Toa Luau: Oahu’s Most Authentic Luau?

I hate being shuffled through a sales pitch, eating bad food, and watching culture be turned into a tourist trap. Happily, I felt none of those things at Toa Luau in Oahu.

I researched extensively before booking this Luau to make sure it was more than a dinner show. The lush garden setting at Waimea Valley is a stunning backdrop to the cultural displays and immersive experiences at the family-run Toa Luau.

Booking Toa Luau

Schedule

When scheduling your trip, pay special attention to what days of the week you are where. In general, luaus do not occur daily, so always check that the time and place line up correctly with your schedule.

Currently Toa Luau is taking place Monday through Friday at 5 pm. They also have a 12:30 pm show on the weekdays, with the exception of Tuesday. Be sure to check their exact availability as their schedule may change seasonally or luaus may sell out.

Location

Toa Luau is located inside Waimea Valley, across Waimea beach on the North Shore of Oahu. The show takes place in an open air pavilion towards the front of the gardens. It is around an hour from Waikiki, or 20 minutes from the Ritz Carlton O’ahu.

Toa Luau was just one evening of our five day trip in Oahu. While we were based in Waikiki the majority of the time, we also spent a night at the Ritz Carlton O’ahu. This is a great base on the North shore to stay at if you plan on visiting the many beaches and towns in the area, and you could do the 12:30 luau on your way up.

Admission Tiers

There are 3 admission tiers: silver ($133), gold ($168) and VIP ($203). The difference between each tier is the seating section and number of included drinks. The silver tier gets one drink, the gold two drinks, and the VIP three drinks.

The drinks work on a ticket based system when getting them at the bar. When you enter Toa Luau you’ll be given a number of tickets based on your tier to use for drinks. Additional drinks can be purchased directly on site.

The silver seating section is around the outer ring of the dining area at bar height tables. The gold seating section are the regular tables around the perimeter of the upper floor railing. The VIP section is on the lower floor with the tables closest to the stage.

We were happy with the our selection of the gold tier as the view was good and the it was nice to have two beverages included.

Activities Before the Luau

Before dinner starts you’ll have a chance to grab some drinks and then go around to the various craft stations in the grass adjacent to the dining tent. There are several areas set up to help you try your hand at activities like palm weaving, coconut shaving, fire baton whirling, poi ball twirling, and hula dancing.

Each station has a member of their staff continuously teaching all who come to learn and ask questions. It was nice to speak to the various members of the luau and learn more about their backgrounds. Since the Luau is family run, most everyone is related!

There is enough time to try most of the stations before they gather everyone around for some demonstrations.

At this point you’ll meet the very charismatic emcee, who basically is like your cruise director for the evening. Cracking jokes, speaking with guests, and ensuring everything progresses smoothly. He really made the atmosphere fun and entertaining.

Traditionally, Hawaiians would cook their food in the ground with charcoals, covered in palms. While they are not able to serve food cooked in that style due to health regulations, they do make some that way and uncover it just to show guests the technique.

Guests are also given a demonstration of the local skill of climbing palm trees, and boy do they climb high!

Food & Drink at Toa Luau

There are three signature alcoholic drinks to choose from at Toa Luau along with a limited array of classic selections. The drinks were fine, being mostly light and refreshing.

Before starting the show, everyone is given a small traditional drink as part of the Kava ceremony. Then, dinner is served, which I prefer over having it buffet style.

Dinner consists of salad, macaroni salad, kailua pork, bbq chicken, rice, fruit, a dinner roll, and white cake with coconut frosting.

Traditional Luau Dance Show

The luau show featured styles of dance from throughout Polynesia and ended with fire dancers. There were explanations between each dance regarding the region of origin and meaning of the dance.  Some fun moments of audience participation were a highlight.

Bonus: Waimea Valley Access

The Luau ticket includes entrance to explore Waimea Valley and its stunning waterfall. You can arrive early or return to explore within 7 days before/after the luau you attend. The trail is quite long, and has cultural stops, so get the little train to take you to the end if you are short on time.

Make sure you have your confirmation text and order information handy to gain entrance to the Waimea Valley. They will absolutely not let you in for free without the confirmation text.

We walked at a brisk pace and it took us almost two hours round trip. For this reason we were glad we decided to return the next day to do the trail rather than try to squeeze it in before the luau. Swimming is allowed at the waterfall, but only with a life jacket, which there are some old ones for rent there. 

Bottom Line Review

Experiencing a traditional Hawaiian luau is a rite of passage for tourists to Hawaii. Toa Luau is one of the best by offering a relaxed evening that combines cultural activities with the fun of a dinner show.

The beautiful setting in the Waimea Valley makes luau even more special. We really enjoyed getting a whole other day of activities by visiting the gardens and waterfall at a relaxed pace.

Combine your trip to Oahu with Kauai to do other bucket-list items like seeing the Na Pali coast by boat or helicopter.

Skip the hassle of looking for flights! Use my Award Booking Concierge Service. I’ll find the flights on points and let you know exactly how to book.