Many people go to Hawaii to celebrate romance. Hawaii is a great place to get married, honeymoon, and celebrate a wedding anniversary. So if you have any of those events coming up or you’re looking for ways to rekindle the flame with your partner, here are some top ideas for romantic things to do in Hawaii.
1. Take in a beautiful sunset.
There’s really nothing much more romantic than sitting beside each other to watch the sun sink into the ocean. Make watching sunset even more memorable with a sunset cruise/sail or a picnic at a beach. Some hotels can prepare a picnic basket for you. Alternatively, it’s easy to pick up picnic supplies at one of the local grocery stores. Make sure you don’t just pack up and leave as soon as the sun is down. Watch for the amazing colors of the sky after sunset for an even more memorable sunset.
If you are on Maui, consider going to Haleakala to watch sunrise. There’s something very special and romantic about watching sunrise on Haleakala when you are snuggling up to your sweetheart under a blanket.
2. Take a helicopter ride to discover the islands from the air.
If you ever watch those “searching for love” reality shows like The Bachelor, you’ll notice at some point along the show, a couple will go on a helicopter tour. There’s a buzz that you get from seeing the beautiful islands from a different perspective. When you get to share a helicopter tour with your sweetie, it makes it even more special. Be sure to read and follow these Hawaii helicopter tour tips.
3. Arrange for an ocean side couples massage.
Imagine the bliss of side by side massages on a beach while you listen to the waves crash on the shore. Ah! Make sure you read my Hawaiian spa advice before you book your massage.
4. Go horseback riding.
There are some fantastic places to go horseback riding in Hawaii – in rainforests, rolling hills, valleys, and beaches.
5. Go stargazing.
On a moonless night, Hawaii’s skies sparkle with an incredible array of stars. To stargaze, you can either find a secluded spot with limited surrounding light or take a guided tour.
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I hope you’ll use these suggestions to make your Hawaiian vacation, honeymoon or anniversary even more special. For you folks who are also romantics at heart, what other suggestions would you add? Please share them in the comments and please keep them G-rated. 😉
Sheila Beal
29 comments
Great list Sheila. Nothing beats walking along the beach and then plopping down to enjoy the sunset at random. On Kauai, we walked along Poipu beach until we reached a hotel (Marriott? I forget) that had an outdoor patio with live music. We sat and watched the sunset, listening to live music, and enjoyed every minute. 🙂
Hi Jim – ah…that sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing that!
You know I almost listed having appetizers (pupus) while listening to live Hawaiian music in a hotel lanai.
Until going to Hawaii, I had no idea that pupu platters, in chinese restaurants, had a Hawaiian origin…
…and they taste a whole lot better than the sound of the name implies. 🙂
@Sheila – that might be the crappiest comment evah! 😛
@Andy – oh stop it, king of potty jokes. 🙂
wow that was horrible 🙂
Sometimes Hawaii is painfully romantic.
I lived in Waikiki when I first moved to Hawaii. It was the loneliest time in my life because I was alone and the place is so romantic. Couples on romantic vacations are everywhere. Same with the Tiki torches, etc… I would walk down to the beach by myself at sunset sometimes for a swim after work and get very depressed because I felt like I was the only person on the beach who wasn’t celebrating some sort of romantic occasion. Of course all that changed when I met my wife. 🙂
After all these years, the romantic atmosphere in Waikiki hasn’t diminished at all. Walking down the beach with my wife at sunset is just as magical as it ever was.
Hey Dave – I’ve never thought that Waikiki could be such a lonely place, but that makes total sense. I’m glad you have your sweetie to share such a beautiful place with now.
Ah, and don’t get me started with tiki torches by the beach at night. 🙂 What makes them so unbelievably romantic? I love them!
I’m all for a combo of #1 and #5, both made for West Maui. Have a nice dinner right along the beach and enjoy the sunset as you sip a cool tropical drink and share a slice of Hula Pie. Then, follow it up with a nighttime stroll under the stars on the beach and try to see who can spot the most shooting stars.
No Ka ‘Oi, for sure.
Hi Kris – and the best news of all is that combos #1 and #5 are on the value menu. 🙂
Sounds like we’re all on the same page. Hawaii ROCKS for romance!
Hi Sheila,
This website is fantastic! My fiance and I are planning a trip to Hawaii for our Honeymoon. We’ve settled on the Big Island for part of the trip and we’re debating between Lanai (for luxury and relaxation) and Kauai (luxury but just more activities?). I’ve heard wonderful things about both but I’m really torn for some reason. Do you have an opinion on which way we should go? Any advice would be appreciated…
Thanks!
Kara
Hi Kara,
I’m glad you are enjoying the articles here on Go Visit Hawaii! Thanks for the feedback!
Oh boy…Lanai vs. Kauai? The good news is that you can’t make a bad decision. Each island is unique. It’s definitely not the case that if you’ve seen one Hawaiian Island you’ve seen them all.
What time of year are you planning your honeymoon to Hawaii? I might be able to give you some better insight based on the month. Also, much time are you planning on spending on the Big Island and to either Lanai or Kauai?
You are absolutely right, Lanai is more for luxury and relaxation and less about activities. That being said, Maui is just a 45 minute ferry ride away for tons of activities.
In my opinion, Kauai is more picturesque than Lanai and there’s excellent sight-seeing throughout the island. If you’ve never been, I’d probably lean a bit more towards Kauai.
Hope this helps….will look forward to hearing more about your plans.
Thanks for the insight, Sheila! I’ve only been to Oahu (a long time ago) and my fiance has never been to Hawaii so we definitely have a lot to explore. We would spend 6 nights on Kona during the very last part of June / beginning of July and then 5 or 6 nights in Kauai or Lanai (or maybe the reverse). I’m trying to figure out if Kauai is just a better mix of luxury and activities (thoughts on the Hyatt?) or if the 4 Seasons on Lenai is worth it.
Kara,
OK, based on June/July time frame, that rules out any rain issues.
Here’s my review of the Four Seasons @ Manele Bay https://www.govisithawaii.com /2007/12/31/review-of-four-seasons-resort-lanai-at-manele-bay/
I haven’t stayed at the Hyatt in Kauai, but I’ve dined there and checked out the spa. The grounds are very pretty and the spa is top notch and award winning.
You can relax as much as you want on either island, but Lanai does have much less to do and see as compared to Kauai.
Also be sure to check out TripAdvisor reviews.
Again, you can’t really make a bad choice, but if I were in your shoes, I’d select Kauai over Lanai for a honeymoon, but do leave Lanai on your list of places to visit….maybe for a 1 year anniversary trip. 🙂
oops…looks like there was a problem with that link….let me relink here:
https://govisithawaii.com/2007/12/31/review-of-four-seasons-resort-lanai-at-manele-bay/
Sheila – you’ve been sooo helpful. The Manele Bay review especially! It sounds like you’re an expert when it comes to Hawaii so I think we’ll go with Kauai based on your recommendation. Thank you!
Kara,
Kauai is gorgeous and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
BTW, if you’ve not already done so, consider subscribing to this blog for free daily updates on what’s happening on the islands and what to see and where to eat.
https://govisithawaii.com/2008/04/20/are-you-subscribed-to-go-visit-hawaii/
Also, don’t miss these sights/activities: https://govisithawaii.com/2007/10/09/best-free-activities-on-kauai/
Have fun honeymoon planning!
Thanks Sheila! One more question… Kauai over Maui? Loaded question I guess 😉
Kara – Kauai vs. Maui is a coin flipper! In general, I think it’s less expensive to stay in Kauai (average hotel rates are less compared to Maui), so your honeymoon budget will stretch further.
Tell me the types of things that you all like to do and maybe that will give me a better idea of which island suits you.
Hi Sheila,
This blog is great. I am going on my honeymoon to Hawaii in mid-April. We have 10 days for the honeymoon, but I haven’t done any planning yet. Yikes! Its the first time for both of us going out there. What island(s) would you recommend we hit if we only had 10 days. We’re both interested in the star gazing nights, sunrise walks, long drives, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Aloha Keeedz – You’ve made a great choice in selecting Hawaii for your honeymoon.
For 10 days, I suggest you visit no more than two islands. For star gazing – you’re best choices would be Maui or the Big Island. Based on what you’ve mentioned you’d like to do, I do think Maui would be a great fit.
Logistically, Oahu makes sense to visit as well. the reason being is that most inter-island flights originate and connect out of Honolulu (HNL) airport. On Oahu, I’d suggest staying on the North Shore at Turtle Bay or on the West at Ko’Olina.
Happy honeymoon planning!
Aloha,
We are planning our Honeymoon in Hawaii for mid to late September and trying to decide where to stay and which islands to visit. I like the outdoors and want to be sure there is a balance of things to do versus relaxing. We are planning on staying 9 or 10 days. I have been to Honolulu before. I agree that two islands is the right amount. We are interested in helicopter rides, horseback rides, parasailing, dinner cruises, hiking/nature, spa and pool/beach. Any advice is appreciated!
Hi Tiffany – September is a great time to visit Hawaii — the summer crowds are gone, the weather is great, and the prices are usually excellent. Based on the things you mentioned that you’d like to do, I would say that Maui and/or Kauai would be your best bets, although you can’t make a bad choice. I think Kauai is particularly good for hiking and helicopter rides and they have some neat horseback riding tours up in Princeville. Maui has the best spas, in my opinion. Let us know what you decide!
One of the best memories I ever had was sitting at a resturaunt called Huhumuhumunukunukapua’a that is located in the Grand Wailea. We sipped one of those Hawaiian drinks made for two and watched the sun as it went lower…lower…lower into the ocean. This was on our 5th wedding anniversary. This October we are returning to Maui to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary…and I am very excited. We can’t afford the Grand Wailea anymore…kids…tuition…foot…but I am sure that wherever we go it will be a romantic time. May go back to have one of those drinks though…I think it was called the “volcano”. I would go to Maui in September…Kauai can have rain…although we were married in Kauai in October of 89 and it was beautiful…about 2 weeks before Iniki came through and destroyed a lot of the island. Best wishes.
Hi Marie – I know exactly where that restaurant is. One of the great things about Hawaii is that there’s so many beach front restaurants in high-end resorts. So, if you can’t afford staying in the fancy hotels (like me) then you can have dinner or a drink there and get to experience fancy resort for a few hours without having to pay for an expensive stay. On our last trip to Oahu, we would go over to the very swank House Without a Key at the very posh Halekulani to listen to the live music at sunset. They gave us free chips and all we had to do was buy a couple of cocktails. It was wonderful.
I hope you have a great visit to celebrate your 20th wedding anniversary!
Hi there
Can anymore recomend a great place to book a couple massage on the beach in Waikiki?
alayyna – with Waikiki being such a lively and popular beach, I’m not aware of any spa that offers a a couples massage “on” the beach. I checked with my friends at the Oahu Visitors Bureau to see if they knew of any and they didn’t either. They did mention that the spa at the Royal Hawaiian has private garden cabanas for massages. I’ll try to see if this link to a virtual tour of those private cabanas: http://mediaserver.vrxstudios.com/flash/app/flashviewer.htm?id=616.81999&template=79#
Hi,
Me and my dad are planing to supprize my mOm by sending her and hI’m to Honolulu for there 25th anniversary. There aneversary is on valentina day any romantic Ideas?