Best Kauai Luau: Drums & Dances vs Luau Kalamaku Compared

Hawaiian Activities — island tours, luaus, and adventures across Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.

We sell two Kauai luaus, and they are very different evenings: a beach-resort buffet with an open bar at Kalapaki Bay, and the Luau Kalamaku show at Kilohana Plantation, which you can book with hotel transport or with a four-course dinner inside the estate.

Kauai luaus compared

Prices and lengths in this table are read live from each booking listing, so they match what you will pay at checkout.

Drums & Dances of Polynesia at Kalapaki Bay

Drums & Dances of Polynesia is held at the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort in Lihue, with Kalapaki Bay and the mountains behind the stage. The evening runs three hours including the pre-show, and the main production lasts 70 minutes, finishing with a Samoan fire dance.

The ticket includes a lei greeting on arrival, a full buffet of salads, entrées and desserts with whole roasted pig, poke and mahi mahi, and an open bar with beer, wine, mai tais and soft drinks. A professional photographer takes guest photos during the pre-show hour at no extra charge. Adult and child prices are both available, and the resort-casual dress code is enforced.

Luau Kalamaku at Kilohana Plantation

Luau Kalamaku is staged at Kilohana Plantation, and we sell it two ways.

With round-trip transport (from $221.42, five hours): a shuttle collects you from major Kauai hotels, with pickup times that vary by hotel. The evening includes the imu ceremony, when the kalua pig is unearthed, a Hawaiian and Polynesian buffet, an open bar with mai tais and Blue Hawaiis, an artisan craft fair, and the Kalamaku show with live music, hula, fire knife and fire poi balls. The dining area is covered, which protects against light rain.

The Manor House Experience (from $262.88, about 3.5 hours): you dine inside the historic plantation estate, with a four-course dinner at Gaylord’s Restaurant, a champagne toast and complimentary pre-show drinks, then take premium reserved seating with an unobstructed view of the show and its fire knife and poi ball finale. Women receive a fresh flower lei and men a shell lei. Check-in at the mansion is by 5:00pm, and capacity is limited.

At both, guests under 18 must be supervised by an adult.

Which Kauai luau should you book?

• You want dinner and an open bar at a beach resort: Drums & Dances of Polynesia, with a buffet and open bar.
• You don’t have a car: Luau Kalamaku with round-trip transport, the only one of the three that includes it.
• You would rather sit down to dinner than queue at a buffet: the Manor House Experience.
• You are bringing children: Drums & Dances of Polynesia has a child price; at Luau Kalamaku, under-18s must be with an adult.
• You want the imu ceremony: it is listed for Luau Kalamaku with transport.

Comparing other islands

If your trip covers more than Kauai, the Oahu luau guide, Maui luau guide and Big Island luau guide compare the luaus we sell there, and our ranking of every luau in Hawaii puts them side by side. What happens at a Hawaiian luau walks through a typical evening in order.

For the rest of the island, see Kauai tours worth booking, and if you are basing yourself on the south shore, our guide to Poipu and South Kauai.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a luau on Kauai?

Of the luaus we sell, Drums & Dances of Polynesia starts at $180, Luau Kalamaku with round-trip hotel transport starts at $221.42, and the Luau Kalamaku Manor House Experience starts at $262.88. Each listing shows its adult and child prices.

Which is the best luau on Kauai?

It depends on what you want from the evening. Drums & Dances of Polynesia includes a buffet and an open bar at the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort on Kalapaki Bay. Luau Kalamaku with transport suits guests without a car. The Manor House Experience replaces the buffet with a four-course dinner at Gaylord’s Restaurant at Kilohana Plantation.

Which Kauai luau includes hotel transportation?

Luau Kalamaku with round-trip transport includes a shuttle from major Kauai hotels. Pickup times vary by hotel.

Do Kauai luaus include drinks?

Drums & Dances of Polynesia includes an open bar with beer, wine, mai tais and soft drinks. Luau Kalamaku with transport includes an open bar with tropical cocktails. The Manor House Experience includes a champagne toast and complimentary pre-show drinks.

Can children go to a Kauai luau?

Yes. Drums & Dances of Polynesia has adult and child pricing. At Luau Kalamaku, guests under 18 must be supervised by an adult.

What should I wear to a Kauai luau?

Drums & Dances of Polynesia enforces a resort-casual dress code. Luau Kalamaku’s dining area is covered, which protects against light rain.

Prices on this page are read automatically from the live booking listings. Details come from each luau’s listing; availability and rates are set by the operator.