Aug 2 - Aug 10, 2025
5,249
3,899
Hawaii
Hawaiian Water Adventure: A Family Marine Exploration
Program No. 20992RJ
Hawaii is home to surfing, volcanoes, soft sandy beaches and vibrant coral reefs. Come wet your feet as you and your family set out on a marine adventure through the islands.
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We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
800-454-5768
Age 12 - 18
ROOMING OPTION PRICING
The figures below indicate the rooming options available.
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| DATES | ||||
Aug 2 - Aug 10, 2025
| 5,249 / Adult
3,899 / Child
| 5,249 / Adult
3,899 / Child
| 6,599 / Adult
3,899 / Child
| |
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This date is available to book as a private experience for your group!
9 days
8 nights
18 meals
8B 3L 7D
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Introductions
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
2
Orientation, Surfing & Wave Riding, Free Time
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
3
Submarine Adventure, Local Paina
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
4
Surfing & Wave Riding, Fly to Hilo, Big Island
Hilo, Big Island of Hawaii
5
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Transfer to Kona
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
6
Marine Environment Class, Snorkeling Intro, Free Time, Luau
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
7
Kona Coast Snorkel & Sail
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
8
Kealekekua Bay Snorkeling
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
9
Program Concludes
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
At a Glance
Ride the Hawaiian waves with your family, and dive beneath them to explore life under the sea! This marine adventure with your family will bring you face to fin with a rainbow of tropical fish as you snorkel through coral reefs. Discover sunken ships, sea turtles and maybe even a shark aboard a passenger submarine. Learn about Polynesian culture during “paina” dinner party and surf culture during lessons in Waikiki on this aquatic island expedition.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Walking two miles over uneven varied terrain, stairs. Climbing in and out of water on beaches, flat rock surfaces and a boat. Get on/off bus several times a day. Elevations up to 4,100 feet.
Family Programs
Share your love of learning with your family. These programs are designed for any combination of generations: grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and children.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Explore the world beneath the warm Hawaiian waters in a real submarine and swim with green sea turtles on a snorkeling adventure.
- Learn to surf with family members and ride the waves in an outrigger canoe.
- Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home of the active Kilauea volcano!
General Notes
This is a family program for participants, their adult children and grandchildren ages 12 and up. Snorkeling equipment included, however, personal snorkeling gear encouraged for best fit. For a comparable grandparent adventure for grandchildren ages 10-14, check out "Snorkeling, Surfing & Submarines in Hawaii With Your Grandchild" (#4827). Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Suggested Reading List
(27 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Hawaiian Water Adventure: A Family Marine Exploration
Program Number: 20992
Hawaii Wildlife
A fold-up, laminated card featuring color drawings and short descriptions of commonly encountered birds, mammals and other critters of Hawaii.
Sand to Sea, Marine Life of Hawaii
Young readers will dive right into this lively, illustrated introduction to the animal and plant life they'll find on the beaches, tide pools and reefs of Hawaii. Geared to both kids and adults, this is a nice introduction for the whole family.
The Food of Paradise, Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage
Laudan takes readers on a thoughtful, wide-ranging tour of Hawaii's farms and gardens, fish auctions and vegetable markets, fairs and carnivals, mom-and-pop stores and lunch wagons to uncover the delightful complexities and incongruities in Hawaii's culinary history. With 150 recipes.
Stowaway
For this novel, renowned children's author Karen Hesse imagines the voyages of Captain Cook (including landings in Australia and New Zealand), from the point of view of a young stowaway named Nicholas. Ages 9-14.
Volcanoes, Fire From the Earth
By the great French volcanologist (who died on the job on Mount Unzen in Japan in 1992), this pocket guide features hundreds of full-color paintings and traces the study of volcanoes from early myth and legend to modern science.
Hawaii, Islands Under the Influence
A history of economic development in the islands from sandalwood and whaling to sugar, tourism and Japanese investment in the 1980s.
Hawaiian Islands Map
A map of all the individual Hawaiian Islands, including maps of O'ahu, Kaua'i, Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i at 1:150,000 and of Hawai'i at 1:330,000. Includes an inset map of Waikiki.
Captive Paradise, A History of Hawaii
A fascinating history of America’s youngest (and, arguably, most unique) state. Historian and biographer James Haley charts Hawaii’s epic journey from kingdom to statehood with authority.
From a Native Daughter, Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawaii
Trask, a descendant of the Pi'ilani line of Maui and the Kahakumakaliua line of Kauai, explores issues of racism and imperialism in Hawaii, documenting the work of native Hawaiian student organizations and the native Hawaiian self-governing organization Ka Lahuni Hawaii.
Aloha Betrayed
Silva draws on newspapers, books, letters and contemporary accounts in Hawaiian for this eye-opening account of popular resistance to the annexation of Hawaii by the United States.
Nation Within, The History of the American Occupation of Hawai'i
Coffman follows the rising tensions between the U.S. and the once-independent Hawaii through the late 19th century, documenting how the native population resisted annexation.
Dismembering Lahui, A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887
Osorio charts the effects of Western law on the national identity of Native Hawaiians in this political history of the Kingdom of Hawaii from the onset of constitutional government in 1840 to the Bayonet Constitution of 1887.
Voyage to the Volcano
From the popular Magic School Bus series. Ms. Frizzle takes her class to Hawaii, for an explosive tour of a live volcano.
Hawaii, Travellers' Wildlife Guides
This all-around field guide features color illustrations of commonly encountered birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish with notes on Hawaii's geology and popular parks and reserves.
Plague And Fire, Battling Black Death And the 1900 Burning of Honolulu's Chinatown
Mohr relates the gripping tale of the bubonic plague that reached Hawaii's shores just as the islands were about to become a U.S. territory through the eyes of the people caught up in the vast conflagration that engulfed Honolulu's Chinatown.
Paradise Remade, The Politics of Culture and History in Hawaii
By focusing on the experience of the indigenous people of Hawaii rather than on that of their colonizers, Buck considers the transformation of Hawaiian culture over the past 200 years.
Pearl Harbor Ghosts, The Legacy of December 7, 1941
A well-researched and evocative look at the bombing of Pearl Harbor by a veteran travel writer. Clarke compares and contrasts the social life and culture of Hawaii on the day of the bombing and sixty years later, enumerating the changes wrought by WWII.
Mark Twain's Letters from Hawaii
These observant and often wildly hilarious letters from an 1866 trip display Twain's famous wit.
Hawaiian Legends of the Guardian Spirits
Ancient legends are brought to life in 60 beautiful block prints, many vibrantly colored, and narrated in a lively "read-aloud" style, just as storytellers of old may have told them hundreds of years ago.
The Island Edge of America, A Political History of Hawaii
Journalist Tom Coffman brings Hawaii's story into the twentieth century through this reinterpretation of major events leading up to and following statehood in 1959.
Born in Paradise
The autobiographical tale of childhood on a Maui ranch in the early part of this century. A classic account of old Hawaii, warm-spirited and evocative.
Eyewitness Guide Hawaii
An on-the-ground guide to the Hawaiian Islands -- handsome, comprehensive and superb.
Into The Volcano
O'Meara's lively, illustrated eyewitness accounts of adventures in volcanology include Arenal in Costa Rica, Kilauea in Hawaii and Stromboli off the coast of Italy. Geared for grades 5 to 8, this is a great introduction to volcanoes for the whole family.
Under the Blood Red Sun
This novel set on Oahu immediately before, during and after the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor features as its protagonist a 13-year-old Japanese-American boy. The book is a sensitive treatment of a grave collision of cul-tures, geared for kids ages 9 to 12.
Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen
A poignant plea for sovereignty. Queen Liliuokalani, deposed by the United States in 1893, tells the story of her islands.
Hawaiian Mythology
A classic study of Hawaiian ethnography and folklore.
Hawaii
A romantic, fictional overview of the islands' history, people and culture from prehistoric times to statehood in 1959.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
9 days
8 nights
What's Included
18 meals (
8B, 3L, 7D
)
1 expert-led lecture
8 expert-led field trips
1 flight during the program
1 hands-on experience
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
8 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Introductions
Location:
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Meals:
D
Stay:
The Twin Fin Hotel
Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 3:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
We’ll continue getting to know our fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Orientation, Surfing & Wave Riding, Free Time
Location:
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
The Twin Fin Hotel
Activity Note
Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; pavement, sandy beach, uneven terrain. Surfing lessons and canoe-wave riding for approximately 3 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Meals will primarily be served at hotels and local restaurants with some picnic lunches and some meals on your own to explore local fare and venues of your choice. Travel and transfers will be via bus, motorcoach, and/or van depending on local conditions and schedules at the time of the program. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Next, we’ll put on our bathing suits and go on a short walk to the beach for instructions from Waikiki’s highly trained surf instructors. We’ll practice popular local beach activities including surfing and outrigger canoe wave-riding. No experience necessary or expected. Great fun for grandparents and kids alike!
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
At leisure to explore Waikiki or relax at the beach.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
3
Submarine Adventure, Local Paina
Location:
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
The Twin Fin Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 70 miles, approximately 2 hours riding time plus stops. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; some uneven terrain, dirt trails, pavement.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll depart by bus to explore the underwater ocean world off Waikiki in a passenger submarine. We’ll dive up to 100 feet and see the marine environment including tropical fish, sea turtles, sharks, reefs, sunken ships, and other underwater artifacts seen. As the marine animals are in their free flowing natural habitat, what we’ll see is different each day. We’ll return to the hotel for some “down time” after our field trip.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Mid-afternoon, we will travel on bus to a local farm for a cultural experience and dinner with a local Hawaiian group. We will "talk story", learn about the aina (land) through the eyes of a Hawaiian, and enjoy Hawaiian dinner together.
Dinner:
You are invited to island-style paina (gathering) hosted by a local for dinner.
Evening:
We will continue our cultural exchange after dinner and ride back to hotel mid-evening. Prepare for check-out and flight transfer tomorrow.
Day
4
Surfing & Wave Riding, Fly to Hilo, Big Island
Location:
Hilo, Big Island of Hawaii
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 20 miles, approximately 1 hour riding time (depending on traffic). Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; pavement, sandy beach, uneven terrain. Getting on/off an aircraft; flying from Honolulu to Hilo approximately 1 hour.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will walk to Waikiki Beach for more surfing instruction with our local experts. After the field trip, we’ll return to the hotel and get ready for our flight to Hilo.
Lunch:
Location will vary according to flight schedules.
Afternoon:
We will board a bus and ride to Honolulu International Airport, then board our flight to Hilo on Hawaii Island. After arriving in Hilo, we will collect our luggage and take a motorcoach to the hotel.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
5
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Transfer to Kona
Location:
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Royal Kona Resort
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 130 miles throughout the day, approximately 3.5 hours total riding time (depending on traffic). Hiking up to 2 miles throughout the day; uneven terrain. Elevation gain 400 feet.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel, board a bus, and set out with a local expert on a field trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. From the National Park Service: “Hawaii Volcanoes National Park displays the results of at least 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution in the Hawaiian Island-Emperor Seamount chain — processes that would thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture.” We will go on a 1.2-mile walk over various surfaces, some of which are uneven in the National Park through the native volcanic environment and may take a moderate hike with uneven ground and a slippery slope with handrail. We will also make stop at different points of interest, determined by the evolving conditions of this fascinating geologically active area.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we’ll board the bus for our journey to the opposite side of the island. We expect to arrive at the hotel in the late afternoon and check in with some time to freshen up and relax.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
6
Marine Environment Class, Snorkeling Intro, Free Time, Luau
Location:
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Royal Kona Resort
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 10 miles, approximately 1 hour riding time (depending on traffic). Walking about 1.5 miles throughout the day; paved, sand, uneven terrain. Swimming and snorkeling. If walking to the luau, 1 mile each way.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will start our day with a class at the hotel led by a local marine expert who will tell us about the marine environment of Kona and the Big Island of Hawaii. We’ll then depart for a beach where we’ll learn how to snorkel. Hawaiian sea turtles are spotted frequently and might be up close with snorkelers. Do not touch the turtles as they are protected and violators may be fined! As the marine animals are in their free flowing natural habitat, what we’ll see is different each day.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy the local fare of your choice. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity to see and do what interests you most in the Kailua-Kona area. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
Tonight we’ll have a traditional Hawaiian luau where the puaa kalua (roast pig) is taken out of the in-ground imu (oven) — the centerpiece of an elaborate, multicourse offering of traditional island fare.
Evening:
At the luau, we’ll enjoy a performance of music, song, and dance conjuring myths and stories from throughout Polynesia.
Day
7
Kona Coast Snorkel & Sail
Location:
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Royal Kona Resort
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 50 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours riding time (depending on traffic). Walking about 1.5 miles throughout the day; pavement. Swimming and snorkeling from a boat.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will board a catamaran to snorkel along the Kona Coast. We will learn about the marine life then jump in the water and experience the adventure of seeing for ourselves!
Lunch:
Aboard the catamaran.
Afternoon:
Our catamaran will return to shore in the early afternoon and we will then walk back to the hotel. The remainder of the afternoon will be free to continue exploring Kailua-Kona independently, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or just relax.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy local fare.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
8
Kealekekua Bay Snorkeling
Location:
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Royal Kona Resort
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 50 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours riding time (depending on traffic). Walking about 1.5 miles throughout the day; pavement. Swimming and snorkeling from a zodiac boat.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After walking to the pier, we will board a zodiac boat and head down the coast to Kealakekua Bay, a marine preserve. This is also where the first extensive contact between Hawaiians and Westerners occurred with the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1779. With its natural wind protection and remote location, Kealakekua Bay is an ideal snorkeling location for opportunities to see a variety of coral fish. Our vessel will then take us back to shore.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like in historic Kailua-Kona.
Afternoon:
We will return to the hotel with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
9
Program Concludes
Location:
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
18 Meals
8 Breakfasts
3 Lunches
7 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Aug 02, 2025 - Aug 10, 2025
- Aug 02, 2025 - Aug 10, 2025 (Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii to Kona, Big Island of Hawaii)
Participant Reviews
Based on 5 Reviews
Sort By:
Our trip to Hawaii was absolutely amazing! The quality of the program itself, along with the remarkable guide we had, made for an unforgettable trip. Learning was had, friends were made and memories were created. We can't wait until our next Road Scholar trip!!
— Review left August 14, 2024
Hawaii, a great adventure for the whole family!
— Review left July 8, 2024
This program makes it possible to see a lot of Hawai'i in a week, staying at good hotels with good people!
— Review left August 23, 2023
This program is definitely a plus for the younger generation as it includes so much surfing, snorkeling, and water activity. On my trip, older generations joined in on the fun as much as they wanted to and then headed for the lounge chairs. To top it all off, EVERYONE loved the trips to the volcano, lava tube, and more.
— Review left August 15, 2023
This program really brought older children and their grandparents together, with the grandparents helping children connect new information to their lives and the children supporting grandparents in physically demanding experiences.
— Review left August 15, 2023
