By: Bound2explore May, 11, 2022

Here is our itinerary for Oahu south shore road trip in one day.

Whenever you are in Honolulu, you must do Oahu south shore road trip. Honolulu is located on Oahu Island. Oahu is one of 8 major Islands and one of 137 islands in the State of Hawaii. The view along the south shore is amazing and ton of activities to do. If you are planning to visit Hawaii and its capital Honolulu on Oahu Island, nothing is better than driving on open road to enjoy beautiful scenery. One of the best ways to enjoy Hawaii is to take a road trip around the Island. You can do hop on hop of shuttle/bus, but the stops are limited. So, renting a car and driving by yourself is the way to go.

• Diamond head

Our first stop is Diamond Head. This volcano tuff cone is a must see when you do Oahu shore road trip. To enjoy the view and to explore the diamond head, you will need to hike to the top. You will need to buy a ticket to enter Diamond head area. The best time to hike is in the morning before it gets too hot and to avoid the crowd.

The trail length is 1.6 miles round trip. It takes us about 2 hours to hike. Since the level of hike is moderate, wear your hiking shoes to make it easy. The terrain is full of uneven surface and hilly area. The view from the top of diamond head is amazing.

While you here, treat yourself to pineapple drink after a tiring hike. Nothing says Hawaii more than drinking fresh pineapple juice right from a pineapple. Right before the hiking trail, you will see vendor on the left side that sell pineapple juice and snacks.

• China Walls

China Walls Park is located behind residential area. It is a stretch of lava rock ledges and cliffs above the ocean. The entrance to China Walls is hidden between houses. Not easy to find a parking spot. But if you like to jump from this lava rock to the ocean, this is a perfect spot for you.

Did I mention?  The view of surrounding neighborhood is simply breathtaking. Better than a view of China Walls.

• Halona Beach Cove

Halona beach cove is a short walk from Halona Blowhole lookout point. You need to walk down the rocky area to reach the beach. This beach is perfect for swimming stop. Halona Beach Cove has a unique shape, it looks like a heart and lucky for us, we spotted several turtles swimming by the beach.

• Halona Blowhole Lookout

There is a public parking at Halona Blowhole.  It is very easy to access from the parking lot. Only few feet from the parking area to the lookout point. The wind was strong when I was there, I almost lost my hat. Luckily a kind tourist helped retrieve my hat from the edge of the cliff. Shout out to nice helpful people! If you want to see a big splash from the blowhole, you must time it accordingly. Because sometimes the splash was just small depending on the time of the day.

• Waimanalo Beach

Waimanalo beach is beautiful. Soft sand, clear blue water, shaded area for picnic, and warm clean water for swimming. On the top of that, parking is also free, and the beach offers free outdoor shower and restroom. So, I couldn’t wait to finally jump in the water and swim. How refreshing after a very sweaty hike at Diamond Head. Swimming at Waimanalo Beach is a must do when you do Oahu south shore road trip.

Waimanalo beach is a better option compared to overly crowded Waikiki beach. And unlike Banzai Pipeline Beach, the water at Waimanalo is pretty calm. The only drawback is you will need a car to reach this beach if you stay in Honolulu.   

• Byodo-in Temple

This temple is beyond stunning. The architecture, the color and how it blends in with the surrounding area. The mountain range and the trees behind the temple act as backdrop that adds beauty to this temple. I found myself being mesmerized by this marvelous architecture.

As you walk across the bridge toward the temple you can see a big bell and a koi pond. It is believed that if you hit the bell, your wish will come true. Byodo-in temple in Oahu is a replica of Byodo temple that was built in Japan 950 years ago. You will need to buy a ticket to access Byodo-in temple. From all the spots that we explored during our Oahu south shore road trip, this one was my favorite.