Hanauma Bay Snorkeling

Overview

This is the best way to visit Oahu’s #1 snorkeling destination with a duration of 6 hours (Round-trip with hotel pick up/drop off). Great for all ages and experience levels.The most convenient and reliable transportation from Waikiki to Hanauma Bay.

City: Oahu

Sat 26 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $55.99

Make a reservation

Sat 26 Jul

Starting at $55.99

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Use of Snorkelling equipment

Transportation from Waikiki hotels

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Drivers and Receptionist MAY speak Portuguese as well.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (989)

Gabrielle_C

Feb 2025

You’re paying for the ride there. If you don’t have swimming gear then you can purchase from Kaimana or get your own before visiting or rent gear at the park. I rented a life vest and a large locker for $27 at Hanauma Bay. No food or drink allowed in the vendor’s vehicles, but I think there is food sold at the park, but I didn’t check the food court I came to snorkel. I did purchase some colorful souvenirs from the gift shop. You’d probably do better taking a Lyft or Uber instead of paying for a compact ride in a mini van, it might be a little more expensive, but it’s private and you can take your time. The vendor asks that you bring cash to pay for your ticket to Hanauma Bay, but you can also use your credit card at Hanauma Bay to pay for your entrance fee. There is no advance ticket purchases, but at this time Hanauma Bay fee is $25. You’ll be the first in the ocean with this experience, but the water isn’t visible until some time after the sun rises. You could lose time in the water if you are waiting for the ocean’s visibility. I get in no matter to see what I can see. While you’re waiting for the sunrise and the water to be visible the magnificent of Hanauma Bay can keep you in awe. There are cattle egrets, parrots, Red Crescents, and Mynas. I wish I could have seen the white fairy tern at Hanauma, but they’re there.If you’re there at 6:45 am look up above, there are tiny flies over head, and you get to watch the beauty of the birds feasting overhead. It’s great. We didn’t watch the info video as there were technical difficulties, but that works in your favor as the Hanauma Bay personnel will read a 2 minute report. Basically, don’t touch the reefs or any of the live inhabitants of the ocean including turtles, they are protected and you will be fined if caught. Don’t be a jerk, I’m sure we can all agree we would hate if some stranger or strange thing came up to us and petted us, we’d be upset. Don’t take nothing from the land, you’ll be cursed, this is native insight, and Hanauma Bay is protected. Do your part to protect the Aina, without her life is no longer. Hindsight, I would have taken a Lyft to have as much time as possible to snorkel. You’ll get to Hanauma Bay when the park opens at 6:45 am, but you will depart at 11 am. I saw plenty of fish and caught it all on my own underwater camera, if you don’t have one you can rent on with Kaimana or at Hanauma Bay. My favorite fish to watch is the humuhumunukunukuapua'a which is also the Hawai’i state fish.

Response from Host

Feb 2025

Hi Gabriel, Yes, the experience includes a ride along with snorkel gear. Thank you for sharing that extra information about the park. The shuttle ride includes a basic snorkel set, and there is no requirement to purchase anything additional. However, we do offer optional add-ons such as life vests, GoPros, and phone cases for those interested. We highly recommend our tour for beginners unfamiliar with the island and for those who prefer the convenience of being driven. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for you, but we truly hope you still had an amazing experience with our team members.

shemia_s

Feb 2025

Try your flippers on in the van before you get out to the bay. Ours were too big and fell off in the water several times. Be mindful of box jellyfish - they are prevalent in the bay 8-9 days after a full moon and stick around in the bay’s water if overcast or raining. Partner was stung on the face 10 minutes after entering the water and we had to have ambulance assistance. Three people in our tour group were stung. We were told that the tour company had a rover that could bring replacement supplies if we needed them and it sounded like it was a simple thing for them to do. When I called from the ambulance to ask if we could get a ride back to our car because of partner’s hypothermia, hyperventilation, numbness, facial swelling, pain, etc. I was told they couldn’t do that. Others in our group who were stung were told the same thing. An uber to our car would have been quite expensive and the tour company told us we couldn’t leave our equipment with someone else from our group to return it and we would have to make another stop to return it to them after getting to our car. So we waited 3 hours under a porch where the EMT’s told us to stay to avoid the rain for the tour van to come back. I confirmed with the tour company that we would wait for the van but the info was not relayed to our driver, who thought we had taken the ambulance to the hospital. We would have been left behind if I hadn’t spotted others from our group getting into a van. It sounded like Hanauma Bay puts out signs to warn about the jellyfish in the water but we were the first group to arrive so there weren’t any warnings yet. Several people in our tour never even got in the water after learning of the jellyfish danger. It was a disappointing experience overall.

Response from Host

Feb 2025

Hello, We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience and hope your partner is doing much better. While we strive to provide the best possible experience, some factors—such as wildlife conditions and medical emergencies—are unfortunately beyond our control. Regarding the jellyfish, Hanauma Bay does post warnings, but as you mentioned, your group arrived before any signs were placed. We always encourage guests to be mindful of ocean conditions, and we appreciate you sharing this information for future visitors. As for transportation, we completely understand how frustrating it must have been to wait. Our shuttle service operates on a scheduled route, and we are unable to send the van back and forth for individuals who wish to leave early. If an ambulance had transported you to the hospital, we absolutely would have assisted in coordinating a return. However, when we spoke with you, you calmly confirmed that you would wait for the next shuttle back, and we proceeded based on that understanding. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to work on improving our services where possible. Thank you for sharing your experience, and again, we truly hope your partner has fully recovered.

Rachel_F

Jan 2025

We went very early in the morning so we got to get in the water first. We were able to snorkel all over the reefs without bumping into others. That early in the morning in January, the water does get cold the deeper you go so I recommend renting a wet suit or wet suit shirt. Also, this may prevent scratches and scrapes from accidentally rubbing against coral.

Response from Host

Feb 2025

Thank you for sharing your experience and helpful tips! We're glad you enjoyed snorkeling early in the morning and had the reefs to yourselves. Great advice on the wetsuit for warmth and protection! Hope to see you again for another adventure.