Visit Oahu Without a Rental Car
You can find plenty of ideas online for what to do on Oahu, but what makes this report different is that we did everything described below in Oahu without a rental car. We took this angle for a few reasons. Weekly airport (where most cars are picked up) rentals right now are just shy of astronomical. Parking in Waikiki, moreover, is expensive. The average overnight parking fee at Waikiki hotels is $36.63, unless you stay at one of the few condos that include parking in the rental. Finally, expect to pay more to fuel your rental vehicle than anywhere else in the U.S. besides California. The current average price of regular gas was $4.38/gallon here.
So, driving a mid-size rental 500 miles and parking it overnight in Waikiki for a week will cost more than $620. Contrast this to the cost of using “The Bus,” one of the better public transit systems in the U.S., which ran us just $4.00/day (reflecting our senior discount; $5.50/per person/per day is the regular adult daily pass).
This is a guest post from Jim at WINEtineraries.
Using The Bus Pro Tip:
Should you decide to use “The Bus,” experiment ahead of time with the “Get transit directions” widget on its website. Sometimes, you need to enter a destination’s address (e.g., 900 S. Beretania Street instead of “Honolulu Museum of Art”) and, other times, a location’s description (e.g., “Hyatt Regency Waikiki” instead of 2424 Kalakaua Avenue) to get the best results. And take the resulting timeline with a grain of salt; buses are highly dependent on traffic conditions.
How we got from HNL Airport to Waikiki
Since we were seeing Oahu without a rental car, I needed to research options for getting from the Honolulu airport to Waikiki. Our hotel offered “a special one-way $45 flat rate to the hotel.” It is possible to ride “The Bus” from HNL to Waikiki. This would, by far, be the least expensive (and most adventurous!), costing just $1 – $2.75. However, the trip would take a little over an hour and bags, which can’t be larger than 22”x14”x9”, must be held on one’s lap (there are no baggage racks).
The estimate for an UberX fare was $25.88. Some taxi companies offer a flat rate of $29. Tip: Booking a flat rate will almost always save you money, as your fare won’t change if the traffic on H1 is bad (which it often is). Last time we needed this same transfer, we used King Airport Shuttle, which charges $35 each way for up to 2 passengers. We were pleased with their service but decided to see if we could do better. In the end, we booked our transfers with Hawaii23 Transportation for just $23 each way. Our shuttle driver texted me within minutes of landing and was waiting for us when we walked out of baggage claim!
Where We Stayed
I had a Hyatt Globalist upgrade to burn, and The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa had space available for an upgrade to a junior oceanfront suite, so the decision about where to stay was not very difficult. The $251/night cost was offset by the hotel’s location, high-speed WiFi, waived resort fee, and amenities.
Breakfast at a sit-down restaurant in Waikiki costs upwards of $30/each (including tip), so our suite — which included Regency Club access with complimentary hot and cold breakfast items from 6-10am daily — saved us more than $300. We timed our evening meals to take advantage of the Club’s daily offering of drinks and hors d’oeuvres before dinner.
The Regency Club pours Canvas, a brand developed exclusively for Hyatt by the Michael Mondavi family, for less than half the cost of the lowest-price glass in a restaurant. After dinner, we returned for the Club’s complimentary desserts from 7-9pm. Savings on drinks and dessert were at least another $200. This property is also home to the Mahiku Farmers’ Market on the ground floor (running from 4-8pm every Monday and Wednesday) and “Aloha Friday” activities from 4:30-6pm.
These include a 90 minute Polynesian show (pictured above), lei making, henna tattooing, and a Samoan fire dancer. Tip: Even if you stay elsewhere, the Mahiku Farmers’ Market and the “Aloha Friday” activities described above take place in the ground floor public space between the Hyatt’s twin towers and are open to the public at no charge.
Where We Ate
There’s no shortage of good eating options on Oahu in general — and in Waikiki in particular — and we had easy access to numerous restaurants without need for a rental car. Some Hawaiian foods you shouldn’t miss include shaved ice (think very finely ground snow cone) topped with homemade, all-natural fruit juice syrup or Wailua chocolate, a plate lunch from Rainbow Drive-In (as seen on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”) for an extremely filling meal for less than $10, and poke (marinated raw fish often served over rice).
We especially enjoyed the meals we had at the restaurants below:
Marukame Udon
A 5-minute walk from the Hyatt, at 2310 Kuhio Avenue, is TripAdvisor’s #9 (out of 1,566) restaurant in Honolulu: Marukame Udon. Udon is a “toothsome” al dente noodle made fresh throughout the day (you can watch the process while you stand in line) from Japanese-imported wheat flour. Despite the omnipresent line of eager diners, a table always seems to empty by the time you’ve paid for your meal. The efficiency is actually quite amazing!
When you get to the front of the line, you order your choice of hot or cold udon noodles bathed in a variety of sauces/broths in 2 sizes (the small is more than enough for most appetites). You can also select from a variety of tempura items.
Taormina
Italian food in Waikiki? Don’t miss this classy restaurant in the heart of Waikiki on Lewers Street on the makai side (toward the ocean) of Kalakaua Avenue! Named after a village in Sicily, Taormina pairs fresh pastas with high-quality seafood. The wines here are chosen by one of only 2 Master Sommeliers in Hawaii, so trust the recommended wine pairings. The prix fixe menu at lunch with wine pairing is a very good value if you have a big appetite: $48 for 4 courses.
I ordered Chef Hiro’s lasagna ($23), which was probably the best lasagna I’ve ever eaten. My wife ordered the granchio (crab meat in a lightly-spiced tomato cream sauce, served over fettuccini) for $32. For dessert, we had the tiramisu.
House Without a Key at Halekulani
Halekulani, which means “house befitting heaven,” celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2017, making it the second-oldest property in Waikiki. It boasts the highest staff-to-guest ratio among Hawaiian resorts, which seems to result in happy employees as well as pampered guests. More than 20% of Halekulani’s employees have been with the hotel for at least 25 years!
Halekulani has 3 full-service restaurants and 2 lounges. We celebrated our 39th anniversary by dining at House Without a Key, which takes its name from the title of the first Charlie Chan mystery novel — said to have been conceived during its author’s stay at Halekulani in 1925. Each night, dinner at House Without a Key is accompanied by Hawaiian music and dancing, featuring former Miss Hawaii winners (pictured here).
What We Did
Although we walked to all 3 dining experiences described above, we needed wheels (of some type) to reach the attractions we wanted to see. But how to stay true to our plan to experience Oahu without a rental car?
While high bacteria count at Hanauma Bay resulted in a last-minute cancellation of our planned snorkeling excursion, I would suggest considering Fun Hawaii’s Hanauma Bay Snorkeling excursion. For just $12.50 per person, they pick up from Waikiki hotels, drive you to and from Hanauma Bay in an air-conditioned van, and provide sanitized, professional mask, snorkel and fins! Note: Admission to the park is an additional $7.50 per person, whether you drive there yourself or use another tour operator (it may be “baked in” to their charges).
Diamond Head
The iconic hike to the top of Diamond Head is TripAdvisor’s #3 (out of 321) outdoor activity on Oahu, and it’s a breeze getting here without a rental car, just using public transportation. Take either the #2 or #23 bus to the end of the line at Kapi’olani Community College. When you get off the bus, the entrance to Diamond Head State Monument is about 200 yards to your left after you cross Diamond Head Road, behind where the bus stops.
If you go on a Saturday morning, the Kapi’olani Community College Farmer’s Market (7:30-11am) makes a great stop before and/or after your hike. This is a moderately strenuous hike, but we are senior citizens and had no problems. Tip: Carry water with you and stay hydrated. The sun can be intense, so suntan lotion and a hat are also good ideas. The view from the top is incredible!
Foster Botanical Gardens
There are 5 public botanical gardens on Oahu. Foster Botanical Gardens, home to some of the oldest trees on the island, traces its beginnings to 1853, when Queen Kalama leased a small plot of land to William Hillebrand, a German physician who was also a botanist. This oasis in the middle of downtown Honolulu includes within its 14 acres a butterfly garden, an orchid conservatory, the Lyon Orchid Garden, a “prehistoric glen” (which features plants whose relatives would have co-habited the earth with dinosaurs), and a collection of “exceptional trees” protected by state law. The quipo tree pictured here is fascinating. The “rings” used to calculate its age look like bands encircling its massive trunk!
Pro Tip: If you visit here, be sure to make a reservation for the free guided tour beginning at 10:30 each day. We could have listened to our tour guide (Chuck) for hours! And if gardens are your thing, you can easily make a day of it by visiting both Foster Botanical Gardens and Lili’uokalani Botanical Garden (free entry), which is just 15 minutes away.
Polynesian Cultural Center
Although “touristy,” no trip to Oahu would be complete without a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). It would take more than 19 hours to see every show and participate in every hands-on activity in each of the 6 island “villages” of Polynesia represented here: Tonga, Tahiti, Hawaii, Fiji, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Samoa.
Dinner options include an outdoor (but covered) luau, an island buffet, and prime dining (both indoors, the latter featuring prime rib and crab legs). Your day here concludes with “Ha: Breath of Life,” a spectacular multimedia show with over 100 performers in native garb. For less than the cost of a day’s car rental and parking, the PCC will provide roundtrip motorcoach transportation from Waikiki hotels. Tip: We thought we saw more and had a better experience by booking an “Ambassador” package, but you can keep expenses down with the PCC’s a la carte ticket options.
Shangri La
This attraction played right into our “Oahu without a rental car” itinerary. The only way to get here is to take the Honolulu Museum of Art’s (HoMA) private shuttle bus. Admission to Shangri La ($26.50/pp when you book online) includes museum admission, which would otherwise cost $20/pp. It’s like getting admission to HoMA for just $6.50!
Shangri La is owned and operated by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. Ms. Duke was the only daughter of and heiress to the fortune amassed by James Buchanan Duke, founder of the American Tobacco Company and the Duke Energy Company. Shangri La is the architectural marriage of her love for Hawaii and her passion for the art of the Near East and India. Her bedroom suite was inspired by the Taj Mahal; the living room is pictured here.
Additional Tips
- If you decide to use “The Bus,” make sure you have correct change for bus fares. We watched someone who needed a $5.50 ticket deposit a $10 bill in the meter because “operators are not permitted to…give change.”
- Check the Royal Hawaiian Band performance schedule. They put on free concerts around town as many as 3 times a week.
Final Thoughts
As you see, it is possible to enjoy your time in Oahu without a rental car. A little pre-planning is needed, but you can see and do everything you want while also saving a ton of money on parking, gas, and of course the rental cost.
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Took your suggestion this evening in Waikiki. We have been to Waikiki four times and did not know about The House Without a Key at the Halekulani. We sat in the “bar” seating area, as shown in your photo, and the food and drinks were excellent, and our server , Ian, who has worked there since 2001, was spot on.
As an aside, the Chief’s Luau we attended the previous night in Ko Olinda (about a 45 minute drive – need a car:-)) was the most authentic one we’ve ever attended.
Thanks for your poignant article. MJC
Glad you had an excellent experience Melvin. Enjoy your trip!
Excellent article. The author seems to share my enthusiasm when it comes to defining and sculpting an ideal travel agenda. I can do without the fluff often encountered in typical tour guides, but I embrace the streamlined ‘bullet’ points for getting the most ‘bang’ for my buck. I enjoy knowing when to pause, when to sprint and when to eat a hearty meal prior to a long trek such as that hike on Diamond Head. Instead of watching and wondering as precious vacation time is wasted, a guide such as this cuts to the chase……it even tells me when to bring water, sun lotion and a hat! This article reads as a true, personal travel advocate! Thumbs UP.
Glad you enjoyed it Doug
Interesting article with great suggestions. We’ve been to Oahu often but haven’t been to some of these places so we have some new things to see. Thank you.
Always good to have a reason to go back to Hawaii 🙂
As the saying goes, time is money. You can save money by taking the bus, but you’ll spend a lot more time getting around with all the extra stops and waiting for the bus to arrive. So pay with your time, or pay with money. It’s your choice.
Marugame Udon has many locations in California and even in Texas. For eateries unique to Hawaii, try Liliha Bakery or Helena’s or Leonard’s for malasadas.
(And it’s “shave” ice, not “shaved”. If you use “shaved”, they’ll know you’re not local.)
When did this travel take place? The snorkelling tour is suspended and don’t need masks for the udon place?
This trip took place prior to June, 2021 when the State of Hawai’i stopped allowing tours of Hanauma Bay. It is still open, however, to individuals and can easily be reached via The Bus. We just ate at Marakame Udon in December and, at that time, masks were required indoors (we also had to show proof of vaccination) but not on the street.
Shaka! Local tip: instead of waiting in that ridiculous line at Marukame, go to Tsuru Ton Tan / Royal Hawaiian Shopping center. Same level udon, more other type dishes and a $10 lunch special that’s hard to beat (XL udon & poke bowl!)
Thanks for the tip!
I’m glad this worked out for you but I think 500 miles is a lot on Oahu. It’s only about 45 miles from top to bottom. I also think it’s funny to spend $200 per person at the Mormon PCC but be thrifty in other place but to each their own. It a person is visiting Oahu and spending most of their time in Waikiki or on a resort property you don’t need a rental car. We always do a rental car there because we have family stationed ther in the Army and prefer to stay outside of Waikiki. I always laugh at the gas prices there since they are usually about the same as my local prices in Illinois due to all our taxes 🙂 I usually tell people to only get a rental car for a day or two when staying in Waikiki as there are a ton of rental offices nearby. The PCC, Dole, North Shore are the main places that are time consuming to reach by bus I think.
Excellent post! It’s nice traveling with TheBUS and taking it all in.