Description
The day starts with pick up from Honolulu airport. Your island guide brings you to Pearl Harbor to experience every site and activity.
First off we’ll explore the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center with your personal guide. They’ll secure for you, upon request, audio tour devices in 9 languages, including english. The audio device narrates a wide range of stories prepared by the park service. Stroll through several museums inside the center and walk the park grounds were dozens of displays, interpretive signage, statues, sculptures, artifacts and memorials await.
Next we’ll watch a short documentary film in the theater about the events before, during and after the Japanese attack. We’ll then board a Navy shuttle boat for a short trip across the harbor to the Arizona Memorial. Stand on the deck of this beautiful building which is suspended over the sunken battleship. See the names of all 1,177 sailors lost that fateful day. It is a solemn experience and one that will be remembered for years.
Returning to the visitor center, your guide meets you for a short walk to the USS Bowfin Submarine. Explore the decks of the sub both inside and out, getting a feel for what it must have been like to live aboard with 70 men for months at a time. We’ll check out the nearby Submariners Museum too before boarding a shuttle bus. After a short trip across the bridge we’ll arrive at the USS Missouri Battleship moored at Ford Island. We’ll explore this massive ship both on and below decks. Join a deck tour hosted by military volunteers and learn how the USS Missouri marked the end of the war when the Japanese signed the articles of surrender on her deck. Below deck we’ll make our way through the narrow hallways past the galley, crews quarters, radio rooms and war rooms. Artifacts, displays and interpretive signage are just some of the things that will captivate your imagination.
Next we’ll take a short ride to the nearby Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Nearly every WWII aircraft used during the Pacific war are housed here. Learn about American fighter and bomber aircraft and the roles they played in important battles. Explore the exhibits including “Mig Alley” where fighter jets from the Korean and Vietnam wars are displayed. Jump in a flight simulator for a dog fight with a Japanese Zero and have a bite to eat at Laniakea Cafe.
We’ll end the day with relaxed van tour of historic Honolulu and Waikiki sites on our way back to the airport. See King Kamehameha’s Statue and Iolani Palace, both built in the 1880’s. You’ll arrive back at the airport around 5:30 PM for your return flight. After an adventurous 10 to 11 hour day immersed in the historic events of Pearl Harbor, you can relax back at your hotel or condo knowing you’ve experienced Hawaii’s top attraction in the best way possible!
*Parking: Beginning April 15, 2023, Pearl Harbor National Memorial will charge a parking fee to all those arriving in personal or rented vehicles. The parking fee will be $7/day and will be paid via a virtual pay system through visitors’ mobile devices or though an onsite kiosk located within the Visitor Center complex.
Activity & Event Itinerary
- 7:30 AM - Pick up at Honolulu International Airport
- 8:00 AM - Arrive at Pearl Harbor, World War 2 Valor In The Pacific National Monument
- 9:00 AM - View documentary film about the day of the attack
- 9:30 AM - Board Navy boat fortranport to the USS Arizona Memorial
- 10:15 AM - Visit museums and exhibits of Pearl Harbor’s Visitor Center
- 11:15 AM - board the USS Bowfin Submarine and visit the museum
- 12:15 AM - Take a shuttle and cross the bridge onto Ford Island
- 1:30 AM - Arrive at the USS Missouri Battleship. Tour above and below decks.
- 2:00 PM - Depart to Pearl Harbor Aviation for a no-host lunch at the Laniakea Cafe
- 2:45 - PM Explore the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
- 3:45 - PM Board shuttle to leave Ford Island
- 4:15 - PM Depart to Honolulu Historic Sites which are viewed from the tour vehicle including, Iolani Palace, King Kamehameha Statue, Kawahawoi Church, Historic Downtown, Waikiki, Chinatown and more
- 5:30 - PM Return to the airport
Tour stops may change due to weather, construction or other unavoidable circumstances for the safety of our guests.
Meals
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.
Cancellation Policy
In the event of cancellation or request change to your reservation, please note the following if you purchase trip insurance there is no charge for date change or tour change based on tour availability but must be made 72 hours prior to the original tour day. No refunds issued for any tours within the 72-hour period, prior to the start of your flights.
Pearl Harbor Tours that include airline flights from Maui, Big Island of Hawaii, or Kauai can qualify for a refund if guests add the $20 per person insurance during checkout. If you do not purchase insurance, there are no refunds for cancellations or no-shows. Rescheduling fees will be applied to change your dates. Tickets are non-transferrable.
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.
Attire
Dress comfortably but please remember that shirts and shoes are required on the USS Arizona Memorial; swimsuits not permitted. Bags are not allowed in Pearl Harbor Visitor Center but if needed may be checked and stored for $7.00 per small bag or $10.00 per large bag. It is recommended only essential items such as phones, wallets, and a water bottle or any needed medicines be brought on tour.
Special Instructions
While there is no official dress code to visit the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites, we ask visitors to dress appropriately and respectfully. Swimsuits are not acceptable. High heels, skirts, and dresses are also not recommended. Flip-flops and sandals are permitted; however, we encourage you to wear closed-toe shoes as there is a lot of walking when visiting the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites.
For security reasons, no bags are allowed. Additionally, no iPad cases or clutch wallets are permitted. A wallet must be no larger than a regular-sized cell phone.
Bags are not allowed in Pearl Harbor Visitor Center but if needed may be checked and stored for $7.00 per small bag or $10.00 per large bag. It is recommended only essential items such as phones, wallets, and a water bottle or any needed medicines be brought on tour.
Bags that are allowed must be a clear bag approved by the US Navy, like the ones pictured below:
