Bring the Kids: Kualoa Ranch
While looking at the Kualoa Ranch website, you may notice that a lot of the activities require a certain age to participate. For parents, that might feel like the first road block. If kids can't go too, then that typically means I would have to carve out an entire day for myself, find childcare, justify it in my head, and then by that point I've pretty much changed my mind. Not worth it. So the big question here;
Can you bring kids to Kualoa Ranch?
The answer is YES!
But what can the kids actually participate in at the Ranch? Here's a breakdown (as of August 2021):
GREEN means children of all ages may participate - Infant friendly. Blue means children 3 years and older may participate. Yellow means older children may participate, but not younger. Red means no one under 18 can participate.
Jurassic Adventure
Ages 3+ only! "Buckle up and enjoy this bumpy rainforest trek to visit sets from Jurassic World like the Indominus Rex paddock with its 60 foot walls, the bunkers and authentic dinosaur cages used in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Visit the most famous field of all the Jurassic franchise, where the dinosaurs run through the prairie in Jurassic Park. You’ll be driven in our 16 passenger open-air custom vehicles which will give you the best 360 degree panoramic views!"
ATV Tour
"Kualoa’s multi-passenger Raptor vehicles are a great way to see Kualoa up close and personal! On this guided tour you will drive your own vehicle for the tour. The one hour tour will take you over a saddle trail to visit movie sites located on our beautiful 1,000-acre Kaʻaʻawa “Jurassic” Valley. See where over 200 Hollywood Movie’s and TV shows have been filmed over the past 75 years. Minimum passenger age is 5 years. Minimum driver age is 21."
Hollywood Movie Sites Tour
Jurassic Valley Zipline
This one does not have an age requirement, however it does have a SIZE requirement, which is typically geared towards older children, at a minimum of 70 pounds. "Our amazing Jurassic Valley Zipline Tour begins at the top of tour spectacular Ka’a’awa Valley with 7 exciting tandem sections, a suspension bridge and 3 short hiking nature trails about 5 minutes in length. The total tour, including roundtrip out to the valley, takes about 2.5 hours. Our ziplines range from 200 feet up to a quarter of a mile in length! Guests will learn about Hawaiian traditions and zip through native flora and fauna. Each zipline provides a new cultural experience and learning opportunity for our guests."
Electric Mountain Bike Tour
Minimum age is 10 years old. "Explore Kualoa on a peddle assisted e-Mountain Bike guided tour for an eco-friendly experience. Get close to nature on state-of-the-art eBikes which can give you an assist whenever you decide. One- and two-hour tour options are available on the daily tours. Tour time includes safety briefing."
Horseback Walking Tour
Minimum Age is 10 years old. I did this one with my sister-in-law while she was visiting, and we had so much fun - but I couldn't imagine doing this with my kids, even if they were allowed. No riding experience is necessary, but I found it very enjoyable even being an advanced rider. Helmets are provided for those who feel more comfortable wearing them, but also aren't necessary. "Kualoa’s two-hour horseback walking tour offers guests the opportunity to experience the spectacular scenery of our amazing Ka’a’awa “Jurassic” valley. PLEASE NOTE: For the protection of our horses, we have a maximum guest weight allowable of 230 pounds (104 kg). All guests on this tour will be weighed at check-in."
Jungle Expedition
The Minimum age for this is 3 years old, HOWEVER, I went on this with my sister-in-law, and it was CRAZY. Maybe it was just our driver, but I would not have felt safe with my younger children in the open air vehicle. It's VERY bumpy, fast, and there were multiple times we had to brace ourselves to keep from being flung every which way. It was really fun, but I wouldn't bring small children unless you are confident in your abilities to keep them from bouncing out of the vehicle! "Buckle up for an adventurous and rugged open-air Jungle Jeep Expedition deep into our beautiful Jurassic rainforest. This lush and tropical valley was seen in Jurassic World, Kong Skull Island and Jumanji. Guests board one of our custom built, 16 passenger jungle vehicles for a 90 minute tour that rumbles through along jungle trails, across isolated stream beds and powers up steep, bumpy hills for many spectacular views of the valleys and ocean."
Secret Island Beach
"Our Secret Island Beach Adventure is an ideal place to relax and spend the day with family and friends and toy around with lots of water sports equipment and beach games. Why rent a kayak in Waikiki for $80 an hour when you can try out kayaks, paddle boards, canoes and a catamaran. Our beach day of fun is available as a morning adventure from 8:30am to 11:30am; an afternoon adventure from 11:45am to 2:45pm or spend all day here from 8:30am – 2:45pm and we’ll include lunch."
Mālama 'Āina (care for the land) Experience
Minimum Age is 5 years old. "This hand’s on experience teaches the importance of sustainability and the streams as they feed the loʻi down through the valleys and into the ocean. Learn about how important kalo was to the Hawaiian people for sustenance and its cultural tie-in to Kualoa. Depending on need, activities can include thatching of traditional Hawaiian hale (grass huts) … assisting with cleaning, planting, harvesting the kalo (taro) … or mālama of the laʻau lapaʻau (medicinal plants). Appropriate beach wear needed and guests should bring a towel as they will be able to rinse off in the ocean or in one of the streams."
Taste of Kualoa Farm Tour
Children under 3 years old are free - Infant friendly! "Our Kualoa Farms Trolley Tour allows guests to see the beauty and tranquility of one of Oahu’s most well-preserved ancient Hawaiian fishponds (Moli’i), which is carbon-dated at between 800 and 1,000 years old. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior, you’ll get to learn about early Hawaiian aquaculture practices and how fish was farmed in this 153-acre actively farmed fishpond, still standing with much of the original stonewall infrastructure in place. Guests will travel on a Trolley to explore the tropical fruit and flower gardens of Moli’i along the shores fronting our “Secret Island.” Admire the accomplishments of the early Hawaiians as the rich stories of the voyaging canoe and ancient fishpond unfold."
Ocean Voyage Adventure
Fun for the whole family! The Catamaran has an upper deck where it can be slippery and the railing no more than bars, but it also has a lower, covered deck with windows instead if you happen to have a child that would be safer in a more contained environment. We LOVED this one too! We happened to go on a very rainy day, so the water was like a roller coaster, but it was still very fun, we got stunning views, and even saw sea turtles! "Enjoy a catamaran tour on Oahu’s beautiful Kaneohe Bay and see the spectacular mountain views of the sacred Kanehoalani mountain. Depart out of Moli’i dock over to “Secret Island” where you will board our 49-passenger catamaran for your tour. See the famous and iconic Mokoli’i Island (Chinaman’s Hat) and Hokule’a Beach – the ceremonial home of Hawaii’s Hokule’a double hulled canoe. If you’re lucky you may also see turtles feeding depending on the time of day."
BONUS: Animal Enclosure and Ranch Sites
Besides the tours, there are several FREE activities to do while waiting for others on a tour, or waiting for your tour to start. They have a Farm Animal exhibit near the visitors waiting area, where you can hang out with a giant tortoise, see cows, roosters, pigs, and goats! There are lots of horses to pet near the corral too. There is a Hawaiian History Hall mini-museum with some cool Hawaiian artifacts, the Judd Theatre with a history of Kualoa short video, Aunty Pat’s Cafe, the Visitor Center Gift Shop and even a Sculpture Garden to stroll through.
In conclusion, you can absolutely take your kids to Kualoa Ranch and have an amazing time there!
