What is the most unique thing to do on Oahu?

An eco flight over the North Shore. It is a glider, so there is no engine and no noise, and once it is soaring it burns no fuel. Very few visitors know it is an option.

What can you do on Oahu that you cannot do anywhere else?

Soaring at Mokulēia is unusual even among glider sites. The trade winds hit the Waiʻanae range almost every day, which makes rising air reliable year-round, over a coastline and reef you will not see anywhere else.

Is a glider flight better than a helicopter tour on Oahu?

They are different. A helicopter covers more of the island in one flight. An eco flight is quieter, more private, and burns no fuel once it is soaring.

What if the wind stops during the flight?

It keeps flying. A glider does not need wind to stay up. Its long wings make lift as it moves, so it glides down slowly and smoothly on its own. Your pilot always keeps the runway within an easy glide.

Cloud drifting across the green folds of the Waiʻanae mountains seen from the air

Beyond the guidebook

Unique Things to Do on Oahu

The Oahu activities that do not show up on the standard tour list, for people who have already done the standard tour list.

What travelers ask

If you have already done Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor and Hanauma Bay, the island still has plenty left. These are the ones that come up when people ask for something genuinely different.

Second trip to Oahu

What is there to do on Oahu that is not the usual tourist stuff?

Answered by Hawaii Glider Rides

The answers

The flight almost nobody booksMost unusualAsked most
Most visitors who want an aerial view book a helicopter. Almost nobody knows you can fly the North Shore in a glider instead. It has no engine, so it is silent, it burns no fuel once it is soaring, and it carries one or two people at a time.
Byodo-In TempleQuiet
A replica of a temple in Uji, Japan, set against the Koʻolau cliffs in Kāneʻohe. Very few tour buses go here and it is calm most of the day.
Tide pools at Shark's CoveSummer only
In summer the water flattens out and the pools are easy to explore. In winter the surf makes it dangerous, so check conditions before you go.
Kaʻena Point trailExposed
A flat coastal walk to the westernmost tip of the island, through a protected seabird area. There is no shade at all, so go early and carry water.
The Kaʻau Crater or Moanalua ridgesFor hikers
Harder and much less trafficked than the famous hikes. Both get slick after rain, and both reward you with views nobody in your group will have seen.
The west side beachesLocals' side
Makaha and the coast beyond it are far quieter than the south and east shores. Be respectful, this is a residential part of the island rather than a resort strip.

Beyond the guidebook

The one most visitors never find

Fly Oahu's North Shore on nothing but the wind. Two seats, one pilot, and nothing to hear but the air over the wings.

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Quick answers

What people ask next

An eco flight over the North Shore. It is a glider, so there is no engine and no noise, and once it is soaring it burns no fuel. Very few visitors know it is an option.

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.