in Waikiki?
Are there any cool hikes?
When should I go?
What was your favorite thing?

If you want answers to these questions, keep reading!

1. How do I get to Waikiki?

I imagine that someone who’s reading this is not from Hawaii. So, first things first: get your flights to the Honolulu Airport on Oahu. We got our flights from SLC (Salt Lake City) to Hawaii for a total of $20 per person. How?

Check out my article with all my Hawaii travel hacks here: Top 5 Ways to Budget a Hawaii Vacation

After you get your flights, you’re probably wondering how to get to your hotel, or wherever you’re staying. Due to the pandemic, many hotels shut down their shuttle services, but no need to worry. Ride share programs like Uber and Lyft are a breeze! We used Lyft, because Delta offers ride credits. You can also refer each other and continue to get ride credits. Our Lyft rides never cost more than $20 and it was sooooo nice to have someone pick us up and take us straight to where we needed to go. I can’t recommend the ride share programs enough! And don’t forget to take advantage of ride credit coupons, like those offered by Delta or referral programs. 🙂

2. Where do I stay in Waikiki?

This largely depends on your budget. We stayed at the Ewa Waikiki Hotel, which was a low-budget option (a little less than $100 a night). Airbnb and VRBO are not allowed in Waikiki at this time so, unfortunately, ours got cancelled. However, there are options for hotels, like the one we stayed in, that was much more affordable.

It was definitely dated, but we really didn’t do anything there. We were there to sleep and shower, and the rest of the day we were at the beach. It’s a no bells and whistles sort of place but gets the job done. 🙂

If you have a credit card that gives you points, you might consider using those points to book your hotel stay and keep the cost low.

Or, if you’re feeling a little more adventurous and don’t mind sharing space with others, there are plenty of hostels in Waikiki with affordable nightly prices.

3. What should I do in Waikiki?

I loved Waikiki because there was just so much beach space. Rent a boogie board or surfboard and hit the waves. Simply relax on the beach and read a book. Take the kids to the bay areas of Waikiki and play in the water there.

If you have some extra cash to spend and want to ride around Waikiki, rent a moped for a day and drive around town.

There are plenty of activities to do, like shopping at Ala Moana or the International Marketplace, but I think the main thing is to hit the beach. It’s literally a few blocks from the hotels and it’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen water the color of those at Waikiki beach, and the sunsets are absolutely breathtaking.

Many hotels offer live music in the evenings, but if you’re like us and didn’t have a fancy hotel, you can sit on the beach near the hotel and listen. It’s absolutely lovely.

There’s so much more to do in Waikiki but to save you some time, I made this map with Wanderlog. If you download Wanderlog, you can search and save this map for your trip!

Trip map created using Wanderlog, for itineraries on iOS and Android

4. Where should I eat in Waikiki?

I also included restaurants on the Wanderlog map above. The food of Waikiki is a little underwhelming. It wasn’t my favorite, but has normal food chains—we’re talking Starbucks, McDonalds, Pandas, Subways, etc. Waikiki doesn’t have REAL Hawaiian food, like laulau, poke, lomi salmon, etc but I think Zippy’s is the closest thing to that.

If you check out the map above, I’ve listed a bunch of restaurants that I recommend!

5. How do I get around in Waikiki?

If you’re staying in Waikiki, you’ll most likely WALK everywhere. The beaches and hotels are so close together, there’s no sense in getting a car… unless you plan to explore the rest of the island.

We had a shark snorkel tour in Haleiwa, so we rented a Hui. Hui lets you rent a car for as little as $9 an hour. We used it to get groceries, drive to our shark tour, and, when it rained on one of the days, we explored the rest of the island. I can’t recommend Hui enough. They pay for gas, cleaning, and everything. It’s SO easy!

Waikiki has other options too, like renting a moped or 3-wheeled car (I’m not sure what it’s called). They have Biki Bikes, which cost about $4 for half an hour (and at that rate, you might as well get the car!). Waikiki also has scooters, which we never used but according to the advertising said it was about $1 per ride.

You’ve got options instead of renting a car for the entire trip. Because remember, if you rent a car for the whole trip, you’ll have to pay parking fees, which can run up to $25 a night?! The hotels really get you there.

We planned to stay in Waikiki the whole time, besides the shark tour, so using the Hui was the best choice for us. However, be sure to look into your options and plan accordingly. Also, don’t forget to use code MYFIRSTDRIVE for $10 off your first Hui ride!

Read more about our experience swimming with sharks here! Swim with Sharks in O’ahu

6. What should I try in Waikki?

Boogie boarding, surfing, snorkeling. If you want some fun foods, there are acai bowls at smoothie places. If you feel up to it (I didn’t, because the smells were overwhelming for me), try some food trucks.

7. How much does it cost to vacation to Waikiki?

This will vary from person to person and depends on how much you eat out, where you stay, and the cost of flights and activities. Here’s a little breakdown of what we spent for a 7-day trip:

Flights – $20 (use my travel hacks for cheaper flights here)
Hotel – $800
Lyft rides – $15-20 per ride
Food – $30 eating out once a day
Groceries (for breakfasts, snacks, lunches) – $30
Souvenirs – $30
Activities (renting surfboards, boogie boards, etc) – $30
Hui car share rental – $165 for a day rental

I’m missing some things, like our shark tour, but overall we spent about $2000 on a trip for two. You can really cut the cost of food by buying groceries and eating out less, as well as booking a cheaper hotel.

8. Are there any cool hikes around Waikiki?

Yes! Diamond Head hike is a super easy hike that’s not far from the heart of Waikiki. We took a Lyft ride to get to Diamond head and caught another Lyft back to one of my favorite restaurants (Chun Wah Kam).

Manoa Falls is another hike that’s not too hard to do. It’s an easy one, albeit a little muddy with mosquitoes. We rented a hui car when we went and it was $7 for parking.

9. When should I go to Waikiki?

I don’t know the perfect answer to this question, as I lived on Oahu but never went to Waikiki until now. However, when we went, in December, it wasn’t nearly as packed as I thought it’d be. The nice thing about Waikiki is that it’s usually very sunny and the waves and water are consistent, unlike other parts of the island, like North Shore. No matter the season, Waikiki doesn’t change very much. The beaches, sun, and weather stays pretty mild all year round, and the waves are the most consistent I’ve seen in my life!

10. What was your favorite thing about Waikiki?

I loved the convenience and the beaches. I loved being able to wake up in the morning and walk a few blocks to the beach. No matter if we woke up early or slept in, I loved that we could be at the beach within a matter of minutes.

I didn’t like ABC stores until we actually went into one. Those stores were incredibly convenient too, so if you forgot something it was no big deal!

Although the beaches were crowded in some parts, I actually really loved the beaches in general. The waves were perfect, and the water… WOW. It was this gorgeous blue color and it didn’t get sand all up in your swimsuit either! I couldn’t believe how pretty it was.

What do you think?

Alright, that’s it! I hope something in here helped you plan your trip to Waikiki, or at least gave you a better idea of what to expect. Have you been to Waikiki? Or are you planning a trip? What is your favorite thing about Waikiki? Let me know in the comments, and enjoy your trip!