Hub · North Shore
North Shore Oahu Guide: Beaches, Food and Attractions
The North Shore runs from Kaʻena Point and Mokulēʻia in the west, through Haleiwa town and past Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach, to Turtle Bay and Kahuku. This is the planning page: which beach fits the season, where to eat on the way, what to book, where to stay and how long the drive takes, with every stop on one map.
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On this page
The North Shore, Section by Section
- The mapEvery beach, food stop, tour and stay
- Beaches8 entries · Waimea Bay, Pipeline, Sunset, Turtle Beach, Shark’s Cove
- Where to eat7 entries · Haleiwa town, shrimp trucks, shave ice, Ted’s
- Attractions and tours7 entries · Waimea Valley, the heiau, Kahuku Farms, shark tours
- Where to stay4 entries · Turtle Bay, Ke Iki, villas and rentals
- On the way2 entries · Dole Plantation, Surfers Coffee Bar
- Getting thereDrive times, parking, TheBus
The season decides the day here. From November to April, Hawaii’s ocean safety agency describes the North Shore surf as “consistent huge and dangerous swells,” and the beaches turn into places to watch the biggest waves on the island from the sand. From May to October the same water is flat to small, and Shark’s Cove, Waimea Bay and Haleiwa become swimming and snorkeling stops. Our North Shore waves guide has the month-by-month detail and the warning thresholds.
North Shore Beaches by Season
Seven of these eight beaches have a city lifeguard tower, open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Pick by season: in winter they are for watching from the sand, and in summer the calm ones are for swimming and snorkeling.
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01
Waimea Bay
The big bay below Waimea Valley, with lifeguard Tower 29 on the sand, open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Winter brings huge, dangerous swells; from May to October the North Shore surf is flat to small.
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02
Sunset Beach
About two miles of sand at the north end of the surf beaches, with lifeguard Tower 25 at the park, open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
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03
Ehukai Beach (Banzai Pipeline)
The beach park in front of the Banzai Pipeline surf break. Lifeguard Tower 26 is open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
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04
Laniakea (Turtle Beach)
Where green sea turtles haul out on the sand. Lifeguard Tower 30B is open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, and NOAA asks people to stay at least 10 feet from the turtles.
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05
Shark’s Cove
Lava rock tide pools and summer snorkeling inside the Pūpūkea Marine Life Conservation District, where taking marine life and feeding fish are against the rules. Lifeguard Tower 28 went up in March 2026.
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06
Haleiwa Aliʻi Beach Park
The beach park in Haleiwa town, with parking, restrooms, a bus stop and lifeguard Tower 31, open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
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07
Chun’s Reef
A long white-sand beach about two miles north of Haleiwa, with a freshwater pond the state visitor bureau calls perfect for keiki. Lifeguard Tower 30A covers it, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
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08
Mokulēʻia Beach Park
A long, quiet beach on Farrington Highway west of Waialua, on the way to Kaʻena Point. It is not on the state’s list of lifeguarded beaches.
Haleiwa and Where to Eat
Most North Shore food sits at the two ends of the drive: shave ice and shops in Haleiwa town at the south end, and the shrimp trucks in Kahuku at the north end, with Ted’s Bakery across from Sunset Beach in between.
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09
Haleiwa Town
The North Shore’s historic town, and the lunch and shave ice stop at the south end of the drive. Haleiwa Store Lots, the open-air center in the middle of town, has 22 merchants and 95 parking stalls.
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10
The Kahuku Shrimp Trucks
Garlic shrimp plates from the trucks along Kamehameha Highway are the North Shore’s best-known lunch. Giovanni’s and Romy’s, below, are two of them in Kahuku.
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Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck
The graffiti-covered original truck at 56-505 Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku, open daily 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to its own posts.
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12
Romy’s Kahuku Prawns and Shrimp
A Kahuku prawn and shrimp stand, now at 56-1030 Kamehameha Highway after a move up the road. It takes phone orders at 808-219-3293.
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13
Matsumoto Shave Ice
Serving the North Shore since 1951, at Haleiwa Store Lots. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it takes cards.
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14
Aoki’s Shave Ice
Haleiwa’s other shave ice stand, a short walk from Matsumoto’s at the corner of Emerson Road. Its own posted hours are 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., closed Tuesdays.
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15
Ted’s Bakery
The bakery across the highway from Sunset Beach, open daily 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
North Shore Attractions and Tours
Away from the beaches, the North Shore is a valley garden with a waterfall, the largest heiau on Oʻahu, a working farm, a soap factory and the walk out to Kaʻena Point, plus the boat tours that leave Haleiwa Harbor.
For a one-day plan with timing and parking, our things to do guide strings the main stops together.
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16
Waimea Valley
The valley across the highway from Waimea Bay, with a waterfall about 40 feet tall at its head. Adult admission is $26. In October and November it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; from December 1 to 30, daily.
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17
Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau
The largest heiau on Oʻahu, covering almost two acres on the ridge above Waimea Bay. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and free.
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18
Kahuku Farms
A farm in Kahuku with a café and garden that are free to walk during business hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The fields are by guided tour only.
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19
North Shore Soap Factory
A working soap maker in Waialua with a 30-minute behind-the-scenes tour, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. (last tour 2 p.m.), $22 a person and free for kids 4 and under.
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20
Kaʻena Point (Mokulēʻia side)
The western tip of Oʻahu, at the end of the road past Mokulēʻia. The walk to the point is about 2.5 miles each way along a volcanic coast, and the park is open daily, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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21
Shark Tours From Haleiwa Harbor
This shark dive leaves by boat from Haleiwa Harbor. You watch the sharks from a cage, no swimming skills needed, and you can stay on the boat if you would rather stay dry.
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22
Circle Island Tour With a Turtle Snorkel
A full-day, small-group circle island tour that stops on the North Shore for a guided snorkel with green sea turtles.
Waimea Valley, Haleiwa and the Surf Beaches, With Snorkel Gear Included
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Where to Stay on the North Shore
The Ritz-Carlton at Turtle Bay is the big resort here. The other stays on this list are villas, condos, bungalows and vacation rentals, so check the terms of each one before you book.
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The Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay
The resort on Turtle Bay, near Kahuku, at the north end of the coast. Check-in is 3 p.m. and check-out 11 a.m.
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24
Ke Iki Beach Bungalows
Bungalows on Ke Iki Beach, just north of Shark’s Cove. The property says there are no resort fees, and each unit gets one free parking stall.
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25
Ocean Villas and Kuilima Estates
Two ways to stay at Turtle Bay with a kitchen: the resort’s own Ocean Villas, with three or four bedrooms, and the Kuilima Estates condos next door, which are owned independently and not managed by the resort.
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North Shore Vacation Rentals
Houses and condos rented by the night along the coast. Our guide to North Shore vacation rentals compares them.
On the Way: Wahiawā and Dole
Driving up from Waikiki through the middle of the island, the road passes Wahiawā before it drops down to Haleiwa. Two stops there break up the drive.
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27
Dole Plantation
The pineapple stop on the highway north of Wahiawā, open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The paid extras are the Pineapple Express train, the garden tour and the maze.
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28
Surfers Coffee Bar (Wahiawā)
A coffee bar at 63 S. Kamehameha Highway in Wahiawā, run mostly by volunteers for Surfing The Nations, a nonprofit working through service and action sports since 1997.
Getting There and Getting Around
The North Shore is roughly a one-hour drive from Waikiki, according to the state’s visitor bureau. On big-surf days, plan for more: the Ritz-Carlton at Turtle Bay warns guests of “significant traffic delays and possible road closures” on the North Shore when the surf is high. Our scenic drive map plots the route, and our guide to renting a car on Oahu covers the car.
By bus, TheBus Routes 52 and 60 both reach Haleiwa from Ala Moana Center, 52 through Mililani and Wahiawā and 60 the long way around through Kaneohe. Neither starts in Waikiki, so change at Ala Moana. On Route 60, the scheduled ride from Ala Moana to Shark’s Cove takes about two to two and a half hours.
Parking is the hard part. Haleiwa Store Lots has 95 stalls in the middle of town. The Waimea Valley lots are for valley guests only, and the valley tows cars parked there for the beach. At Laniakea, the state’s highway realignment project calls parking limited and subject to change.
Dole Plantation and Haleiwa Town, or the Full Circle Island
★★★★★ 5 · 19,681 reviews · From $100
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North Shore Questions
When are the big waves on the North Shore?
November to April. Hawaii’s ocean safety agency describes North Shore winter surf as consistent huge and dangerous swells, and from May to October as flat to small. The National Weather Service issues a High Surf Advisory for north-facing shores at 15 feet and a warning at 25 feet.
Can you swim on the North Shore?
In summer, yes, at calm, lifeguarded beaches like Waimea Bay, Shark’s Cove and Haleiwa Aliʻi. In winter, stay out of the water in high surf. City lifeguard towers on the North Shore are open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily; Mokulēʻia has none.
How far is the North Shore from Waikiki?
Roughly an hour’s drive, according to the state’s visitor bureau, longer on big-surf days. By bus, TheBus Routes 52 and 60 run from Ala Moana Center to Haleiwa, so a Waikiki rider changes at Ala Moana.
Where can you see sea turtles on the North Shore?
Laniakea Beach, which most visitors call Turtle Beach, north of Haleiwa. Green sea turtles haul out on the sand there. NOAA asks people to stay at least 10 feet away, on land and in the water.
Is Waimea Valley open every day?
Not in October and November: it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closes on Mondays. From December 1 to 30 it opens daily, 9 to 4. Adult admission is $26, and parking is $2 for an hour or $5 for up to four hours.
