Thank you to our sponsor for hosting our submarine tour!
Want to see the underwater sea life without getting wet? The Atlantis Submarine Tour Waikiki is your best bet! Not only do you get a glimpse of underwater marine life off the shores of Waikiki, but you also get fantastic views of Oahu above water as well! Follow along as I give you a preview of what you will experience on the Atlantis Submarine Tour in Waikiki.
Since we are local residents, we drove to the Hilton Hawaiian Village (where the tour is based out of) and parked in the self-parking garage. The tour company provides 4 hours of validated parking for only $4.
From the parking lot, it was a quick 5 minute walk to the Atlantis Submarines kiosk which is beachfront of Ali'i Tower.
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It opens for the day at 8:30 am, and we were one of the first to check in for our 9 am tour. After providing our name, we were told to head to the loading dock across the beach by 8:45 am to board the shuttle boat which will take us to the submarine which was waiting for us out at sea.
They take your photo with Diamond Head in the background prior to boarding, which will be available for purchase after the submarine tour. This is a great souvenir for visitors.
It was finally time to board the shuttle boat and the boys were super excited. The shuttle boat has two levels. The bottom level is air conditioned and enclosed. The top level is open-air.
A small shop offers gifts, snacks and drinks for purchase.
We headed to the upper deck for the 15 minute ride out to the submarine. The views were amazing, thanks to the gorgeous weather.
Even though I live here, this view never gets old, especially when it's from the ocean, which is so different from land.
During the ride, the boat captain provided a brief history of the Waikiki shoreline.
After about 15 minutes, we arrived at the submarine!
We disembarked from the shuttle boat onto the deck of the submarine, and descended into the submarine one by one.
We were instructed to descend the 11 foot ladder facing the ladder.
The battery-powered Atlantis XIV, which is the world's largest passenger submarine, accommodates 64 passengers. The cabin is very spacious, and the seating is relatively comfortable considering you're in a submarine.
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They said our tour was about half-full, which meant we had a lot of room to spread out.
The boys had a blast shooting their own videos and taking their own pictures through the big windows.
Our guide today was Maile. She was a good narrator.
We were excited when we saw fish for the first time, but we had no idea it would get even better than this!
These are man-made artificial reefs placed by Atlantis, to create self-sustaining habitats for marine life, where there once was none.
We descended over 100 feet below sea level. That's pretty deep! The submarine itself is capable of withstanding the pressure at 800 feet, so we were well within the sub's capabilities.
Another Hawaiian Reef Fish...
Here's a sunken ship. which attracts a lot of fish, and scuba divers!
After 30 minutes of touring the underwater world, it was time to say goodbye to the marine life and return to the surface.
On our way out we got to see the cockpit up close and take a picture in the captain's seat. Are you looking at a future submarine captain?
After being underwater for over 30 minutes, it was nice to be out in the fresh air again. The shuttle boat was waiting for us and there were passengers for the next tour waiting for us to disembark, so that they could board the submarine for their tour. We waited for them to board and did not leave the area until the submarine started to descend into the water.
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you are considering or planning on going on the Atlantis Submarine Tour in Waikiki:
- Book your tickets here
- Kama'aina discounts are available (Hawaii ID or military ID is required at check-in)
- The entire experience will last approximately 1.5 hours
- If you are driving into Waikiki for the tour, self-park at the Hilton Hawaiian Village garage and make sure to ask for a validation ticket when you check-in for 4 hours of validated parking for only $4.
- Bring snacks (especially if you're coming with small children) and your own water, unless you don't mind paying for it on the tour (food and beverage is not included but is available for purchase)
- Wear sunscreen
- Children need to be at least 36" tall
- You must be able to independently navigate a near-vertical 11 foot ladder into and out of the submarine
- If you are prone to motion sickness, bring anti-motion sickness medications or ginger candy to suck on. Sit in the lower section of the boat and focus on something stationary or the horizon
- There are bathrooms on the shuttle boat but not on the submarine, so be sure to use the bathroom at the Hilton or on the shuttle boat.
- We were on the first tour of the day (9 am) and it was half full. I'm not sure if that's how it always is, but if you are trying to avoid a full submarine, you may want to consider the first tour of the day. The tour after us looked like it had more people than ours
- After your tour, go to Lappert's Hawaii (it's in the Rainbow Bazaar) for ice cream (their cinnamon rolls are delicious too!)
Atlantis Submarine Tours are also available on Kona and Maui. If submarines aren't your thing, consider a sunset cocktail cruise or Whale Watch cruise aboard the 150 foot Majestic by Atlantis Cruises. For more information on all of Atlantis Adventures' offerings, visit their website at: atlantisadventures.com.
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ATLANTIS SUBMARINE TOUR - WAIKIKI
Hilton Hawaiian Village
2005 Kalia Road (Beachfront - Ali'i Tower)
Phone: 1-800-381-0237
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