Banzai Pipeline
FreeWatch expert surfers ride hollow, tubular waves breaking over a shallow reef off Ehukai Beach Park on Oahu's North Shore.

Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
55-370 Kamehameha Hwy · Laie, HI
The Polynesian Cultural Center is a 42-acre living museum in Laie that opened in 1963. Six island villages represent Hawaii, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti and Aotearoa, with guided tours, hands-on activities and cooking demonstrations, plus the canoe show Huki. Evenings bring the Alii Luau dinner and Ha: Breath of Life, a fire, song and dance show with more than 100 performers. Most of the staff are students at the neighboring BYU-Hawaii campus.
General attractions guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Book the time slot, not just the ticket
Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.
Grab the daily schedule on arrival
Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.
The first hour is the quietest
Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.
Budget past the ticket price
Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.
The closest stops to Polynesian Cultural Center, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Watch expert surfers ride hollow, tubular waves breaking over a shallow reef off Ehukai Beach Park on Oahu's North Shore.
8.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor
Swim and snorkel in a crescent-shaped North Shore bay in summer, or watch surfers ride towering waves in winter.
9.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor
Tour a 4,000-acre working ranch on Oahu's windward coast by UTV, horse, zipline or bus past well-known movie locations.
9.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Ride the Pineapple Express train, wander a giant garden maze and try Dole Soft Serve at this plantation stop in Wahiawa.
11 mi awayMore like this
Ring the three-ton peace bell, feed the koi and see an 18-foot golden Buddha at a temple in the Valley of the Temples.
15 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
See black rhinos, giraffes, elephants and native Hawaiian birds across 42 acres at the edge of Kapiolani Park in Waikiki.
26 mi awayMore like this