6 need-to-know HANAUMA BAY quick tips for your first trip to Oahu!

ALOHA!

Hanauma Bay is the most popular snorkeling spot on Oahu, but it does require planning to go.

Below I’ll let you know the most important things to know!

This includes increasing your chances of success with the online reservation system (it’s all about being ready at 7am!), as well as transportation, whether you’re looking for cheap or convenient. (They are not the same!)

I’ve been to Hanauma Bay several times, most recently in June 2025.

Now here’s what I really think you need to know!

 

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You can’t just show up to Hanauma Bay and be guaranteed to get in.

Because of the City and County of Honolulu’s preservation efforts, there’s a limit on how many people can go to Hanauma Bay on any given day.

Tickets for Hanauma Bay are released at 7am Hawaii time 2 days ahead of time. So if you want to go to Hanauma Bay on Wednesday, you’ll buy your ticket Monday morning. And you do want to be ready to make your reservation at 7am, as tickets are known to sell out within the first 20 minutes, or even within 5 minutes. If that fails, there are a limited number of walk-in tickets available in the morning.

I received my email confirmation for my Hanauma Bay ticket at 7:01am Hawaii time, 1 minute after they went on sale. See more about tips on how to buy Hanauma Bay tickets.

Read up on the official Hanauma Bay online reservation system.

Also as part of preservation efforts, Hanauma Bay is CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays.

 

Hanauma Bay parking

There is a parking lot at Hanauma Bay, so you can rent a car and you can drive to Hanauma Bay yourself. The drive from Waikiki to Hanauma Bay is around a 30 minute drive.

Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (that manages Hanauma Bay) says that parking spaces are limited and available on a first come first serve basis. It’s $3 in cash.

After Hanauma Bay, you can go to places like the Halona blowhole (10 minute drive), Makapuu Lighthouse Trail (10 minute drive), and/or Waimanalo Beach (15 minute drive).

 

Hanauma Bay shuttle

The easiest way to go to Hanauma Bay without a car is by shuttle. The Hanauma Bay shuttle includes transportation and snorkeling gear rental.

 

Bus to Hanauma Bay

The bus stop “near” Hanauma Bay is not that near, but you can go by bus if you do not mind spending a lot of time in transit, and if you don’t mind walking a lot with all your beach and snorkeling gear. It’s 1 hour 20 minutes by bus, and then it’s 30-40 minutes by foot from the bus stop to Hanauma Bay. There are bus stops near Koko Marina Center.

From the bus stop, I recommend that you walk through Koko Head District Park to get to Hanauma Bay. It is a much more pleasant of a walk (aka safer and quieter), rather than walking along the busy Kalanianaole Highway with no sidewalk where cars are zooming past you fast pretty much the whole way. Walking through Koko Head District Park might be an extra 10 minutes or so of walking. (See the walking route map.)

Pick up a HOLO card at an ABC Store in Waikiki and it will make it easy to tap and pay for the bus ride. Or have $3 in cash available for every bus ride. Google maps works well for taking the bus around Oahu!

ABC Stores are convenience stores that are basically on every other block in Waikiki.

 

 

If Hanauma Bay is the only snorkeling you’re doing during your trip, you can save on luggage space and rent snorkeling gear at Hanauma Bay. The Hanauma Bay rental shop is located near the beach.

You can rent snorkeling gear like the standard snorkel, mask, and fins (there’s also prescription mask available), as well as a shorty wetsuit, snorkel vest, and a life jacket.

There are also beach umbrellas and beach chairs for rent, as long as it’s not too windy.

There are lockers too, if you want to use it to store your valuables.

You can also keep your valuables safe by taking it in the water with you! You can get a waterproof waist pouch. I always take my phone in the water with me by using a cheap waterproof phone pouch attached to a wrist float.

I also always have with me a personal swim buoy with a dry bag. The main reasons I use this are so (1) I can have a rest when I’m in deep water instead of having to continuously tread water and (2) to be seen, but I also sometimes use this to take things into the water with me.

 

Hawaii is hot! Stay hydrated. Bring water. Stop by an ABC Store before going to Hanauma Bay and load up on water and snacks!

There is a cafe at Hanauma Bay, but that’s at the top of the hill, while the beach is at the bottom of the hill. So it’s not like it’s a quick and easy thing to go get food while you’re at the beach. But it’s there if you do need food and water!

There’s a 1-minute free tram ride from the top of the hill to the beach, but I recommend that you WALK down so you can stop for views along the way! It’s like a 5 minute walk.

 

Food after Hanauma Bay

The best place for food “near” Hanauma Bay is at Koko Marina Center. This is a 5 minute drive from Hanauma Bay, or a 30-40 minute walk (also the closest bus stop). You can stop by for a quick snack from Leonard’s Bakery food truck (famous malasadas!), or have a full meal at Kona Brewing Company (views!) or HanaPa’a Market (classic Hawaiian plate lunch).

 

Hawaii takes the preservation of coral reef seriously! There are some sunscreen ingredients that are believed to be harmful to coral reef, so the people of Hawaii would like you to wear sunscreen that’s less harmful to the reef.

The State of Hawaii believes that the most harmful sunscreen ingredients are oxybenzone and octinoxate. These are standard ingredients in regular sunscreen, but you won’t be able to find any sunscreen with these ingredients in Hawaii. So if you wait to buy sunscreen until you get to Hawaii, you’ll know you’re buying sunscreen without oxybenzone and octinoxate without even checking the ingredient list.

But if you are buying your sunscreen before you go, then look for reef-friendly sunscreen without oxybenzone and octinoxate, like Sun Bum sunscreen.

 

Once again, Hawaii takes reef preservation seriously, and the people of Hawaii want you to avoid standing on the reef. Standing on coral reef can damage it. It’s tempting to stand on the reef to give yourself a rest. But don’t do that. And definitely don’t do that if you’re barefoot. Coral reef can be SHARP and can cut you.

The first time I went to Hanauma Bay as an adult, I was barefoot and accidentally kicked the reef as I was swimming. I didn’t realize until I got out of the water that I was bleeding. (And then proceeded to freak myself out by googling about coral reef infections. I was fine.)

So, always wear snorkeling fins or water shoes at Hanauma Bay!

I do think it’s best to have fins for Hanauma Bay. There’s a big area that you can swim around, and fins will help you go further faster with less energy compared to kicking without fins!

It’s also a good idea to pack some band-aids in a ziplock bag! Or, you can get a band-aid from the lifeguard tower at Hanauma Bay if you find yourself needing one.

 

 

OAHU DAY TRIPS > HANAUMA BAY SHUTTLE | HANAUMA BAY GUIDED TOUR

>> BEST OAHU TOURS