These Are The Absolute Best Luaus In Maui, According To Reviews

Hawaii's history dates back to long before the United States procured the islands for its westward military expansion. The first settlers sailed east from the Marquesas Islands, making landfall sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries AD. In the time after, the settlers cultivated their own culture, taking inspiration from the Pacific Islanders who crossed the 2,000 miles of ocean for their new home. Though a contemporary city like Honolulu, which caters heavily to mainland tourism, may appear to have lost some of that culture, islands like Maui have retained it and imbued some of it into evening experiences designed to celebrate the island's history and the traditions locals have been following for centuries.

Luaus can be mistaken for overly touristy ventures designed to give visitors an artificial taste of Hawaiian culture. However, Maui is home to several that use King Kamehameha II's traditional feast of unity to celebrate island customs, convey ancient mythology, and share exquisite Hawaiian fare. Finding the best of these can be a gamble, though, especially since some are designed without the authenticity of a real Hawaiian luau and fail to deliver a memorable night.

To narrow down the best luaus in Maui, we turned to reviews from travelers who have experienced them firsthand. By reading through personal experiences and tallying review scores across outlets like Tripadvisor and Viator, we've cultivated a list of Maui luaus that should be on your list of "musts" during your time on the Valley Isle.

As the waters of Kealaikahiki Channel crash on the shores of Wailea, attendees of the Te Au Moana Luau enjoy a feast of family-style dining. As Dining Maui notes in their review, the Marriott-run event takes "luau food to the next level!" Though the review focuses on the cuisine, it helps paint a picture of authenticity to elevate the evening as one of Maui's best luaus. The review raves about the "perfectly cooked" kalbi short ribs and traditional kalua pork and alludes to the amount of food served, stating, "Everyone at our table had their fill, and some food was still left over."

Tripadvisor reviews share similar praise, with one traveler calling the food and entertainment "incredible." A few reviews even commented on the family-style service, which was better received than buffet-style setups, which can cause chaos and confusion. On Tripadvisor, the luau scores 4.5 stars from just under 1,300 reviews. It's also the site's second choice for theater and concerts in Wailea.

Google reviews for Marriott's luau are also fairly high, with a 4.6-star rating across more than 850 reviews. One Local Guide chose it as their first luau experience and praised the entertainment, stating, "The show was amazing from start to finish." One concern with any event, especially one taking place beachside, is accessibility. Thankfully, another review on Google confirmed that the luau provides golf carts for disabled or mobility-challenged guests.

A Tripadvisor favorite, the Old Lahaina Lu'au, located near the outskirts of Lahaina, has earned much praise from its visitors. In the site's top three Lahaina theaters and concerts, this dinner production fuses good, authentic food with live entertainment designed to introduce travelers to the island culture. Lending to the evening's visual authenticity, the backdrop is either the Au'au Channel, with the island of Lanai set off in the distance, or the looming peaks of Pu'u Kukui.

Reviews of the evening affair are quite positive, with phrases like "wonderful evening" and "food was great" emphasized as popular mentions by Tripadvisor. One photo-heavy 5-star review of the evening showcased vibrant plates of local flavors, each dish looking less like it was cooked before the event and more like it was made to order. Google reviews of the luau are also quite positive, with the Maui event scoring 4.7 stars across over 4,100 reviews. A Local Guide on Google started their review by touting Old Lahaina Lu'au as "one of the most entertaining experiences" they had on Maui.

According to the luau's website, Old Lahaina is the "most authentic luau in Maui," offering a sensory experience of music and delicious food. Another Google Local Guide, who has attended three times across multiple visits, corroborates these claims, stating that "pulled pork" is the star of the evening.

On Tripadvisor and Google, the Drums of the Pacific Lu'au on the outskirts of Kaanapali sits at a comfortable 4.0 stars. Tripadvisor's rating is based on over 2,500 reviews, which praise the live production that highlights Hawaiian culture and the fantastic food. One reviewer noted that the food was not only "plentiful and delicious" but really spotlighted the live show, calling it "one to remember." Another called it a "must visit" while in Maui, particularly for families, as it's kid-friendly and easy to follow along.

Drums of the Pacific's Google reviews are just as positive, with one Local Guide reaffirming that the show is for the whole family. To their amazement, even the cultural and historical aspects of the show kept their 18- and 16-year-old children interested and engaged. A few 5-star reviews did mention that the luau was expensive, but they remained excited about the performances, food, and staff, which they said were worth the higher price.

Accolades for the Drums of the Pacific Luau extend beyond visitor reviews, too. The luau was named the "Silver Best Lu'au" in 2019 by Maui No Ka Oi Magazine. It also won the "Silver Best Lu'au" award for the 2019 Aipono Awards and earned Tripadvisors "Certificate of Excellence" for 2017. As Maui's longest-running luau, Drums of the Pacific has had time to fine-tune its production, which it has done in order to more fully explore Polynesian culture across the Pacific Islands.

One of the most essential parts of a luau is the food. It's the centerpiece before the live entertainment really kicks off and serves as a unique window into island culture. According to Dining Maui, the food is just one aspect of the Grand Wailea Luau that's executed with the care and precision needed to fulfill its purpose. Though Dining Maui tends to focus on the food, its review starts with a rundown of the full experience to complement the manicured grounds on the Grand Wailea Resort's oceanfront lawn, including the traditional pre-show and authentic production, complete with fire dancers.

The Grand Wailea Luau secured a 4-star rating on Tripadvisor from over 990 reviews, more than a third of those being 5-star recommendations. Though there's mention of its higher price, visitors still enjoyed the overall experience. One review called the food "good and plentiful," stating specifically that the "pork and poke were awesome." A 4-star review also noted the expense but felt the local artisans, delicious food, and live production made it worth the price.

The resort's luau puts forward an extensive menu of appetizers, entrees, and desserts that all pull from Hawaiian culture. Though there's much to try, the kalua pig is the signature dish of any traditional luau, complimented by the taro-base poi bowl and classic Hawaiian sweet rolls. A Google Local Guide rated the food high, posing only one complaint: there was too much of it, and they weren't allowed to take a doggie bag home.

Boasting 4.5 stars from just over 1,000 reviews on Viator, the Maui Nui Luau at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa might be one of the more surprising quality luaus on the island. When you think of a resort experience, you likely expect something overly touristy that doesn't quite capture the beauty and importance of something as culturally significant as a luau. However, according to reviews, Maui Nui Luau handles the tradition quite well, with a self-serve buffet menu that's topped off with imu-cooked kalua pork and entertainment that focuses largely on the island's history.

Many reviews touch on how well the show handles telling the island's ancient lore and customs, even those who rank it as a sub-4-star experience overall. One 5-star review on Tripadvisor mentioned enjoying the live entertainment and "history behind the Hawaiian luau." Another wholly positive review praised the luau's MC for building humor and entertainment into the history, ensuring it appealed even to a younger crowd.

Located on the island's northwestern tip in Lahaina, the luau takes place along the shores of the Au'au Channel, lending to the event's visual authenticity. For Sheraton's efforts to create a traditional experience with quality food and entertainment, Maui Nui Luau earned Viator's "Badge of Excellence," indicating it met the site's high standard of quality and earned many accolades from users. It also landed in Tripadvisor's top five for the available theaters and concerts in Lahaina.

Choosing the five best luaus of Maui was all about finding five that catered to the whole point of a luau: introduce attendees to local culture and customs through an evening of delicious food and memorable entertainment. To get a sense of how well the luaus of Maui did this, we turned to the firsthand experiences of people who actually attended them. Finding the best wasn't just about looking at the overall review score, but finding a balance in reviews across Tripadvisor, Google, and Viator, including finding negative reviews that still had something positive to say. Overall, these five luaus seemed to garner the most acclaim in the areas that mattered most.