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Free Things To Do In Oahu

a sunset over a body of water next to a palm tree

Unlike what you may think, travelers with a minimal amount of budget can also enjoy touring Hawaii, especially Oahu. From its natural wonders and hospitable people, many can surely have a blast without spending lots of money while in the island state. From watching the sunset to swimming in crystal clear waters, to spending a lazy day on the beach, here are some of the things you can do in Oahu without actually spending a buck:

Pay Your Respects at Pearl Harbor

The USS Arizona Memorial hands out 1,300 free tickets every day. For getting the best chances of acquiring a ticket, come as soon as the park opens at 7:00 am. These tickets are given out on a first come, first serve basis.

Each ticket is assigned a time, and the program runs every 15 minutes. The program runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with the exception of 12:15 and 12:30. While waiting for your turn, you can even visit the Exhibit Galleries, “Road to War” and “Attack, view the Interpretive Wayside Exhibits around the park, and walk through the Remembrance Circle, which pays tribute to the men, women, and children, both military and civilian, who were killed on December 7, 1941. These activities are open to the public and anyone can go in for free.

Have a Picnic at the Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden

The Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden in Kaneohe is one of Oahu’s best-kept secrets—more than being free of charge, be one with nature and art. The word Hoʻomaluhia means “to make a place of peace and tranquility,” which the place successfully achieves.There is a small gallery inside, a garden, and some fishing programs you can experience.

Because the Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden is a bit off the beaten path, it’s usually quiet. The botanical garden has a variety of plants, including cacao, allspice, lipstick plant, heliconias, and more.

Explore the Hawaii State Art Museum

The Hawaii State Art Museum offers free admission to everybody, be it a local or a tourist. The mission of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is to promote, perpetuate, preserve and encourage culture and the arts as central to the quality of life of the people of Hawaii.

The museum itself is pretty small, so you could probably see all of it in an hour or two.

Most of the time, they also hold free such as “First Friday,” a downtown gallery walk held on the first Friday of every month.

Watch (and try) the Hula Dancing

Your Oahu experience will not be complete without the Hula. Enjoy a free show at the Waikiki’s Kuhio Beach every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights, weather permitting.

There are no seats so make sure you bring a beach towel so you can find a comfortable seat on the sand and eat your dinner by the beach.

The hour-long show includes authentic Hawaiian music and hula performances as well as a torch lighting ceremony.

Show times alternate from 6:00 pm and 6:30 pm depending on the season and sunset. Generally, during the winter months of November, December, January the show is held at 6:00 pm. Generally, from February – October, the show starts at 6:30 pm.

Be amazed by the Fireworks

Every Friday at 7:45 pm, the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on its fireworks show. Although the fireworks is a finale for one of their resort shows, anyone can see the fireworks!

Learn New Skills at the Royal Hawaiian Center

Staying true to their mission of promoting and sharing Hawaiian performing and visual arts, the Royal Hawaiian Center holds free classes from Expert kumu (teachers) who teaches lei making, lauhala weaving, hula, ‘ukulele playing and more.