The 8 Best Pearl Harbor Tours: from budget to luxury, we have you covered
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The two most visited attractions in all of Hawaii are Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center. So if you’re planning a trip to the historic sites and museums at Pearl Harbor, you’re in good company.
We’ve visited and toured Pearl Harbor multiple times, taking tours as well as just visiting on our own. I can tell you that if you’re at all interested in visiting, this should not be missed.
To help you plan your trip, we’ve put together a list of the best Pearl Harbor tours. We’ve covered it all — from a half day tour to a full day tour and a wide range of budgets. Plus helpful tips that are important to know before you book with a tour group. And if you’re interested in visiting without a tour, we have some need to know tips at the end of the article.
Already know what you’re looking for? Jump to booking here:
– For a 4hr small group tour of the USS Arizona, book Personalized Hawaii Vacations
– For a 5hr budget friendly tour of the USS Arizona and the Pearl Harbor Visitor’s Center, book Enoa Tours
– For a 6hr budget friendly and a slightly smaller group, go with Polynesian Adventures
– Pack it all in with a small group in a 9hr Complete Pearl Harbor tour
– Treat yourself to lunch and see it all in a 9.5hr tour with the Pearl Harbor Deluxe Tour
– Not staying on Oahu? Not a problem, book a 9hr, small group, all stops tour with Hawaii Tours with inter-island flights included.
– Make it personal and completely customizable by booking a private tour with Halia, choose from their 6 hour, 9 hour, or 12 hour options.
What to Consider Before Booking a Pearl Harbor Tour
Locations visited:
Pearl Harbor has four museums that you can visit, including the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine, USS Battleship Missouri, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. In addition, the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is near the boat dock for the USS Arizona Memorial and it is well worth spending time there.
Some tours will only cover one or two sights while others will cover all the museums. Read the details before booking so you’re not disappointed! Other tours will take you through parts of downtown Honolulu so you can see sights like Iolani Palace or the Punchbowl Cemetery, though these are quick stops for photos and not full tours.
Tours that cover more of the historic sites are longer and cost more.
Size of group:
We often get asked why tour prices can vary so significantly and the answer is usually dependent on the size of the group. The less expensive tours usually have a lot more people on them. That doesn’t mean they’re bad! But they do tend to move a little slower and be a little less flexible.
Pickup locations:
Not all tours will pick up from your hotel or vacation rental. Some of the larger tour buses will pick up at set locations throughout Waikiki. Airport pickups are rare unless you have specifically booked a tour from a neighbor island (like this tour).
Tour guide restrictions:
Your tour guide will not accompany you to the USS Arizona Memorial as they are prohibited from doing so. This can be a disappointment to people hoping for a full guided tour. In our experience, the best guides will give you history and information while they are driving you and during short tours at the beginning of visiting each museum. Then, you’re on your own to explore, listen, and learn.
I highly recommend the audio tour of the USS Bowfin Submarine and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. At the USS Missouri there was a tour guide on deck to answer all of our questions.
Related read: check out our Ultimate Oahu Travel Guide as you prepare for your trip!
A Big Note About USS Arizona Memorial Tickets
One of the main reasons that people book tours is because they want to gain entrance to the USS Arizona Memorial. Unfortunately, booking a tour does not guarantee that you’ll get a ticket to see the memorial. There is a high probability that you’ll get one, but it’s not 100% guaranteed.
Here’s why: only a set number of tickets are released in advance for the USS Arizona. Tour companies do their absolute best to secure tickets (and they are good at doing so), but there might be some instances where they miss out. It can be a huge bummer, especially if your entire reason for visiting Pearl Harbor is to visit the memorial.
In addition, visiting the memorial requires a short boat ride. There are times when repair work is on the dock and no boat tours are running out to the USS Arizona Memorial. When that happens, you won’t be able to visit the memorial but all of the other museums and sights are still open and available to visit.
On a personal note, the memorial is incredibly moving but I found visiting all of Pearl Harbor to be fascinating. While I would definitely be disappointed to not see the memorial, there is so much to do, see, and learn there that I still think it is worth visiting without seeing the USS Arizona memorial.
If you’re taking a shorter tour or looking for a nice way to unwind after a day of touring and learning, check out one of our favorite sunset sails leaving from Waikiki.
The Best Pearl Harbor Tours
It can be tough to compare tours, so we’ve distilled these into some important need to know information. Note: we have included prices and these prices were accurate at the time of publishing. Click the booking button to see any updated prices.
Best Budget Friendly Pearl Harbor Tours
These tours offer an economical way to see Pearl Harbor on quick, half day excursions. At the time of publishing both of these tours were right around $50 per person.
Salute To Pearl Harbor
This tour keeps you moving on a half day excursion to Pearl Harbor. See the USS Arizona Memorial, spend a bit of time at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, and then stop by the Aloha Tower on your way back to Waikiki.
Tour details
- Sights visited: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Aloha Tower
- Pickup: From 6 Waikiki hotels
- Tour length: 5 hours
- Group size: up to 80 people (on a double decker bus)
- Adult price: $52 per person
Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor and Honolulu City Highlights Tour
If you are interested in seeing the USS Arizona Memorial and not spending the entire day exploring Pearl Harbor, this quick tour combines a visit to Pearl Harbor with a drive through downtown Honolulu.
Tour details
- Sights visited: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, sightseeing tour of historic sights in downtown Honolulu
- Pickup: From select Waikiki hotels
- Tour length: 6 hours
- Group size: up to 50 people
- Adult price: $53 per person
Related article for budget travelers: How We Book our Hawaii Travel
Best Small Group Pearl Harbor Tours
Avoid big buses and enjoy a half day or full day out with a small group. Heading out with a small group will be more expensive, but it is a more personal tour.
Complete Pearl Harbor Historic Sights Tour
If you’re really interested in having a thorough tour of Pearl Harbor and visiting all of the museums (which we love doing!), this is a great tour. With only 12 passengers and a fun guide, you’ll enjoy spending the entire day immersing yourself in history.
This is the tour we joined after flying in from Maui (more details on that tour below) and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Tour details
- Sights visited: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, USS Bowfin Submarine, USS Missouri Battleship, driving tour of downtown Honolulu
- Pickup: from your Waikiki hotel
- Tour length: 9 hours
- Group size: 12 passengers
- Adult price: $190 per person
Personalized Hawaii Vacations
Small group and quick tour? This checks both of those boxes! Visit the USS Arizona and spend a bit of time at the Pearl Harbor Museum before the tour drives you through downtown Honolulu on the way back to your hotel.
Tour details
- Sights visited: USS Arizona
- Pickup: Waikiki hotels
- Tour length: approximately 4 hours
- Group size: 11 people
- Adult price: $119 per person
Best Full Pearl Harbor Tour
While most visitors head to Pearl Harbor to pay their respects at the USS Arizona Memorial, there is a lot more to do and see. I get it — the first time I visited Pearl Harbor I saw the memorial, looked at a bit of information at the museum and headed home.
What a mistake! When I finally went back and visited the other museums I was captivated. Climb through the Bowfin Submarine, walk the decks of the Battleship Missouri (Mighty Mo), and take in the aviation history at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
If you’re looking for a full tour that will take you to all of the museums, we have two recommendations for you:
WWII Heroes Deluxe Pearl Harbor Tour with Lunch
Spend the day with Polynesian adventures on their deluxe tour, which includes lunch at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum cafe.
Tour details
- Sights visited: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, USS Missouri Battleship, USS Bowfin Submarine, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
- Pickup: From select Waikiki hotels
- Tour length: 9.5 hours
- Group size: 50 people
- Adult price: $204
Complete Pearl Harbor Historic Sights Tour
Again, we’re including this full tour because not only is it a great small group tour, but it’s also a fantastic full day and complete tour if you want to visit all the museums. Spend the entire day immersing yourself in history.
This is the tour we joined after flying in from Maui (more details on that tour below) and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Tour details
- Sights visited: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, USS Bowfin Submarine, USS Missouri Battleship, driving tour of downtown Honolulu
- Pickup: from your Waikiki hotel
- Tour length: 9 hours
- Group size: 12 passengers
- Adult price: $190 per person
Best Private Tour of Pearl Harbor
Half, Full, or Long Day Tour
Sometimes you just want to see things at your own pace. If that’s you, consider taking a private tour with Halia. They offer 6 hour, 9 hour, or 12 hour tours with flat rate pricing for up to 10 guests.
You can design the tour stops with your guide and they will help you to secure USS Arizona Memorial tickets, if possible. As a guide, you can expect to do 1 activity on a 6 hour tour, 2 activities on a 9 hour tour, and 3 activities on a 12 hour tour.
Admission to the museums is not included in the tour price.
Tour details
- Sights visited: You choose!
- Pickup: Wherever you’d like!
- Tour length: 6 hours, 9 hours, or 12 hours
- Group size: up to 10 guests
- Adult price: prices start at $650
Related read for a luxurious Oahu stay: The 7 Best Luxury Hotels on Oahu
Best Pearl Harbor Tour from Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island
Hawaii Tours
If you’re staying on another island, you can absolutely do a day trip to visit Pearl Harbor. We did this tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can see a video of our experience above. Everything was taken care of and the day was incredibly smooth and easy. What an awesome way to visit for a day!
Tour details
- Sights visited: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, USS Bowfin Submarine, USS Missouri Battleship, driving tour of downtown Honolulu
- Pickup: from the Honolulu airport
- Tour length: 9 hours, not including flight time
- Group size: 12 passengers
- Adult price: from $500 per person (includes airfare and airport pickup)
Do You Need to Take a Tour to Pearl Harbor?
Absolutely not. I’ve both visited on my own and taken a guided tour. While I did get significantly more from the guided tour (our tour guide was excellent, as most of them are), if you are not interested in having someone drive you around and provide you with historical facts, you can absolutely visit on your own.
Tips for Visiting Pearl Harbor on your own
If you are planning to visit on your own, there are a few things you need to know for a successful trip:
- USS Arizona Memorial tickets must be reserved in advance. You can book them for $1 at the official website. Tickets can be booked 8 weeks in advance. If the date you want to visit is sold out, you’re not out of luck! They release additional tickets 24 hours in advance. You can get more information on when tickets are released here. If you can’t get tickets, you can try your luck by joining a standby line and waiting for availability on the boat to the memorial.
- A shuttle to Ford island is required. If you want to visit Battleship Missouri and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, you will need to take a free shuttle to Ford Island. The shuttle leaves regularly and is easy to take. You’ll find it at the end near the USS Bowfin Submarine museum.
- Bags are not allowed into Pearl Harbor and can either be left in your car or you can pay for bag storage.
- Passport to Pearl Harbor ticket: if you plan to visit all of the Museums, consider getting the Passport to Pearl Harbor ticket. This provides entrance to all of the museums but it does not include a USS Arizona Memorial reservation.
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