How Much Does a Luau Cost in Hawaii? 2026 Prices on Every Island

The same word covers a $30 seat in a Kauai garden and a $360 table above Wailea Beach. Both are a lū'au. What changes is what you are paying for: the food, the seat, the resort, or all three.

This page prices all four islands the same way, so you can see where your money goes before you book.

Prices are published adult rates before tax unless noted. Maui Luau Company is operated by the team behind Huaka'i Lu'au on Maui. Links to Hawaiian Activities go to our sister site, and we may earn a commission on bookings made there.

How much does a luau cost on each Hawaiian island?

Luau prices differ more by seating tier than by island. General admission with dinner starts between $128 and $203 on every island, and premium seating tops out between $263 and $360.

Read across the row for your island, then check the tier. A premium seat on a lower-priced island often costs more than general admission on a pricier one.

What does a luau cost on Oahu?

Oahu luaus cost $119 to $265 per adult, and most dinner packages sit between $130 and $200. Oahu has the most choice in Hawaii, with 14 luaus across Waikiki, Honolulu, West Oahu and the North Shore.

More shows means more ways to pay less. Five Oahu prices worth knowing:

• Queen's Waikiki Luau front section seating is $139 per adult and $119 for children 3 to 12, with dinner and three drinks.
• Chief's Luau in Kapolei is $144, $182 or $231, depending on the seating package.
• Toa Luau in Waimea Valley starts at $145 and includes valley admission.
• The Ali'i Lū'au Package at the Polynesian Cultural Center is $197.95 and covers a full day.
• 'Aha'aina at The Royal Hawaiian starts at $240.

All 14 are side by side in our Oahu luau comparison.

What does a luau cost on Maui?

The Maui luau tickets sold on this site run from $100 to $360 per adult. Sugar Beach Sunset Luau in Kihei is $100 for admission and live entertainment only. Dinner luaus start at $203.26 for Huaka'i Luau general admission and reach $360 for Ali'i Premium seating at The Lū'au at Grand Wailea.

Maui is where the top tier lives. Grand Wailea rates of $300 and $360 are before 4.712 percent Hawaii state tax and a 24 percent service charge, so budget for both.

Every Maui ticket is priced in our Maui luau cost guide. To spend less, start with the cheapest Maui luaus.

What does a luau cost on Kauai?

Kauai luaus cost $129 to $263 per adult with food, and Smith Family Garden Lū'au sells a show-only ticket for $30. Hurricane Lowell disrupted the island in September 2026, so two of the eight luaus were not running in early October.

Kauai is the island where the cheap seat is still a full show. Smith's stages its performance in its own amphitheater, apart from dinner, so a $30 ticket gets you the hula and the mele (songs) without the buffet.

The top Kauai tier is the Luau Kalamaku Manor House Experience at $262.88 per adult. It adds a champagne toast, a four-course dinner at Gaylord's Restaurant and premium reserved seating. Check that the luau has reopened before you book a date.

Most Kauai luaus run only one to four nights a week. Lock in the luau night first, then fit day trips such as a Na Pali Coast snorkel and sail from Port Allen around it.

What does a luau cost on the Big Island?

Big Island luaus cost about $180 to $256 per adult for general seating and up to $289.63 for premium seating. Three of the eight luaus are in the Kona area and five are at Kohala Coast resorts. Prices here are the closest together of any island.

That makes the Big Island the easiest island to price. General seating at all eight luaus sits within about $80 of each other, so choose by where you are staying, not by the ticket.

There is no luau on the Hilo side of the island. Visitors staying in Hilo can plan an evening around the volcano instead, for example a private Hilo volcano adventure in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

Kona luaus run on set nights, which leaves other evenings open. Two that fit a Kona stay are the Manta Magic night snorkel from Keauhou Harbor, from $139, and an evening volcano tour from Kona.

What does a luau cost for a family of four?

A family of two adults and two keiki (children) pays about $380 to $712 for a dinner luau where child rates are published. Kauai's Smith Family Garden Lū'au is the lowest, because its child rates are $35 and $45.

Totals use published rates before tax. Big Island operators rarely publish child prices, so expect about half the adult rate for ages 4 to 12. Maui family estimates are in our Maui luau cost guide.

What is included in a luau ticket, and what costs extra?

A standard luau ticket covers a lei greeting, dinner and the show. Drinks, tax, service charges, transport and seating upgrades are where prices diverge.

Two tickets with the same price can cost very different amounts by the end of the night. Six lines to read before you pay:

• Drinks: some luaus have an open bar, such as Drums & Dances of Polynesia. Others use drink tickets: Queen's Waikiki Luau includes three, and Toa Luau includes one to three by package. Mauna Kea Luau includes one drink, then runs a cash bar.
• Tax: Hawaii general excise tax adds up to 4.712 percent where the listed price excludes it.
• Service charges: The Lū'au at Grand Wailea adds 24 percent, Sunset Luau adds $18.58 and Wailua Nui Luau adds a 6 percent fee.
• Transport: Germaine's Luau and Chief's Luau charge about $35 per person for a shuttle from Waikiki.
• Parking and park fees: the International Market Place validates the first hour, then charges $2 an hour for hours two to four. Wailua River State Park charges non-residents $5 per person and $10 per car at Smith's.
• Seating upgrades: moving up one tier usually adds $25 to $60 per adult.

How can you do a luau in Hawaii on a budget?

The cheapest way to see a luau show in Hawaii is a show-only ticket, which costs $30 on Kauai and $119 on Oahu. E 'ai i ka mea i loa'a, an old saying goes: what you have, eat. A smaller ticket still buys the same stage.

Five steps cut the bill:

1. Book a show-only seat. Smith Family Garden Lū'au is $30, and Kaula Lū'au, Nā Lei Aloha and Waikiki Starlight Luau are $119.
2. Take the entry seating tier. The show is the same, and the saving is usually $25 to $60 per adult.
3. Ask about resident and military rates. About a third of Oahu operators publish kama'āina (resident) discounts of 15 to 30 percent.
4. Check the free age before you count children. Chief's Luau is free for ages 0 to 4, while Queen's Waikiki Luau charges $20 for lap children.
5. Pick a luau you can walk to. Waikiki luaus avoid the shuttle fee.

Which Hawaiian island is best for a family luau?

Oahu gives 'ohana (families) the most choice and the most published child rates, with 14 luaus and family totals from $436. Kauai has the lowest child pricing, at $35 to $45 with dinner at Smith Family Garden Lū'au. Maui and the Big Island have fewer low-priced tiers.

On those two islands the decision is about the show, not the price. For Maui, see the best Maui luaus for families.

What should you budget for a luau in Hawaii?

Plan on $130 to $260 per adult for dinner and a show, then add tax, any service charge and the ride there. A family of four should set aside about $400 to $700 for general admission.

• On Oahu: from $139 with dinner in Waikiki
• On Kauai: $150 with dinner at Smith's, or $180 with an open bar in Lihue
• On the Big Island: about $180 to $200 in Kona
• On Maui: from $203.26 with dinner and drinks

Whichever island you choose, the evening ends the same way: an 'ono (delicious) plate, a flower around your neck and the fire knife finale still in your head. Mahalo for reading, and a hui hou, until we meet again.

Hawaii luau prices: common questions

Sources

Prices and schedules were checked in October 2026 and change without notice.

• Hawaiian Activities, Queen's Waikiki Luau, Drums & Dances of Polynesia and Luau Kalamaku Manor House Experience, ticket prices and inclusions
• Chief's Luau, Toa Luau and the Polynesian Cultural Center, operator prices
• Oahu Business Journal, July 22, 2026, other Oahu prices and resident discounts
• Love Big Island, Kauai luau guide, updated September 27, 2026, Kauai prices and storm closures
• Kauai Shores Hotel, status as of October 6, 2026, reopening dates after Hurricane Lowell
• Love Big Island, Big Island luau guide, updated August 25, 2026, Big Island prices
• Maui Luau Company, Maui luau cost guide, Maui ticket prices