Waikiki Sunset Sail: Catamaran Off the Sand With an Open Bar

The Waikiki sunset cruise is the one trip almost every visitor takes, and most of them take it from a harbor after a bus ride. The better version loads straight off the sand in front of your hotel: you walk down the beach barefoot, wade to the catamaran, and sail out as the sun drops behind the Waiʻanae mountains and Diamond Head turns the color of a mango.

This page covers the beach catamaran we book, why boarding from the sand matters, what it costs, and how to pick the right night.

Why this made our list

Half a dozen boats sell sunset cruises in Waikiki. The big motor yachts leave from Kewalo Basin or Aloha Tower with buffets and shows, and they are fine if dinner is the point. The sailing catamarans that pull up on Waikiki Beach are the local’s version: smaller, quieter, no bus, and you are under sail with the wind doing the work.

Of the beach catamarans, this one wins on the things that matter for 90 minutes: an open bar that is actually included, a wide netted bow to sit on, a clean restroom, a crew that keeps the music at a reasonable level, and a 4.9-star rating across nearly a thousand reviews. It boards in front of the Outrigger Reef at the quiet Fort DeRussy end of the beach, which means less chaos at check-in and a straight shot out past the reef.

How it compares

The dinner-cruise yachts from the harbor cost two to three times as much, carry hundreds of people and include a meal and a show; they are a different product. The other beach catamarans along Waikiki are similar boats with similar routes, and the differences are the bar policy, the crowd and the boarding spot. The included open bar and the Outrigger Reef loading beach are why this one is on the list. The same boat runs a morning Turtle Canyon snorkel sail, linked as the second button on this page.

What the sunset sail is like

Ninety minutes. Here is how it goes.

1. Check in on the beach. At the operator’s office in the Outrigger Reef, 20 minutes before departure. Sandals off, waiver signed, wristband on.
2. Wade and board. The catamaran noses onto the sand. You walk through knee-deep water to the ladder and the crew hands you aboard. This is the part people photograph.
3. Motor through the reef, then sail. The engines push through the surf line, the sails go up, and the engines go off. Grab a drink and claim a spot on the bow net.
4. Out past Diamond Head. The boat sails east along the beach, with the hotels, the Royal Hawaiian’s pink walls and the crater lit from the side. Turtles surface off the reef; whales spout in winter.
5. Sunset. The captain turns the bow west for the sun going down behind the Waiʻanae range. Everyone goes quiet for a minute.
6. The lights come on. The sail home faces the beach as the hotels and the Diamond Head lighthouse light up. Tiki torches, the sound of the surf, a last drink.
7. Back onto the sand. The catamaran runs up the beach and you wade ashore with the whole evening ahead of you.

Prices and what you get

From $80 per person plus tax and booking fees, with the open bar included for the full sail. Kamaʻāina and military rates are available from the operator. The Friday fireworks sail and the morning turtle snorkel sail are separate trips on the same boat.

For a sunset with drinks included and no transportation, nothing else in Waikiki comes close on price.

Who it’s for (and who should skip it)

Everyone. Couples, families, groups of friends, solo travelers who want to meet people, grandparents who can manage a few steps through the water. It is the easiest evening on this list.

Skip it if you need step-free boarding; the beach launch is through the water. If you want dinner on board, book a harbor dinner cruise instead and come back to this one for the sail.

Where to check in and how to get there

The Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort is at 2169 Kalia Road, at the Fort DeRussy end of Waikiki Beach, next to the Halekulani. From the Hilton Hawaiian Village it is a five-minute walk; from the Moana Surfrider or the Hyatt about fifteen along the beach. Check in at the operator’s beach office inside the resort. There is no parking to worry about and no shuttle; if you are staying outside Waikiki, a rideshare to the Outrigger Reef is the move.

Best time to go

Time of day. It is a sunset sail, so the time is set by the sun: roughly 5 pm in winter and 5:30 in summer. Arrive 20 minutes early.

Time of year. Every evening of the year. December through April for whale spouts at golden hour. Summer for the longest, warmest evenings. Fridays for the fireworks on the beach afterward.

Local tips before you book

• Sit on the bow net. It is the best seat and it gets splashed; put your phone in your pocket when the boat turns.
• Eat first. There is no food on board. The beach bars at the Outrigger Reef and the Hilton are steps away.
• Book a Friday. Sunset sail at 5:30, fireworks over the beach at 7:45 from the sand. The best Waikiki evening for the money.
• Bring a layer. The trades after sunset feel cold when you are damp.
• Pair it with the morning. Parasail or snorkel Turtle Canyon in the morning, beach all afternoon, sunset sail at 5:30. For the rest of the week, see our things to do in Waikiki guide.

The verdict

The easiest great evening in Waikiki: walk down the beach, wade aboard, open bar, Diamond Head going gold and the lights coming on behind you. Book a Friday, sit on the bow, and eat before you go.