ALOHA!
Hanauma Bay tickets can sell out, so it is best to make reservations.
In order to make reservations for Hanauma Bay, you will need to be ready to do so at a certain time.
Otherwise, there are a limited number of walk-in tickets available.
Hanauma Bay is one of the most popular snorkeling spots on Oahu.
You can’t just go to Hanauma Bay. It will require a little bit of planning.
Hanauma Bay is CLOSED on Monday and Tuesday.
The cost of a Hanauma Bay ticket is $25 per person.
You will want to make a reservation before you go to Hanauma Bay.
📌 Save this post for later! Save on Pinterest! 👈📌
👇 Hanauma Bay tickets don’t always sell out within 5-10 minutes of going on sale, but it’s still a good idea to be ready to make your Hanauma Bay reservation at 7am Hawaii time!
There are affiliate links on this page.
Hanauma Bay walk-in tickets
There are also limited Hanauma Bay walk-in tickets available.
According to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve:
If you are not able to make an online reservation, you may purchase a walk-in ticket at the park when it opens at 6:45 a.m.
Walk-in tickets must be used on the day of purchase.
Plan on arriving early as the daily walk-in tickets are limited and sell out very quickly.
All members of your party must be present to obtain a walk-in ticket
Hanauma Bay shuttle
If you take a Hanauma Bay shuttle, you don’t need to buy Hanauma Bay tickets ahead of time.
But the entry fee is not included in the shuttle cost, so the Hanauma Bay ticket is extra.
You will need to bring $25 cash on the day you go.
You can see if the Hanauma Bay shuttle is something you want to do: Hanauma Bay transportation with snorkeling equipment
How to make a Hanauma Bay reservation
You can only buy Hanauma Bay tickets 2 days before, and they go quick.
Here is the official Hanauma Bay reservation website.
You will need to select a specific time that you want to go to Hanauma Bay, and you need to get there 15 minutes early.
According to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve:
Must be in line at the admission window 15 minutes before your admission time.
No late entry allowed.
The entrance gate to the nature preserve is located at the top of the hill on Kalanianaole Highway.
The admission window is located in the Nature Preserve at the bottom of the hill outside of the Hanauma Bay Education Center.
Plan to arrive early to allow yourself ample time to find parking and walk to the admission window.
If it shows recent tickets that have been sold, it tells you when they sold out.
If you’re looking at it when only Monday or Tuesday tickets would be displayed, you will see nothing since Hanauma Bay is closed on these days.
So, do you actually need to be online as soon as the tickets are available?
Yes, it seems that would be a good idea.
Although all hope is not lost if you don’t wake up at 7am.
The last tickets for Hanauma Bay on April 19, 2023, were sold out at 8:30am on the day they went on sale.
The earlier you book, the better the chance you have to get your ideal time that you want to go.
As your Hanauma Bay date gets closer, you can check to see what time the tickets are selling out to decide if you need to wake up for the 7am ticket sales. (Hawaii time.)
You will need to start to get ready to leave Hanauma Bay at 3pm or 3:30pm for a 4pm closing time.
So even if you get the later timings, you will likely have at least 1 hour at Hanauma Bay.
Once you arrive at the Hanauma Bay ticket booth, you will show your reservation.
Then, from there, you will walk to the little outdoor museum as you wait for your turn to watch the required video in the theater.
Then you will watch the video.
And then finally, you will actually start making your way down to the Hanauma Bay beach.
You can take the tram down to the beach, or you can walk.
See more to decide which you want to do: Hanauma Bay tram
On my most recent visit to Hanauma Bay, from the time which I went to the ticket booth to the time I actually got down to the beach was around 35 minutes. I took the tram.
And, it was a rainy day so there were less people.
There were still walk-in tickets available at 12pm!
So this might be quicker than usual, depending on if you show up when a lot of other people show up too.
It is also possible to rent snorkeling gear at Hanauma Bay.
More below about things to know about planning for Hanauma Bay!
🐠
Hanauma Bay parking
There is a parking lot at Hanauma Bay.
It’s a cost of $3 per car for parking at Hanauma Bay.
Bring cash!
According to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve:
Parking spaces in the nature preserve are limited and are available on a first come first serve basis.
A parking fee is charged per entry, with NO In and Out privileges.
Cash payments only.
Parking refund provided if you exit within 15 minutes with a receipt.
$3 Non-Residents.
$1 Operator of vehicle with a current Hawaii Driver’s License, Hawaii State ID, or Hawaii School Student ID.
Hanauma Bay bus
There used to be a direct bus to Hanauma Bay, and the bus stop was directly at Hanauma Bay.
But the Hanauma Bay bus route is no more, so it’s not possible to be dropped off directly at Hanauma Bay.
Route 22 was the bus route to Hanauma Bay.
According to the official Oahu bus website:
Route 22 is permanently discontinued.
According to the official Honolulu County website:
City bus service into Hanauma Bay has been permanently discontinued.
One can hope that it will become un-permanent 😜 so check the official Oahu bus route to see if route 22 is still permanently canceled.
But if you don’t mind walking a little (a lot), then you can go somewhat near Hanauma Bay by bus, and then walk the rest of the way.
The nearest bus stop to Hanauma Bay is now around a 20 minute walk.
And the walking route is also not exactly the safest route.
So use extra caution!
Also remember, not only do you have to walk TO Hanauma Bay, you have to walk BACK… with all your beach gear.
Be sure to load up on water and snacks! You can stop by ABC Store in Waikiki before you leave for Hanauma Bay.
You can see if the bus is something you want to do: Bus to Hanauma Bay
There is also snorkeling gear rental at Hanauma Bay.
Or, bring your own! See more about what to bring snorkeling in Hawaii and Hanauma Bay!
And those are some things to think about before making your Hanauma Bay reservations!
More of Oahu snorkeling + more:
- What to bring snorkeling Hawaii + Hanauma Bay
- Snorkeling spots in Waikiki
- Where to see turtles in Waikiki
- North Shore Oahu beaches
- Things to do in East Oahu (beaches + trails)
GOOD LUCK GETTING A HANAUMA BAY TICKET!
Also be sure to see the best things to do in Waikiki for VIEWS!
There are partner websites included in this post. I may earn a commission.