Things to Do in Hawaii During Christmas by Island in 2025

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If you are in Hawaii now or planning a trip to Hawaii this Christmas, we have you covered with our favorite things to do in Hawaii during Christmas. Your family will thank you.

Christmas hula shows, local craft fairs, holiday parades, and so many more events make Hawaii such a special place for the holidays. We even share where you can find Santa around each Hawaiian island.

After you select what to do in Hawaii during Christmas, read our Hawaii Christmas Vacation Planning for 19 tips on visiting Hawaii during one of the busiest and merriest times of the year.

Keep the planning going with some additional resources:
The Big Island is the most popular destination for a Hawaiian Christmas. See our Last-Minute Trip to the Big Island to help you book it!
Learn more about visiting Hawaii in December (or generally in the winter!)
Find out the cheapest island to visit for Christmas.

Christmas Activities in Hawaii: 2025

Our favorite thing to do during the holidays in Hawaii is to visit the shopping centers. This is not just about buying Hawaii-made gifts, but also about the free Christmas hula shows, mele (Hawaiian for music), Santa Claus, and other free holiday activities.

Oahu is the best Hawaiian Island for Christmas thanks to the numerous activities it offers every year, the biggest of which are the New Year’s Eve fireworks, Honolulu City Lights, and the Christmas parade.

For your Hawaii Christmas vacation, visit one of our favorite luaus in Hawaii, head out whale watching, or check out one of the many Hawaii Christmas things to do below!

Here are the Hawaii Christmas season’s favorite things to do on each of the Hawaiian Islands for your Christmas vacation. Bookmark this page, and we will update it as more events are scheduled closer to the holidays.

Things to Do in Oahu During Christmas

I love Maui for the holidays, but Oahu knows how to party with aloha. A larger population and shopping centers mean more Christmas events for your family. Here are some of our favorites.

• Honolulu Hale City Lights, December 6th – January 3rd, 4 PM to Midnight – an annual tradition of fun, cheer, bright lights, and decorations. See their website for special events during the month. There’s a tree lighting on the first Saturday of December. Hop on the festive Waikiki Trolley to get into the heart of Honolulu.
• Oahu Holiday Luaus: See our favorite Oahu luaus for their special holiday performances. Book early as these sell out fast.
• The Nutcracker December 12th & 14th – take your family tradition of seeing The Nutcracker ballet to paradise. Head to Honolulu and see dancers from around the country, including the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, put on a special Hawaiian performance of the timeless show.
• Aloha Land’s Winter Wonderland, November 29th to December 24th – celebrate the holidays with friends and family at one of Hawaii’s favorite destinations. The Aloha Stadium Swap Meet & Marketplace’s Holidays at the Marketplace 
• Vans Triple Crown of Surfing: November 19th – December 20th, 2025. Go up to North Shore Oahu to watch the best in the world surf big waves. Free to watch, but the time depends on the waves.
• Chinatown Winter Walk December (all month) – Over 40 Chinatown merchants will decorate their storefronts for the holidays. The whole district will be transformed for Christmas. Walking maps are available around Chinatown. Learn more – HCAD’s Facebook (@discoverchinatown) and Instagram (@discoverchinatownhi)
• Mele Kalikimaka Extravaganza December 14th and 15th, from 10 AM to 8 PM and 5 PM respectively – a special holiday market day to support local artisans and merchants, as well as highlight the market’s monthly community outreach kokua initiative done in collaboration with local organizations. Purchase tickets here.
• Pearl Harbor Memorial Anniversary Parade December 7th at 4:15pm – in honor of December 7th, Waikiki hosts an annual parade to pay respects to those who served at Pearl Harbor with events like live Jazz & Blues band performances, outdoor movie nights on Waikiki Beach, reef laying ceremonies, an opening gala and block party, a night at the museum, dinners, ceremonial memorial services, a parade, and finishing off with a Honolulu Marathon.
• Kapolei City Lights and Block Party, December 6th at 5:00 pm – the Westside Winterwonderland features a block party and holiday parade. If you’re staying in Ko Olina Resorts, check out this festival.
• See here for a full list of Oahu holiday events, including Pearl Harbor December 7th activities and running events.

• Where to Meet Santa near Waikiki:
  • ​Ala Moana Center’s Photos with Santa — Photo sessions with Santa will be scheduled starting in mid-November to Christmas Eve.
  • ​Royal Hawaiian Center’s Photos with Santa — Every Saturday from late November to just before Christmas, those who wish to meet Santa can snap a photo with him between 5 and 7 p.m. All guests will be given a free printed photo; no personal cameras will be allowed.
  • International Market Place – check their holiday events schedule for photos with Santa and Christmas shows on their beautiful stage.
• Waikiki New Year’s Eve Fireworks – if you’re still in Waikiki for NYE, come down to Waikiki Beach to see the annual fireworks show.
• Honolulu Fireworks Dinner Cruise – reserve your spot on the spacious dinner cruise for the best fireworks view in Waikiki.

Things to Do on Maui During Christmas

Unfortunately, Historic Lahaina Town was my favorite Hawaii town for Christmas. The community hosted an annual Christmas parade, the lighting of the banyan tree, and other activities at historical sites around town.

I’ve removed the Lahaina Christmas activities from our list, but I hope to bring them back as the town rebuilds.

The Lahaina Harbor has reopened as of December 1st, 2025! Atlantis Adventures, Sea Link of Hawai‘i, Kula Fishing Company, and Sail Maui have resumed tours. See our review and 10% off promo code for Sail Maui’s Whale-Watching and Sunset Cruises.

Maui Luaus are the best in the Hawaiian Islands. Many of them have special Christmas luau performances with a holiday meal. See our list of the Best Maui Luaus to reserve your seat.

Here are things to do on Maui for Christmas.

• Westin Maui in Ka’anapali is one of our favorite places to stay. And, they have Christmas events and a Christmas dinner! On November 28th, 2025, their Spirit of the Season holiday event starts at 4:30. Come for gingerbread decorations, carols, live music, fire-knife dancing, and more.
• The Cannery Mall in Lahaina will have live music every weekend in December, and Santa will be visiting for photos on Saturday! See here for a schedule of events.
• Free festive walking tour in Kihei: Join Keith at Maui Walking Tours a special walk before Christmas, complete with carolers in tow! The walks take place on December 19th at 4:00 PM (90 minutes)
• ‘Tis the Season of Aloha at the Grand Wailea Resort: Enjoy fun events put on by the resort throughout December. On the 16th, they’ll have a tree-lighting at 6 pm. Enjoy their Holiday Marketplace for last-minute Made-on-Maui gifts by over 30 local vendors in the heart of paradise in our Main Lobby from 4 pm – 8 pm. Then, enjoy Santa’s arrival on an outrigger canoe at 8 am on Christmas Eve!
• Fireworks on Maui for New Year’s Eve: There will be two public aerial fireworks displays in Maui County for New Year’s Eve. One offshore of the Grand Wailea Resort, and the other at the Four Seasons Resort Lānaʻi at Mānele Bay. Both displays begin at approximately 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31.
• Festivus 5K Run and Half Mile Keiki Dash – Enjoy a festive run for the Maui Food Bank, leaving from Kahana Beach Park on December 21st. Learn more here: Festivus Run
• Where to Meet Santa:
  • The Shops at Wailea is hosting Santa and a food drive on Saturdays through December. They also have gift wrapping and live music.
  • The Cannery Mall in Lahaina will have Santa available for photos beginning Dec. 6-20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Families are encouraged to come dressed in festive attire and capture holiday memories with Santa.

Related articles:

• ​Hawaii Christmas Vacation: The Best and Cheapest Island for Your Holiday Vacation
• Planning a Trip to Hawaii: 15 Essential Details
• Hawaii in December: Everything to Know For Your Trip

Things to Do on Kauai During Christmas

Kauai doesn’t have as much going on as other islands. Check out the shopping centers like Coconut Marketplace in Kapa’a on the east coast. They offer hula shows, ukulele classes, and lei workshops throughout the week.

• Kauai’s Festival of Lights is held daily from Black Friday to December 29th, 6 PM to 11 PM – Santa is available for pictures at the Historic County Building porch. Holiday decorations and holiday music abound. 
• Waimea Light Parade December 20th, 5:00 PM – 10 PM – a Christmas light parade in Waimea
• Island Artisan Fair – head to Princeville for the annual Christmas craft fair. Check their schedule for times and dates. They have a Holiday Hula on December 7th this year!

Things to Do on the Big Island During Christmas

• Kailua-Kona Christmas Parade December 13th at 5:30 pm – the annual parade goes down Ali’i Drive in Kailua-Kona with local marching bands and floats.
• Kona Jingle Bell Beach Run 5K December 21st Sunday’s 3.1-mile walk/run will start and finish at Coconut Grove Marketplace at 7:30 am.
• Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade, December 6th at 6:00 pm– If you are on the Big Island, check out the annual Christmas parade through Waimea town. See 60 holiday floats and trucks, plus Santa.
• Hilo Christmas Light Parade, November 29th – Hilo is the cutest town in Hawaii, and its annual Christmas parade is what one would expect.
• Hawaiian Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival (Hilo) December 19th and 20th – A local holiday festival featuring art and crafts made in Hawaii by local artists, live music, and food. Free entry!​
• Holualoa Music & Lights December 6th, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Enjoy live music, watch the Christmas tree lighting, shop, and meet Santa!
• Keauhou Shopping Center – cookies and crafts in the courtyard during December. See the Keauhou Shopping Center event schedule for details.
• Where to Meet Santa: Waikoloa’s Queens’ Marketplace in December from 5 pm – 8 pm. No reservation is required to visit Santa and bring your own camera. Click here for details. They offer a Hula Show, also!

Whale Watching for Christmas in Hawaii

The holidays in Hawaii mean whale-watching season! Whale watching is from December through March, making your holiday vacation a good time to see whales. 

December is the start of whale season around the Hawaiian islands. Maui is the best place to spot whales as it has the world’s highest density of migratory humpback whales.

Check out our Ultimate Guide to Whale Watching on Maui: Best Tours and Trips for everything you need to know, excellently written by Erica. She doesn’t use ‘ultimate’ lightly. We also have our 7 Tips for Whale Watching video, a YouTube seasonal favorite.

Hawaii Whale Watching Tour Discounts

We share the best whale-watching tours on Maui, but also see our Hawaii Vacation Guide Coupons for whale-watching tour discounts.

You don’t have to go out on a tour to see whales! Shoreline viewing can also be spectacular. Watch sunset and whale blowholes along the West Maui or South Maui coastline. See our article for our favorite shoreline viewing spots.

Whale Watching on Hawai’i and O’ahu

In our opinion, the Island of Hawai’i (Big Island) is the second-best place to whale watch. There are a lot of wonderful tour companies that leave from the resorts along the Kohala Coast or down in Kailua-Kona. Explore all our favorite Big Island whale-watching tours.

Oahu offers whale-watching tours, but, in my experience, more as a complement to snorkeling and sunset cruises. Whales frequent the Waianae Coast north of Ko Olina Resorts and are even seen swimming by Diamond Head. These are the best whale-watching tours on Oahu.

You can see whales while hiking the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse trail; see our O’ahu hiking article for details on the hike. We recommend going out with Ko Olina Ocean Adventures for a snorkeling trip as they frequently see whales on their 3-hour snorkeling tours.

If you are looking for more things to do on your Hawaii vacation during the holidays, or maybe you are done surfing the web, planning a perfect Hawaii vacation, then check out our itineraries. We have them for each Hawaiian island and they are so much better than a guidebook! Our itineraries include excursion days that are perfectly planned out days on what to do, where to eat, and tips on saving money, then check them. out here – Hawaiian island itineraries.