Guide to Hawaii at Christmas

Who says you need snow to experience a merry Christmas? The magic of the holiday isn’t tied to wintry destinations; it’s universal! So, instead of spending the entire season dressed in your warmest sweaters, consider spending your holiday on holiday with a Christmas vacation in paradise. But what does Hawaii at Christmas look like? Well, you can still experience your white Christmas. After all, it may not snow much on the islands, but the blinding white shores of the Kohala coast make up for it. The perfect Christmas vacation can be had anywhere, so here’s your guide to having a Mele Kalikimaka in beautiful Hawaii.

4 FAQs About Visiting Hawaii at Christmas
6 Fun & Festive Things to Do in Hawaii During Christmas
Let Next Vacay Find You the Cheapest Flights to Hawaii at Christmas

4 FAQs About Visiting Hawaii at Christmas

Hawaii at Christmas is a magical experience unlike any other. But it’s not always easy to give up white snow for white sand. So, if you’re contemplating spending your holiday season in the tropics, you likely have questions about how that looks. Lucky for you, we’ve got the answers you seek.

1. Is December a Good Time to Fly to Hawaii?

Any time is a good time to travel to Hawaii, and December is no different. With pleasantly warm temperatures and ever-inviting waters, the prime weather makes it a hot spot—literally—for escaping the holiday chill elsewhere. Of course, it also makes December one of the busiest times to go.

The high season in Hawaii officially kicks off in mid-December and continues through the Christmas holidays and into March. So, if you’re looking for the cheapest and quietest time to visit Hawaii in December, the first two weeks are best before things kick into high gear for the holidays. That said, you can still experience plenty of holiday festivities if you decide to visit Hawaii in early December.

2. Is Christmas a Good Time to Go to Hawaii?

Christmas is a magical time to visit Hawaii. With excellent December weather and classic holiday season markers like Christmas trees and lights, along with fun events celebrating Hawaiian Christmas traditions, it’s one of the most unique times to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most expensive.

Prices skyrocket around Christmas vacation, with the Hawaii Tourism Authority noting that December consistently records the most expensive daily hotel rates. That doesn’t seem to be getting better with time either, as they also said December 2021 saw higher average daily rates than pre-pandemic stats.

Of course, you can still plan a very merry Christmas in Hawaii. Just be sure to avoid the worst price hikes by planning your Hawaii Christmas vacation well in advance.

3. Is Hawaii Crowded at Christmas?

The magic of Christmastime doesn’t afford visitors any empty shores or streets in Hawaii. Despite the prices, December is one of the busiest months on the islands, with many families eager to experience their perfect Hawaii Christmas vacation. The Hawaii Tourism Authority reported over 750,000 visitor arrivals in December 2021.

With the Hawaii Safe Travels program officially ended, and cruise operations restarted, future Christmas celebrations in Hawaii are set to be even busier.

So, if you’re hoping to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii and partake in all the fun Christmas events, you’ll have to plan accordingly. Make reservations for your top to-dos in advance if you can.

But even traveling during the busiest time of the year, there are still plenty of ways to save on your Hawaii Christmas vacation, from booking your accommodations at a vacation rental to scoring great deals on airfare with Next Vacay.

Pro-tip: Oahu is the cheapest Hawaiian Island to stay on during Christmas and has lots of free—and fun—Christmas events to attend with the whole family.

4. What Is Hawaii Like at Christmas?

While the prices are less than merry, the Christmas spirit is in full swing on the Hawaiian Islands, from early December to Christmas dinner. Surfers wear Santa hats as they ride the waves, cities are decked out with Christmas lights and decor, and Hawaiian Christmas songs fill the air.

Hawaiian Christmas traditions will make you look at the holiday in a whole new light. Palm trees are strung with lights while real pine trees arrive on ship, and Santa appears riding in a canoe pulled by the usual suspects. Only Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen have traded in their hefty reindeer fur for a more hydrodynamic skin because, in the tropics, the famous reindeer are dolphins.

Hawaii is a fun, unique destination to await Santa Claus and spend Christmas away from the cold. And while it may not snow on the Hawaiian Islands—except for its tallest peaks—there’s more than enough white sand to replace the falling snowflakes you’re used to seeing.

6 Fun & Festive Things to Do in Hawaii During Christmas

From sandy snowmen to surfing Santas, your Hawaii Christmas vacation is sure to be unlike any other. It doesn’t matter if you’re staying on Oahu, the Big Island, or Maui. If you’re looking to make unforgettable memories, here are some must-see Christmas events to mark on your calendar.

1. See the Kailua-Kona Christmas Parade: Big Island

Greet the holidays with a warm Mele Kalikimaka and ring in Christmas on the Big Island with the Kailua-Kona Christmas parade. If you’re in town early, you’ll typically catch this, and several other Christmas events, in the first few weeks of December, when the North Pole comes to the Pacific Ocean.

Don’t worry—Santa Claus brings the festivities with him.

The annual parade features floats decked in Christmas lights, dogs adorned in costumes, and live musical performances.

2. View Honolulu’s City Lights: Oahu

The Honolulu City Lights isn’t a one-time event; it’s a month-long celebration of the Christmas holiday.

Once again, the fun starts long before Christmas Eve rolls around, with a tree lighting ceremony and block party held at the beginning of December. Honolulu is a city that knows how to celebrate, so visitors to this Hawaiian Island had better prepare to be blown away by delicious food trucks, fun contests, and a spectacular lights parade. And no Hawaii Christmas vacation would be complete without a holiday picture with Father Christmas. However, it’s up to you whether that picture comes with the real Santa or the famous statue of Shaka Santa.

While opening night is undoubtedly an event to remember, the lights don’t dim—much like the Hawaiian Christmas spirit. Through the end of the year, the City Employee Christmas Tree Exhibition is viewable at Honolulu Hale, as is a display of the winners of the Wreath Contest. And Santa’s Village is open on select dates to bring more of the North Pole’s magic to the North Pacific.

3. Watch Santa Arrive by Outrigger Canoe: Oahu

Not every day, you see the man, the myth, the legend himself, Santa Claus, come riding into town. We guarantee it’s even less often that you see him do it in a canoe. But every year, the man takes a break from making toys to roll up on the sandy shores of Waikiki Beach in an outrigger canoe. So while the reindeer rest at the North Pole, Santa arrives with the tide for a little last-minute vacation before the big day.

With the beautiful Diamond Head in the background, it’s a rare and spectacular sight for families, especially for excited keiki (kids). Topped off with musicians and hula dancers, Saint Nick’s arrival in Oahu is an event you won’t want to miss.

4. See the Banyan Tree Lighting Ceremony: Maui

Lahaina is a star-studded destination, from sunset cruises to whale-watching tours and Ka’anapali Beach. So, it’s no surprise that Lahaina also delivers Christmas cheer. The city sees plenty of fun Christmas traditions throughout December, but the highlight year after year is the Lighting of the Holiday Lights at the Banyan Tree. Even people who think they’ve seen it all when it comes to tree lighting will be blown away by this Hawaii Christmas tradition.

The Banyan tree in Lahaina is the largest in the United States. With over 46 trunks at its base and standing at over 60 feet tall, watching this massive behemoth light up under the glow of Christmas lights is a sight to behold and a must-see among the Christmas events on Maui.

If you can’t make the lighting ceremony, though, don’t worry. Following this event, the tree is outfitted with its Christmas coat of lights every evening for the entire month of December, so you can enjoy this spectacle no matter when you plan your Hawaii Christmas vacation.

5. Experience Waimea’s Annual Christmas Twilight Parade: Big Island

Going strong for over 60 years, the annual Christmas parade in Waimea on the Big Island is one of the oldest parades in Hawaii, so of course, it’s a must-do on your Christmas events calendar. With fun themes like this year’s He Kalikimaka Ho‘oli Keiki—A Children’s Christmas Cheer—the joy of the holiday is undeniable.

The parade is also a fantastic opportunity to start the season of giving off right. Participants and attendees are encouraged to donate to the Big Island Giving Tree, whose holiday outreach goes to supporting seniors and the homeless.

Once dusk finally settles in, the best part of the parade begins. Famed for its impressive brigade of trucks and rigs decked out in holiday lights, this part of the parade certainly doesn’t disappoint. Trucks go all out with their decorations, sometimes resembling famous Christmas characters as they roll gently through town, blaring their horns and spreading Christmas cheer.

6. Enjoy Christmas at the Hukilau Marketplace: Oahu

Christmas at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Oahu doesn’t come with just one event but several days of holiday cheer and magical moments for everyone to enjoy. Kids missing the snow can play to their heart’s content, crafting snow angels and building snowmen for one night during the annual Keiki Snow Day. The event kicks off multiple days of fun spanning from a Christmas wonderland of lights to scavenger hunts and selfies with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

Christmas at the Hukilau Marketplace also features multiple free concert performances to cap off your nights spent celebrating the Hawaii Christmas festivities.

Let Next Vacay Find You the Cheapest Flights to Hawaii at Christmas

It doesn’t get much better than a Christmas vacation on your favorite Hawaiian Island. Sadly, if you want to visit Hawaii, it’s not as simple as deciding to go. Or is it? Well, it can be if you’re using Next Vacay to plan your vacation. Instead of spending hours searching for the perfect flight to your Hawaiian Island of choice, or your favorite winter getaway, you can let the team at Next Vacay do it for you.

Our skilled deal hunters know a good deal when they see it, and even better, they vet the deal before sending it to your inbox, so when it arrives, you know it’s the real deal, just like St. Nick. So, rather than spending hundreds more to experience Christmas in Hawaii, prepare to save hundreds.

What are you waiting for? Time to start planning your Hawaii Christmas Vacation with Next Vacay.

Share on