Our 5-night Oahu, Hawaii Itinerary – Family Vacation
We have recently visited the beautiful destination of Hawaii… Oahu to be exact. We got married in Hawaii in 2012, so the islands have a special place in our hearts. We couldn’t wait to go back, and we finally made that happen! Due to hubby’s work obligations, we were only able to do a 5-night trip this time, but we made the best of the time we had! While I wish we had more time in paradise, I’m glad we were able to go, explore, experience some spirit of Aloha, and overall have a wonderful and much needed family vacation.
This time, we have stayed at the west end of the island, in the Ko’Olina area at the Aulani, a Disney’s Resort & Spa. On our previous trip, we stayed in Honolulu, and just wanted to experience a different part of the island this time (next time we’re staying at the North Shore!).
While we only had 5 nights/4.5 days in the destination, we had a full schedule and got to do and see a lot! Here’s our day-by-day itinerary:
Day 1
We arrived in Honolulu about 2 pm local time, picked up our rental car (Jeep Wrangler – which by the way is super popular here – they were all over the island), and we were headed towards Ko’Olina. We had plans to stop by Target on the way to the resort to pick up some water, snacks, reef-safe sunscreen, and other essentials, but after 9 hours on the plane, all we wanted to do was to get to the resort. Once we checked in at Aulani, we dropped our bags in the room, changed into bathing suits and we headed to the pool. We grabbed some food at the Ulu Café by the pools, and my daughter and I rushed to the lazy river before it closed for the day (lazy river and slides closed at 6 pm, while other pools stayed open until 8 pm). Boys went back to the room to get some rest (they don’t do well on planes, so I just let them chill for the rest of the evening).
After few laps at the lazy river, we decided to go to the beach for a dip in the ocean at sunset. The ocean was warm (warmer than pools), and sunset views were incredible. It was a perfect ending to the first day in Hawaii.
Day 2
Since we traveled to Hawaii from the Midwest, there was a 5-hour time difference, so we all got up super early on the 2nd day. We had a character breakfast scheduled for 7.30 am at Makahiki restaurant in Aulani. We were all up and ready before the alarm clock went off.
Character breakfast was fun as always, and kids really enjoyed interacting with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Stitch. Of course, we couldn’t pass on some Mickey and Minnie Waffles (my Disney peeps will relate).
After breakfast we made a Target run for some essentials (case of water was under $7 for 24 bottles, while resort charged about $5 for 1 bottle). We also got reef-safe sunscreen, and some cute Hawaiian-themed beach towels (I didn’t pack beach towels on purpose, because we were due some new ones anyways, so I figured Hawaii is the perfect place to get them).
After the store visit, it was time to enjoy the resort amenities. We needed some R’n’R on our first full day, so we planned a resort day. We had fun at the lazy river (our favorite pool at the whole resort), infinity edge pool and others as well. In the afternoon we moved to the beach. We played in the sand and enjoyed water activities. My son played on the boogie board and dug the deepest hole in the sand (literally it was almost up to his chin). The resort offered free rental of boogie boards and sand toys! That was a big plus knowing we didn’t have to bring those items from home (we needed all the luggage space we had – we only traveled with carry ons). My daughter and I tried paddle boarding ($45/hour). She was a total pro at it! Me? Not so much, but I did have fun!
A bit later, before sunset, we decided to take a short walk by the beach and explore Secret Beach next to the resort. We heard that you can spot sea turtles there, but I think it was too late in the day already, and unfortunately we didn’t see any. But the spot was gorgeous!
Day 3
Day 3 was a full day of adventure outside of the resort. After breakfast, we headed towards the East side of the island. Our first stop was Kualoa Ranch. I booked a 2-hour UTV tour. The kids had so much fun, and we loved the area. The views were breathtaking, and we got to see some famous movie spots (Kualoa Ranch was a place where over 100 movies were filmed!). Our guides were super fun and knowledgeable. Just remember, that when they say it gets dusty on the tour, you better believe them. We all looked like we came out of the coal mine when we were done! Our faces turned black, and our clothes were brown from all the dirt. But it was all worth it for the memories we created. You can easily spend a full day at Kualoa Ranch and take many of their tours, however after a quick ice cream break, we headed 15 minutes down the road towards He’eia Kea Boat Harbor where we boarded a boat that took us to the Kaneohe Sandbar (about 10-15 minute cruise each way).
Kaneohe Sandbar is this big playpen in the middle of the ocean. I have never experienced something like this before. The water was maybe up to my waist when we arrived around 1 pm. Once there, we were able to enjoy some water toys, like inflatables, paddle boards (yes, I tried it again and managed to stand up, but then crashed into the ocean few seconds later). After about an hour, we got to go snorkeling at the edge of the sandbar. The tour company provided all the equipment (and snacks and drinks on the boat). While snorkeling, we saw some beautiful fish, but the highlight of the experience was seeing a huge sea turtle resting by the coral reef! That memory will stay with me forever.
After our 3-hour experience at the Kaneohe Sandbar, we headed towards Honolulu for a quick shopping stop (we had a particular store to stop by for my hubby). After that, we were pretty exhausted from day’s adventures, and we went back to Aulani.
Day 4
Next day was also a busy one, but not as much as day 3. We planned a visit to the North Shore. First stop – Laniakea Beach in search of Honu (sea turtles). The beach is great for surfer and turtle watching! It was like a scene from a movie. While we saw multiple turtles in the water by the shore, we were not able to wait for them to come ashore. Our daughter had a surfing lesson scheduled 5 minutes down the road, and so we had to leave before turtles made it out of the ocean.
While Olivia surfed, we watched her from the beach, and played in the sand and water. We noticed more turtles by the shore, and enjoyed a relaxing time listening to the waves.
After surfing, we went to the town of Haleiwa for a little shopping spree. Then, it was time to head back to Aulani, and play some more in the lazy river. We finished the day exploring stores across the street from Aulani, where I got a gorgeous picture frame from a local vendor.
Day 5
Day 5 was our last full day in Hawaii. Originally, we planned to stay at the resort all day, however we still needed to try the pineapple straight from the source, so after breakfast, we drove to Dole Plantation, which was a quick 30-minute drive from Aulani. We got there right at opening, and went straight to the Pineapple Express – a 22-minute ride through the plantation. While the tour was informative, I don’t know if it was worth the $50+ for our family of 4. Anyways, I’m glad we did it, as it was a good way to see the plantation, but it’s a “one and done” kind of experience in my opinion.
Next, of course we couldn’t pass up on fresh pineapple – a reason for the trip to Dole Plantation. We got a whole pineapple cut up into chunks for about $10. It was the best pineapple I’ve ever tasted. If you’re not interested in touring the plantation, you can still go there and enjoy pineapple treats and shopping without paying entrance fees.
After the pineapple lunch, we did some shopping at the plantation stores, and headed back to the resort. We planned to spend the rest of the afternoon at the pools, but weather was iffy, so we did some more shopping at Aulani, then we took a break in the room, while I packed and repacked our bags multiple times. It was a challenge to pack everything considering the multiple shopping trips we did (we usually don’t buy a lot of staff while on vacation, but for some reason this trip we may have went a bit overboard).
To finish our wonderful vacation, I booked the luau at Aulani for our last evening. We got all ready and walked over to the luau lawn, but unfortunately due to the rain, the luau got cancelled. It was a huge bummer because I was so looking forward to it, and I wanted my kids to experience it, but Mother Nature had other plans.
Luckily, I had made a back up dinner reservation, so we went to Makahiki restaurant at Aulani, where we had delicious 3-course meal, and we enjoyed our last night of vacation. We talked, we laughed… we simply enjoyed our company. And it was the best night of the trip. While the cancelled luau was a disappointment, we made the best of it, and created some fun memories regardless.
Next day, we had an 8 am flight home. After hardly 3-4 hours of sleep (I packed and repacked our bags few more times that night to avoid checking luggage – we were able to check bags for free, but I hate doing that, so my goal was to have carry on only), it was time to go home. I still feel like this vacation needed to be longer, but I am grateful for what we got. I’m grateful for what we got to see and experience, and all the memories we created.
We will be back!
P.S. You may have noticed we haven’t visited Pearl Harbor. We have been there before during our previous trip, and decided we will go back next time, when our son is a little older. But it is a must-see if your time allows, and you have never been! Just remember to make your reservation in advance or you may not be able to visit the memorial.
