Polynesian Cultural Center
Polynesian Cultural Center
4.5
Cultural ToursPoints of Interest & LandmarksLuausKayaking & Canoeing
12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday
12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Friday
12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Full view
About
The Polynesian Cultural Center, voted the #1 attraction in Hawaiʻi by USA Today, is located along the famous North Shore of Oʻahu. Explore 42 acres of tropical splendor featuring 6 authentic villages representing the island cultures of Hawaiʻi, Fiji, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga. Mingle with Pacific Islanders as they share the majesty of their culture through music, dance and traditional hands-on activities. Our most popular dining option is the award-winning Aliʻi Lūʻau. This royal feast blends a delicious array of island themed dishes with the excitement of authentic Hawaiian entertainment. Finish your adventure though the power of “HĀ: Breath of Life,” an action-packed evening show. Ignited by fire, song and dance featuring over 100 Polynesian performers, this story of passion will make your day a truly unforgettable experience. The Polynesian Cultural Center: all of Polynesia in one exciting place. HUKI – A New Canoe Celebration! Returns late July 2024.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
10,052 reviews
Excellent
6,332
Very good
2,071
Average
855
Poor
397
Terrible
398
Asgar Lemafa
Auckland, New Zealand15 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
Was a awesome day at PCC with the family. Was great to get amongst the different cultures and learn something new from each village. We purchased the Ambassador pass/package which provided us with a tour guide and a late dinner. Ambassador package isn’t necessary as you could explore the different villages on your own and move around on your own terms. The breathe of life show at the end of the day was just 👌🏽 Definitely a great place to spend the day with the family/friends to explore the different villages and just to get amongst the aloha and family spirit that the PCC students offer. Our bus tour guide to PCC was really entertaining and made the 1 hour 1/2 trip feel like 10 minutes, shout out to him 👏🏽 Highly recommend PCC! Mahalo 🤙🏾
Written April 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nimeria
Yardley, PA44 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Worth every cent!! I decided to splurg a little and upgraded our family to the super ambassador package when I heard that the PCC is similar to Disneyland. My son has special needs and I definitely didn’t want to make a plan/strategy to maneuver 42 acres of the PCCC. It’s my vacation too, right? We were blessed to have Emilio has our personal guide. He was wonderful! He made sure we had the best seats for the shows, engaged all of us to activities in between walking to the different villages (we can now play the ukulele, make fire with bamboo/coconut husk and clumsily dance with poi balls!). He made sure to never make us wait for more than 5min for a show. Most importantly, he was incredibly kind and patient to my son. Who knew an 11yr old boy could love learning about Polynesian cultures for 9hours straight? We even loved the Ali’i luau & Ha breath of life (front and center!). The seats Emilio got us was amazing and we definitely felt the Aloha spirit all day. Perfect day!
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cara M
10 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
The Ha: Breath of Life show was spectacular and made up for the awful tour guide we had that day. Instead of the Circle Island Tour I would recommend renting a car and going to the centre on your own so you don’t have to deal with time limits on stops and the potential of having a horrible guide. At the start of the tour the guide yelled at us to get our party of 8 together but we were all lined up separately because we had to move from one bus to another bus. The drivers had several stops to make at different hotels and so our first driver said he was meeting our actual driver and helping him with pick ups. The guide talked all the way but we couldn’t understand him because of the awful sound system. He also didn’t provide much information as he just talked about his life before in Vegas. On the other hand our guide at the centre was great she made sure we made it on time to the villages for the performances. I would say that I didn’t realize the centre was owned by Mormon’s until after we went to the centre so I am glad the religion wasn’t pushed on us at all. Again the evening show with the fire was amazing so if nothing else go to that show!
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Qoss
Norwalk, CT148 contributions
Feb 2020
I brought my mom & mother-in-law (both mid 70's) on a breezy, sunny, Valentine's Day, arriving at 2:30 for the canoe parade and staying through the included buffet dinner and the "Ha" show. We had a delightful time together, but I was grateful I left my teens and husband behind at the beach to boogie board. There is a cringey 1950's sense of humor prevalent in the shows that undermined anything "culturally educational" about the place for me. (Visit the excellent Bishop Museum for that instead!)
On the plus side, the food was yummy, the fire sequence at the end of "Ha" was impressive, the place is immaculately clean and compact, and there were a lot of buff, barechested male performers working very hard to keep us entertained. This being a Mormon enterprise, the female performers (also hard working) were relatively covered up, and I found that quite refreshing. No alcohol is served, so the crowd is very well behaved. The staff was friendly and earnest, if sometimes clueless when giving directions.
Initially, I almost couldn't bring myself to buy tickets online because it gets quite complicated and pricey once you entertain the various Luau options. But thank you to the TA posters who said the basic admission is all you really need or want. If you are staying on the North Shore, just call and ask about a late entry ticket.
In short, bring the grandparents and/or the kids under 7. Not a good bet for tweens/teens/young adults.
On the plus side, the food was yummy, the fire sequence at the end of "Ha" was impressive, the place is immaculately clean and compact, and there were a lot of buff, barechested male performers working very hard to keep us entertained. This being a Mormon enterprise, the female performers (also hard working) were relatively covered up, and I found that quite refreshing. No alcohol is served, so the crowd is very well behaved. The staff was friendly and earnest, if sometimes clueless when giving directions.
Initially, I almost couldn't bring myself to buy tickets online because it gets quite complicated and pricey once you entertain the various Luau options. But thank you to the TA posters who said the basic admission is all you really need or want. If you are staying on the North Shore, just call and ask about a late entry ticket.
In short, bring the grandparents and/or the kids under 7. Not a good bet for tweens/teens/young adults.
Written March 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveler M
Capers Bend72 contributions
Jun 2021
It was wonderful to be able to experience the culture of various Polynesian islands through the center's activities. It might seem like a steep price tag for admission at first, but the ticket gains you access to various mini-shows, presentations, and stands where staff explain the culture to you in a kind of open-air museum format. All luaus throughout the Hawaiian islands seemed to be booked during our visit, so visiting the center was a great chance to learn more about Polynesian cultures, and since many of the staff perform at local luaus we perhaps got a taste of what we would have experienced. We especially enjoyed renewing our vows at a traditional Tahitian ceremony, the boat ride through the park with our guide Alex from the island of California(!) and the Samoan presentation.
Written June 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily I
78 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
On a trip mostly made up of diving and hiking, this was a great break the day before I left. Traffic was absolutely HORRIBLE getting there, but once we arrived we had a great time.
By far the things I enjoyed most during the day were the presentation at Fiji, the Carver's workshop, and the Iosepa presentation/activity. The night show was really great as well! The presentation of all the history of the polynesian islands and their culture was amazing. If you book a package that does not have a tour guide, I HIGHLY recommend downloading the PCC app. They have a lot more information available at various QR codes around each of the islands.
We had originally booked the Ail'i Luau package with the 4pm Luau but ended up skipping the Luau to explore more of the islands. We did not regret this decision at all. If I was to go back, which I 100% would, I would book either the basic admission and night show package or the ambassador package to have the 6pm Luau and a guide throughout the day.
By far the things I enjoyed most during the day were the presentation at Fiji, the Carver's workshop, and the Iosepa presentation/activity. The night show was really great as well! The presentation of all the history of the polynesian islands and their culture was amazing. If you book a package that does not have a tour guide, I HIGHLY recommend downloading the PCC app. They have a lot more information available at various QR codes around each of the islands.
We had originally booked the Ail'i Luau package with the 4pm Luau but ended up skipping the Luau to explore more of the islands. We did not regret this decision at all. If I was to go back, which I 100% would, I would book either the basic admission and night show package or the ambassador package to have the 6pm Luau and a guide throughout the day.
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bosoxpride101
Fremont, CA328 contributions
Jun 2021 • Friends
Yes it's a tourist trap and it's over priced, yet I still found the experience enjoyable on my 3rd visit to this theme park.
The bus ride (80-90 min) was quite pleasant as we caught a glimpse of the natural beauties of Hawaii, from majestic mountain ridges (Jurassic Park) to pristine and tourists-free beaches in North Shores, it was a great getaway from the bustles of Waikiki main strip.
We got the day pass which included dinner buffet, the luau dinner show were sold out long ago. We managed to survive the brutal sun and made our way around the park, visited all the theme Islands (Fuji, Tonga, Somoa, etc...) and enjoyed most of the shows and interactive activities. Our favorite was def the Somoans: climbing coconut trees, fire stick juggling, the incredibly entertaining show put on by the Kap and his crew. other cool activities included the gondola ride, the ukulele lesson, as well as the spear throwing experience in Tonga.
Buffet dinner was better than we expected, highlights being the pork and the panna cotta dessert....haha. Guests were allowed to go directly to each station to get their refills, as long as they don a pair of paper thin plastic gloves.
The evening show (Breath of Life) was adequate albeit slow and boring until the end when all the fire dancers came out and put on a dazzling spectacle. Social distance was adequately enforced as sections and rows were blocked off. It was pleasant and we were comfy wearing only shorts, we had to fend off some marauding mosquitos but they managed to score some direct hits.
The directions for pick up was simple and straight forward, but the return leg was chaotic and reminiscent of the idiocy we saw for Hawaiian Airline. We were not assigned the same bus nor the same driver on the way back. After the evening show hundreds of people streamed out of the park and swarmed into the parking lot where the buses awaited. Unfortunately all the buses looked the same, they had no marks that distinguished one from another, nor any signs that indicated their respective route/drop off points. Each driver basically had a list of names that were supposed to pick up. We literally went from bus to bus asking each driver if we are on their list. It was so inefficient and ill-conceived, the same genius who schemed up the boarding process for Hawaiian Airline no doubt also employs here.
The bus ride (80-90 min) was quite pleasant as we caught a glimpse of the natural beauties of Hawaii, from majestic mountain ridges (Jurassic Park) to pristine and tourists-free beaches in North Shores, it was a great getaway from the bustles of Waikiki main strip.
We got the day pass which included dinner buffet, the luau dinner show were sold out long ago. We managed to survive the brutal sun and made our way around the park, visited all the theme Islands (Fuji, Tonga, Somoa, etc...) and enjoyed most of the shows and interactive activities. Our favorite was def the Somoans: climbing coconut trees, fire stick juggling, the incredibly entertaining show put on by the Kap and his crew. other cool activities included the gondola ride, the ukulele lesson, as well as the spear throwing experience in Tonga.
Buffet dinner was better than we expected, highlights being the pork and the panna cotta dessert....haha. Guests were allowed to go directly to each station to get their refills, as long as they don a pair of paper thin plastic gloves.
The evening show (Breath of Life) was adequate albeit slow and boring until the end when all the fire dancers came out and put on a dazzling spectacle. Social distance was adequately enforced as sections and rows were blocked off. It was pleasant and we were comfy wearing only shorts, we had to fend off some marauding mosquitos but they managed to score some direct hits.
The directions for pick up was simple and straight forward, but the return leg was chaotic and reminiscent of the idiocy we saw for Hawaiian Airline. We were not assigned the same bus nor the same driver on the way back. After the evening show hundreds of people streamed out of the park and swarmed into the parking lot where the buses awaited. Unfortunately all the buses looked the same, they had no marks that distinguished one from another, nor any signs that indicated their respective route/drop off points. Each driver basically had a list of names that were supposed to pick up. We literally went from bus to bus asking each driver if we are on their list. It was so inefficient and ill-conceived, the same genius who schemed up the boarding process for Hawaiian Airline no doubt also employs here.
Written June 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel T
4 contributions
Jan 2020
My wife and I have been to the Polynesian Cultural Center before and have loved it. While you can make it an afternoon and evening experience, we made it a late afternoon experience this time. Students from BYU Hawaii help to do authentic shows about the Pacific Islands, including Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, Fiji and New Zealand. These are polished performances and presentations. The people that work there are incredibly friendly and nice, always saying hello, always ready to give you directions... The packages they offer for tickets are multiple, at multiple price ranges. Whatever you do there, staying for the night show called Ha: The Breath of Life is a must for us! It’s very well done, polished, interesting and inspiring. They have a nice luau, which is reasonably priced for what you get. Note: If you think the prices may be a little steep, remind yourself that if you were in Waikiki, doing the equivalent and visiting the same presentations and performances, a luau and an amazing night show, you would probably be spending more. They have transportation from Waikiki for a reasonable additional fee but if you’re renting a car anyway, it’s easy enough to drive there and back - and free parking! See the IMAX movie, too - it’s fun and you may opt to see it twice if it’s hot!
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChrisH
Frederick, MD551 contributions
Feb 2020
Two adults visited the PCC on a hot Tuesday in early February and enjoyed it. We combined the visit with the on-site luau and show in the evening. We used the GoOahu card for tickets but upgraded to Ambassador class for reserved seating and later mealtime (6pm versus 4pm) along with round trip transportation for about $55 per person. Debated whether to rate 4 or 5 stars, but even though the luau and show was 5 stars, couldn't give the rest of the site that high a rating.
Bus pickup was on time near our hotel at 10am. Constant upsell on bus to upgrade our package to next level. Other than that, the bus tour guide was great. Funny and full of facts.
Got there and turns out have over ½ hour before park opens--chance to purchase food or gifts (continues constantly all day). About $9 for a toasted tuna melt, no drinks.
Ambassador tickets mean a small group guided tour of the PCC. No rhyme or reason to tour. Practically ran through 2 villages. Then had to wait 40 minutes for the main canoe show. While waiting, extremely hard sell for food and drinks. $10 for a pineapple smoothie! Feel sorry for the tour guides that are forced to do this upsell. Place was packed for this show that lasted about 25 minutes. Nice show.
The Samoan village was the best with their show. No time to stop for any other activities afterwards as we had to have a 5 minute break for snacks/upsell and rest rooms. How much can people eat?
The luau food was great. Some of the most tender pork we have ever had. There was a Hawaiian show during the dinner that was nice.
The "Ha Breath of Life" show in the theater was just amazing. Nonstop dancing and singing. The finale fire act was mesmerizing. Well worth the admission price. BTW, the Ambassador upgrade we purchased was worth it to us for the tour, meal time and show seat location.
Bus pickup was on time near our hotel at 10am. Constant upsell on bus to upgrade our package to next level. Other than that, the bus tour guide was great. Funny and full of facts.
Got there and turns out have over ½ hour before park opens--chance to purchase food or gifts (continues constantly all day). About $9 for a toasted tuna melt, no drinks.
Ambassador tickets mean a small group guided tour of the PCC. No rhyme or reason to tour. Practically ran through 2 villages. Then had to wait 40 minutes for the main canoe show. While waiting, extremely hard sell for food and drinks. $10 for a pineapple smoothie! Feel sorry for the tour guides that are forced to do this upsell. Place was packed for this show that lasted about 25 minutes. Nice show.
The Samoan village was the best with their show. No time to stop for any other activities afterwards as we had to have a 5 minute break for snacks/upsell and rest rooms. How much can people eat?
The luau food was great. Some of the most tender pork we have ever had. There was a Hawaiian show during the dinner that was nice.
The "Ha Breath of Life" show in the theater was just amazing. Nonstop dancing and singing. The finale fire act was mesmerizing. Well worth the admission price. BTW, the Ambassador upgrade we purchased was worth it to us for the tour, meal time and show seat location.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vivian
84 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We bought the super ambassador package, though I arrived a bit late, you can hardly complete all 6 islands in one day as dinner starts about 5:30, and dinner comes with a show too. It is great to have a personal guide since you won’t have to jiggling between islands to catch up with different shows, the drum show was funny, so is the show from Fiji island. If you don’t mind to wait in the line to be seated, regular package probably is fine, the advantage of super and ambassador is you have reserved seats and your tour guide will take you right there when the show is about to begin, however each place isn’t full, even if you don’t have a front row seat, you can still watch the show without any problem. But as a super ambassador, they do take care of you though out the day by your guide. The tour guides are the international students from the university nearby(forgot the name), they are young and fun, a good choice. If I would expect more would be the dinner, the roast pork tastes ok, perhaps prime rib dinner might be a better choice. If you would like to learn the Polynesian culture, this is the place to go. The night show was quite good, especially the fire play, awesome!
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
linda
Sierra Vista, Arizona
How much does it cost to have a day there including luau
Written March 10, 2024
We went through the Polynesian Cultural Center directly and booked the Circle Island Tour, and the Super Ambassador Luau, which included the show Ha:Breath of Life. The total for two was $693.15.
We were treated like royalty. All our seats were in the front row. We enjoyed every minute! Highly recommend.
Written March 11, 2024
Can you purchase tickets for the Luau only and not do the tours?
Written January 7, 2024
Yes you can, they are different entrances
Written January 18, 2024
Following the luau is there public transportation like a bus or shuttle from the Center to Waikiki?
Written September 30, 2023
Polynesian Cultural Center
Laie, Hawaii
Aloha! Absolutely, you can take TheBus from the luau center to Waikiki. Check TheBus schedule and routes to plan your trip online! Mahalo😊🌺
Written October 21, 2023
My ticket shows an Alii luau at 12:45 and a luau at Hale Aloha at 5pm. Are these actually two separate luaus?
Written July 10, 2023
I am not aware of any luau that is on the afternoon. 12:45 sounds more like the arrival time for your guided tour. Call the Polynesian cultural center they are wonderful!
Written July 12, 2023
If I got the package with no buffet reservation, is there any place I could eat dinner or there will be no food options?
Written June 20, 2023
Pounders Restaurant is right inside the entrance of the Polynesian Cultural Center. It opens at 11:00 am & close at 8:30 pm. When we arrived we ate there before going to the Isles. Good food for lunch! Their menu is online. Nice indoor place to eat.
Written June 21, 2023
Depends. There's plenty of activities to see & participate in. Like someone mentioned, have a stroller, snacks, drinks & maybe some fun stuff your child likes. (Toys & ect) to keep your child occupied. While their not participation in the programs. I did see children there enjoying themselves. The dinner & show is awesome at the end of tour. (If you manage to stay that long) There's plenty to see, our family really enjoyed it.
Written June 3, 2023
Can you do the Ali’i Luau package but skip the guided tour? We prefer to see the villages at our leisure but still attend the luau and show.
Written April 16, 2023
I’m sure you can but I strongly advise doing it. The first time I was there we did it on our own and the second time with the guide and we learned so much more with the guide and didn’t miss any of the shows like we did when we went on our own. When you check in just let the guide know you are going on your own.
Written April 17, 2023
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