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Home » Travel

One Week in Waikiki

Modified: Dec 28, 2022 · Published: Mar 23, 2020 by Jenna Urben · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Back in February, Zack and I visited Hawaii for the third time. What can we say? We love it! Here's where we stayed, what we ate, and how we spent our one week in Waikiki.

One Week in Waikiki

As I mentioned above, we've visited Oahu before on our honeymoon and last year! Rather than plan a bunch of activities and book dinner reservations weeks ahead of time, we decided to keep it real casual this time. Strangely enough, we actually got into 3 super popular restaurants with little to no wait! More on that below...

Just like last year, Zack spent the first few days of our trip attending a conference. During those days, I wandered around Waikiki, listened to podcasts on the beach, and got used to island time. Be sure to check out my two other Hawaii travel diaries because there are definitely some must-do, see, and eat spots that we didn't prioritize this year.

One Week in Waikiki Hawaii Travel Guide

Hotel

Once again, we stayed at Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach! We love the location, staff, and complimentary breakfast. Although we love the Hyatt Place, we both decided that next time we go back we'll check out the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa. It's just a different vibe staying at a Hyatt Regency and closer to the beach. Plus, we could take advantage of their club benefits!

The main perks of staying at the Hyatt Place are their complimentary breakfast, great location near bus stops, food trucks, coffee shops, and just a short walk from the beach.

Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach Review

Activities

Like I said, we didn't pack our days with whale watching, zip lining, snorkeling, or tours. We still had fun-filled days with a nice mix of beach bummin' and exploring!

Hike Diamond Head

This was actually our first time hiking in Hawaii! Most people make this their number one priority when they visit, but it just never made our list.

Everyone suggests hiking Diamond Head first thing in the morning, before the sun comes out, and I 100% agree that would be ideal. Did we do that? Nope! We went around noon, and it was hot... Definitely bring a water bottle and dress accordingly.

It's so worth it though, y'all! Be prepared for stairs towards the top, crouching, and optional ladders.

Waikiki Beach

This was our top priory! Relax at the beach, take it in, and hang out. So that's what we did and it was simply amazing.

Kualoa Ranch

We've been to the ranch several times now and we love it. They have tons of activities to choose from and as luck would have it, the conference Zack attended offered a gap day with excursions around the island.

We selected the secret island beach day but unfortunately it rained almost the entire day. We still made the most of our time there and look forward to going back, without the rain!

Massage

Yes!!! I've been wanting to get a massage for months... maybe years... but I just never make a point to schedule it. Since I knew I would have time to myself in the beginning of our trip, I researched different spas in the area. Y'all, there are so many to choose from!

Do you want a view? Unique experience? Resort access for the day?

I ended up booking a pretty last minute session at The Abhasa Spa in The Royal Hawaiian Resort. The pink hotel!! It was unreal, you guys. My massage was in a private hut in their garden! Beforehand, I relaxed in my robe with infused water and then after I took a dip in their semi-private jacuzzi. It was a dream!

Dining

My favorite acai bowl: Island Vintage Coffee

The best udon: Marukame
The line can get reallllly long, but it's worth it y'all!

After the beach: Barefoot Beach Cafe

For happy hour: Tiki's

Awesome live music: Maui Brewing Company
They have a great happy hour and can make delicious dairy-free pizza.

Coffee: Kai Coffee
You've gotta try their macadamia nut latte! I got mine with macadamia nut milk and it was divine.

Frozen Kirin: Momoson

Food truck: Mami's Empanadas
You have to order ahead of time because he gets so many orders each night. Big flavor from a small cart parked next to a few other food trucks a few blocks from the beach.

The 3 "Must-Eat" Spots: Duke's, Hula's, and Morimoto! These restaurants are highly recommended by most everyone. We enjoyed all of them and were able to snag reservations day-of!

Of course, there are hundreds other restaurants that we haven't tried or heard of – but these are just the spots we ate at and continue going back to. Another thing to note is that I found a vegan option at every place!! So if you eat plant-based, have no fear.

No matter what you see or where you eat in Hawaii, you're going to have a lovely time! I hope you enjoyed reading about our one week in Waikiki. Let's chat in the comments (: Have you ever visited? What are your must-visit spots?!

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About Jenna Urben

Jenna Urben is the recipe developer, content creator, and storyteller behind The Urben Life. She has over 10 years experience adapting family favorite meals to fit allergy-friendly diets. Join Jenna as she shares delicious dairy-free recipes that are easy to follow with plenty of tips and alternatives.

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  1. RideTransferdirect says

    March 01, 2021 at 5:40 am

    Amazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 01, 2021 at 1:10 pm

      It's incredible 🙂

      Reply
  2. Christa says

    March 25, 2020 at 12:09 am

    I haven’t been to Hawaii yet but it’s high on my list of places to visit! It looks so beautiful.

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 25, 2020 at 9:05 am

      It's breathtaking! I hope you get to visit 🙂

      Reply
  3. Peachy says

    March 24, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    Oh wow! What a beautiful place. I hope this pandemic gets over soon so we can go out again. Stay safe.

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      I agree! Thank you, stay well <3

      Reply
  4. Lia Pontarelli says

    March 24, 2020 at 1:32 pm

    One of these days I'll make it there! It looks so beautiful!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      It's such a nice escape!

      Reply
  5. Lexis says

    March 24, 2020 at 9:29 am

    Gorgeous photos!! Looks like you had an amazing trip!! So cool!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:32 am

      Thanks so much, Lexis!

      Reply
  6. Patricia says

    March 24, 2020 at 9:22 am

    I've never been, and your photos make me want to book a ticket today (well....not to travel now, but....). How fabulous that you had a great trip to look back on!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:28 am

      Thanks, Patricia 🙂 I'm thankful for all the photos I took to look back on, for sure

      Reply
  7. Jasmine Hewitt says

    March 24, 2020 at 9:07 am

    One day i'd like to visit hawaii, its on my bucket list

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:29 am

      I hope you get to!!

      Reply
  8. Shayla says

    March 24, 2020 at 8:39 am

    I went to the big island about 20 years ago. I've been dreaming of going back ever since! Someday I'd like to take my family there.

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:29 am

      Oh, that sounds amazing! I would love to explore the other islands

      Reply
  9. Helen Little says

    March 24, 2020 at 4:18 am

    Ahhh I'd love to visit Hawaii, what a paradise! Everything look so good. I'd be up for the spa massage any time!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:29 am

      Yes!! The massage was definitely a highlight

      Reply
  10. Shafinah Neville says

    March 24, 2020 at 1:53 am

    Super wishing travel could be on the cards right now ?

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:30 am

      I know...

      Reply
  11. Kelly Bolen says

    March 23, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    This is fabulous! I have not been to Hawaii, yet! But it is in the planning for 2021. Had to cancel my Cancun trip this year, but still on for Europe in September! Hopefully!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:32 am

      I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope you're able to make it to Europe in the fall. That sounds incredible

      Reply

Hi, I'm Jenna!

Welcome to The Urben Life! Here you’ll find hundreds of simple recipes that are dairy-free and egg-free. I believe that allergy-friendly food can be easy to make and flavorful. Let’s make something delicious together!

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