Polynesian Cultural Center

The Polynesian Cultural Center at 55-370 Kamehameha Highway in Laie is a cultural theme park on Oahu's northeast shore, about 38 miles (61 km) from Waikiki in Hawaii, United States. The drive takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via H-1 West and the H-3 or Pali Highway to Route 83, and parking at the center is free. Roundtrip transport packages with hotel pickup run about $110-190 per adult, while TheBus Circle Island Route 60 takes around 2.5 hours from Ala Moana Center. General admission is about $95, and packages including a luau dinner and an evening show reach about $160. The center presents villages representing Hawaii, Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and the Marquesas, where staff, many from those island cultures, demonstrate crafts, music, dance and games. Daily programs include a canoe pageant on the lagoon, hands-on activities such as fire-making and ukulele lessons, and an evening production staged in a large theater. A typical one-day arc starts with a late-morning arrival, visiting the villages and watching the canoe pageant in the early afternoon, followed by the luau dinner and the evening show before the drive back after dark. Food is available at on-site restaurants and the luau buffet. The nearby town of Laie also offers the Hawaii Temple grounds and small eateries, and the North Shore beaches are a short drive away for visitors who want to extend the day. Mornings are cooler for walking between the villages, and visitors should plan for a full day, since the evening show typically ends in the evening. Rain showers are common on this windward side, so a light rain jacket is useful.