Oahu - the Gathering Place

Oahu is the third largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands, but is by far the most densely populated. Nearly 75 percent of the state's 1.2 million residents live on Oahu, which is also home to the capital city of Honolulu, world-famous Waikiki Beach, and historic Pearl Harbor. 

Oahu is 44 miles long and 30 miles wide. There are 876,000 residents, not including military personnel. The Honolulu airport is located between downtown Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. This is the only Hawaiian island where you might be OK without a rental car because public transportation and tour buses abound.

If you are still planning your vacation to Hawaii, we recommend that you DO NOT spend the whole week on Oahu. Split your time between the "concrete jungles" of Waikiki and the REAL jungles that you can find on Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. If you never get out of Waikiki, YOU HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN HAWAII!

If you only have time to do one thing while you are on Oahu, make sure you visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. It is an incredibly moving experience.  CLICK HERE

If you are on Oahu for a week we encourage you to watch the slideshow above for our suggestions for the very best events to do while you are here! From the moving experience of standing on the deck of the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor ... to the joy of close encounters with dolphins ... to the cultural experiences at Paradise Cove Luau and the elegance of a sunset dinner cruise on board the Navatek ... Oahu offers lots of ways to be entertained during your vacation!

 Oahu Facts:

-Major airport is Honolulu (HNL)

-Population is 905,000, nearly three times higher than all the other islands combined

-It is the third-largest island in the Hawaiian chain

-The Arizona Memorial marks the beginning of US involvement in WWII

-The USS Missouri is docked next door and is the site of the treaty signing that ended WWII

-Honolulu is the site of the state's capital building, but the original seat of the Hawaiian kingdom was the Big Island

-Diamond Head, the ancient volcanic crater that looms over Waikiki Beach, is 200,000 years old

-The monster waves of Pipeline and Waimea Bay happen in winter months. Summer swells make for good surfing in Waikiki

-Iolani Palace is the only residence ever occupied by royalty anywhere in the 50 states of the USA

-Oahu is the birthplace of Barack Obama, 44th President of the USA