When it comes to Oahu, Hawaii, the North Shore’s got everything: spectacular beaches, breathtaking hikes, exhilarating waves to boogie board (or surf) on, mouth-watering poke, and much, much more! So how can you possibly visit all of the North Shore, Oahu in one day trip? Although you can easily spend a week visiting the North Shore without getting bored, soaking up some of Hawaii’s best can be done in a single day trip.
I have spent a semester living on the North Shore and have visited it twice apart from that. With all of that knowledge, here is our family’s one day itinerary for a day trip to North Shore, Oahu. It will give you a little bit of everything the North Shore has to offer.
Where is the North Shore?
The North Shore is located on the, well, north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Oahu is the most populated island in Hawaii and houses the state’s capital Honolulu. The North Shore, just about an hour away from the city, gives a good view of what folks call ‘island time.’
The locations in this post are all near each other, but I recommend you get some sort of transportation to get from place to place during your North Shore, Oahu day trip. Renting a car is a good idea to get the best experience possible of the North Shore.
When should you plan your day trip in the North Shore?
Any time of year on the North Shore is a blast for the whole family, but what you are looking for determines the best season to go on your trip. The weather, aside from getting a little cooler and winder, doesn’t change much in the North Shore. It is the ocean that is the best indicator of the seasons.
If you are wanting to get in the water (and don’t happen to be a family of professional surfers), summer is the time to go. The waves are calmer and safe in the summer, and options for snorkeling and cliff-jumping are available.
In the winter, the waves can get monstrous and, on many beaches, very unsuitable for children of all ages. There are many safe beaches you can go during the winter, but if you want to snorkel (or cliff jump), you should go in the summer. This is the season when you clearly see why the North Shore is a location for surfing competitions. So, if you are wanting large waves, winter is the best time to go on your day trip to the North Shore, Oahu.
These competitions are usually crowded and hard to see as a child. Because of this, I would recommend going before a competition when surfers are practicing. Then, the crowds will be almost nonexistent and the whole family can watch the surfers ride towering waves and perform barrels.
What to bring on your North Shore, Oahu day trip
- Lots of water and water bottles
- Plenty of snacks (you can get more snacks at supermarkets, but having some ready is a good idea)
- Swimsuits
- Towels
- Other beach toys or equipment (chairs, umbrellas, shovels, buckets, etc.)
- A surf/boogie board (if you don’t want to rent one, body surfing is fun, too! However, renting one is totally worth it if the whole family is willing to try riding.)
- A change of clothes for hiking
Castle’s Beach
To start off your day trip to North Shore, Oahu, hit the beach! Castle’s beach (as it is known locally) is one of our family’s favorite beaches on the North Shore. It is also known as Moku‘Auia Beach. Do not confuse this with a different Castle’s beach on the Southeastern part of the island.
It has some of the best castle-building sand and great waves for body surfing, boogie boarding and surfing. It is a popular beach with locals nearly always present. However, it almost never feels crowded due to the size of the beach.
There are two sections of the waves: the surfing section and the boogie boarding section. They are a short walk away from each other. You can easily tell the two apart because of all the people surfing in the surfing section.
The surfing section of Castle’s beach is known for being a good spot for beginner surfing. However, I would not recommend this as a good spot for children to start learning how to surf because of how deep the water is.
If you want to do beginner surfing, either choose a spot in the boogie boarding section, or, if it is winter, go to Kahana Bay. That being said, the boogie boarding/body surfing at Castle’s is one of the best: enjoy it!
On another note, Castle’s beach has a lot of small Portuguese man-of-war. They are small jellyfish-like creatures that have a long, stinging tentacle that easily wraps around your arm or leg. There isn’t a very high chance you will actually get stung by one (I have gone to Castles countless times and have only been stung once). If your kids are afraid, you can look at the high tide line. If you see creatures that look like blue bubbles, don’t swim.
Shark’s Cove (if Summer)
Shark’s Cove is, in my opinion, the best snorkeling you can do on the North Shore and will be a highlight on your day trip to North Shore Oahu. It has an overwhelming variety of fish species. Everywhere you look there is simply too much to take it all in!
However, you can only snorkel here in the summer because of the strong waves and current that arrives near the winter months. Do not worry; however, because listen below is the alternate activity if you are visiting in the winter and the waves are too large.
I don’t recommend going out to the main snorkeling place for younger ages or children who are not confident in the water. The water is deep and there is a (weak) current even in the summer. However, the current is not strong at all during the summer and will not sweep anyone to sea, regardless of how small they are.
Fortunately, younger kids can still see plenty of fish from nearer to the shore where it is shallower. In fact, the three-year-old who I went to Shark’s Cove with saw a turtle that swam up close to the shore!
To get to the actual beach, you need to climb down huge rocks. The actual cove has rocks, too, but there is a small bit of beach with sand to sit down or play in. The current close to the shore is also fun to watch at Shark’s Cove. With so many big rocks near the shore, the water makes a toilet flushing noise whenever it gets sucked back out to the ocean.
If you would like shallower and more kid-friendly snorkeling, you can visit Three Tables (located right by Shark’s Cove) or Alligator Pond (it does not have alligators, nor is it a pond). You can find out more information about Oahu’s Best Beaches.
Hau’ula Loop Trail (If winter)
If you are taking your day trip to the North Shore of Oahu during the winter, you need somewhere to replace Shark’s Cove. Hau’ula Loop Trail is a 4.18 kilometer trail (2.6 miles) with amazing scenery and vegetation. It is steep in some parts and can get slippery if it has rained recently. Because of this and the length of the trail, I would not recommend the hike for younger children who are not used to hikes.
A sign saying ‘Hau’ula Loop Trail’ marks the start of the hike. The first bit of the hike is very steep, but the slope gradually gets flatter as you keep going. For the most part, the path is clear and well kept up. Also, there are many stretches in the hike that are so thin you have to walk in a single file.
Throughout the trail, there are many lookout points with gorgeous views. One of the reasons our family loved the hike was the sudden changes of scenery. You go from a more rainforest look one minute to a pine forest the next. In the pine forest section, soft pine needles blanket the floor.
Aside from the vegetation, most people do this hike for the view. Spanning a whole valley with overflowing greenery, the view tops the hike off like icing on a cake!
Food Trucks
For lunch, the famous food trucks are a great way to try Hawaiian food! There are options for nearly everything, but I would recommend trying a place with garlic shrimp. Garlic shrimp is a quintessential Hawaiian dish. Although messy, it is definitely worth a try!
Poke, a type of Hawaiian raw fish dish served with rice, is also available here. However, the food trucks are not the best place to buy this treat (hang on, this post will get there!).
The food trucks, like a lot of food in Hawaii, are very expensive. We got two big servings of garlic shrimp for $25. Even that price seemed like a steal – it was a special, cheap price for two meals (each dish alone cost $20). Drinks are also available at many food trucks, and most food trucks have places to sit outside.
My personal favorite food truck is Da Bald Guys. This is where we got the huge servings of garlic shrimp. The meals are too big for one person to eat alone. I suggest sharing one dish between two (or three) people. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck is one of the more popular places to get garlic shrimp. A dish is slightly cheaper (around $16 per plate), but the serving size is drastically smaller.
The food trucks get busy near lunch. Do not expect your food to come in less than 30 minutes if you are there from 11-1.
‘Ehukai Pillbox Trail
With all of its spectacular hikes, a day trip to the North Shore of Oahu isn’t complete without going on one or two hikes. ‘Ehukai Pillbox Trail leads to two pillboxes, or small concrete forts, that were used during WWII.
The pillbox has been spray painted and is fun for kids to climb up on. The ‘Ehukai Pillbox Trail also gives you a breathtaking view. From up on the hill you have just hiked up, you can see the crashing waves, the strip of beach, and the blue ocean of the North Shore’s coastline.
The hike is a little over a kilometer long. Although there are some stretches of flat, be ready for a pretty steep hike! The trail is very clearly marked out and easy to follow.
Most of the hike is spent getting you to the first pillbox. The second pillbox (which is the one most think relate with the ‘Ehukai Pillbox Trail) is a small distance further down the path from the first. This second one gives you the best view on the hike so it is worth going a bit further!
Kahana Bay
After a busy day trip to the North Shore, Oahu, Kahana Bay is the perfect place to wrap up your excursion. Also, the sunset views from this beach are amazing. The beach here has the stillest water I have seen anywhere on the North Shore. It has a beautiful backdrop and a lovely beach of a good size with sand perfect for sandcastles.
In different times of the year, Kahana Bay is good for different things. This is because of the size of the waves. During the summer, Kahana Bay is the perfect spot for kayaking. Its waves are weak, and the bay slopes down gradually, allowing for kids to be able to wade safely further than a few steps away from shore.
In the winter, Kahana Bay is hands down the best spot for beginner surfing. It is shallower than Castles, allowing for easy on-and-off the board. The waves are also small enough that they are not threatening to beginner surfers, including children.
Around the full moon, Kahana Bay’s waves get choppy and stronger. It varies from month to month, but the waves can get strong enough around the full moon to flip over your kayak! If your day trip to Oahu’s North Shore coincides with the full moon, there is a river across the road from Kahana Bay. This river is good for stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking any time of the year.
Poke at Foodland Supermarket
One of the classic Hawaiian dishes, poke is a must-try on a trip to Hawaii. A poke bowl is raw fish (usually salmon) chopped up, seasoned with sauces and other toppings, and placed on rice. In my semester of living in Hawaii, the best poke bowls I have ever had are the ones at Foodland.
Foodland has a variety of types of poke bowls. If you are okay with spice, my personal favorite is the Spicy Ahi Poke. Another good option is the California Roll Poke, which has a slightly more refreshing taste with the cucumbers topping it. Foodland’s poke bowls are also much cheaper than other spots on the North Shore.
Conclusion to your day trip to the North Shore, Oahu
As I mentioned before, you could spend a week traveling around the North Shore and still want to stay longer. I know that if you manage to do everything on the list in one day you will have had an epic day of fun and adventure.
You will get some beach, snorkeling, hiking, and of course some amazing food! If you enjoy a location or activity, remember your trip to the North Shore on Oahu is your trip, so take you time and enjoy what this beautiful area has to offer!