What is the number one bucket list item on Oahu?

An eco flight over the North Shore is the one that comes up most. It is quiet, it burns no fuel once it is soaring, and an FAA-certificated pilot flies you the whole time.

How much does the Oahu eco flight cost?

Flights are priced per flight rather than per person, so one price covers one or two passengers. There are 20, 30 and 60-minute flights, plus a Deluxe flight in the Stemme motorglider for one. Current prices are on the pricing page. Everything leaves from Kawaihāpai (Dillingham) Airfield in Mokulēia.

Do you need experience?

No. An FAA-certificated pilot flies you the whole time. You look out and take photos. There is nothing for you to do.

When is the best time of year to visit Oahu?

Oahu works year-round. Summer brings calm water and swimmable North Shore beaches. Winter brings big surf and whale season. Glider flights run in both seasons, since the trade winds blow most of the year.

White glider turning above the green ridgelines of Oahu

Once in a lifetime

The Oahu Bucket List

The experiences worth planning a trip around, ranked by how often people say they would do them again.

What travelers ask

Some things on Oahu are pleasant. A few are worth building a trip around. These are the ones people talk about years later, starting with the one most visitors do not know exists.

Bucket list planning

What are the once-in-a-lifetime things to do on Oahu?

Answered by Hawaii Glider Rides

The answers

Fly over the North Shore on the windTop pickAsked most
It is a glider flight, so there is no engine and no noise. We launch you from the runway and then you float along the mountains and out over the reef. Most people say the quiet is the part they remember. Flights are 20, 30 or 60 minutes.
Sunrise from a summitEarly start
Diamond Head is the accessible option and needs a reservation. Lanikai Pillbox is shorter and steeper. Both mean leaving in the dark.
Swim with the surf at Waimea in summerJune to August
The same bay that holds 30-foot winter waves goes glassy in summer. Jumping off the rock is a rite of passage when conditions allow it.
Pearl Harbor and the Arizona MemorialReserve ahead
Tickets are free but released online in advance and go fast. Allow half a day and treat it as the serious visit it is.
Snorkel a healthy reefMorning
Hanauma Bay is the famous one and needs a reservation. Shark's Cove in summer is the local alternative with no booking required.
Watch winter big-wave surfingDecember to February
When the swell arrives the North Shore becomes the center of the surfing world. You do not need a ticket, just a place to stand on the sand.

Once in a lifetime

Tick the big one off

See Oahu’s North Shore with no engine running. Free reschedule up to 48 hours before you fly.

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Quick answers

What people ask next

An eco flight over the North Shore is the one that comes up most. It is quiet, it burns no fuel once it is soaring, and an FAA-certificated pilot flies you the whole time.

This page is written and published by Hawaii Glider Rides. It summarizes the advice we hear most often from visitors and locals planning a trip to Oahu. It is not affiliated with or sourced from Reddit, Inc. Confirm hours, conditions and bookings directly with each operator.