Activities · North Shore
What To Do On Oahu’s North Shore
The North Shore is not just surf. Ancient temples, botanical gardens, shrimp trucks, and a pace of life worth taking a full day to experience.
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The North Shore is not just surf. It is ancient Hawaiian temples, botanical gardens, one of the best roadside shrimp truck cultures in the world, and a pace of life that changes how the rest of the trip feels. Most visitors spend half a day here. The ones who know it take a full day at minimum.
The six places below are the essential stops. The North Shore Oahu map and guide puts them, and the beaches, food and places to stay around them, on one map. Start with Haleiwa town, work your way up the coast to Waimea and Sunset, and leave time for a walk through Waimea Valley before you drive back. A cup of coffee from Haleiwa Bowls or Island Vintage Coffee belongs in that morning too. For the rest of the island, see our list of things to do in Oahu.
Getting There
North Shore Logistics
The drive from Waikiki to Haleiwa is about an hour, longer in traffic. Highway H-2 through the middle of the island is the fastest route. Highway 99 through the pineapple fields is more scenic. Allow an extra 15 to 20 minutes on weekends. The entire stretch from Haleiwa to Sunset Beach is about 10 miles, so once you are up there, everything is easy to reach. Start early, since the popular beaches and parking lots fill up as the day goes on.
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Essential North Shore Stops
Haleiwa Town
Haleiwa is the North Shore’s main town, a former sugar plantation settlement with a main street full of surf shops, art galleries, food options, and the kind of mix of local and visitor culture that feels genuine rather than manufactured. Surf N Sea has been outfitting surfers since 1965. Ted’s Bakery near Sunset Beach is famous for its chocolate haupia pie. The shrimp trucks on Kamehameha Highway are a North Shore institution. Plan to spend at least an hour walking around before continuing up the coast.
Waimea Bay
Waimea Bay is the most famous beach on the North Shore and one of the most recognizable surf locations in the world. In winter the bay is famous for its 30-foot waves, drawing the biggest-wave surfers on the planet. Our North Shore Waves guide covers where to watch them safely. In summer the bay is usually calm and the water turns clear, but conditions can change, so check with the lifeguard before you get in. The bay is also connected to the legacy of Eddie Aikau, the Hawaiian waterman and lifeguard who became a symbol of courage on these waters. A short drive up the coast, Shark’s Cove is the snorkel stop in the calm summer months; our Shark’s Cove guide covers the rules and when to stay out of the water.
Laniakea Beach
Laniakea Beach, known locally as Turtle Beach, is a short stretch of shoreline a few miles north of Haleiwa where green sea turtles regularly come ashore to rest on the sand. NOAA recommends staying at least 10 feet from the turtles, and at least 50 feet from any Hawaiian monk seal resting on the sand. The turtles are wild animals and the encounters are not guaranteed, but the sightings are frequent enough that this is worth a stop if you are driving the coast. The beach itself is small and the parking is roadside, so arrive during off-peak hours. Our Turtle Beach guide has the 10-foot rule, the current parking situation and the best time to go.
Puʻu O Mahuka Heiau
Puʻu O Mahuka Heiau is the largest ancient Hawaiian temple on Oahu, built in the 17th century on a ridge above Waimea Bay with views of the bay and the coastline stretching in both directions. It is a state historic site, open daily 9am to 5:30pm, with no entrance fee. State Parks asks visitors to look at the site from outside the walls and not to enter, which protects the walls and paving. Please do not disturb the rocks or remove anything.
Waimea Valley
Waimea Valley is a nature preserve and botanical garden with a paved path of about three-quarters of a mile each way leading to a waterfall about 40 feet tall and a swimming area, where lifeguards decide each morning whether swimming is open. General admission is $26 for adults and $18 for children 4 to 12, with lower rates for Hawaii residents. Hours change by season: Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm in October and November (closed Monday), and daily in December except Christmas Day. The shaded path winds through one of the most intact ahupuaʻa land divisions on the island, with botanical collections representing Hawaiian, Pacific, and international plant communities. It is genuinely different from the beach and surf experience of the rest of the North Shore, and worth an hour and a half if you have the time.
Sunset Beach & Banzai Pipeline
Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline are the two most famous surf spots on the North Shore. The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing runs across Haleiwa, Sunset and Pipeline each winter when swells cooperate. Pipeline, about half a mile from Sunset at Ehukai Beach, produces some of the most photographed barrels in the world. Both beaches are worth walking even when the surf is flat. In summer the water is usually flat, but conditions can change, so check with the lifeguard before you swim. Kamehameha Highway runs past both. Plan to sit on the sand for a while. For when the big winter waves arrive and where to stand, see our Banzai Pipeline guide.
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[…] you had had your fill of coffee, make sure to spend time exploring all the North Shore has to offer. With so much to do, it truly is one of Oahu’s gems. What do you think about our […]