Travelglobe is adding an Australian flavour to the Hawaiian Islands with Hayden in Hawai‘i, an 11-day hosted food escape led by MasterChef Australia favourite Hayden Quinn.
Departing 6 June 2027, the small-group journey travels from Waikīkī to Kona and then O‘ahu’s North Shore. Prices start at $9,990 per person twin share. The package combines premium hotels, private dining, local producers, island scenery and plenty of time to enjoy Hawai‘i at a civilised pace.
In other words, this is not a race between buffet tables and bus doors.
The new departure builds on Travelglobe’s growing range of hosted journeys with Australian food and creative personalities, including Anna Polyviou and Kirsten Tibballs. The idea is simple but smart: use a well-known host to open doors, add local access and give travellers a deeper sense of place.
“Travelglobe has always believed the best journeys are created through connection to people, places, food and culture,” says Irene Jones, Founder and Group CEO of Travelglobe. “We’re thrilled to partner with Hayden to create a journey that captures everything we love about travel: incredible food, unforgettable experiences and the opportunity to see a destination through the eyes of someone who truly understands it.”
Hawai‘i, one plate at a time
Guests spend five nights in Waikīkī, three nights on the Island of Hawai‘i and two nights on O‘ahu’s North Shore. Travelglobe’s published itinerary lists stays at Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber, Mauna Lani and Turtle Bay Resort, with inter-island flights and transfers included.
Food is not a side act here. It is the main event.
The program includes a private Foodland Farms speakeasy experience, an exclusive dinner at VEIN with Chef Dell Valdez and a private dinner at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. There is also a Dean & DeLuca Urban Picnic and a private Kona coffee and cacao tasting led by Quinn.
The final feast is Hayden’s coastal cook-up on the North Shore. It is a fitting finish in one of the world’s best-known surfing regions — and presumably no place for a sad sandwich. Travelglobe lists the cook-up among the journey’s signature culinary experiences, while Hawai‘i’s official tourism site describes O‘ahu’s North Shore as one of the great centres of big-wave surfing.
The trip also moves well beyond the dining room. Guests will join a manta ray night snorkel and take a guided trip through Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Both are recognised highlights of the Island of Hawai‘i, with the official state tourism site listing manta-ray night snorkelling and the national park among the island’s notable experiences.
The US National Park Service advises visitors to check current volcanic conditions before travelling to the park. That is sound advice. Volcanoes, unlike hotel concierges, do not accept itinerary amendments.
Hayden Quinn
Why Hayden fits the brief
Quinn first found national fame on MasterChef Australia. He has since built a career around food, television, travel and the ocean. His credits include Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn, Family Food Fight and Surfing the Menu – Next Generation.
His official biography also lists him as a surfer, writer and marine biologist. Network 10 records that he entered MasterChef Australia with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and experience as a professional lifeguard. It is a background that makes a food-and-ocean journey through Hawai‘i feel less like celebrity casting and rather more like a natural fit.
“Food has always been about connection for me, knowing where ingredients come from, meeting the people behind them and sharing stories around the table,” says Hayden Quinn. “Hawai‘i has such an incredible food culture, and I’m excited to share some of the places, producers and experiences that make this destination so special.”
That focus also sits comfortably with Hawai‘i’s official tourism message. The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority provides resources to support the authentic presentation of Hawaiian culture, while GoHawaii places regional cuisine, culture, and responsible travel firmly within the visitor experience.
A hosted escape, not a whistle-stop tour
Travelglobe is positioning Hayden in Hawai‘i as a hosted escape rather than a conventional tour, and the pacing supports that claim. There is organised dining and sightseeing, but the published itinerary also allows time for beaches, local exploration and simply enjoying island life.
“People are looking for travel experiences that feel personal and meaningful,” says Jones. “They want to discover a destination differently — through food, local stories and the people who bring a place to life. That’s exactly what we’ve created with Hayden in Hawai‘i.”
For travel advisers, that may be the strongest part of the offer. Culinary travel is no longer just about reserving a table at a famous restaurant. Increasingly, the value sits in the story behind the plate: who grew the produce, who caught the fish, who cooked it and why it belongs to that particular place.
Hayden in Hawai‘i is built squarely around that idea. It is aimed at travellers who want good food, strong local connections and a holiday that still feels like a holiday rather than an endurance event conducted with a clipboard.
The journey runs from 6–16 June 2027. Travelglobe lists prices from $9,990 per person twin share, with a $2,280 single supplement. International flights to and from Hawai‘i, travel insurance and personal expenses are not included.
Places are limited. Given the mix of Kona coffee, cacao, manta rays, North Shore surf and Hayden Quinn at the stove, that may be just as well.
By: My Thanh Pham – © 2026.
Read Time: 4 minutes.
Author Bio:
My Thanh Pham has lived more of a life of travel than most people ever do. After studying tourism, she went straight into the work of building journeys across South-East Asia, temples, beaches, night trains, and all, quietly fixing the messy bits so others could enjoy the ride.
She was never meant to stay behind a desk. Airline life followed, dividing her days between reservations and the airport floor, right where travel shows its true colours. Missed flights, tight hugs, frayed tempers, sudden joy- she saw it all, close up.
Now at Global Travel Media, My Thanh has traded ticket stubs for a keyboard. She writes the way she once worked: steady, clear-eyed and respectful of the road’s unpredictable rhythm, guiding readers through a world she knows from the inside.
