Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri and Honolulu City Tour

The first stop on the tour is the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center where you can learn all about the attacks that occurred on December 7th, 1941. See a short documentary about the attack on Pearl Harbor, including actual footage from that infamous day. Take some time to browse the historical displays throughout the Visitor Center to learn more about the events that took place that day as well as the events that lead to the United States entering into WWII. And, of course, there are plenty of souvenirs to bring back home. (All purchases help keep these facilities operational and updated.) You’ll be also able to purchase lunch / snacks from the food vendors and spend some time relaxing while you enjoy your meal.

It’s a quick trip over to the USS Arizona memorial aboard a U.S. Navy launch from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. The memorial lets you view the USS Arizona under the water below you. Within the USS Arizona lie the 1,177 heroes who lost their lives on the “Day of Infamy.” You’ll also notice a sheen of oil on the water, known as “black tears”, which still leaks slowly from the hull of the Arizona even after more than 75 years. The names of all 1,177 crew members who lost their lives on the USS Arizona are memorialized in stone for you to view while at the memorial. The memorial is a solemn and beautiful tribute to those who lost their lives. Want to truly understand the gravity of the events that happened on that fateful day? Visiting the memorial, witnessing the destruction, knowing that those who died in the name of freedom remain beneath you while the U.S. flag still waves at half-staff will certainly help bring it all into perspective. It’s a history buff’s dream tour.

Now, you’ll take a quick trip to Ford Island for the next leg of our guided tour. You’ll be welcomed aboard the deck of the USS Missouri. She was the last battleship built by the US Navy and is affectionately referred to as “Might Mo.” Commissioned in 1944, the USS Missouri earned 11 battle stars during her tour of duty and is famous because Japan signed their surrender on her deck while it was in Tokyo Bay. During the tour you’ll be able to walk the deck of Mighty Mo as your tour guide tells you all about this great battleship and her legacy. You’re invited to stand in the exact spot where representatives of the Empire of Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on September 2nd, 1945 marking the end of World War II.

After experiencing Pearl Harbor, you’ll be taken on a narrated driving tour of downtown Honolulu where you’ll be able to see and learn more about Hawaii’s history. During the tour you’ll have your curiosity peaked by:
– Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil
– Kawaiahao Church (one of the oldest Christian churches in Hawaii)
– Hawai’i State Library and Archives
– An 18 foot statue of King Kamehameha (Hawaii’s first king)
– Honolulu Hale (Honolulu City Hall)
– Original houses that missionaries lived in when they arrived in Hawai’i

These beautiful, historical sites come to life thanks to the expert narration and local knowledge that your driver shares with you while you enjoy your tour of Honolulu city.