Description
Your day begins with a morning pickup from your accommodation on Oahu or nearby central pickup location. We provide pick up and return transportation to the cruise ship pier, Waikiki and Ko Olina on every tour. Your guide safely brings you to the World War II Pacific National Monument where you will see all of the historic sites in and around Pearl Harbor.
The first stop is the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. This area contains many of the museums you can explore on your own or with your personal guide. They will hand out audio tour devices which will provide this tour in many languages. The english versions contain a wide range of stories prepared by the park service.
The Arizona Memorial is the first major historic site we will visit. There is a short film with historic footage to view before going out to see the USS Arizona and the Memorial that lies over it. The boat operated by the Navy will take you out to the memorial that you will be able to board and explore for about 15-minutes.
Docking back at the Visitor Center, your guide meets you for a trip across the grounds to see the inside of a submarine, the USS Bowfin. See how the ʻsilent serviceʻ operated during this historic time period and the sacrifices they made. A visit to the museum shows how far we have come in the use of submarines from the first to the largest.
Our next stop requires a trip over to Ford Island, home to many historic sites. This is still an active naval base so we must take only approved transportation. We pass by memorials to other ships, like the USS Oklahoma.
The USS Battleship Missouri stands tall above all in the harbor. This beautifully resorted ship marks the end of the war. See the spot upon itʻs deck that the documents by Japan were signed documents that officially ended the war. Explore the deck with a local guide on a 35-minute tour of some of the most interesting stories and reasons for Mighty Moʻs many battle stars.
A day is never complete without a tour of the sky, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum provides hangers of restored airplanes, historic pieces and so much more. Explore the exhibits, get into one, do a flight simulator and so much more.
We end the day with a wonderful tour of historic Honolulu where we drive by or through important sites like Punchbowl Cemetery, Iolani Palace, King Kamehameha Statue, and other places that will awe you. We return you back to your accommodation around 4:30 pm after a 10-hour day of exploration, heroism, and history.
*Note: Occasionally, unforeseen circumstances might lead the Navy to halt or limit the capacity of boat trips to the USS Arizona Memorial. Should this happen, you might be placed on a standby list. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide refunds in these instances, but we apologize for any inconvenience caused. Despite this, you will still have access to the exhibits, the Visitors’ Center, and other monuments within the park.
Itinerary
The schedule can change depending on visit times.
| 6:30 AM |
Pick up Waikiki Hotels (sometimes as late at 7:00 AM) |
| 7:15 AM |
Visit museums and exhibits of Pearl Harbor’s Visitor Center |
| 8:30 AM |
Board Navy boat for transport to the USS Arizona Memorial |
| 9:30 AM |
Board the USS Bowfin Submarine and visit the museum |
| 11:00 AM |
Arrive at the USS Missouri Battleship. Tour above and below decks |
| 1:00 PM |
Visit the Pacific Aviation Museum |
| 3:00 PM |
Tour the Punchbowl Crater |
| 3:25 PM |
Depart to Honolulu Historic Sites, which are viewed from the tour vehicle including Iolani Palace, King Kamehameha Statue, Kawaiaha’o Church, Historic Downtown, Waikiki, China Town, and more |
| 4:30 PM |
Return to hotels or nearby drop-off locations |
*Kindly be aware that the location where you will be picked up may not be the same as your hotel, however, it is located within a short walk of no more than 5 minutes.
Tour stops may change due to weather, construction, or other unavoidable circumstances for the safety of our guests.
Food & Drink
Lunch is not included in this tour but there are a variety of options for food and drink throughout the day. Please be sure to bring water. There are free water refill locations. Locations to sit down and eat are at the Bowfin Museum at the visitor center, the Missouri Battleship and the Laniakea Cafe at the Aviation Museum.
Note
*Parking: From April 15, 2023, onwards, Pearl Harbor National Memorial will introduce a parking fee for visitors using personal or rental vehicles. Payments can be made through a virtual system on mobile devices or at an on-site kiosk located in the Visitor Center complex.
Attire & Bag Restrictions
Please bring your government-issued ID for entry.
We ask that visitors to the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites dress appropriately and respectfully by avoiding swimsuits. While sandals and flip-flops are permitted, we encourage you to wear closed-toe shoes as there is a lot of walking when visiting the sites. In addition, we recommend visitors avoid skirts and dresses as well as high heels.
Dress comfortably for the weather but keep in mind that shoes and shirts are required on the USS Arizona Memorial.
No bags are allowed for security reasons, and iPad cases or clutch wallets are not permitted either — a wallet must be no larger than a regular-sized cell phone. Bags are not allowed in Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.The bag storage facility can store your belongings for a fee of $7.00 per bag or $10.00 per bag for more oversized luggage.
Thank you for helping us maintain a respectful and secure environment for all visitors.
It must be a clear bag approved by the US Navy, like the ones pictured below.
Cancellation
In the event of cancellation or request for a change to your reservation, please note the following. For tours originating from Oahu, there is no charge for date change or tour change based on tour availability, but it must be made 72 hours prior to the original tour day. No refunds are issued for any tours within the 72 hours prior to the start of your tour.
No stop is guaranteed to be operating on the day of your tour. We have no control of Navy and Army operations, which may result in the closure of Ford Island or the boats going to the Arizona Memorial without notice. In the event of this occurring, our guides will make up for it in a variety of ways, so your experience is always worthwhile.
