Four Days in Waikiki & Beyond with Children

If you’re traveling from the continental United States, chances are you will be up very early! The good news is that many coffee shops open by 6 am (the Starbucks on Lewers Street in Waikiki opens at 4 am, 4:30 am on weekends). Grab a coffee and some delicious breakfast at Island Vintage Coffee in the Royal Hawaiian Center. This location has both indoor and outdoor (covered in case of rain) seating. Try to get there as close to open time as possible. We noticed a line forming by 6:30 am!

After being caffeinated, hit the beach! Most beach hotels will offer towel service. But if you need to pick up any beach provisions, you can’t walk a few steps without hitting an ABC store. These are Hawaiian local convenience stores that sell everything, but prices are steep! There is also a Target in the International Market Place mall (walkable from most Waikiki hotels). It has a decent selection of beach toys, towels, etc. Pro tip: When you are done with your beach equipment that you can’t travel home with, find a friendly family to gift it to for their time in Hawai'i. You’ll get bonus points for living the Aloha spirit!

The Waikiki beach is relatively narrow and gets crowded on the sand, but the beauty and "swimmability" of the water makes up for any shortcomings on land! My children (ages nine, seven and five when we visited) spent hours playing in the water. You could walk out at least a hundred yards and the water temp (in February) was perfect with gentle waves. Do use caution when leaving belongings on the beach unattended…like all cities, there are a few bad apples, so you just need to use good common sense!

There are so many great options for lunch in Waikiki. If you want to get out of the sun and off the strip, head to Paia Fish Market. This is also a great option for dinner (or even just late afternoon drinks!). We ended up here twice because the food and atmosphere were the perfect vibe for our jet-lagged family! You wait in line to order at the counter and sit at long, large tables. Noise is abundant and there is plenty of space for littles to move around…without sacrificing delicious food and good local beer!

If you’re up for more sun, head back to the beach! If you need a different speed, head just around the corner from Paia Fish Market and wander among the stalls of the Gift Shop Alley. There are many stalls selling lots of souvenirs. Be ready to haggle. Probably best to avoid with small children who insist on touching everything!

Another afternoon idea is the Honolulu Zoo, which is located right at the end of the strip. From here, you can also walk to Shimazu Shave Ice (which was the best one we had while on Oahu!).

Call it an early night and grab a light dinner (take-out style with a place to sit) at Waikiki Market. A great option for jet-lagged children — lots of options including cut-up fruit, fried chicken and pizza for the kids. They have more elevated offerings like poke for the adults.

A true highlight of our trip to Hawai'i was a morning sail with Kamoauli on a traditional Polynesian canoe (definitely book ahead of time)! This organization is education-focused and the trip will include learning about traditional Hawaiian food and listening to live music. Each trip varies slightly, but the boat is a beautifully restored traditional Polynesian double-hulled sailing canoe. It’s perfect for children as there is a lot to see and do while aboard the boat. You will be able to help with the preparation of Hawaiian snacks. But you can also pack your own snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy!

Once back on land, walk about ten minutes into the Kaka’ako neighborhood to Holey Grail Donuts, where you can sample scrumptious donuts made with a taro base. Flavors rotate weekly — highly recommend getting a dozen and sampling all of the different unique flavors on offer! If you need to pick up any provisions, Whole Foods Market is next door and makes for an easy stop before heading back to Waikiki.

Play the afternoon away at the beach before heading to dinner at Tanaka of Tokyo Central. There are several locations in Honolulu, but I would recommend the one in Waikiki Shopping Plaza. While the meal is indoors, hibachi is always a hit with children!

Grab some smoothies and pastries at Honolulu Coffee in the Moana Surfrider on your way to a surfing lesson with Big Wave Dave’s on Lewers Street. (They also have coffee there, but we found we liked the selection more at Honolulu Coffee). Big Wave Dave’s was amazing with the children. Each child was assigned their own instructor (and our littlest, aged five, rode in tandem with a life jacket). After a quick introduction and lesson on the sand, the kids paddled out with their instructors.

Depending on how the waves are breaking, you may be able to drop your things on the beach and wade out to watch your child surfing up close! Don’t forget a dry bag for your cell phone so you can take some pictures up close! This was a core memory maker for our kids! Of course, you can also take the time and relax on the beach while they are at the lesson.

An easy lunch option is Stix Asia — an underground Asian Food Hall. There are some tables where you can post up and get take-out from different vendors. But a lot of the seating is specific to the stall that you select in the market. Good to keep in mind if your group tends to want to try different things!

If you’re looking for a unique souvenir, head by foot or taxi to Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts on Kapahulu Avenue. You can easily lose an hour in the store if you’re determined to find a true Hawaiian shirt (pro tip: a shirt is called an Aloha Shirt if it’s made in Hawaii vs. a regular Hawaiian shirt, which is just the style!).

If you’re looking for another easy dinner with the kids in tow, you’ll be right near Rainbow Drive-In, which is known for their plate lunches. It is very casual with counter-service and picnic tables. Bring some quarters and pennies for the novelty souvenir penny machines that are always a crowd-pleaser with the under-10 set.

Time to explore some other parts of the island! Rent your car early! Plan to arrive to pick it up at least 30 minutes before the counter opens if you’re renting from Budget or Avis in the International Marketplace. You can multi-task by having one person stand in line while the other people in the group go hunt for some breakfast and coffee!

Once you are in the car, plan to make a stop at Leonard’s Bakery for malasadas (Portuguese donuts). They are not to be missed and there is a lot of fun merch available if you’re still on the hunt for the perfect souvenir!

A few ideas to visit by car

• North Shore to see sea turtles and surfers: Grab some lunch at the food truck lot on Kamehameha Highway near Foodland. Lots of options and good space for kids to move around.

• Watch big-wave surfers at the Banzai pipeline. We waited a few minutes to find a spot in the lot and just walked to the edge of the beach. They do warn people that you should not stand anywhere near the water’s edge because there are often strong waves that come ashore.

• Look for sea turtles at Papa’lloa Beach. Parking can be a challenge here, but I double-parked in the lot and waited for a real spot, which did not take more than twenty minutes. I think there is a greater likelihood of spotting turtles in the mid-to late afternoon.

• Haleiwa: A visit to this town is worth it! It is a nice way to end of day with a shave ice from one of the local options (the kids loved watching the line at Matsumoto’s) or to do some more souvenir shopping.

• Waimanalo Beach: Consistently named one of the most beautiful beaches. This beach has very easy parking options. It can get very windy and is not as swimmable as Waikiki, but definitely worth a visit!

• Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden: Free entry to this state-run botanical garden. It is good for some stroller friendly hiking. My children enjoyed seeing the thousands of koi in the pond (about a 15 minute walk from parking area).

End your day back in town with an upscale, refined dinner at Mud Hen Water. There is some outdoor seating that may be more conducive to young children. But the food and cocktails were memorable and the service was friendly, engaging and attentive. Highly recommend the Roasted ‘n Raw Carrots and the Chicken Long Rice Croquettes. They also serve brunch Fri–Sun, which may be a better option for finicky eaters. Insider tip: head to the restroom if you are a restaurant junkie like I am to see some unique wallpaper!”