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How to Visit The Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii

Are you looking for kid-friendly things to do on Oahu? Keep scrolling to find out how to visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii.

Guest post by local Oahu mom Kate Tekurio

Are you looking for fun tourist attractions on Oahu? Below you’ll get the run down on how to visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii!

The Dole Plantation is one stop on Oahu you must make with your family for maximum fun and educational entertainment. You must see it at least once!

From the delicious Dole Whip ice cream to the intricate pineapple garden maze and train tour, there is something for everyone to enjoy! The Dole pineapple farm is great for families and those who would love to learn more about Hawaii.

Keep scrolling to find out how to visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii and my top tips for maximizing your trip.

If you’re looking for a new adventure or want some fresh ideas of things that are worth seeing while visiting Oahu, then keep reading. I have all kinds of suggestions just waiting here in this article!

And if you’re like me, then I know you’ll be excited about learning more about what makes the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii so special, too.

Ok, let’s get started!

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Where to Visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation

You’ll find the Dole Plantation in the central region of Oahu. It’s near the town of Wahiawa, right off the Kamehameha Highway. There are lots of other fruit orchards and coffee and cacao farms in this area.

Most guests to Oahu stay on the Leeward Coast or in the Honolulu/Waikiki areas. Whether you take a shuttle tour or drive a rental car from these areas, you’ll probably take H-1 and H-2 all the way there. If you need a visual, check out the map below.

Dole Plantation Hours

The Dole Pineapple Plantation is open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM every single day except Christmas. With these hours, you have the flexibility to go visit this Hawaiian pineapple plantation when your family is ready!

If you prefer exploring in the morning, this is a fun tourist attraction open earlier than most on the island. It is also great for those who prefer to visit in the afternoon! Enjoy a leisurely morning on the beach first, and then take your time getting to the Hawaii pineapple farm.

How Much Does It Cost to Go to the Dole Plantation? 

You can’t order Dole Plantation tickets in advance, and it is on a first-come, first-serve basis. This is a recent change due to the COVID-19 virus. 

This pineapple plantation in Hawaii has many free features you can explore. You can go for a walk around the farm and take a peek inside the gift shop without necessarily spending any money.

Image of the front of the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii.
Entrance to Dole Pineapple Plantation on Oahu.

There are only 3 main attractions that you are required to pay for:

  • The Pineapple Express Train
  • The Plantation Garden Tour
  • The Garden Maze

Each of these attractions costs a decent fee for adults and kids ages 4-12 years. But kids under 4 are free!

The Dole Plantation is a very cost-effective place for those vacationing in Hawaii on a budget. You can enjoy one activity on this farm and call it good! Even if you explore everything the Dole pineapple plantation Oahu offers, you are still only around $30 per adult, which is a lot cheaper than most tourist attractions on Oahu. 

How Long Does It Take to Go Through the Dole Plantation? 

If you want to explore every part of the Dole Plantation, you will want a few hours to visit it all. The garden tour takes about an hour, and the train ride is about 20 minutes. The maze will depend on how fast you can solve it, but you can usually finish it in around 40 minutes.

Ultimately, 2- to 3-hours is plenty of time to have fun and get some delicious Dole Whip Hawaii too!

Fun Things to Do at the Dole Plantation 

Here are some of the fun things to do while visiting the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Oahu! 

Dole Plantation Maze 

The pineapple maze Hawaii is actually the world’s largest maze! There are around 14,000 Hawaiian plants throughout the maze to enjoy. The Dole Pineapple Maze is 3 acres or 2.5 miles and will definitely take you and your family some time to complete. 

Photo credit: ©yooranpark/123RF.COM

There is a free Dole Plantation app that will make your experience even more fun! It will time you to see how fast you take to finish the pineapple garden maze and record all the stations you’ve found. Try to find all the maze stations for an extra bonus! 

Younger children may not have as much fun during this maze as it can take a long time. Toddlers will enjoy the train tour more than the maze. If you are visiting with teenagers, have a race to see who finishes first! 

The Dole pineapple factory Hawaii maze is definitely fun to enjoy at least once while you visit.

Pineapple Express Train Tour

This is a super fun activity for toddlers and kids! You can hop on a train ride to explore the pineapple fields in Hawaii and see the amazement in their eyes! A narrator will guide you through a tour of the farm and teach you its history and lots of fun facts

One of the fun things to do at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii is ride on the Dole Plantation train ride.
Dole Plantation Train Ride.

This Dole pineapple plantation tour is 20 minutes long and will show 2 miles of the farm. Kids love riding on the train, especially as they get to see all the pineapple plants and hear the whistle! 

There are 4 different trains you can ride on, each with its own fun history. 

The Aloha Express Train is very similar to the full-size trains you see in the United States. It was built in China and has 3 passenger cars. 

The newest train for this Hawaii Dole Plantation tour is the Ohana Express Train. This train is very similar to the Aloha Express Train except for its colors. 

The Pineapple Express was built in England and has four-passenger cars it hauls. This one is all yellow, of course! Finally, Lady Liberty came to the Dole Plantation for the Hawaii pineapple tour in 2003. This one is a beautiful red and our favorite! 

Each train is an adventure on its own! No matter what train you get, you are in for a fun ride through the pineapple farm! Children will love to ride on a miniature train built just for them! 

Book a Family Photo Shoot

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Dole Plantation Garden Tour 

The Dole Plantation has 8 different gardens in total, and during the garden tour, you will be able to see them all! That’s what makes this Dole pineapple tour Oahu offers the best.

While they are most famous for their pineapples, the Dole Plantation has a lot more than just that! 

The 8 gardens you will see during your tour include: 

  • North Shore 
  • Hibiscus 
  • Native Species
  • Lei 
  • Irrigation 
  • Bromeliads
  • Ti Leaf 
  • Life on the Plantation 

With the Garden Tour, you will see all the wonderful plants that make Hawaii unique and beautiful. You’ll see the cacao pods, plumeria flowers, pikake, pineapples, and so much more! 

Image of the pineapple fields at Dole Pineapple Plantation on Oahu.
See how pineapples grow.

In the early days, the North Shore was mainly sugarcane and pineapples. This tour shows it is much more than that now. Now you can see banana trees, lychee, coffee, flowers, mangoes, and so much more. This truly is the center of tropical beauty to explore. 

This Dole Plantation tour of Oahu is absolutely breathtaking and a great experience to enjoy seeing the beauties Hawaii has to offer. However, since it is an hour-long, many children may struggle during this tour, especially toddlers. But there are many other fun things that your toddlers will love! 

Whichever of the two Oahu plantation tours you decide to go on, you will see the tropical fruits and the pineapple field that will simply astound you.

Dole Plantation Store

The Dole Plantation gift shop is a great place to taste some delicious treats, including fresh pineapple, and get some great souvenirs

You will see so many fun pineapple treats and snacks inside the store, plus some you might be hesitant to try. From pineapple pancake mix to pineapple salsa, this is the perfect shop for pineapple lovers when visiting Hawaii! 

The Dole company in Hawaii has one of the biggest gift shops with fun souvenirs I’ve seen on Oahu. Everything is decorative and shows the true spirit of Hawaii. This would be a great place to get some fun Christmas gifts too! 

Dole Plantation Grille 

The famous Dole Plantation Dole Whip can be found at the Dole Plantation Grille. This ice cream is so refreshing and will satisfy all your taste buds! You can choose to have it on a cone, cup, or with toppings too. 

Dole Whip pineapple ice cream at Dole Plantation on Oahu
This is the famous Dole Plantation Dole Whip!

This Dole Plantation ice cream is something you definitely need to try if you go! You can also find it at a few other locations around the island. 

At the Grille, you will also find delicious teriyaki chicken, hot dogs, salads, and lots more good food. If you are adventurous, you can even try a pineapple chili bowl! Another fun Dole Plantation food is a chocolate-covered pineapple or banana. They are delicious! 

You cannot visit the pineapple plantation Oahu without getting something pineapple flavored!

Feeding the Fish and Ducks 

One of my toddler’s favorite activities was to feed the fish and ducks at the lake on the Dole Hawaii plantation farm. This costs less than a dollar and is totally worth it! There are countless fish who love to jump out of the water just to be fed. 

The food is in a quarter machine, so you can feed as much as you like! We spent a lot of our time here. There are even ducks who swim around and will eat as well. There is a gate around the pond to keep everyone safe. 

FAQs about How to Visit the Dole Pineapple Farm in Hawaii

How long does it take to get from Pearl Harbor to Dole Plantation?

A lot of people do Pearl Harbor and the Dole Plantation on the same day. They are about 25 minutes away from each other by car.

Are these the only pineapple fields in Hawaii?

No, there’s the Maui Gold plantation on Maui. There you can take a tour and explore the groves. Small pineapple farmers also grow fruit and sell it at local Hawaii farmer’s markets and roadside fruit stands!

Can I take a Dole Plantation tour?

Yes, there are a few Dole Plantation tours to choose from! They have the Pineapple Express train tour, as well as a garden tour available. You can also book an Oahu circle island tour that includes a stop at the Dole Plantation Hawaii.

What island is the Dole Plantation on?

The Hawaii Dole Plantation is on the island of Oahu, close to the North Shore. From Dole Plantation to North Shore, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

What is the biggest pineapple plantation in Hawaii?

The biggest pineapple plantation Hawaii offers is the Oahu Dole Plantation. It is 61 acres and was founded in 1950 by James Dole and was just a small fruit stand. Now it has eight different gardens, fresh pineapple galore, and one of the world’s largest maze!

Is there a Honolulu pineapple plantation?

There is no Honolulu pineapple farm; the only pineapple farm Oahu offers is the Dole Plantation. You can do a Dole Plantation tour from Waikiki. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get from Waikiki to Dole Plantation Oahu, Hawaii.

Is the Dole Plantation Worth it? 

There you have it, all the information you need on how to visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii! It’s definitely worth it if you love learning about agriculture and the history of pineapples and Hawaii. You’ll learn so much during your visit, but through hands-on experiences and lots of fun, you won’t even feel like you are learning! 

If you have very young kids, you can still enjoy many of the features of the Dole Pineapple Oahu farm, including feeding the fish and going on the train ride. While you may not stay as long, your kids will still have smiles on their faces and enjoy this shorter adventure. 

If you are on a budget during your vacation in Oahu, this is a great tourist attraction with many free activities. Enjoy looking at the pineapple fields and the beauty of the farm. You can walk around the pineapple farm in Hawaii and enjoy 1 or 2 activities, as they’re very cost-effective. They are the best budget-friendly pineapple tours in Hawaii!

The Dole Plantation in Hawaii is an amazing attraction to go explore and learn all about Hawaii. If you go, be sure to eat some Dole Whip for me! Plan your next Oahu vacation and include the Dole Plantation. You won’t be sorry! 

If you are on Oahu’s North Shore, be sure to visit with the whole family!

About Kate

Kate Tekurio lives on Oahu with her husband and toddler. They love exploring the island and sharing their best tips with other families traveling to Hawaii.

Did you enjoy learning how to visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and you’re looking for more Oahu tourist attractions? Check out my reviews of Pearl Harbor with kidsSea Life Park, the Honolulu Zoo, and the best things to do in Waikiki with kids!

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