East Oʻahu
Hanauma Bay
A protected bay inside an old crater, full of fish and easy to snorkel.
Why go
The most beginner-friendly reef snorkelling on Oahu.
The catch
Not free, and not walk-up. Non-residents pay $25 each to enter plus $3 to park; Hawaii residents enter free and pay $1. Children 12 and under are free. Reservations open two days ahead at 7am Hawaii time and go fast, though about a quarter of the capacity is held back for walk-ins. Open Wednesday to Sunday only, with no entry after 1:30pm, and everyone watches a short conservation video first.
- How long
- Half day
- With children
- Yes
- Effort
- Easy
- Cost
- $25 per adult + $3 parking
- Parking
- Limited
Before you go
- Closed Monday and Tuesday
- Reservation required, typically 2 days ahead
- Lifeguard: Yes, during park hours
Getting there
Driving times on real roads, from the same data the trip planner routes on — not straight-line distance.
| From Waikīkī | 27 min | 10.3 miles |
|---|---|---|
| From HNL airport | 55 min | 24.6 miles |
| From Hawai‘i Kai | 11 min | 3.4 miles |
| From Ala Moana | 26 min | 10.9 miles |
Add traffic. These are free-flowing times, and the H1 through town at eight in the morning is not free-flowing.
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.
- Lanai Lookout5 min awayA pull-off on the southeast coast road where the lava shelf drops straight into the water.
- Koko Head Stairs6 min awayA punishing climb straight up an old railway track. Over a thousand steps.
- Halona Blowhole Lookout7 min awayA lava tube that fires seawater up through the rock when the swell is right.
- China Walls9 min awayA long lava ledge at the end of Portlock where the shelf drops into deep water.
- Pahua Heiau9 min awayA small restored heiau on a hillside in a Hawaii Kai subdivision.
- Makapu'u Lookout11 min awayThe pull-off at the island corner, looking down on Makapuu Beach and the offshore islands.