When you’re looking ahead to a brand-new year and you’re excited to plan a one-of-a-kind trip for 2025 alongside family and friends, there’s no more beautiful place to enjoy than Waikoloa. Situated on Hawaii’s Big Island, Waikoloa is truly a dream vacation come to life for those who can’t wait to spend as much time as possible on the shoreline, soaking up the sun and enjoying stunning natural beauty everywhere they turn. With so many exciting things to do in Waikoloa, this destination caters to solo travelers seeking much-needed downtime, couples on romantic getaways, and groups eager to make unforgettable memories. Options to customize your stay according to your personal travel preferences are seemingly endless!
A 2025 getaway to Waikoloa is a chance to explore an array of beautiful beaches that have earned their reputation for excellence due to high standards of cleanliness and surrounding waters that are ideal for everything from swimming to snorkeling and diving as well. The beaches of Waikoloa offer travelers a terrific place to capture gorgeous sunsets on camera, and the sunrises here are equally impressive. Waikoloa is a vacation destination on the map that calls to those who long to learn more about the island’s rich history with opportunities to attend traditional luaus, visit petroglyph fields, and stop into shops where handcrafted and traditional works of art are on display too. If you happen to be a traveler with a passion for golf in place, your trip this way in 2025 can be filled with tee times at some of the area’s most alluring golf courses. Whether you make your way to King’s Golf Course to enjoy a scenic challenge or plan to make a day of it at Waikoloa Beach Golf Course, you’ll likely find yourself longing to return a time or two during your visit.
A trip to Waikoloa in the new year just wouldn’t be complete without time set aside on the itinerary for outdoor adventures like a visit to nearby Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, or time spent trekking through the Kohala Mountains in pursuit of hidden away gems like cascading waterfalls within the lush tropical foliage. While Waikoloa is known for its mesmerizing geologic features, it’s also a place that puts its visitors within reach of incredible marine life like sea turtles, manta rays, dolphins, and whales. After you’ve had time to enjoy all of the outdoor adventures available across Waikoloa, you’ll be delighted to find that your 2025 journey this way can also include plenty of in-town entertainment. This beautiful vacation destination is a great place to enjoy fantastic eateries, shop local markets, or spend some time indulging in retail therapy at places like the Kings’ Shops and Queens’ Market Place. No matter what it may be that brings you to Hawaii, how long you stay, or when you arrive, the following 2025 preview to Waikoloa is a great starting point when you’re looking to make the most of every single moment you’re here.
Waikoloa Events to Look Forward to in 2025
Each year, the annual event calendar in Waikoloa is brimming over with inviting festivities, celebrations, and gatherings for locals and visitors alike to attend. When you’re making plans to head this way in 2025, you’ll find there is a lot to look forward to that’s worth adding to your itinerary when you’re here! The Lunar New Year celebration hosted at the Queens’ Marketplace in Waikoloa is always a fan-favorite celebration that doesn’t cost a thing to attend and puts a spotlight on the festivities for everyone. When you attend the Lunar New Year celebration, you can expect live music, traditional costumes hailing from Japan and China, as well as Koto performances on the event lineup. There’s a traditional Lion Dance to watch as well that includes incredible acrobatic feats that are sure to impress.
The Waikoloa Lei Day Festival is another event to look forward to enjoying and experiencing in 2025 if your travel plans bring you to the island between April and May. This festival is a fantastic homage to a traditional art form that celebrates lei-making in all its intricate beauty. There are free lei-making workshops on the agenda and sidewalk sales are typically on at Kings’ Shop and Queens’ Marketplace too during this time of year. There’s a full craft fair to check out as part of the annual Lei Day Festival in Waikoloa, and a lot of live music to enjoy along the way. While the Keiki activities are always a treat, you won’t want to miss out on the many hula performances that are part of this festival either.
If you want to make sure you include an event for a good cause on your 2025 Waikoloa to-do list, make sure to schedule your trip around the annual Charity Walk here. This is hosted each year in May by the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association and has been a staple event in the area for more than 40 years. Participants have family and friends sponsor their walk and proceeds go to nonprofit organizations across the island. Following the walk, participants are invited to enjoy a silent auction, Keiki activities, live music, and fantastic food options as well. It’s a great experience and a terrific way to give back to the vacation destination you’ve come to enjoy.
For travelers heading to Waikoloa who are looking for routes to running their way to fun when they visit in 2025, there are two competitive Waikoloa events on the calendar that are must-do activities. The first is the Lavaman Triathlon hosted each April that begins at Anaeho’omalu Bay. It’s part of the greater annual Lavaman Weekend that includes a 5K Lavaman Sunset run starting at the Queens’ Marketplace and taking athletes through the Waikoloa Beach Resort. The Kona Marathon is also a great option to add to your lineup in June and it’s hosted at Waikoloa Beach Resort as well. The race begins and ends at the Queens’ Gardens and the stunning route views inevitably bring in athletes from across the map.
Things to Do in Waikoloa to Boost the Fun of Your 2025 Itinerary
While there’s no shortage of events to look forward to in 2025, your trip comes with opportunities to add things to do in Waikoloa of all types to your agenda depending on your interests. For many travelers heading this way, a stop at Kalahuipua’a Historic Park is an activity that sits at the top of the to-do list with good reason. This park takes visitors back in time to the days of ancient Hawaii as you hike a 1-mile paved trail through lava fields. You’ll encounter a lava tube along the way as well as fishponds that circle ancient petroglyphs. This area was once frequented exclusively by Hawaii’s royalty but today, it’s a place within the Mauna Lani Resort that’s available to be visited by all. It’s a must-see locale if you want to really learn more about the Big Island’s unique history.
Yet another place to make sure you visit while you’re in Waikoloa in 2025 is the iconic Petroglyph Preserve. Your dive into ancient history continues here as you make the most of afternoons exploring two parks set up to preserve the local petroglyph fields. During your visit, you’ll have a chance to admire carvings in the surrounding lava rock that date back hundreds of years, if not further back in time. There’s a half-mile trail that takes you through the park for a comprehensive overview and swings by the Waikoloa Hotel’s golf course along the way. It’s a spectacularly preserved petroglyph field that’s sure to inspire everyone in your traveling group.
When you want to add a truly unique stop to your list during your Waikoloa journey in 2025, you’ll need to make sure to make your way to Black Sand Beach at least once. This geologic phenomenon is a sight to behold and is sometimes referred to by locals as Waikoloa Beach 49 or Honoka’ope Beach. You’ll find Black Sand Beach on the shores of Honoka’ope Bay, and it has the distinct privilege of being the only beach of its kind on the Kohala Coast or in all of Waikoloa. It’s a popular destination for snorkeling and swimming thanks to a robust population of colorful fish, eels, and turtles in the surrounding waters. Getting to Black Sand Beach as early as possible in the day is highly recommended as it can fill up quickly depending on the season you travel this way. Additionally, as the day progresses, the black sand absorbs heat at a faster rate than white sand, making for a toasty experience for your feet. Be sure to pack wet shoes so the lava rocks in the water don’t get the best of you while you explore, and be sure to note that you can enter this beach from the Mauna Lani Resort.
Another unique feature of the island that you can take time to admire during your Waikoloa stay in 2025 is the Anchialine Ponds. These stunning geologic features form where underground lava tubes have been exposed to fresh and saltwater alike. The subsequent formation of Anchialine Ponds become prime habitats for local wildlife like crimson shrimp, crabs, and mollusks. These ponds are protected, so you’ll want to be sure to avoid touching them, but do feel free to grab your camera and capture the beautiful moment on film!
If you’re up for enjoying an underwater adventure during your Waikoloa getaway, booking a snorkeling tour through the team at Hawaii Nautical is always a good choice. They offer tours that leave each day of the week at 9:00 am and have passengers setting off for underwater fun onboard a 54-foot catamaran. These tours are typically 3 hours long and include dolphin spotting year-round as well as whale watching in the winter season. You can book a tour that includes a deli-style lunch and non-alcoholic beverages as well. Making the experience even easier is the fact that the gear you need to make the most of your snorkeling experience is included in the cost of the tour.
For outdoor adventures in Waikoloa, be sure to make your way to the Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area during your stay which is only a short drive away from the center of town. The beach here is pristine, the waters are great for swimming, and it’s a popular place to enjoy a picnic lunch alongside family and friends. Afterward, you can add a dinner at the Lava Lava Beach Club to your must-try list. This vibrant eatery boasts some of the best sunsets around and is the perfect place to pair a meal with options to admire local tide pools too. They often host live musical entertainment on-site and their menu features everything from traditional Hawaiian dishes to handcrafted cocktails too.
Restaurants to Check Out in 2025
While places like the Lava Lava Beach Club have long been delightful destinations for visitors to Waikoloa to enjoy a meal, there are a few new eateries on the horizon to look forward to enjoying in 2025. Dukes Restaurant at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa is slated to open in late 2025 and will be the 9th restaurant opened by its parent company Maui T.S. Restaurants across Hawaii. There’s also a new restaurant and bar coming to Waikoloa Village named Sips Café, Bar, and Shop that will be opening this year at Waikoloa Plaza and serve up café drinks and bites in a welcoming setting.
Book Your Island Getaway Soon!
Making every moment of your Waikoloa getaway count in 2025 starts with booking beautiful island accommodations through the team at iTravel Vacation Homes. Let us help you make sure you get settled into a rental that keeps you close to the activities, attractions, and places you can’t wait to explore while offering up accommodations that are infused with elevated standards of luxury, comfort, convenience, and style too. We’ll handle the details while you focus on the fun ahead—exactly as it should be when you set your travel sights on Hawaii. Reach out today to learn more about our versatile Waikoloa rentals available and how we can help you put together a journey to Waikoloa in 2025 that you won’t soon forget. We can’t wait to welcome you to the island soon!
