7 BEST Things to do in Wahiawā & Central Oahu

Looking for the best things to do in Wahiawā and central Oahu? You’ve come to the right place!

While central Oahu is often overlooked, I always stop in this part of the island whenever I visit Oahu. It’s right between between Honolulu and Haleiwa, and makes the perfect pit stop on a drive to the North Shore.

In this article, I’m sharing a variety of fun activities and things to do in Wahiawā and nearby, ranging from rum tastings and coffee farm tours to lush botanical gardens and lesser-known hiking trails.

And as you’re planning your Oahu trip, be sure to check out some of my other Oahu travel guides:

• 🌊 The Ultimate Oahu North Shore Itinerary for a Fun Day Trip
• ☀️ 4 Day Oahu Itinerary Full of Sunshine, Aloha, and Adventure
• 🌈 25 Oahu Hidden Gems for Exploring Off the Beaten Path
• 🌺 17 Fun Things to do in Kailua, Oahu (And Nearby!)
• ✈️ Oahu First Timers Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do, and Essential Travel Tips

👋🏽 Note from the author: Did this article impact the way you planned your trip? Have any questions? Please comment at the end of the article! It helps this blog grow and helps me know what types of articles to write more. 💛

Best Things to do in Wahiawā & Central Oahu

Wahiawā town was established in the early 1900s, and quickly became an agricultural hub in Hawaii, with the Dole and Del Monte pineapple plantations. The town has also been shaped by the nearby Schofield Barracks military base. You can read more about Wahiawā history here.

While few visitors explore Wahiawā town itself, Wahiawā actually is home to one Hawaii’s most popular tourist destinations—the Dole Plantation. But Wahiawā and the surrounding areas of central Oahu have more to offer! Here are some of the best things to do in the area:

1. Rum Tasting & Tour at Kō Hana Distillers

Tasting local agricole rum and touring the rum distillery at Kō Hana Distillers is one of the best things to do in Wahiawā!

It’s Oahu’s only rum tasting room, and the distillery is just ten minutes outside of downtown Wahiawā in the historic Kunia district.

My husband and I stopped here on one our recent Oahu trips and really enjoyed the one-hour experience. It starts with a tasting of fresh sugarcane juice—which is what rum is made from!

Then, your guide shows you different types of sugarcane plants and you tour the barrel room and distillery. The last part of the tour is the tasting—you get to try four different types of rum, plus chocolate and honey. As a bonus, you get to take a tasting glass home as a souviner!

2. Visit Wahiawā Botanical Garden

Wahiawā is home to one of Oahu’s most beautiful botanical gardens—and it’s free to visit!

This 27-acre garden is situated along a deep ravine just a few minutes from downtown Wahiawā. Even though it’s in town, the thick tropical foliage encapsulates you and makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the jungle.

The garden dates back to the 1920s and today it’s nicknamed the ‘tropical jewel‘ of Oahu’s botanical gardens with a focus on Hawaiian native plants.

Be sure to wear good walking shoes and pack some bug spray, especially if it has rained recently. You can access a map of Wahiawa Botanical Garden on the City of Honolulu’s website.

3. Taste Coffee & Tour Green World Coffee Farm

Green World Coffee Farm in Central Oahu offers free tours and coffee tastings (plus cacao and tea samples)!

The 7-acre coffee farm was started in 2009 on an old pineapple farm, you can read more about the story here. Today, they are open between 7am to 5pm on weekdays, and 7am to 6pm on weekends. Tours and tastings are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, and no reservations are required.

I haven’t been to Green World Coffee Farm yet, but it’s on my list! I recently toured coffee farms on Kona’s Coffee Belt on Hawaii’s Big Island, and had a lovely time—I imagine that the experience here is similar.

4. Hang Out at Surfers Coffee

Surfers Coffee in downtown Wahiawā is one of my favorite businesses in Central Oahu! It’s run by a nonprofit focused on bringing restoration to downtown Wahiawa since they opened in 2011.

The coffeeshop itself is really cool with a cozy vintage surf theme and great coffee, plus acai bowls! So, if you’re looking for a coffee or snack while driving through Wahiawa, Surfers Coffee would be my first choice.

5. Go Thrifting

Wahiawā has some lovely vintage shops and thrift stores. If you’re like me and you like to thrift for souvenirs when you travel, this is a great place to do it!

The Vintage Hawaii is a small vintage store right next to Surfers Coffee with a curated selection of vintage Aloha shirts, art, and trinkets. My husband has bought several Hawaiian shirts here over the years—it’s cheaper than buying them new, more sustainable, and a great way to support a small local business!

The two other thrift shops in town include the Salvation Army and Goodwill. Of course, these are big national thrift store brands, but they still support the local community.

6. Explore the Dole Plantation

I couldn’t write a guide to Central Oahu without mentioning the Dole Planation—it’s one of Oahu’s most popular tourist attractions and its just five minutes from Wahiawa town.

Keep in mind that some people love it, some people hate it. Given how touristy it is, the Dole Plantation not really my type of place, but I understand the appeal! So, this is your reminder that just because someone says a place like this is a ‘must-visit’ does not mean you have to go.

That said, if the historic Dole Planation interests you, be sure to check it out when you’re around this part of the island! They have a pineapple train that takes you around the plantation, and you of course can try some of the famous dole whip soft serve!

6. Try Craft Mead at Mānoa Honey & Mead

Another fun Central Oahu activity is tasting mead and local honey at Mānoa Honey & Mead! Their tasting room is a bit off the beaten path in a quieter area of Wahiawa with a local feel.

They offer mead and honey tastings between 11am and 6pm every weekend (Friday through Sunday), as well as a ‘bees to mead’ tour where you get to tour their honey house and learn all about beekeeping and mead-making!

Make a reservation on Mānoa Honey & Mead’s website or show up when they’re open for a walk-in tasting.

7. Hike the Kolekole Trail

The Kolekole trail is one of the best hikes in Central Oahu, but it is a little tricky to access since it’s on the Schofield Barracks, a military base. To access the trail, you need to have a Department of Defense (DOD) card or apply for a visitors pass.

To get a visitors pass, submit a request at least a month in advance through the US Army Garrison Hawaii website. I’m going to be honest—there are a lot of other easier hikes on Oahu that don’t require you to apply for a pass. So if you aren’t a DOD card holder, I would skip this hike because of the tedious application process.

That said, the perk of this hike is that you’ll get the trail to yourself for the most part! The trail is about 1.5 miles long and typically takes around 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, depending on your pace.