PEARL HARBORʻS COMPLETE HISTORY IN ONE DAY TRIP
Pearl Harbor is Hawai'i’s #1 visitor destination. If you're a history enthusiast looking for a fantastic day trip to O'ahu, then this is the perfect package tour for you. We’ll book your flight, provide transportation to Pearl Harbor, and provide a personal overview of the very places and events of the surprise Japanese attack that changed our country and the world forever!
Our Inter Island Tour from Maui, Kaua'i, or the Big Island combines all of Pearl Harbors' attractions into a full day of immersion into the hearts and minds of wartime Hawai'i and the United States during the 1930s and ’40s. It’s a truly moving experience of tragedy and triumph during the largest war the world has ever known.
You’ll get a true feeling of what it must have been like for these service members and everyday Americans during that time in history as we visit the USS Arizona Memorial, board the USS Bowfin Submarine, board the USS Missouri Battleship, and explore the historic hangers and aircraft of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. It’s the best and most personal overview of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor and the costly battles in the Pacific during WWII.
FEATURED STOPS & SITES
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
Explore multiple museums, interpretive displays, and memorials in and around the Visitor Center to begin your full day at Pearl Harbor. Audio headsets are included in 9 languages allowing guests to also experience a narrated tour of these sites. Dozens of displays, photographs, artifacts, and signage paint a vivid picture of the United States as it prepared to defend itself while the rest of the world plunged into war. This complete tour includes admission and transportation to all public sites within the World War II Valor In The Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor.
USS Arizona Memorial
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,” where the names of the ship's crew members who died aboard are etched.
USS Missouri Battleship
Few attractions at Pearl Harbor give visitors more of an idea of 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-story 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” firsthand from veteran volunteers and explore from below deck to the upper captain's bridge overlooking the USS Arizona Memorial. Historic displays, exhibits, crew quarters, control stations, and war rooms can be found throughout the ship.
USS Bowfin Submarine
Moored at the harbor's 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.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
As impressive as the USS Missouri battleship is, the Japanese attack heralded the age of the aircraft carrier and the aerial bombing of naval ships, as was evident from the attack. The military airfields on O'ahu were all destroyed or damaged during the attack with the loss of nearly 200 planes. The first air station to sustain damage, two hangers and a runway, was 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 WWII, including jet fighters and helicopters used in the Korean and Vietnam wars. At over 7 acres, the facility houses nine detailed exhibits, a movie theater, flight simulators, a store, and a restaurant.
Honolulu Historic Sites
To finish your amazing day at Pearl Harbor, we will enjoy a leisurely narrated drive through town past historic buildings and locations in Honolulu. We’ll see King Kamehameha’s statue at the state courthouse building and nearby 'Iolani Palace, all of which were built in the 1880s. Enjoy the scenery of Waikīkī Beach as we see famous statues on the boardwalk, like that of Duke Kahanamoku, the father of surfing and an Olympic swimming medalist during the early 1900s. It’s a perfect way to end an iconic day on O'ahu!
Complete Inter-Island Tour from Maui, Kaua'i & Big Island Details
Features
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Round Trip Airfare From Outer Islands With Honolulu Curbside Pickup
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Pickup and return to Honolulu airport
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View documentry film of Japanese attack
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Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
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Admission Tickets to USS Arizona Memorial
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Go Inside USS Bowfin Submarine
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Board Battleship Missouri
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Explore the 120,000 sq ft Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
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No-Host Lunch Stop at Laniakea Cafe (lunch not included in tour price)
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Downtown Honolulu City Tour: Punchbowl National Cemetery, King Kamehameha the Great Statue, Ali’iolani Hale & Hawai'i State Capitol
Overview
The day starts with pickup from Honolulu airport. Our expert guides will give you an overview of the day with a narration of the rich history of both Pearl Harbor and Honolulu. We’ll escort you to the visitor center upon arrival, where admission tickets are fast-tracked - no waiting in line! Enjoy exploring the museums, informative displays, artifacts, and memorials that tell the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor in and around the Visitor Center. After watching a short film, we’ll board a Navy shuttle boat to transport us to the Arizona Memorial. Feel the solemn respect given to the fallen at the memorial’s “Wall of Remembrance.” Stroll the gleaming white structure suspended over, but not touching, the sunken battleship below.
After our return, a short walk brings us to the USS Bowfin Submarine. Explore the boat inside and out, trying to imagine how 70 men lived aboard for months at a time! Next, we’ll head over to Ford Island and board one of the most famous battleships of WW2 - the USS Missouri. Under the colossal 16-inch guns, see the “surrender deck,” where Japan signed the articles of surrender - ending WW2! Go below the deck and learn about life at sea during wartime.
The final stop at Ford Island is the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. These two hangars survived the Japanese attack, and the windows still have bullet holes from that fateful day. Over 50 vintage aircraft, including fighters and bombers used on the WW2 Pacific war front, as well as jet fighters, bombers, and helicopters from the Korean and Vietnam wars, are on display. Visitors can enjoy a simulator dogfight in a P-40 Warhawk, see the interactive displays and exhibits, and grab a bite to eat at the Laniakea Cafe.
Before returning to the airport, we’ll take you on a historic driving tour of Honolulu. During a leisurely narrated tour in our custom vehicles, you'll see King Kamehameha's Statue, Iolani Palace, and more. It’s a great way to end a full day at Pearl Harbor!
*Note: Due to unforeseeable circumstances, the Navy may need to suspend boat operations to the USS Arizona Memorial at any time, or they may impose a capacity restriction on the boat. As a result, you may be placed in a standby line. Unfortunately, in these cases, there will be no refunds. You are still free to enjoy the Visitor’s Center, exhibits, and park monuments. Please accept our apologies in advance.
Schedule
Tentative Schedules for The Complete Pearl Harbor Experience from Kaua'i, Big Island or Maui - 11 hours
(Subject to change depending on Pearl Harbor Ticket Time)
7:30 AM | Pick Up From Honolulu Airport, Curbside |
8:00 AM | Visit Pearl Harbor Visitors Center museum and exhibits |
8:30 AM | Board Navy boat for your solemn visit to the USS Arizona Memorial |
9:30 AM | Visit the USS Bowfin Submarine, known as the Pearl Harbor Avenger |
11:00 AM | Arrive at the Battleship USS Missouri. Tour the USS Missouri |
1:00 PM | Depart to Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum for lunch on your own at the Laniakea Cafe |
3:00 PM | Depart to the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater |
3:25 PM | Visit Downtown Honolulu |
4:30 PM | Return to the airport for flights back to the outer islands |
Fees
Maui
AdultAges 12 yrs+ | $549.99 |
ChildAges 2-11 yrs | $539.99 |
Kauai
AdultAges 12 yrs+ | $599.99 |
ChildAges 2-11 yrs | $589.99 |
Kona
AdultAges 12 yrs+ | $549.99 |
ChildAges 2-11 yrs | $539.99 |
Hilo
AdultAges 12 yrs+ | $599.99 |
ChildAges 2-11 yrs | $589.99 |
Pearl Harbor is our #1 visitor destination and can sell out on certain days. We recommend booking your Pearl Harbor tours in advance of your arrival in Hawai'i. Also, consider booking your full day on O'ahu close to your arrival date in the islands. There is an early start time for this tour, but we find that most of our guests are wide awake in the early mornings due to the time difference.
*Safety is our #1 priority. Tour start time can fluctuate due to ticket availability.
Meal Options
No meals are included in this tour. Food and drinks are available for purchase throughout the day at the Visitor Center, on the USS Missouri and at Laniakea Cafe in the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
Policy
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.
Bag Policy:
- 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, and must not exceed dimensions of 1.25" x 2.25" x 5.5".
Refund
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 Hawai'i, or Kaua'i 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-transferable.
No stop is guaranteed to be operating on the day of your tour. We have no control over 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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