Are you looking for the best things to do on the Big Island with kids? Keep scrolling to read my honest review of the Kona Atlantis Submarine tour to see if it’s right for your family.
This Kona Atlantis Submarine Tour Review was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Are you wondering whether Kona Atlantis Submarine is worth it for you and your kids?
I recently took my 5-year-old on the Kona Atlantis Submarine on the Big Island. This kid-friendly tour takes you underwater to see tropical fish and sunken ships, offering an exciting glimpse into Hawaii’s undersea world.
We previously did the Waikiki Atlantis Submarine and the Maui Atlantis Submarine, so we were curious how this one compares. Keep scrolling to read my honest Kona Submarine tour review.
You can see all of your favorite Hawaiian sea creatures up close, including a manta ray, parrotfish, triggerfish, and more! The crew was also friendly and helpful throughout our entire trip, which made it even better for us!
If you want an exciting way to spend your day in Hawaii, look no further than this fun undersea adventure!
Keep scrolling to read my review of the Atlantis Kona Submarine Adventure.
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Kona Submarine Tour FAQs
YES! We’ve done the Atlantis Submarine on Maui, Oahu and the Big Island and the Kona submarine was by far our favorite. It’s an easy way to see tropical fish without snorkeling and a fantastic way to explore Kona’s marine mysteries.
Kids need to be at least 36″ tall to ride.
The Kona submarine tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, including the shuttle boat ride to and from the submarine. The actual Hawaii submarine tour underwater is about 45 minutes.
The Atlantis closely observes marine life through large circular windows, with two people sharing one viewing area. The interior is compact, with rows of seats facing the windows for an optimal view of the natural coral reef and marine inhabitants. The space is well-lit, air-conditioned, and designed for passenger comfort while providing an immersive undersea adventure.
One of our favorite Kona Hawaii excursions for kids is the Aloha Adventure Farms ATV tour. They offer UTV rides for kids ages 5-15 and people ages 16+ can ride ATVs through the jungle, stopping villages to learn about Polynesian cultures through hands-on activities. There’s also swimming with dolphins at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. These are all awesome things to do on Big Island with kids.
Brief History of the Atlantis Submarine
Atlantis Submarine Adventures has been operating in Hawaii since 1988. They have some of the world’s largest and most technically advanced passenger submarines.
They are passionate about sustainable tourism, and their environmentally safe submarines are battery-powered and don’t pollute the water. In an effort to not disturb the sea life, they are also really quiet.
Atlantis Submarines currently have dive sites in Waikiki, Oahu; Lahaina, Maui; and Kona, Big Island. These are popular activities for a Hawaii vacation with kids.
What to Know about the Kona Atlantis Submarine Before You Go
Arrival
The Kona Atlantis Submarine is located in the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel on Ali’i Drive. This is within walking distance of many Kona hotels.
You can either walk or park in their paid lot. We parked there for about 3 hours and it was $25. However, we forgot to get our parking validated.
When you enter the hotel, you’ll take a left and then a right until you see the Kona Atlantis Submarine check in area. It’s all indoors and air conditioned.
After you’re checked in, you can walk around the hotel for a bit or hang out by the large outrigger canoe. When we were there, they had an amazing display of artwork by the famous Hawaiian artist Herb Kane.
Note: There are no restrooms on the submarine, so your best bet is to use the one near the luau check-in desk near the hotel’s main entrance.
Short Boat Ride to Submarine
Since the reef right in front of the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel is pretty shallow, you’ll take a 5 minute boat ride out to the submarine.
During this short boat ride, you’ll see safety presentations about all the different equipment you may have to use in an emergency (however, they haven’t needed any since they started tours 30 years ago).
You’ll also get sweeping views of the entire Ali’i Drive strip, which is pretty cool!
There’s only one open-air section with built-in benches. And the boat is pretty small. You also must stay seated the whole time. There’s no need to stand up to take photos of the submarine as you’ll have a much better opportunity on the way back to shore.
Once you reach the submarine, the crew will direct you to a line so you can climb down into the submarine with the rest of your group. You can leave your bags on the boat if you like. No one but the crew is on the boat while you are in your submarine.
You will need to turn around and climb down a steep 10-step ladder. My 5-year-old was nervous at first, but he managed to do it all by himself.
Submarine Tour in Kona, Hawaii
Once you enter the submarine, you’ll see giant circular windows right in front of you. Two people share one large window.
You’ll start going 60 feet under water and then gradually get to about 100 feet under the sea.
Underwater, you’ll see an 18,000-year-old coral reef spanning 25 acres! It’s a breathtaking experience, as the stunning natural reef is home to various marine life. We saw a manta ray, and it was majestic!
One of the highlights of this Hawaii submarine tour is the chance to see sunken shipwrecks. These historic wrecks are among Kona’s marine mysteries, and our guide shared fascinating (and humorous) stories about them.
The captain is really good about turning around so that the other side of the submarine can also get views of the items under water. That’s one of the reasons I think it’s one of the best Kona adventures for families.
Along the way, you’ll see fish and other marine inhabitants pop up sporadically. Because this is the ocean, they cannot guarantee you’ll see any fish, sea turtles, sea horses, sharks, or whales. It varies so much from tour to tour.
We ended up seeing a lot of schools of fish swimming near the natural coral reef, which was awesome!
Kona Boat Ride to Shore
After the submarine ride, we climbed back out and onto the boat.
They did a full circle around the submarine so that everyone on the boat could stand up and take their own photo of the submarine in the water. The crew even waved!
It’s a quick 5 minute ride back to shore, but the views are pretty amazing!
How does the Kona Submarine Tour Compare with the Waikiki and Maui Submarine Tours?
Now that we’ve done all three Atlantis Submarine tours in Hawaii, I can confidently say the Kona submarine tour is our favorite.
We appreciated being able to wait for our tour to start in an air-conditioned hotel. The shuttle boat ride was short yet fun and scenic. The tour itself was informative and fun, and we saw tons of coral and marine life, in addition to the cool wreckage.
In addition to the sunken wreckage, the stunning natural reef was a major highlight. Seeing the colorful marine inhabitants in their natural environment was such a memorable experience!
It’s definitely one of the top Big Island adventures worth checking out.
The Highlight of this Kona Tour and What You Should Look Out For
The highlight for my son and me was going on a REAL submarine ride. It’s something unique that many people never have the opportunity to do. In fact, our guide said only 1% of people across the globe ever go 100 feet under water.
And fun fact: our submarine was built in Everett, Washington!
There are a couple of things families should know:
- There are NO restrooms on the submarine. So, I encourage you to have your family use the facilities inside the hotel instead.
- If anyone in your family gets motion sickness, they have sick bags that are easily accessible on the submarine.
- The ladder to get in/out of the submarine is super steep and they want kids to do it on their own instead of being carried.
How Much Does it Cost and Where is it Located?
You’ll find the Kona Atlantis Submarine tour at the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel on Ali’i Drive.
There’s a ticket booth inside the hotel if you want to get same day tickets. From there, you’ll walk along the beach and onto the dock to get on the shuttle boat.
If you are sure you want to do this Kona activity, you’ll definitely want to reserve tickets before you arrive. Adult tickets start at $133 and children start at $51. Prices vary depending on restrictions/availability.
So, is the Kona Atlantis Submarine Worth It?
Absolutely! My 5-year-old son said this was his favorite Kona activity! We loved seeing all the tropical fish, the manta ray, and the cool wreckage sites. Plus, our Kona tour guide was hilarious!
We’ve done the Atlantis Submarine on Oahu and Maui, but the Kona Atlantis Submarine ride is by far our favorite!
It’s definitely one of the best Kona Hawaii activities and top Big Island excursions for families!