I'm not sure I would do Maui. If this is your first time in Oahu there is so much to do and see still. Your boys will love Hanuama Bay, then visiting the North Shore where the world famous surfing beaches are (Pipeline, Sunset, Waimea Bay and the cute little surfing town of Haleiwa). I'd also take a drive out to visit the Byodo-In Valley of the Temples in Kaneohe.

http://www.byodo-in.com/
http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/oahu/beaches/hanauma-bay/

BUT I hate it when people suggest something you might not want to do so.... If you do want to visit Kauai I would think about visiting the crater http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm (that's what you may have meant by "see sunrise")

and this town is kinda fun (a little touristy but who'd think of cowboys and hawaii).

http://www.gohawaii.com/maui/regions-neighborhoods/upcountry-maui/makawao

Where will you be staying in Maui? Lahaina is also a fun town to visit.

On days 2 & 3 you are driving back to Honolulu/Waikiki from the North Shore both days? I would have maybe chosen to stay in the city direct from the airport and not head to North Shore until day 4, but it sounds like the condo's already booked?

As above for me I'd probably stay only on Oahu with just 10 days, but there's certainly nothing wrong with your itinerary as you've planned it!

I would either stay put on Oahu (possibly splitting time between Waikiki and North Shore) -- or spend a few days Waikiki followed by a full week in a condo on Maui.

What are your air options to Hawaii?

I have found it more difficult to find a nice condo in Honolulu than on Maui. You'd get a better rate on condo and rental car for a full week, and IMO it is scarcely worth stocking a condo for less than that. (You wouldn't be transporting food from island to island either.) You don't *need* a car within Honolulu and will pay a stiff price to park one.

I think you would want to make reservations for Old Lahaina Luau on Maui. (A lua is a toilet.) The (alcohol free) luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu is more of a spectacular stage performance -- as an option.

I didn't notice that you evidently plan to stay north shore on Oahu. Most of what you want to see and do is in Honolulu, and you are closer to the airport there. (If you do stay north, watch out for rush hours.)

I would only stay north on Oahu if you split your trip JUST ON Oahu, staying Waikiki some nights. If you're going to Maui, you can have your beach time there.

I would not bother with the Diamond Head hike and food tour. I would instead to the Luau that day at the PCC. It is a full day. Go at 1:00 and stay through the show. The PCC itself is worth the visit and the Luau is wonderful. That way you are not driving back into HNL two days in a row and you learn a little culture and history in a fun and relaxed setting. In all of our trips to Hawaii, it is one of my kids favorite memories. Plus, you have the morning to snorkel at Shark’s Cove and to explore Haliewa.

I think the first day is a great day to do Pearl Harbor from the North Shore. You care going to wake up early anyway because of the time difference. You want to be at Pearl Harbor as early as possible to secure the tickets to the Arizona. When we did it last time (driving in from a condo at Turtle Bay), we arrived about 8:30, went through the museums and the sub, and went to and from the Arizona by 12:00., although I could have spent more time in the museums. We then drove into Chinatown for lunch and to walk through some of the shops and markets (a great break and a lot of fun plus the food was good). We then drove back to Pearl Harbor to take the bus over the the Missouri and the aviation museum. By the time we did that, it was 3:30 or 4:00, and everyone was beat. There was not time to go do something else, and I cannot imagine trying to fit something else in.

I think I would spend Day 5 crusing the east coast of Oahu, but also be open to just hitting the beach for some great snorkeling.

If you are not an early riser, consider watching a sunset while sipping on a drink. It is the same as watching a sunrise, but you do not have to drag yourself out of bed for it.

We have been to Maui and Oahu. Given the choice, I would go back to Oahu first any day. You can chill on the North Shore or drop into HNL. You can hike, kayak, surf, etc. to your hearts content. There are more cultural and historical opportunities if that is your thing. That being said, the FS on Maui is one of my favorite places on Earth, and picking between Hawaiian islands is like picking between chocolates - it is all good to me. Plus, I understand the compulsion to knock out multiple islands. My solution to that problem is to go back again and again and to afford to do so by planning my trips at least a year out (makes it easier to find the right condo/house, use FF miles, and find lower car rental rates).

You cannot do it all, so why try. Enjoy what you do by actually allowing the time to do it.

Your itinerary looks good in that you have scheduled your Pearl Harbor/Waikiki and Diamond Head days on the weekend. If your plans change and you intend to head from the North Shore into town on a weekday, you will need to factor in large amounts of rush hour traffic.

The drive from the North Shore to Pearl Harbor is approximately 45 minutes with no traffic, depending on exactly where on the North Shore you are starting from.

<<<You want to be at Pearl Harbor as early as possible to secure the tickets to the Arizona.>>>

You can now reserve a time ahead of time on-line.

http://www.nps.gov/valr/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

Love staying on the North Shore of Oahu - and good idea to stay in the North Shore area for the PCC/Luau - which is only a little over a half hour away at Kahuku. Don't know what food tour you are talking about - but the Luau will give you a wide choice of Hawaiian selections. Here are some other things to do in Kahuku. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g60651-Kahuku_Oahu_Hawaii-Vacations.html

You can also reserve a time at Pearl Harbor for the "Navy" tour - (I always suggest to go early) - which is the only one that stops at the USS Arizona http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm .

If you got an early start for your PH tour - you could also check out Diamond Head - and then also snorkel Hanauma Bay on that day - as they are open until 7 PM and if you get there later in the afternoon - hopefully some of the crowd will be thinning out. http://www1.honolulu.gov/parks/facility/hanaumabay/

And since I like to explore as much as possible the first time you visit someplace, I would head on over to Maui for a few days to check it out. From the North Shore to the airport is less than an hour - and it's a short flight.

Thanks for all your wonderful replies!!!! We are considering the recommendations to bag maui as its cheaper not to fly open jaw anyway! I appreciate your help so much!!! What are not misses on oahu if we decide to stay all 10 days!

I saw your other thread and it looks like you're planning on staying in Honolulu. I like the earlier advice you got that suggested 3 nights on Oahu and the rest on Maui in a condo. That would make for a fantastic trip.

If you decide to spend all your time on Oahu would recommend you also hike up Makapuu Lighthouse.

You could spend a day at Lanikai or Kailua Beach.

There is a small cute aquarium in Waikiki worth a visit especially if you come from a land locked region.

Waking in Chinatown one morning is fun.

Driving around the island up the windward side is a pretty drive.

So lots do if you decide to stay on Oahu.

We just went to Oahu last month. 10 days, invluding travel days. Instead of a heavily scheduled trip (like DC, where your tours get scheduled by someone else), we were determined to take this one easy.

We were staying with a friend in Waikiki, a few blocks from the beach. We spent a day and a half walking around Waikiki, from one end to the other along the beach and then wandered our way back. Probably not going to interest a child or teen. We even ended up walking to Ala Moana Shopping Center one day!

No luau, Hubby didn't want to. I didn't care, I've seen similar. We spent a half-day at the Bishop Museum instead, to learn about Hawaiian culture.

Since you're going to the North Shore, go to Matsumoto's Shave Ice. Lots of tourists, but we. We're told by locals that EVERY child on the island has been there numerous times.

Byodo Chinese Bhuddist Temple (in the Valley of the Temples)
Iolani Palace
Pearl Harbor Memorial
North Shore beaches
Hanauma Bay
Bishop Museum
Doris Duke's Estate
Climb Diamond Head
Luau

These are some ideas, I'd check them out online or get a good guide book of Oahu. There is so much to do and see!

These are all on nanabee's list above but I'm chiming in for Doris Duke ShangriLa Estate, Iolani Place, and Bishop Museum as great things to do in Waikiki/Honolulu.

With all 10 days on Oahu, still keep the split between North Shore and Waikiki, would be a perfect trip imo.

Ok we will split the time between the North Shore and Waikiki! My husband and I really wants to do the food tour, but I know the boys wont want too. What could they do for the 8 hours or so that is? Their parents are fine with them going off on their own as long as the 18 year old is with the younger one. IS there a way for them to get to diamond head to hike without us? If so i was thinking they could do that and then get some lunch and hang out on the beach or something? Suggestions?

<<<IS there a way for them to get to diamond head to hike without us?>>>

They can take the bus to the base (which makes it a longer walk, because you first have to get up to the base parking lot, but lots of people do that).

IS there a way for them to get to diamond head to hike without us?

From where? We've walked from Waikiki to Diamond Head and back before. It's long but doable.

They could walk the entire way if they're athletic and up for it (I've done it), they could take The Bus (public transportation), or they could use a taxi.

How far from the bus stop is it? Thats what they will probably do. I would say that would take 3 hrs tops, so what can they do for the other 5-6 if they dont want the beach/pool?

Well first I think bussing to and from and hiking DiamondHead will probably be take more than 3 hours. Besides that...
Go to the zoo? Surf lessons? Rent a paddle boat? Rent a bike? Have lunch?

It sounds like you're staying in the Turtle Bay area on the North Shore, which is a beautiful resort. It's a little far from Honolulu by Hawaii standards. However, having stayed in Sunset Beach and driven to the Honolulu area five out of seven days during our most recent trip, I can tell you it's no big deal. You're on an island, in Hawaii, on vacation - what's the rush? At most, it took us a little over an hour (in traffic) to get wherever we were going on the opposite side of the island. Coming from the Turtle Bay area, I'd say add about 15-20 minutes extra drive time. I will add, though, that my friend and I are from LA and are used to horrible traffic, so Oahu traffic was no big deal to us.

Are you taking an official "food tour" with a guide? If so, can I suggest that you save some money and go on your own? There are plenty of food tour-type articles online for Oahu. My friend and I used a combination of those and Yelp to decide where to eat during our stay. For an entire week, I spent less than $200 on food! (That was for one person.) We did a tour of about 8 shrimp trucks (I highly recommend Giovanni's), Chinatown, plate lunch places (Ted's Bakery on the North Shore is great and they're open "late" by North Shore standards), shave ice places (I highly recommend Waiola's), malasada bakeries, and random places like Puka Dog (as seen on No Reservationss), and Liliha Bakery (which is where I tell everyone I know to go and get coco puffs). Oh, also the Dole Plantation has delicious dole whip, which is a pineapple sorbet. You can also get free fresh pineapple samples if you're there when they give the pineapple cutting demo. I recommend trying it with the li hing powder. It's delicious!

As for things to do, I would not recommend Waikiki Beach. It's crowded and small. Instead, go to the beach closer to your condo. The north shore beaches are much less crowded and much bigger. There's also Lanikai Beach, which is very popular. If you're a Disney fan, you can check out their new resort, Aulani. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay is good, but if you there, go as early as possible. It gets very crowded later in the day and all the people stir up the sand, which messes with visibility. You can also go snorkeling closer to your condo on the North Shore. There's an area called Shark's Cove that is popular with the locals for snorkeling. Just note that you don't want to snorkel there if the waves are big.

If you like to go hiking, Diamond Head is actually not the greatest hike. It makes for a good view on a nice day, but the hike itself is hot and dry. Definitely go as early in the morning as possible to avoid the hot hike - there is no shade during the hike and the last part is up cement stairs. There is a beautiful short hike that's only a couple miles long roundtrip near the University of Hawaii that takes you to Manoa Falls. Also, if you want to mix in a little bit of culture, I highly recommend checking out Waimea Valley (http://www.waimeavalley.net/). It's run by native Hawaiians and your kids will have activities to do like playing native instruments, learning the hula, making things out of palm leaves, etc. It's a nature preserve that also has a waterfall at the far end, where you can go swimming.

For other cultural activities, Iolani Palace and the Bishop Museum are good places to go. There's also Plantation Village, which opened after I last went, but I hear it's great for learning about Hawaiian history, since there are no longer any working plantations on the island.

As you can probably tell, I could go on and on, but these are the highlights. Have a great trip and I hope this helps!

Re Waikiki Beach--that is where you get the iconic view of Diamond Head that says to me THIS IS HAWAII.

Ditch the food tour.

It's basically a walk through Chinatown and stops at a couple of bakeries.

You can do the same for $20 each including bus fare.

Lots of info including driving tours on this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/first-trip-to-hi.cfm

If you like Dim Sum - Chinatown has some great places, one on a corner - whose name I forget but if you wonder around (Chinatown is not huge)- you can find it or another one. Also fun to go to the open market there and the temple by the canal, etc.

Here is some more info on Dim Sum in Honolulul's Chinatown http://www.chinatownhi.com/?q=node/14

And Mei Sum is my favorite. http://www.qype.fr/place/1594827-Mei-Sum-Chinese-Dim-Sum-Honolulu/photos/1910546 and http://www.yelp.com/biz/mei-sum-honolulu

And there are plenty of other good places to dine at in Chinatown. One of our UC Hastings friends (he was a few years before moi) - who grew up in Honolulu - and is Chinese - took us to several different places and of course - all of his choices were very good.

I just have to note that Waikiki Beach is not small.....there is nice beach all the way from the Hilton to Kapiolani park, with only a few small areas which have a seawall nstead of sandy beach. It is a beautiful area with nice gentle surf most of the year.

Another note regarding Waikiki Beach. My favorite section of beach is a nice, LONG stretch between the Hilton Hawaiian Village and one of the Outrigger Hotels.

Definitely go to Waikiki, how can you go to Hawaii and not go to Waikiki. Have breakfast at Duke's in Waikiki or later in the afternoon for drinks and listen to music. Upstairs of Duke's is Chucks, great place to see the sunset. Walk around Waikiki and the beaches. By the zoo on weekends, artist put out there stuff on the fence.
Chinatown is another great place to walk around in the morning.
The places Nanabee mentioned are all great places to go.The list on Dec 13 at 9:53.
For food, check the "tour books" available on stands all over and get some discount prices.
The PCC is very expensive and its a full day, you may be better to just find a luau to go go.
The beach that is by the Hale Koa (military hotel) is really great, open to all.
Pearl Harbor tour is free, no need to pay for anything. You drive there, park there go on tour there all free. Market across the street is only open on weekends.
If you go to Maui, the road to Hana is long, boring, not sure why people go, other than to say they went. First time we went, I turned around about half way, next time we went we stayed overnight in Hana - still thought the drive was long, boring.
Restaurants in Hawaii are great, but some are very expensive. Our favorite Italian one is Assaggio's. there are at least 5 of them in an around Oahu
Parking in and around Waikik is high. Chinatown has meters, take change.
We just got back from 5 nights in Oahu and 11 nights on the Big Island.
Your children should like the beaches. North Shore, Diamond Head climb, Pearl Harbor.

Another vote against the 'food tour'.

I haven't read all the posts, but...you are splitting between Honolulu and Turtle Bay, right?

You can follow your own food tour, find your own hikes and figure out all the other activities on the island with a god guidebook. The best is "Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki, and Beyond" by Andrew Doughty: http://tinyurl.com/b5rzqby.

On the North Shore make a point to get a shrimp plate lunch from one of the shrimp trucks on the side of the road. Absolutely delicious!
We just climbed to the Lighthouse in November. This is not an easy climb when you have a stomach ache . The views were amazing as they are when you climb Diamond Head. I think you only need to do one or the other. I love the photos I have of the lighthouse though.

Diamond Head also speaks Hawaii to me. To me there is no prettier beach than Waikiki with a view of Diamond Head. Oahu is full of stunning beaches but I love the view of Diamond Head. Waimea Bay is my second favorite.

My husband and I went to Hawaii for a belated honeymoon two years ago. We stayed on the Big Island but took a day trip to Oahu to see Pearl Harbor. It took the entire day just to do Pearl Harbor, we thought we would be able to drive around the island a little as well but it was not to be. I do advise getting to the Memorial early to get your ticket to the Arizona. We were there about 8am and were not able to get to the memorial before noon. We made use of the time seeing the USS Missouri and the airplane museum after our visit to the memorial. There is also a submarine you can visit but we chose not to do that, I don't think we would have had time anyway. It is well worth the visit though.

You can reserve your tickets online for the Arizonal Memorial and you do not have to wait when you get to Pearl Harbor. There is a very very small fee, like 1.50 and well worth it.
www.recreation.gov

The stadium thing - I think it's the Aloha swap meet? We did that last time. It's a giant flea market. I thought that it was ok, definitely cheap for souvenir type things but I didn't really find anything terribly interesting. I preferred the KCC farmer's market because I like to eat, and there were a lot more local vendors selling food there.

I also vote against the food tour. I ate at a lot of different places and most of it was based on my own research and yelp. I rarely eat in the touristy places, except for maybe some of the fine dining, and prefer to search out more local places. I have a few yelp lists of places I went to on Maui and Oahu if you're interested.

I've spent 10 days on Oahu before and am doing another 10 in March. I think there is plenty to do on the island so you don't have to go to Maui if it's not the right timing for you. I am saving Maui for my 5 year anniversary this Nov.

You can also consider a split stay if you think you'll be bored in the same location for 10 days. We usually stay in Waikiki in a condo for a week and then the last 2-3 days in a luxury resort. We stayed at the Aulani before, and this March we'll be at Turtle Bay on the North shore. It gives you a chance to experience a different vibe on the same island and you don't have to board a plane for it! Either way, you'll have a fantastic time!

We went to Hawaii for 10 days in 2010, to Maui & Honolulu. Maui was so amazing! Honolulu seemed to commercial for us, kind of like Vegas with a beach. The road to Hana is so beautiful & peaceful. Someone in Hawaii told us about something that we had never heard of, Haleakala National Park & it was the most breathtaking thing I have ever experienced. I highly recommend it if you go to Maui, you will need a warm coat when you get to the top because it is freezing at the top of the mountain but you are above the clouds & the view is amazing.
http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/maui/haleakala/

IMO
I would spend my time on Maui and Kauai. For me the best part of Oahu was the north shore but I like it as natural as possible
Definitely drive up Haleakala If you get up really early it is the best for sunrise
Road to Hana is beautiful but does take a long time

Think about taking a helicopter ride--awesome

ME

<<<Definitely drive up Haleakala If you get up really early it is the best for sunrise>>>

We've driven up for sunrise and at mid-day, and loved both. At mid-day, it's nice to drive through and be able to see the beautiful countryside. Last time we were there (last October), we hiked in about 5 miles round-trip. It's a great hike, and pretty challenging on the way back (what goes down, must come up )

I just came back from Oahu and I think bruingirl's advice is right on point.