Founder of HawaiiGuide & certified travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
Oahu is a spectacular destination for couples. The island is teeming with opportunities for unforgettable romantic experiences. There is also variety; whether the two of you seek exhilaration or scenic tranquility, there is something perfect here for you.
This isn’t just the land of the beach-cocktail-getaway. It’s a surreal paradise of waterfalls, views, sunsets, culture, cuisine, and so much more. All of it is yours to experience together. Here is a guide to the best romantic Oahu tours that every couple should take.
Take a Sunset Cruise
Few things are more famous about Hawaii than the sunsets, especially when it comes to romantic settings. Fact: if you Google Image search the word “romantic” you will see pictures of Hawaiian sunsets throughout the results - the modern version of the classic “picture in the dictionary” metric.
Off the coast of Oahu, sunset cruises are an island specialty. For those unfamiliar, these are very much what they sound like. Get on a giant, waterborne building in the form of a boat. Enjoy drinks, food, live performances, and more; all while watching the world-class sunset from a front row seat on the surface of the ocean.
Go Parasailing
For those looking to get their heartrate up, parasailing is a tried-and-true couple’s thrill. Like taking a cruise, this adventure begins with a boat voyage off the coast and out over the pure blue water - but that is where the similarities end.
Instead of reclining in an epicurean wonderland and enjoying the show, the two of you are the center of the action. You will rise into the air, reaching stunning heights while being immersed in even more stunning views. Alone together, sometimes as high as several hundred feet up, the pairing of excitement and intimacy could not be more well-blended.
It may be simple and brief, but for an exciting romantic adventure, parasailing in Oahu is an absolute must.
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Attend a Luau
A quintessential Hawaiian experience that is also perfect for couples is the luau. This traditional celebration is all about culture, music, and food - delicious, authentic Hawaiian food straight from the imu.
Luaus are regularly held throughout Oahu, and it is another experience widely considered to be a must-have for any island visitor. Dishes typically include kalua pork, poi, and haupia; these are, respectively, pork cooked in an underground oven called an imu (meaning it is juicy and tasty as whichever expletive you can imagine), a unique starch made from taro, and coconut pudding - really, really insanely good coconut pudding potentially not far from the tree its main ingredient was retrieved from.
In addition to the amazing food, as the sun goes down and the stars come out, you also get to witness hula dancing, live music, and, quite often, fire dancing too. The luau is enlivening, it’s delicious, it’s educational, and of course, it’s also outrageously romantic.
Hike to a Waterfall
Perhaps a well-paired follow up to the caloric influx of a sunset cruise or a luau, hiking to one of Oahu’s breathtaking waterfalls is yet another romantic experience that every couple should have.
There are quite a few options too. The hike to Manoa Falls is roughly a mile and a half and as of June 2021 the newly renovated trail has been reopened. There is Waimano Falls, a longer and more challenging hike but an equally if not more beautiful finish line. There is Kapena Falls which includes a stellar natural pool to swim in. The list goes on.
What all these waterfalls have in common is the relative ease with which they can be hiked to and the iconic romantic setting they actualize. Waterfalls really are sacred places. The sight of fresh water billowing out of a natural display of rock and vegetation is instinctively good news for land animals like ourselves; our reverence for them both permeates and transcends culture.
When you and yours hear the rushing and roaring grow louder, when you finally reach the falls, and when you both smile and marvel at the wonder before you - you’re in very good company; perhaps tens of thousands of years of it.
One could argue Oahu is an inherently romantic place. Admittedly, traveling together as a couple, it would be hard to avoid situations that feel palpably romantic - if, for some reason, you wanted to. That being said, life is short, and a trip to Hawaii is an opportunity to seek the very best. We hope you find this guide to be a useful introduction to finding the romantic Oahu tour that is the very best for you and yours. Mahalo and best of luck!
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