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Six families · one island · Thanksgiving week

Oahu Group Itinerary

Nov 20-25, 2026 Waikiki + Ko Olina Shared plan

🌺 Countdown to Oahu

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★ Overview Nov 20 · Fri Nov 21 · Sat Nov 22 · Sun Nov 23 · Mon Nov 24 · Tue Nov 25 · Wed ✓ Tips

The week at a glance

Where We'll Be

Base in Waikiki through Tuesday, then everyone moves to Ko Olina

Day	Where	The Plan
Fri Nov 20	LAX → Honolulu	Afternoon flight, landing mid-evening. Straight to the hotel.
Sat Nov 21	North Shore	Polynesian Cultural Center all day - luau, village tours, evening show.
Sun Nov 22	Windward loop	Pali Lookout, Kualoa Ranch UTV tour, Byodo-In Temple, Dole Plantation.
Mon Nov 23	Waikiki	Group beach day - snorkelling, Ala Moana, Farmers Market.
Tue Nov 24	Ko Olina	Move to Aulani. Pools all day.
Wed Nov 25	Ko Olina → LAX	Pool morning, late-evening flight home.

Everyone drives themselves on the Windward loop day (Nov 22) and meets at Dole Plantation in the afternoon. Everything else is either walkable from the hotel or a short rideshare.

Friday, November 20

Travel Day

Afternoon departure · landing in Honolulu the same evening

⏰ The flight is earlier than you might expect. Late-afternoon departure means leaving for the airport around midday, not after school. If you have kids in school, plan an early sign-out. Friday traffic to LAX is the whole problem.

morning	🧳	Bags packed and loaded Passports and any personal medications in carry-on, never checked
midday	🍗	Grab food before you go Order ahead so there's no counter wait - you'll want it at the gate
early pm	🚗	Drive to LAX Leave well ahead of the Friday build-up 🚗 70-90 min from Orange County
~2 hrs out	🅿️	Park & ride Off-airport lots near Century Blvd run 24hr shuttles 🚌 20-25 min to terminal
evening	🌺	Land in Honolulu Same-day arrival - you'll be at the hotel before midnight
late	🏨	Check in, Waikiki ABC Store nearby is open 24hrs for snacks 🚕 ~25 min from the airport

Saturday, November 21

Polynesian Cultural Center

Rental car day · North Shore · evening show

It's a long day and worth it. We're driving - about an hour up the windward coast, and parking at PCC is free. Back in Waikiki around 10pm after the show. Bring a light layer, the theatre is air-conditioned.

7:00 am	🍵	As You Like Waikiki 📍 129 Paoakalani Ave · matcha and musubi, opens 6am ⭐ 4.6🚶 8 min from hotel
7:45 am	🏖️	Waikiki Beach walk 📍 Kalakaua Ave beachfront Free
9:15 am	🍩	Leonard's Bakery 📍 🌐 933 Kapahulu Ave · malasadas since 1952 ⭐ 4.6
9:00 am	🚗	Drive up the windward coast H-3 then Kamehameha Hwy · views of Kaneohe Bay and Kualoa the whole way 🚗 ~1 hr 10 min
11:00 am	🅿️	Park at PCC 📍 Free parking · luau check-in by 11:15 Free
11:45 am	🌺	Ali'i Luau 📍 🌐 Traditional feast
12:30 pm	🛶	Islands of Polynesia 📍 Village tours · canoe pageant around 1pm
5:00 pm	🍽️	Hale Aloha Luau 📍
7:30 pm	✨	Ha: Breath of Life 📍
~9:00 pm	🚗	Drive back Into Waikiki around 10pm 🚗 ~1 hr

Sunday, November 22

Windward Loop

Rental car day · everyone drives their own

Pick up a car in the morning and return it that evening. Overnight hotel parking in Waikiki is expensive and not guaranteed, so a day rental is the cheaper way to do this. Light rain is common on the windward side - bring a shell.

8:00 am	🚗	Collect rental car Grab musubi from ABC Store while you wait
8:45 am	🏞️	Nu'uanu Pali Lookout 📍 $7 parking · very windy, leave nothing visible in the car ⭐ 4.8🚗 25 min from Waikiki
10:15 am	🦕	Kualoa Ranch 📍 🌐 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy · UTV tour, free parking 🚗 35 min scenic drive
~1:15 pm	🍗	Huli Huli Chicken + picnic 📍 Pick up and eat at Kualoa Regional Park across the road 🚗 5 min
2:15 pm	⛩️	Byodo-In Temple 📍 🌐 47-200 Kahekili Hwy · closes 4:30pm ⭐ 4.7🚗 15 min
3:30 pm	🍍	Dole Plantation 📍 🌐 64-1550 Kamehameha Hwy · free entry and parking Free👨‍👩‍👧 All six families🚗 25 min
5:15 pm	🍽️	Dinner in Kaimuki 📍 Japanese izakaya, open late · street parking on 11th Ave ⭐ 4.6🚗 30 min
~7:00 pm	🔑	Return the car After-hours drop box if the desk has closed

Monday, November 23

Group Beach Day

Snorkelling · shopping · farmers market

Note: Hanauma Bay is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so we're snorkelling elsewhere. Magic Island at Ala Moana is free, calm, and right next to the mall. Electric Beach out west is better for turtles if anyone wants the drive.

🛍️ Shopping hit list

At or next to Ala Moana Center:
👕 Uniqlo 📍 🌐 - Ewa Wing, levels 1-2
👗 Brandy Melville 📍 🌐 - teen fashion · tap Maps to confirm the current spot before you head over
💎 BVLGARI 📍 🌐 - luxury row, Diamond Head Wing

Quick side trips:
🛒 Don Quijote 📍 🌐 - 801 Kaheka St, open 24hrs, ~5 min from the mall · Japanese snacks + Hawaii-only souvenirs · packaged snacks here are easy to label-check for Venya
🎁 Small Kine Gift 📍 🌐 - 3424 Waiʻalae Ave, Kaimuki · local pins, stickers, art + snacks · ~10 min, right by the Kaimuki Shokudo dinner spot

morning	🤿	Snorkelling - Ala Moana / Magic Island 📍 Sheltered lagoon, good for younger kids · gear rental opens 8am Free beach
midday	🛍️	Ala Moana Center 📍 🌐 Largest open-air mall in Hawaii, right next to the beach 🚶 Walkable from Magic Island
4:00 pm	🥭	Farmers Market on Kalakaua 📍 Mondays 4-8pm · fruit, local snacks, food trucks Free entry🚶 Walkable from hotel
evening	🥩	Group dinner in Waikiki Teppanyaki - reservations essential over Thanksgiving week

Tuesday, November 24

Move to Ko Olina

Check out of Waikiki · pools all afternoon

You can swim before your room is ready. The wristband kiosk opens at 8am and the bell desk will hold luggage, so check out early, head straight over, and start the day at the pool. Rooms are ready at 3pm.

8:00 am	🧳	Check out of the Waikiki hotel Pre-schedule your rideshare the night before
~8:40 am	🎯	Target Kapolei 📍 4450 Kapolei Pkwy · opens 7am · snacks, sunscreen, floaties 🚗 ~35 min from Waikiki
9:00 am	🏰	Arrive at the resort 📍 🌐 Bags with bell desk, grab wristbands, straight to the water 🚗 5 min from Target
all day	🌊	Pools and lagoon Lazy river, main pool, grotto · snorkel reef is a paid extra
3:00 pm	🛏️	Rooms ready Freshen up before dinner
5:30 pm	🍽️	Makahiki dinner 🌐 Casual 3-course restaurant on property, by the koi pond · no characters at dinner · book your own table if you want to join

Wednesday, November 25

Last Swim & Fly Home

Checkout 11am · late-evening flight

Checkout doesn't end your pool day. Wristbands stay active, so check out at 11am, leave bags with the bell desk, and swim until late afternoon. Change before you head to the airport.

🛋️ Got Priority Pass? Two HNL lounges take it:
IASS Hawaii Lounge - Terminal 2 (the overseas terminal we fly out of) 📍
Hawaiian Premier Club - Terminal 1, inter-island side (Priority Pass came back here in late 2025) 📍
Guests: whether you can bring 2 people in free depends on the card your Priority Pass came from (Sapphire Reserve, Venture X and Amex Platinum each include 2 free guests; a basic Priority Pass charges per guest). You just need a boarding pass, any airline.
Heads up on hours: IASS closes at 6:00pm and the Premier Club also closes in the evening, so for our late flight (around 9:40pm) the Priority Pass lounges will likely be shut by the time we get to the airport. The Plumeria Lounge is no longer on Priority Pass.

11:00 am	🏊	Check out, keep swimming Bell desk holds luggage · showers available
~7:00 pm	🚕	Head to the airport Pre-schedule the night before - rideshares get thin out here 🚗 ~25 min to HNL
evening	✈️	Red-eye home Lands at LAX early Thursday morning

Before you fly

Know Before You Go

Weather, packing, and a few things worth sorting early

Reef-safe sunscreen - required by Hawaii law and much cheaper bought at home than at the resort.
Driving to PCC? Parking is free, the windward road is the scenic route, and gas is pricey on the North Shore - fill up in town.
Restaurant reservations - Thanksgiving week is the busiest of the year. Book anything you care about well ahead.
Resort dining opens 30 days out - set a reminder for late October, especially for the group Thanksgiving dinner.
Download offline maps - signal drops on parts of the windward coast and North Shore.
Pre-schedule rideshares for the Ko Olina days. It's a resort area and cars are scarce at peak times.
Weather: lows around 74°F, highs low 80s. No jacket needed, but pack one light layer for air-conditioned theatres and a rain shell for the windward side.
Food allergies in the group - one child has dairy, egg and nut allergies. Safe bets: plain grilled meats, rice, poke without mayo, fresh fruit, shave ice, Dole Whip, kalua pork. Watch for macadamia crusts and coconut shrimp batter, both very common here.
Passports and personal medications in carry-on - never in checked bags.

📞 Useful Numbers

Polynesian Cultural Center(808) 293-3333

Kualoa Ranch(808) 237-7321

Byodo-In Temple(808) 239-8811

Aulani Resort(808) 674-6200

Queen's Medical Center(808) 538-9011

Emergency911