the North Shore
Banzai Pipeline
The most famous surf break in the world, right off the sand.
Why go
In winter you can stand on the beach and watch world-class surfing up close.
The catch
This is a spectator spot, not a swimming spot. The wave breaks onto a shallow reef.
- How long
- 1 hour
- With children
- With care
- Effort
- Easy
- Cost
- Free
- Parking
- Limited
Before you go
- Lifeguard: Daily 8am-6:30pm
Getting there
Driving times on real roads, from the same data the trip planner routes on — not straight-line distance.
| From Waikīkī | 1 hr 14 min | 41.9 miles |
|---|---|---|
| From HNL airport | 1 hr 16 min | 38.4 miles |
| From Turtle Bay | 12 min | 4.9 miles |
| From Hale‘iwa | 18 min | 7.4 miles |
Add traffic. These are free-flowing times, and the H1 through town at eight in the morning is not free-flowing.
Hours, fees and access rules have not been checked against a primary source for this entry yet. Confirm before you build a day around it.
See it on the map Build a trip around it
What else is close
Nearest by road, which is not the same as nearest on a map — and not the same as sharing a region either.
- Shark's Cove5 min awayA rocky cove with the clearest snorkelling on the North Shore. No sharks.
- Waimea Bay8 min awayA wide, deep bay. Flat and swimmable in summer, enormous waves in winter.
- Waimea Valley10 min awayA flat walk through a garden to a waterfall you can swim under.
- Kuilima Cove12 min awayA small reef-ringed cove at the island's north tip, calm when the rest of the North Shore is not.
- Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau12 min awayThe largest heiau on Oahu, on the bluff above Waimea Bay.
- Laniakea Beach14 min awayA small beach where green sea turtles come up to rest on the sand.