Best Team Building in Honolulu, Oahu
Looking for some Honolulu group activities to engage your team members? Or some fun stuff for your team to do while visiting Oahu? You’ve come to the right place!
Honolulu is located on the island of Oahu, and it’s an ideal destination for corporate retreats, team bonding events, and creative activities. It creates an accessible international destination with a strong business infrastructure and a rare mix of relaxation and productivity.
Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures or cultural experiences, Honolulu has a little bit of everything. This tropical paradise is perfect for team building events thanks to a stunning blend of natural beauty and vibrant city life.
This guide features some of the best Honolulu group activities to help bring your team together and let them unwind.
What Makes Honolulu Team Building Special?
Most team building activities Oahu has to offer take place in or around Honolulu. And with good reason!
Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii. It’s located on Oahu, the third largest island of Hawaii. It’s a bustling center of diversity with a rich blend of Asian, Pacific, and Western cultures.
Fun in Nature
Honolulu gives your group access to over 125 beaches, a whopping 512 parks, lush botanical gardens, beautiful nature preserves, and so much more. Whether you’re based on Oahu or just visiting, your team can enjoy iconic landscapes like Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, and Waikiki Beach.
Fun in the City
While Oahu offers endless natural beauty, its vibrant city life is just as exciting for team building activities.
Honolulu has the Hawaii Convention Center and other modern venues for meetings and events, plus places to unwind after work in tropical fashion. Whether you want to hit up one of the best restaurants in the city—we recommend the Yard House or Tiki’s Grill & Bar—or check out one of the many resorts in the area, you’re sure to have a good time.
Seasonal Considerations for Honolulu Team Building
For most of our other location-based pieces, this is the part of the article where we explain the seasons so you can plan accordingly. But in Honolulu, the weather is almost always good!
With an average of 271 days of sunshine every year, Honolulu is one of the sunniest destinations you can ask for. The temperatures average between 87°F and 76°F for most of the year, too.
Instead of talking about spring, summer, fall, and winter, it’s more about the wet and dry seasons:
- Wet Season (November-March): The wet season means a higher chance of rain, so bring umbrellas and raincoats. Pick rain-friendly adventures like whale watching or escape rooms.
- Dry season (April-October): The dry season is the perfect time for beach games, snorkeling, and surf lessons. It’s also the best time for luaus and outdoor-only team building challenges.
Don’t Forget Tourist Season
Sure, there are the wet and dry seasons, but tourist season is also a thing. The most common tourist times include:
- Winter holiday: Mid-December to Early January
- Spring break: March to mid-April
- Summer: June to August
If you’re visiting during tourist season, book accommodations well in advance and plan your team events early in the day if you’d like to avoid crowds. Alternatively, you can visit Oahu during off-peak times for more affordable rates, less-crowded beaches, and more private, immersive team experiences.
Outdoor Team Building: Oahu’s Sunny Options
There are so many outdoor events that work well for Hawaii-style team building. Honolulu is home to so many beaches, parks, gardens, and conservatories that it’s almost impossible to see them all! So make the most of your time on Oahu and get outside.
If you need some locations, we recommend these:
Here are some of our favorite Honolulu group activities for teams that want to catch some rays (and maybe some waves!).
1. Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt
Turn all of Honolulu into a playground with the Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt. We’ll work with you to customize this high-tech adventure for your budget, timeframe, and team building goals.
Your teams will start by meeting with their lead facilitator and assistants to learn the rules. Then, they’ll elect one member from each team to download the app and receive the challenges and tasks they’ll be completing.
From there, it’s a race around the map to complete fun challenges while taking photos and videos to preserve the memories. Every race features typical scavenger hunt tasks plus three distinct challenges, including a detour challenge, a fast-forward challenge, and a roadblock challenge.
2. Sand Sculpting
What better way to get your teams out on the beaches than with a Sand Sculpting adventure? It’ll get everyone’s creativity flowing as they work together to design sand sculptures in the spirit of friendly competition.
The event starts with a short lesson on sandcastle building (yep, that’s a thing) and a hands-on demonstration before they set out to build their own towers. We’ll provide all the tools they need, and we guarantee everyone will walk away with a real sense of accomplishment.
After the competition, your team members can kick back on the beach, enjoy the ocean, hit up a bar to celebrate, or a combination of all three!
3. The Mystery Bus
Whether your team is from Oahu or visiting the island for the first time, the Mystery Bus gives them the chance to see what Honolulu has to offer. They won’t know where they’re going until they arrive, so you get to surprise your team with three to four locations hand-picked for your goals, budget, and timeframe.
Honolulu is full of mysterious and exciting destinations, and this is your chance to experience the thrill of discovering them together. Every adventure comes with one cultural experience, one physical activity (always low-stress), and one culinary experience.
For example, you might go snorkeling at Turtle Canyon, relax with some of Hawaii’s famous Dole Whip from Waikiki Beachside Bistro, and then wrap up the adventure downtown at Lolani Palace. And while you’re on the bus, we’ll keep things interesting with music, road trip games, trivia, and a healthy dose of humor.
Indoor Activities: Oahu for Adults and Long Days
While most people look forward to the sun when exploring Hawaii, sometimes a break from the heat can be just what your team needs. Indoor activities on Oahu are perfect for unwinding after long days and focusing on deeper team bonding in a relaxed, climate-controlled environment.
Here are some of our favorite indoor activities to help your teams unwind and grow closer together.
1. Beat the Box
The escape rooms Honolulu has to offer can be pretty busy, so why not host your own escape room-style challenge? Beat the Box is an indoor activity designed to leverage the benefits of gamification.
The fun kicks off with a short, thrilling video to launch your players into the game. Then, they’ll break into smaller groups and work against the clock in a sequence of four challenges. Each one brings them one step closer to discovering a mystery slogan with the power to stop the clock.
If you want to make this even more rewarding, let the “stop the clock” theme extend into an off day the following day so they can go unwind in Honolulu on their own time!
2. Escape the Mob
Does your team love thought challenges? Escape the Mob is one part high-tech scavenger hunt, one part escape room, and one part interactive murder mystery.
Your team members will look for clues and work together to solve murder mystery-style challenges on a 90-minute time limit. They’ll learn about the setup—a party turned diamond heist—before examining the facts, coming up with an alibi, and recovering the stolen diamonds.
It’s a great way to help your team members recognize each other’s strengths and work together. Amp up the fun by celebrating at a local restaurant for drinks and delicious food—53 By the Sea is always a good choice if you’re not sure where to go.
3. TeamCuisine — Team Cooking Experience
Want to bring some of Hawaii’s cuisine home with you? Try the TeamCuisine — Team Cooking Experience! Your group can relax, get to know each other better, and learn to prepare a gourmet banquet without using recipes.
After the group cooking lessons, everyone will sit down to enjoy what they’ve cooked up. From savory main dishes to sweet treats, their gourmet meal provides the perfect setting for a night of bonding.
If you’d like a pre-made menu, ask about our Spa or Tapas and Sangria menus. If you’d like to design something of your own, let us know, and we’ll make it happen. Your team could be whipping up everything from ahi poke salad and shoyu chicken to sweet mochi cakes and lilikoi bars!
Oahu Team Building Planning Tips
Honolulu group activities are so much more fun when everything is well-planned. Here are some tips to make sure things go smoothly:
- Prepare for the weather: Sudden rain showers are common during the wet season—account for this with umbrellas, raincoats, and backup indoor activities if needed.
- Plan transportation in advance: Look at the Waikiki Trolley and TheBus to organize transportation logistics. It also helps to plan events near your accommodations to reduce travel time.
- Cultural sensitivity: Educate your teams in advance so they know about local customs, respectful behavior for sacred sites, and language.
- Scheduling and timing: Pick the right time for your events, and don’t forget some downtime in between activities! Morning and evening activities are most popular because they’ll help you avoid the midday heat.
Plan Honolulu Group Activities Your Team Will Love
Honolulu elevates team building to the next level with its cultural diversity, natural beauty, and fantastic business scene. You can’t go wrong with any of the ideas from this list!
With so many options, you can plan your own Honolulu group activities or take a load off and let TeamBonding handle the little things. We’ve been doing this for over 25 years, and our experienced facilitators know how to bring teams together with well-designed events.
Ready to explore Honolulu’s stunning landscapes? Drop us a line and tell us about your goals or your vision for an unforgettable adventure!
