Hanauma Bay: reservations, closed days and what to expect

The city's rules for visiting the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve: open days, entry hours, fees, the two-day reservation window and walk-in tickets.

By Chris Weaver, publisher · Visitor Guide

Open days and hours

The preserve is open Wednesdays through Sundays, with entry from 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; the beach is cleared at 3:30 p.m. and everyone must leave by 4 p.m. The city says the schedule can change at any time. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

It is closed every Monday and Tuesday, and on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

The preserve reopened Aug. 19, 2026, after a sewer improvement project, and another temporary closure is anticipated in early 2027, with dates still to be confirmed by the city. (Oʻahu Visitors Bureau (Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau), August 2026 update, checked Oct 2026)

Fees

Non-residents 13 and older pay a $25 entry fee. Hawaiʻi residents with a Hawaiʻi driver's license, state ID or school ID, active-duty U.S. military and their dependents, and children 12 and under enter free. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

Online payments carry a 2.35% service fee, are taken by Visa, Mastercard or JCB, and are non-refundable unless the city closes the preserve. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

Parking is $3 for non-residents and $1 for residents, cash only at the booth. A reservation does not include a parking stall; if the lot is full you can wait or find legal street parking and walk in. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

Reservations and walk-in tickets

Reservations open at 7 a.m. Hawaiʻi time two days ahead: Monday for Wednesday, Tuesday for Thursday, and so on through Friday for Sunday. One reservation covers up to five adults and five children. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

About a quarter of entry is kept for walk-ins. Walk-in tickets are handed out first come, first served from 6:45 a.m., and everyone in the group must be present. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

Since Nov. 1, 2025, Roberts Hawaiʻi has sold packages that combine entry with round-trip transportation from the Ala Moana and Waikīkī area, bookable a month ahead. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

What to expect

Every visitor watches the educational video in the theatre on every visit, even if they have seen it before. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

City buses no longer enter the preserve; Route 22 stops on Kalanianaʻole Highway above the bay. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

Inside there are lifeguards, restrooms, showers, a tram from the entry down to the beach, and snorkel rentals from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The gift shop, food concessions and snorkel rentals take cards only. (Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, checked Oct 2026)

The Visitor Guide is separate from the Ledger's news coverage. Every fact on these pages was checked against the official source named beside it in October 2026; the source's page governs if it has changed since. Anything we could not verify was left out. Found something wrong? Tell us; corrections go up the same day.