Hawaiian Activities — island tours, luaus, and adventures across Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.
Oahu and Kauai already have their own luau guides on this site. Maui did not. The luaus we sell here run from a $159.99 open-bar buffet at one end to a $360 VIP seat at the Grand Wailea at the other. Here is what actually separates the six Maui luaus we sell.
Quick Answer: The cheapest Maui luau we sell is the Aloha Wailea Luau at $159.99 for general admission, with an open bar and buffet. The most expensive is the Grand Wailea Ali’i Premium VIP at $360. For a plated dinner instead of a buffet, the Feast at Mokapu at the Andaz Maui is $299.98 with reserved seating from row three. Four of the six luaus are in South Maui (Wailea and Kihei); two are in Kaanapali.
TL;DR
- Cheapest: Aloha Wailea general admission, $159.99, open bar, toddlers 5 and under free
- Best plated dinner: Feast at Mokapu, $299.98, multi-course, Tihati Productions entertainment
- Big resort production: Grand Wailea, $300 standard or $360 Ali’i VIP
- West Maui: Huaka’i at Kaanapali Beach from $203.26; Myths of Maui $208.94
- Seating rule: at unassigned general admission, arrive early — VIP buys position, not a different show
Every Maui luau we sell, side by side
Prices and lengths are read live from each booking listing, so they match what you pay at checkout.
| Luau | From | Length | Venue | Food and drinks | Show | Good fit if |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aloha Wailea Luau | $159.99 | 2 hours | Mulligan's on the Blue, 100 Kaukahi Street, Kihei, with on-site parking | Buffet of local dishes with Maui-sourced ingredients. Open bar including mai tais | Hula, Tahitian dance and a fire-knife finale. Show starts 5:30pm | You are bringing young children (5 and under free) or want an open bar in a two-hour evening |
| Gilligan's Island Luau | $168.54 | 2 hours | Kihei, ocean-view sunset setting | All-you-can-eat Hawaiian buffet. Open bar | Polynesian performances across five island cultures with live musicians | You want an all-inclusive Kihei luau; the VIP upgrade adds front-row seats and a private lounge |
| The Lu'au at Grand Wailea | $300 | 2.45 hours | Grand Wailea, at a table beside Wailea Beach | Three-course family-style Hawaiian dinner. Hosted open bar | Hula, chant and storytelling, with hula lessons before the show | You want a private table and a plated dinner. Minimum 2 guests; 4.712% tax and a 24% service charge are added |
| Huakaʻi Luau | $203.26 | 2.5 hours | Kaʻanapali Beach, oceanfront; moves to the ballroom in bad weather | Hawaiian-inspired buffet with gluten-free options. Drinks are not listed in the ticket | Hula, fire dancing and live Pacific music | Someone in your group needs step-free access (fully ADA accessible) or gluten-free food |
| Myths of Maui Luau | $208.94 | 2.5 hours | Royal Lahaina Resort, Kaʻanapali, oceanfront | All-you-care-to-eat island buffet with the imu ceremony. Complimentary cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks | Dances of Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa and the Maori with a Samoan fire-knife finale | You are staying in Kaʻanapali and want Maui's longest-running oceanfront luau |
| The Feast at Mōkapu | $299.98 | 2.5 hours | Mōkapu Beach lawn at Andaz Maui, Wailea (3550 Wailea Alanui Drive) | Multi-course Hawaiian dinner. Open bar with premium cocktails | Show by Tihati Productions with hula and fire dancing | You want a multi-course dinner instead of a buffet. Communal tables of up to eight; valet parking included |
“From” is the lowest ticket price on each listing right now, read straight from the booking listing. Details come from each luau’s product listing.
The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive seat is $200 per adult, and it is not explained by the length of the evening: every show here runs between two and three hours. What the money changes is the dinner format (buffet or plated), where you sit, and how much of the setting is a resort lawn over the water.
One pricing note before comparing. The rates above are adult prices. The Aloha Wailea Luau charges adults from age 13, a child rate for ages 6 to 12, and lets toddlers aged 5 and under in free, which changes the maths considerably for a family of four.
Buffet and open bar: the Aloha Wailea Luau at $159.99
The Aloha Wailea Luau general admission ticket is the value benchmark on Maui. For $159.99 you get a two-hour evening starting at 5:30pm, a shell lei at check-in, a buffet of local dishes made with Maui-sourced ingredients, an open bar throughout (mai tais included), and a performance that follows one story: the sea voyage that carried Polynesian navigators across the Pacific. It is told through hula, fast Tahitian dance and a fire-knife finale.
The catch is that general admission seating is unassigned. Tables nearer the stage fill first, so arriving at check-in rather than at showtime is worth doing. That is exactly what the $199.99 VIP ticket sells: priority check-in on a separate line, premium seating in the section nearest the stage, first access to the buffet, and a kukui nut lei instead of a shell lei.
Is the $40 upgrade worth it? If you can arrive early, most of what VIP buys is achievable for free. If you are travelling with small children, older relatives, or arriving straight from a long day out, paying to skip the queue for position is a reasonable use of $40.
Plated and reserved: the Feast at Mokapu
The Feast at Mokapu is the Maui luau for people who do not want a buffet line. It is set on the lawn above Mokapu beach at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, and dinner is a generous multi-course plating of traditional Hawaiian dishes from the resort’s culinary team, with handcrafted cocktails and an open bar of premium drinks.
Seating is reserved from row three with clear stage views, at communal tables of up to eight. Entertainment is by Tihati Productions, and the storytelling traces how Polynesian ancestors arrived on Maui and established their ahupua’a, the land divisions that ran from mountain to sea. Valet parking is included, which is worth more in Wailea than it sounds.
At $299.98 it is nearly double the Aloha Wailea ticket. Arrive 30 minutes early, note that no-shows are charged in full, and cancel at least 24 hours ahead if plans change. For an anniversary or honeymoon evening it is the one we would book; our honeymoon experiences guide explains why evenings like this earn their price when a lot of couples’ add-ons do not.
Grand Wailea, Gilligan’s and the Kaanapali pair
The Lu’au at Grand Wailea is the resort’s oceanfront luau beside Wailea Beach, at $300 for standard seating or $360 for Ali’i Premium VIP, the most expensive luau we sell on Maui. Dinner is three family-style courses served at the table, with a hosted open bar and hula lessons before a show of hula, chant and storytelling. The listing adds 4.712% tax and a 24% service charge.
Gilligan’s Island Luau in Kihei is the second-cheapest option at $168.54, with a $210.94 VIP upgrade. For anyone staying in Kihei rather than Wailea, it removes the drive entirely.
In West Maui, the Huaka’i Luau sits on Kaanapali Beach at $203.26 general admission or $237.14 VIP, and the Myths of Maui Luau at the Royal Lahaina Resort is $208.94. Both run about two and a half hours.
How to choose: three questions
1. Where are you staying? This decides more than price. South Maui to Kaanapali is a long drive after dark on an evening with an open bar. If you are in Wailea, choose between Aloha Wailea, Mokapu and Grand Wailea. In Kihei, add Gilligan’s. In Kaanapali, Huaka’i or Myths of Maui.
2. Buffet or plated? Aloha Wailea, Gilligan’s, Huaka’i and Myths of Maui serve buffets, which suit picky eaters and children. The Feast at Mokapu’s multi-course dinner and Grand Wailea’s three family-style courses are served at the table, which suits couples who want to sit through dinner.
3. Are young children coming? Aloha Wailea’s free entry for ages 5 and under and its 5:30pm start make it the most family-friendly evening. For toddler-friendly days, see Maui with young kids.
If you are comparing across islands, our ranking of every major luau in Hawaii puts Maui’s shows next to Oahu’s, and the Oahu luau guide and Kauai luau guide cover those islands in the same detail.
Fitting a luau into a Maui week
Do not put a luau on the same day as a Haleakala sunrise, which starts in the small hours, or on the day you drive the Road to Hana. Both leave you too tired to enjoy a 5:30pm open bar.
A luau works well on your first or second night: the early start suits jet-lagged body clocks, and it is an easy, seated evening after a flight. Our first-timer’s week on Maui shows where it fits alongside snorkeling and the mountain. Travelling with older relatives? See Hawaii activities for seniors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest luau on Maui?
The Aloha Wailea Luau general admission at $159.99, which includes an open bar, a buffet and the full show. Gilligan’s Island Luau in Kihei is next at $168.54.
Which Maui luau has the best food?
For dinner served at the table, the Feast at Mokapu at the Andaz Maui serves a multi-course Hawaiian menu from the resort kitchen at $299.98, and the Lu’au at Grand Wailea serves three family-style courses from $300. Among the buffets, the Aloha Wailea Luau builds its menu on Maui-sourced ingredients.
Is the VIP upgrade at a Maui luau worth it?
It buys position rather than a different show: priority check-in, seats nearest the stage and first access to the buffet. At Aloha Wailea it is $40 more. It is worth it if you cannot arrive early.
Do children pay at Maui luaus?
It depends on the luau. At the Aloha Wailea Luau, toddlers aged 5 and under attend free, children aged 6 to 12 pay a child rate and adults are 13 and over.
Should I book a luau in Wailea or Kaanapali?
Book near where you are staying. Four of the six luaus are in South Maui (Wailea and Kihei) and two are in Kaanapali, and the drive between them is long after dark.
How long is a luau on Maui?
Between two and three hours. The Aloha Wailea Luau and Gilligan’s run two hours; Huaka’i, Myths of Maui and Mokapu about two and a half.
Prices checked against operator listings, September 2026. Availability and rates are set by the operator and can change.
Pick your Maui luau
Six luaus from $159.99, from Wailea to Kaanapali.
Compare Maui luaus · Aloha Wailea from $159.99 · (808) 207-9427
