Things to do in Oahu and Hawaii in April

Temperature: 70-82°F • Average Rainfall: 13 days/month • Average Sunshine: 9 hours/day • Sea Temperature: 77°F

It’s April, and temperatures are rising as Hawaii hurtles headlong towards summer and the festival season kicks off in earnest. It’s an excellent time to visit Oahu and Hawaii for any number of reasons. Firstly, rainy season is more or less over, and April showers are confined to a few irregular bursts across the month. Secondly, we’re between peak seasons so – especially in the second half of the month – there are hotel room bargains to be had if you play your cards right. Third: there’s a chocolate festival in April, as well as a hula festival in which you can work off the worst of the chocolate festival's side effects. What’s not to like?

Whatever the month, you can maximize your fun (and congratulate yourself on your thrift) with an Oahu pass from Go City. The pass could save you up to 50% on entry to a whole host of top Oahu attractions, tours and activities, including Pearl Harbor museums, awesome luau shows and seasonal whale-watching excursions. Hit the buttons below to explore the various Oahu pass options then read on below for our favourite April activities in Oahu and Hawaii.

Warm weather in Hawaii = an ideal opportunity for a spot of classic beach-bumming. We’re talking the ‘Secret Island’ at Oahu’s Kailua Beach, where activities include snorkeling, snoozing in a hammock, beach ping-pong and, well, more snoozing in a hammock. Catch a spectacular April sunrise from the pristine sands of Lanikai Beach, hop over to Kauai’s Hanalei Bay for morning yoga with inspiring emerald-green mountain views, and hit up wildly popular Waikiki for tiki-bar mai tais and some of Oahu’s best people-watching opportunities.

April’s clear, calm waters are manna for snorkelers. Say hey to colorful marine critters including native triggerfish and green sea turtles at biodiversity hotspots like Hanauma Bay on Oahu’s southeast coast, the Molokini Crater off the coast of Maui, and the otherworldly lava tubes and coral formations of Kauai’s Tunnels Beach. Top tip: there are several snorkeling excursions available with the Oahu pass, from brief encounters at Waikiki Turtle Canyon to epic Oahu day tours with North Shore snorkeling included. Whale-watching tours may also still be available in early April, as any remaining humpbacks depart Hawaiian waters for the significantly cooler climes of Alaska.

Hawaii is tailor-made for hiking, and the Goldilocks April climate means you can manage most routes without breaking too much of a sweat. Oahu’s Diamond Head remains a perennial favorite thanks to an unchallenging ascent and superb Waikiki Beach and Honolulu views from the crater rim up top. Views from the Koko Head Stairs in the south of the island are no less impressive (but yeah, ok, you might just break a sweat on the 1,048-step climb). Those who prefer their hikes to leave them nursing strained calves and aching glutes should make for the towering Mauna Kea on Big Island. Hawaii’s highest peak takes you to snow-capped outcrops a casual 9,200 feet up, so should be considered one for experienced (and fit) walkers only.

April is the start of Hawaii's festival season, and Big Island is where it’s at for two of the most essential. The Merrie Monarch Hula Festival is every bit as flamboyant as the name suggests. Lasting a whole week, the festival celebrates the life and legacy of David Kalākaua, last king of Hawaii. This ‘Merrie Monarch’ was known for his love of traditional Hawaiian music and dance, and it's these traditions that form the basis for this vibrant festival, in which you can enjoy parades, balls, arts fairs, a Miss Aloha Hula contest, a David Kalākaua beard-lookalike competition and, of course, more hula than you can shake your tail feathers at. The festival takes place in downtown Hilo and at the Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium.

Also on Big Island in April, the Laupāhoehoe Music Festival keeps the party going with local live bands and – yes – yet more hula, while the Big Island Chocolate Festival should provide more than enough energy to keep you going through all those dancing days.

Nab yourself a Go City Oahu pass to fill your sightseeing boots on your April vacation in Hawaii. As April sits between peak seasons (with the exception of the busy Easter weekend), it’s a good time to tick off must-see Honolulu and Oahu attractions without the crowds, including Pearl Harbor museums and memorials, the Bishop Museum’s encyclopedic natural history of the Pacific islands and the stunning botanical gardens and falls at Waimea Valley on the North Shore.

Take a deep dive into Pacific culture and tradition at the Polynesian Cultural Center and experience the all-singing, all-dancing (and all-eating) bombast of a classic Hawaii luau. Tick catamaran sailing and shoreline fishing off your bucket list, add lei-making and fire-dancing to your skill set, and be sure to pay a visit to the flamboyant confection that is Honolulu’s magnificent Iolani Palace.

Looking for yet more things to do in Oahu and Hawaii in April? The Oahu pass from Go City can save you up to 50% on around 40 experiences, including many mentioned in this guide. Click to find out more and choose your pass!