Waikiki Thanksgiving Dining & Events 2026

Aloha and welcome to our Waikiki Thanksgiving 2026 Guide!

Waikiki is a very popular destination to visit for the Thanksgiving holiday. While many North American residents will be dressed for chilly weather, Honolulu visitors will be donning swimsuits, shorts and Aloha shirts for Waikiki’s endless summer weather!

Not only will the weather be summer-like, the restaurants will be serving scrumptious Thanksgiving meals. Many of them will have a Hawaiian-spin with local ingredients on their special Thanksgiving menus. It’s a neat blend of traditional Thanksgiving fixings married with Hawaiian cuisine.

Now, if you are one of the lucky ones planning a trip to Waikiki Beach over this Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, I’ve created this guide for where to dine and what special events to catch over Thanksgiving weekend.

As you will see, you’ll have a cornucopia of dining choices! To help you make a decision more quickly, I’ll point out the options that I think are most interesting based on factors, such as special views, venues with excellent reviews, and venues with great reputations. These options are ones that I would recommend to my friends and family. I will note those options with three orange asterisks, like this: ***.

Where can I find a Thanksgiving buffet in Waikiki? 

The following Waikiki Beach restaurants are offering special Thanksgiving brunch and/or dinner buffets. Most of these holiday buffets include traditional Thanksgiving fare with turkey and typicalThanksgiving sides. If a restaurant has an ocean view, we make note of that.

— Hilton Waikiki Beach Resort hosts a Thanksgiving buffet for $90 adult / $39 child. See the menu via the drop down arrows at this FareHarbor link. Note that is hotel is not the same hotel as Hilton Hawaiian Village.

— The Buffet At Hyatt at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort: Thanksgiving dinner buffet for $110 adult / $55 child. See the menu here. This restaurant has ocean views.

— 100 Sails Restaurant at Prince Waikiki: This restaurant is offering brunch and dinner menus.  Thanksgiving brunch for $111 adult/ 55.50 child. Thanksgiving dinner  is priced at $109 adult / $54.50 child. This restaurant has harbor/ocean views.

— ***  Hinahina at Sheraton Waikiki is a new restaurant with excellent ocean views at Waikiki Beach. They’re hosting Thanksgiving buffet dinner for $145 per adult / $85 per child. ***

Where can I find Thanksgiving a la carte dinner for Waikiki Beach?  

The following Waikiki Beach restaurants are offering Thanksgiving-themed menus for dining at the restaurant. In some cases the restaurant’s standard menu will also be available.

We try to list the restaurants from lowest price to highest price, as much as possible. We also try to make note of any special views or settings the restaurants may offer.

— Basalt Waikiki at the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel: See the menu with pricing on this page.

— Lulu’s Waikiki offers a special a la carte Thanksgiving menu. This restaurant has ocean views.

— Hideout at the Laylow, Autograph Collection offers some Thanksgiving specials along with their standard menu. See this link for more information. This restaurant has nice urban outdoor seating.

— Tiki’s Grill & Bar Bar at Twin Fin Hotel offers a Thanksgiving dinner. This restaurant is across the street from Waikiki and has ocean views.

— Roy’s Waikiki offers a prix-fixe, three-course Thanksgiving dinner for $76. See this link to review the menu.

— Stripsteak Waikiki at the International Market Place: Three-course Thanksgiving dinner for $129. See the menu here.

— Azure Restaurant in The Royal Hawaiian Resort: four-course Thanksgiving dinner for $165 adult/ $55 child. This restaurant has good ocean views.

Which Waikiki Beach restaurants are open on Thanksgiving?

The following restaurants are open on Thanksgiving. They might offer a Thanksgiving special but have not yet published specials at the time of our research. We try to make note of any special views or settings the restaurants may offer.

— Monkeypod Kitchen Waikiki at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort is a relatively new restaurant to Waikiki, but there are several other Monkeypod Kitchens in Hawaii. This restaurant is one of our favorites for casual dining and this Waikiki location has an excellent beachfront setting.

— *** Hula Grill Waikiki at Outrigger Waikiki Resort – This restaurant is one of our favorites. It has offered a special Thanksgiving meal in the past along with their standard menu. This restaurant books quickly.  Hula Grill is at a great location with oceanfront views. ***

— Mahina & Sons at the Surfjack Hotel is open.

— Eating House 1849 By Roy Yamaguchi at the International Market Place is open.

— Duke’s Waikiki at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort – Duke’s has offered special Thanksgiving menus in the past. This restaurant has a great location and oceanfront setting. It’s one of Go Visit Hawaii readers’ favorite restaurants.

— House Without A Key at the Halekulani is of our favorite casual, but upscale restaurants. This restaurant has a lovely oceanfront settings and typically offers excellent evening entertainment.

— Wolfgang’s Steakhouse has an urban tropical setting at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

— UMI by Vikram Garg at Halepuna Hotel is open.

— Michel’s at the Colony Surf is a French restaurant located a bit away from the heart of Waikiki at the foot of Diamond Head. It has a superb oceanfront setting.

Couldn’t find what you were looking for yet? Are you having trouble making reservations? Enter your desired time, date, location on OpenTable to search for available options. Make sure you adjust the search criteria for the date, time and number of people in your party.

Which luau options are open for Thanksgiving 2026?

Enjoying the feast and festivities of a Hawaiian-style luau is a fun experience, and one that you can’t get back home. A luau is a great deal, combining a delicious dinner with an exciting Polynesian dance show all in one experience.

We’re listing the luau companies in and around Waikiki that are operating on Thanksgiving. All of the luau companies use FareHarbor for their booking platform. We are providing each luau’s FareHarbor link so that you may book directly with the luau company. By booking direct, you to bypass third-party resellers and avoid mark-up fees. For a quick price comparison, we’re listing the adult pricing. Tickets for children are less expensive.

Thanksgiving Luau Options in Waikiki
  • *** The Royal Hawaiian, one of Waikiki’s top luxury hotels, presents a Thanksgiving-specific luau menu and colorful show on their beautiful oceanfront lawn with views of the Pacific Ocean and Diamond Head. This luxury luau rates at a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 on TripAdvisor. ***
Thanksgiving Options Outside of Waikiki (with optional transportation to/from Waikiki)
  • *** Experience Nutridge luau is perched on hillside location in private estate in Honolulu with great views. This unique luau offers authentic experiences without crowds. Experience Nutridge has earned an outstanding TripAdvisor rating of 4.9 out of 5.0. Because they limit the number of guests, everyone has a good view and there is only one seating option. With transportation (approximately 20 minutes away from Waikiki) to and from Waikiki, the cost for an adult is $196. See this link for more information and to book.
  • Aloha Kai Luau hosts a luau on Thanksgiving. This oceanside luau is located about 45-scenic minutes drive from Waikiki at Sea Life Park. The luau ticket includes entrance to Sea Life Park which you can opt to explore and enjoy the day of the luau for convenience and good value. They do have an option to add transportation from Waikiki for an additional fee. This luau has great TripAdvisor reviews at rating of 4.4 out of 5. Here are the packages they offer with various amenities (type of lei, service, number of included drinks, etc.):
  • Ka Moana Luau operates on Thanksgiving. This oceanside luau is located about a 15-minute drive from Waikiki at Honolulu’s Aloha Tower Marketplace. They offer transportation from Waikiki for an additional fee. This luau gets great reviews on TripAdvisor at a rating of 4.3 out of 5. Here are the packages they offer with various amenities (type of lei, service, number of included drinks, etc.):
    • Celebrity Seating with included transportation from Waikiki (recommended for best view and experience) starts at $229 per adult.
    • Splash Premium Seating with transportation from Waikiki  included (next best option to Celebrity Seating) starts at $199 per adult.
    • Splash Seating with transportation from Waikiki included starts at $179 per adult.
    • Classic Seating with transportation from Waikiki included starts at $159 per adult. 
  • Diamond Head Luau offers a different, upscale luau concept with multiple courses and  plated-food coordinated with each featured Polynesian dance presentation. They are located at historic Aloha Tower in Honolulu. They have solid TripAdvisor reviews at 4.1 out of 5.0. Here are the packages that they offer:  

Holiday events and things to see and do in Waikiki over Thanksgiving weekend 

If you are ready to get into the Christmas holiday spirit, you’ll find some wonderful things to see and do around the Thanksgiving holiday. Here’s what you can enjoy over Thanksgiving weekend.

Wednesday, November 25

Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki holds their annual Holiday Kick-Off Show & Aloha Santa Arrival. This event includes live music, hula performances and features a visit from Aloha Santa. Mr. Claus will illuminate the center’s 34-foot Christmas tree. After the tree lighting, attendees will have an opportunity to take a complimentary photo with Santa.  Wednesday, November 25 starting at 5:00 p.m. Check this link for details. 2026

Friday, November 27

– If you like Black Friday shopping deals, you might want to check out Ala Moana Center, which is Hawaii’s biggest shopping center and the world’s largest open-air shopping center. If you want to start to get into the Christmas mood, the center will be all decked out with Christmas decorations throughout along with the 50-foot Santa overlooking Ala Moana Boulevard.

– Waikiki Holiday Parade -The Waikiki Holiday Parade honors Pearl Harbor survivors and veterans. This year marks the 85th anniversary of that fateful day. The parade boasts over 2,000 marchers, at least ten bands and multiple vehicles/floats. It runs through the heart of Waikiki down Kalakaua Avenue. See the parade route.

Notes:

— Pricing does not typically include taxes and gratuity. Verify pricing when you book.

— We do our best to list the latest pricing, but please be advised that pricing is subject to change.

— Some restaurants and luau operators allow children under the age of five to dine for free. Check directly with the restaurants for their policies.

— We recommend you make reservations as quickly as possible. Learn more about important reservations you need to consider for an Oahu vacation.

— We may be adding more Thanksgiving dinner options and events so do check back. We will note the additions with the date added at the end of the listing.

– When you arrive on island, check with the concierge for additional Thanksgiving dining and events at your resort and pick up a copy of the Star-Advertiser.

–A few links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you book—at absolutely no extra cost to you. It helps keep this travel guide free and updated, so thank you for supporting this independent travel content!

— Check out our November 2026 Hawaii vacation guide. 2026

Happy Thanksgiving!