Things to Do on Oahu without A Rental Car

Stay In the State Capital

One advantage Oahu presents its car-less visitors is, put simply, Honolulu. Here is a major metro area with nearly a million residents. Like many large cities, much can be reached on foot because so much is cuddled in relatively close together.

Of course, it’s possible to stay elsewhere - but if you’re seeking access to lots of activities that you can get to without a rental car, it will be much harder if you’re far from the island’s activity center.

Plus, the international airport where you’ll almost certainly first arrive is, after all, in Honolulu.

Hiking

One of the most extraordinary things anyone can do while visiting Oahu is experience some of the island’s world-class hikes. These expose you to stunning nature, breathtaking views, and can largely be accessed without the assistance of a car.

You will, however, probably need to take the bus. Luckily, Oahu has a very affordable bus line with a name that couldn’t be easier to remember: The Bus. Many of the island’s best hikes, including Diamond Head, Koko Crater Railway, and Manoa Falls, are within a 10-minute walk from a bus stop.

Waikiki Beach

If you’re staying in a Honolulu hotel, chances are pretty high you won’t need any kind of vehicle at all to get to the world-famous destination of Waikiki Beach.

Technically, Waikiki is a neighborhood; but in reality, it’s the resort epicenter of the island and arguably the state of Hawaii itself. Of particular interest (and international fame) however is the 2-mile stretch of coastline towards the south. This is Waikiki Beach: the absolute epitome of the Hawaiian vacation aesthetic.

Warm white sand. Calm waves the color of “cool blue” Gatorade. Lists of the world’s best beaches without Waikiki near the top are hard to find. Once, it was also once a playground for Hawaiian royalty. Today it is one of the most popular and beloved tourist destinations in the world.

Book a Tour with Hotel Pickup

Don’t forget that many tours you can do on the island - from snorkeling, to ATVs, to helicopters - will offer hotel pickup. Naturally, not all tours have this option, so you may have to hunt a little more scrupulously. Plus, once you find one, expect to pay a higher price.
 
That being said, given all the money you’re saving by not renting a car, it’s guaranteed to be less costly overall. You’re also spared some navigational stress, which is a particularly big win if it’s early in the morning.

Tours tend to advertise the fact that they offer hotel pickup, so be sure to check before you rule anything out on account of your lacking a rental car.

Visit Museums & Memorials

Oahu is an extraordinary wealth of history and culture - particularly Honolulu. You can immerse yourself in much of this without having to drive.

From the Bishop Museum which focuses on artifacts and history, to the Pearl Harbor Memorial (USS Arizona), to multiple grand palaces belonging to both British and Hawaiian heritage - there’s tons to see here, and most are within the radius of a few miles.

Use Alternative Transportation

It’s certainly not New York City. Honolulu has no subway or train system (although believe it or not, a rail system is under construction).

However, as we already mentioned, there is a very memorable bus route. You also have the option of renting a bicycle. Hear us out on this - the island may look like the most daunting place ever for a cyclist, but in the city and near the coast, it’s actually pretty cycle-friendly. Plus, you can get from museum to museum, or beach to beach, surprisingly quickly even if you’re not a Tour de France champion.

Another option worth considering is Holoholo, the locally owned competitor to Uber and Lyft.