Complete Pearl Harbor Tour From Kauai, Maui or Big Island

In the Arizona Memorial Theater, we’ll watch an exclusive documentary of world events before, during and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the film we’ll board a Navy shuttle boat for a short cruise across the harbor to the USS Arizona Memorial. Stepping onto the deck of the solemn memorial and looking down at the sunken remains is a sobering experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. Look on the water’s surface for “black tears” – oil that still slowly seeps from the sunken battleship to this day. Pay your respects at the cavernous marble “Wall of Remembrance” were the names of the ships crew members who died aboard are etched.

Few attractions at Pearl Harbor give visitors more of idea what serving in the Pacific during WW2 was like than stepping onto the USS Missouri battleship at Ford Island Naval Base. We’ll explore this colossal 8 stories high ship inside and out, including the “Surrender Deck” where the Japanese and U.S. Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur signed the “instrument of surrender” aboard the ship on September 2nd 1945 in Tokyo Bay. Learn about the “Mighty Mo” first hand from veteran volunteers and explore from below deck to the upper captains bridge overlooking the USS Arizona memorial. Historic displays, exhibits, crews quarters, control stations and war rooms can be found throughout the ship.

Moored at the harbors shoreline at the visitor center is the USS Bowfin submarine. Dubbed the “Pearl Harbor Avenger”, it was launched on December 7th 1942, one year to the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor. We’ll explore the submarine inside and out while trying to imagine 80 men living here. This tour also has audio headsets upon request. We’ll visit the nearby Submarine Museum to learn about the “Silent Service” and how it immediately took the fight to the Japanese while the fleet was crippled in Pearl Harbor after the attack.

As impressive as the USS Missouri battleship is, the Japanese attack heralded in the age of the aircraft carrier and the aerial bombing of naval ships, as was evident from the attack. The military airfields on Oahu were all destroyed or damaged during the attack with the loss of nearly 200 planes. The first AirStation to sustain damage, two hangers, and a runway, were on Ford Island next to Battleship Row. Today these same hangers, the 42,000 sq ft Hangar 37 and the 80,000 sq ft Hangar 79, house over 50 aircraft from WW2 including jet fighters and helicopters used in the Korean and Viet Nam wars. At over 7 acres in size, the facility houses nine detailed exhibits, a movie theater, flight simulators, a store, and a restaurant.