Destination, Family, Featured Family, Hawaii, Oahu, USA

Top 5 Family-Friendly Activities at Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu

Playing in the Pool at Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu

Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach

Traveling with a toddler doesn’t have to be stressful.  Hilton Hawaiian Village has the perfect surroundings that will inspire you to create precious family moments together. In just two short days, we’ve already connected more as a family and shared unique experiences that will last a lifetime. Here are our top five family-friendly activities at Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Hilton Hawaiian Village

1. Waikiki’s Best Pools 

With five pools to choose from, there is definitely something for the whole family but Paradise Pool is where it’s at for kids and kids at heart. The 5,000 square foot family activity pool boasts the longest slide in Waikiki and overlooks the Duke Kahanmoku Lagoon. This pool allows arm band floats for children who don’t meet the height restrictions of the water slide rules so even if your child can’t swim but still wants to go down the slide, the option is there. Athena hasn’t braved the largest slide yet, but she loves the smaller, more toddler-friendly slide. We took turns between the large and small slides to make sure everyone in the family was having fun.

Toddler Friendly Water Slide at Hilton Hawaiian Village

Water Silde Hilton Hawaiian Village

2. Waikiki Starlight Luau

Waikiki’s only outdoor Luau features extravagant Lei greetings, Hula kahiko performers, acrobatic fire dancers and authentic Hawaiian dining in a memorable setting beneath the starlit, mid-Pacific skies. You’d think this experience would be more focused on adults, but it was Athena’s favorite activity so far and that including the water sports. She was mesmerized by the dancers, loved the children’s buffet, practiced her hula skills and clapped along every second of the event. Rather than falling asleep like we expected, she was wide-eyed the entire performance and chatted about what she saw well into the night.

Dancing at the Hilton Luau

Learning to hula at the Hilton Luau

3. Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon

Fun-filled family activities await in Duke Lahanamoku Lagoon, a spectacular five-acre salt-water lagoon featuring a state-of-the-art water circulation system. Aqua bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, floats and peddle boats dotted the lagoon along with swimmers and snorkelers. We expected Athena to love the aqua bike, and she did, but what really surprised us was how much fun she had on the paddle board. Gracefully, she stood up and walked around like a pro. She was ready to paddle herself and might have been able to manage on her own if the paddle wasn’t five times the length of her body. Regardless, she tried. As a family, we all enjoyed the kayak and splashed around until our hands were too pruney to hold the paddles.

Aqua Bike in the Hilton Hawaiian Lagoon

Paddle Boarding at the Hilton Hawaiian Lagoon

4. Atlantis Submarine Tours

We climbed aboard the Atlantis XIV, the world’s largest hi-tech passenger submarine. Descending beyond 100 feet underwater, we experienced marine life up close. Sunken ships, airplanes and other artificial reefs were on the bottom waiting to be discovered. Athena stood with her face next to the glass for the entire ride. She was in complete awe and excitedly pointed at her findings like she was the discoverer of a new world. We were giving her a lesson far beyond the classroom.

(One note about this tour – children must be 36 inches or taller to ride the submarine. There is a vertical ladder that must be ascended in order to ride the sub.)

Atlantis Submarine Tours

Atlantis Submarine Tours

5. Spirit of Aloha – Port Waikiki Cruises 

The Waikiki coastline was waiting for us on the Spirit of Aloha tour. This modern 54-foot catamaran took us to a highly populated turtle reef where we snorkeled with turtles and other marine life. Amenities on board included a full bar, all-you-can-eat lunch, a large fully-enclosed and covered cabin with table and bench seating, two full restrooms, freshwater shower, surround-sound system and multiple stairway entry points for snorkelers entering the water. Although Athena didn’t snorkel with us, we took turns in the water and on the boat with her. For the rest of the cruise, we relaxed on deck as a family. The calming, refreshing waves rocked us gently as we took in the sights and sun.

Spirit of Aloha Turtle Snorkel Sail

Athena and Daddy Sailing on the Spirit of Aloha

Hilton Hawaiian Village has so much to offer that we haven’t even left the property yet. Tomorrow is another story though as Darren goes scuba diving with Reef Pirates and I swim with sharks with North Shore Shark Adventures. Follow along and see how we manage to include extreme adventures while still keeping an active toddler busy and happy.

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14 thoughts on “Top 5 Family-Friendly Activities at Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu

  1. What fun! LOVE that Athena wanted to try paddle boarding!

    1. Lesley says:

      She’s such as adventurous child. I think I’m going to have my hands full as she gets older. It’s a great feeling 😉

  2. Dana says:

    There is so much to do at Hilton Hawaiian Village. My kids would love to try a submarine tour.

    1. Lesley says:

      Have you been to Hawaii with your kids? Now that we live on the west coast, it’s our favorite getaway.

  3. Kate says:

    We stayed here last fall, but just for one night–long story of how we ended up missing our flight & getting an extra day on the island! We had a blast in the pool as well–so glad you enjoyed the lagoon–we were intrigued by it, but didn’t get the chance to explore. Love the first photo of Athena & dad. Good luck with the shark adventure–we stayed in Haleiwa & saw signs for it!

    1. Lesley says:

      Which hotel did you stay at when you were on the island, Kate? Have you visited other islands as well? We’re thinking about Maui this year. Have you been? I’d love to read any Hawaiian posts that you have. 🙂

  4. Valentina says:

    This is amazing!! The pool looks looooots of fun! It is perfect for toddlers but for grown up kids too. My two boys would just go mad in this place! Thanks for sharing it with us!

    1. Lesley says:

      Have you been to Hawaii, Valentina? Now that we live on the west coast of the US, it’s become our go-to getaway. We’re hoping to make it to Maui this year.

  5. Sarah Ebner says:

    I was already thinking about much fun this sounded before I got to the Atlantis tour and then I started feeling quite envious!!

    1. Lesley says:

      I did the Atlantis tour in a few locations now, Sarah, and we love it every time. It’s great for kids and adults. I worried that Athena would feel confined but it didn’t bother her at all.

      Have you been to Hawaii before? I can’t wait to go back. We love staying at Hilton villages there. I’m just checking now if they have one in Maui since we’d like to go there next.

  6. Very cool! But I’m a little sad that Athena has tried SUP and I still haven’t 😉 All these activities look amazing. My kids would LOVE the submarine!

    1. Lesley says:

      Something to add to your list, Francesca. If you’re in the southern California area, let me know and I’ll happily take you paddle boarding. 🙂

  7. Looks like a great family friendly adventure 🙂

  8. Allison says:

    Hawaii is on our short list! Pinning this for future reference.

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