"Excellent trip to learn of that fateful day which changed U.S history forever"
The Gathering Place · Pearl Harbor with the USS Arizona and the Missouri · Waikīkī pickup · from about $156
Oʻahu: Who It Suits and the Pearl Harbor Day
Oʻahu is the busiest island, the cheapest of the big four by the day, and the one with a city and Pearl Harbor. Here is who it suits, who should pick another island, and a half day that adds the Battleship Missouri to the USS Arizona, rated 4.5 from 576 reviews.
From
$156
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.5 / 5 598 reviews
- 6 of 8 Main Islands Open to Visitors
- 1 Inter-Island Ferry: Maui to Lānaʻi
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Pearl Harbor Tour Includes
The USS Arizona Memorial, the Missouri's decks and the guide's commentary.
Highlights
- A visit to the USS Arizona Memorial
- Exploring the historic decks of the USS Missouri
- Expert guides provide captivating narratives and historical context
- Deeper understanding of this pivotal moment in American history
What's Included
- Boat ride to USS Arizona Memorial.
- Admission to the USS Battleship Missouri included.
- Convenient Pickup/Drop-off from Waikiki Hotels only.
- In-Person Briefing at Pearl Harbor Visitor's Center.
Good to know: 1) Do not bring any bags or purses on the tour, only a cell phone and whatever you can fit into your pockets · 2) Not all the tour vehicle can accommodate mobility devices such as Wheel chairs and Scooters. Please call the tour company right away after you book the tour to make arrangements. · 3) The tour duration is 4 to 5 hours including travel time · Please note that your selected tour time is the beginning of your pickup window, not necessarily the exact vehicle arrival time. Pickup may occur at any time within the applicable 1-hour window: · Pickup windows: · 6:30 AM tour: 6:30–7:30 AM · 8:30 AM tour: 7:30–9:30 AM · 10:30 AM tour: 10:30–11:30 AM · If you have any questions or need assistance, the team is always here to help. · Not Included: Gratuities., Ko Olina pick is not offered unless booking tittle says from Ko Olina.
How the Day Works
Four steps, from booking to the end of the day.
Pick a Start Time, Then Watch the Window
Tours start at 6:30, 8:30 or 10:30 a.m., and the time you book opens a pickup window rather than fixing the van's arrival. There are 15 pickup points around Waikīkī and Ala Moana, the Duke Kahanamoku statue and the Pier 2 cruise terminal among them; Ko Olina is not covered.
Pockets Only, Then the Visitor Center
Leave every bag behind: the tour allows only a phone and what fits in your pockets. The day starts with an in-person briefing at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, whose museums and grounds are free to everyone.
The Boat to the USS Arizona Memorial
A Navy boat takes you out to the memorial above the sunken battleship. Your place is booked for you; on your own it means a Recreation.gov ticket or the standby queue.
Aboard the Missouri, Then Back to Waikīkī
Admission to the Battleship Missouri, where the Japanese surrender was signed, is included; everyone else pays for it separately. Allow 4 to 5 hours door to door. Gratuities are extra, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Photo Gallery
The Pearl Harbor Tour in Photos
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. The listing's terms: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Pearl Harbor Two Ways, or the Whole Island in a Day
The featured tour, the cheaper Arizona-only version and the full-day island loop, from each operator's listing. On your own, Pearl Harbor costs a $1 booking fee for the Arizona program, $7 to park and a separate ticket for the Missouri.
| Feature | FEATURED TOUR Pearl Harbor, Arizona and Missouri | Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Only | Complete Island Tour (Oahu Photography Tours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From about $156 per person | From about $51 per person | From about $185 per person; lunch at the food trucks is extra |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 from 576 reviews | 4.5 / 5 from 1,250 reviews | 4.9 / 5 from 360 reviews |
| Pickup | 15 points around Waikīkī and Ala Moana, including the Pier 2 cruise terminal; no Ko Olina pickup; your start time opens the pickup window | Select Waikīkī hotels, nothing outside Waikīkī; your start time opens the pickup window | 18 points around Waikīkī and Ala Moana, including Piers 2 and 10 |
| How Long | 4 to 5 hours including travel | 4 to 5 hours including travel | A full day |
| What's Included | Briefing at the visitor center, the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial and admission to the Battleship Missouri | Briefing at the visitor center and the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial; the Missouri is not included | Waimea Valley garden and waterfall entry (life jackets for the swim), the Pali Lookout fee and a Leonard's malasada; 12 guests at most |
| Bags and Access | No bags at all, only a phone and what fits in your pockets; not every vehicle takes wheelchairs or scooters, so call the operator after booking | No bags, food or drinks; not every vehicle takes wheelchairs or scooters, so call the operator after booking | No luggage or large bags; not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments; a 3/4-mile paved walk each way to the waterfall |
| Free Cancellation | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before |
| On Your Own | Entry is free; the Arizona program is $1 on Recreation.gov or the free standby queue; parking $7; the Missouri is a separate ticket | Entry is free; the Arizona program is $1 on Recreation.gov or the free standby queue; parking $7 | Possible by car: you pay the entry fees and do the driving |
| Best For | The Arizona and the Missouri in one morning, with nothing to book or drive | The Arizona alone, at the lowest price on this page | A first look at the whole island in one day, with a waterfall swim |
| Check Availability | See the Arizona Tour | See the Island Tour |
Five More Oʻahu Tours
More Tours on Oʻahu
The whole island in a day, a shark cage off the North Shore, a luau dinner show, a turtle snorkel from Waikīkī Beach and the Arizona-only Pearl Harbor tour. Prices move over time.
FULL DAY, WATERFALL SWIMOahu: Complete Island Tour with Tropical Waterfall Swimming
A full day around Oʻahu in a group of at most 12, with Waikīkī pickup: a coffee farm, the North Shore, a swim at Waimea Falls, the Kahuku food trucks, a macadamia farm, and the Pali and Makapuʻu lookouts.
NORTH SHORE SHARK CAGEOahu: Shark Cage Dive on the North Shore
A boat trip off Oʻahu's North Shore to see sharks, from the deck or from inside a cage if you book that option, with a safety briefing and snorkel gear. Up to eight people share the cage at once.
LUAU, DINNER AND FIRE SHOWOahu: Mauka Warriors Luau Cultural Experience with Dinner
A lūʻau with a lei welcome, hands-on activities such as hula lessons, headband weaving and opening a coconut, a Polynesian feast with kālua pork, and a fire knife show with stories of Hawaiʻi and the wider Pacific.
TURTLE SNORKEL, 2.5 HOURSWaikiki Beach: Turtle Snorkeling and Sailing on Hāwea
A 2.5-hour trip on Hāwea, a hand-built 50-foot catamaran, from Waikīkī Beach to snorkel at Turtle Canyon among green sea turtles and reef fish, with mask, snorkel, fins and a flotation belt provided.
USS ARIZONA ONLYHonolulu: Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial Tour
Round-trip transport from select Waikīkī hotels to Pearl Harbor, a briefing at the visitor center and its exhibits, and the boat ride out to the USS Arizona Memorial to pay respects.
Choosing Oʻahu
What You Get on Oʻahu, and What You Give Up
Crowds and costs from the state's own figures, who the island suits, Pearl Harbor with and without a tour, and Oʻahu as of early October 2026.
Oʻahu is where most trips to Hawaiʻi begin and where the most visitors stay. Honolulu, Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor and the North Shore are all on it, and by the day it is the cheapest of the four big islands. It is also the busiest, by a distance.
The busiest island, and the cheapest per day
The state’s brochure calls Oʻahu “The Gathering Place”. At the 2020 Census, 1,016,508 of Hawaiʻi’s 1,455,271 residents lived on its 598 square miles. In 2025 it drew 5,665,698 visitors by DBEDT’s final count: 59.7 percent of everyone who flew to Hawaiʻi set foot on Oʻahu, and every cruise passenger called here. On an average day, though, Oʻahu held about 47 percent of the state’s visitors, or 107,479 people, roughly twice Maui’s 54,500.
Waikīkī holds about 84 percent of Oʻahu’s surveyed hotel rooms. Rooms on the island averaged $284.12 a night in 2025 ($268.08 in Waikīkī), against $536.80 in Maui County and $416.69 on Kauaʻi, and visitors spent $238 a person a day, the least of the four big islands. Oʻahu also gets the highest share of first-timers of the four: 35.4 percent of its visitors were on a first trip, against 27.3 percent on Maui.
Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay and the North Shore
Pearl Harbor National Memorial charges no entrance fee: its visitor center, museums and grounds are free, and the visitor center is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park service counts 4,000 to 8,000 visitors a day. The USS Arizona Memorial program is free too, but it is booked only on Recreation.gov, with a $1 fee per ticket, or through a free standby queue that can take several hours on busy days. The Battleship Missouri, USS Bowfin and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum are separate paid attractions.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, the state’s first Marine Life Conservation District, is open Wednesday to Sunday and closed every Monday and Tuesday. Non-residents aged 13 and over pay $25, and reservations open two days ahead at 7 a.m. Hawaiʻi time. Diamond Head (Lēʻahi) needs a timed reservation as well, $5 a person and $10 to park; the trail climbs 560 feet in 0.8 mile, and the state says to allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
The North Shore changes with the season. From November to April the state’s Ocean Safety program warns of “consistent huge and dangerous swells” there; from May to October the waves are flat to small. Kualoa Ranch, a 4,000-acre private nature reserve about 45 minutes from the airport, has been the set for more than 70 Hollywood films, Jurassic Park among them.
When Oʻahu is the wrong pick
The guides split on first-timers. Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 guide sends them to Oʻahu and U.S. News calls Oʻahu “the best jumping-off point for first-time visitors”, while an older U.S. News gallery says a first visit should be Maui. Lonely Planet rates Oʻahu best for city life, surf competitions and historic landmarks, and its budget advice is to stay on one island, “especially Oʻahu”. For families, Condé Nast Traveler points to Oʻahu’s beaches with lifeguards, parking and restrooms. HTA’s line is that there are “no wrong answers”.
So Oʻahu suits a first trip that wants a city and its history next to the beach, a tighter budget, or the island where most visitors land anyway. It suits less well if you came for space. INRIX’s 2025 scorecard ranked Honolulu the 20th most congested urban area in the United States, and the island holds about twice Maui’s visitors on an average day.
Pick Maui if your trip is built around a summit sunrise, a long coastal drive and a boat to Molokini; Maui or Oʻahu puts the two side by side. Pick Kauaʻi or the Big Island for fewer people, with 28,577 and 35,640 visitors on an average day. Read Kauaʻi’s page before you book: as of early October 2026 most of its state parks are closed after Hurricane Lowell.
Airport, rail and traffic
You land at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), where most visitors to Hawaiʻi arrive. Hawaiian Airlines checks in inter-island passengers in Terminal 1, Lobby 3 (its international check-in has moved to Terminal 2, Lobby 4), and since 3 October 2026 its cutoff for flights between the islands has been 50 minutes. The Skyline rail line stops at the airport and runs from East Kapolei to Middle Street in Kalihi, but it does not reach Waikīkī; the extension to Civic Center is targeted for March 2031. INRIX counted 49 hours lost per Honolulu driver in 2025, so leave a margin before any timed entry.
Most tours on this page come to you. Both Pearl Harbor tours and the island tour pick up in Waikīkī. The turtle snorkel boards from the beach behind the Duke Kahanamoku statue, the luau in Waipahu sells transport from Waikīkī hotels for $30 more, and the shark dive listing includes no transport to the North Shore.
Three days or more
The average visitor to Hawaiʻi stayed 8.66 days in 2025, and about 15 percent saw more than one island. Three full days covers a first look at Oʻahu if you book the timed entries ahead: a morning at Pearl Harbor (the featured tour takes 4 to 5 hours with travel), a day around the island, and a morning at Hanauma Bay or on Diamond Head. Add beach days, or a second island; Honolulu to Kahului averages 48 minutes in the air.
Oʻahu in October 2026
Hurricane Lowell, on 7 and 8 September, caused flooding, outages and wind damage on parts of Oʻahu as well as on Kauaʻi and Niʻihau. As of 5 October the state’s park notices list one Oʻahu closure, the Kaʻena Point Keawaʻula Trail. Pearl Harbor had no active alerts on 6 October, and Hanauma Bay’s City page showed its normal Wednesday-to-Sunday schedule after an August closure for sewer work. The North Shore’s winter swells start in November, and hurricane season runs to 30 November. The law bans commercial tour stops at Kailua Beach Park and the Lanikai beach accesses, so no tour can stop there.
Pearl Harbor with and without a tour
You can do Pearl Harbor on your own. Book the Arizona program on Recreation.gov, where tickets release at 3 p.m. Hawaiʻi time eight weeks ahead and again 24 hours ahead, or join the standby queue; drive and pay $7 to park; and buy a Missouri ticket separately. The park allows clear stadium-style bags; any other bag bigger than 1.25 by 2.25 by 5.5 inches stays outside.
The featured tour, Pearl Harbor Tour’s “Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona and Battleship Missouri”, from $156 when we checked and rated 4.5 from 576 reviews, does that work for you: pickup in Waikīkī, a briefing at the visitor center, the boat to the Arizona and admission to the Missouri, in 4 to 5 hours. Its rule on bags is stricter than the park’s, with none allowed at all. Bring ID, a card and some cash; cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
If you want the Arizona and the Missouri in one morning without booking slots or driving, this is the tour to book.
If the Arizona alone is enough, the same operator name sells an Arizona-only tour from $51 (4.5 from 1,250 reviews). For the rest of the island, Oahu Photography Tours’ complete island tour (from $185, 4.9 from 360) takes 12 people at most, with a swim at Waimea Falls (life jackets included) and lunch at the Kahuku food trucks at your own cost. oahu-circle-island-tour.com covers the loop itself: what a guided day includes, how long it takes, and when a rental car makes more sense. North Shore Shark Adventures’ shark cage dive (from $99, 4.9 from 1,784) gives you 20 minutes in the cage, and you need not be a strong swimmer. Waikiki Sailing Company’s turtle snorkel on Hāwea (from $85, 4.7 from 834) lasts two and a half hours and is not for non-swimmers. The Mauka Warriors Luau (from $146, 4.6 from 697) is a dinner show in Waipahu with a fire knife performance.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.5/5
from 598 verified guests
"Jeff was excellent! He was friendly and VERY informative! We thoroughly enjoyed this tour! I recommend Jeff."
"Was a humbling experience to visit these historical sites and see a part of history."
"arelane (Im sorry if I spelt this wrong) was amazing so friendly and knowledgeable, the tour was great its beautiful done and maintained x"
"Great day and trip. Our guide was great and knowledgable."
"The guide picked me up from the cruise terminal and gave a good description of where to find him and what the van looked like. The tour was amazing. I got to go to the Missouri and the Arizona then our guide took us to the military cemetery which was an extra bonus."
"Excellent. Jeff spun a good yarn and was very attentive"
"Will was amazing, he made sure we understood everything and was a wealth of information and very funny"
Read all 598 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Pearl Harbor, Arizona and Missouri Tour
Waikīkī pickup, a briefing at the visitor center, the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial and admission to the Battleship Missouri, rated 4.5 by 576 guests. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; no bags on the tour. Starting from $156 per person.
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Oʻahu FAQ
The questions people type before choosing Oʻahu and booking Pearl Harbor or a day out, answered in the first sentence. Tour details come from each operator's listing; the rest from state, city and park sources.
Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head and the North Shore, and three of those four need a booking. The USS Arizona Memorial program is booked on Recreation.gov ($1 a ticket) or through the free standby queue; Hanauma Bay takes reservations two days ahead at 7 a.m. Hawaiʻi time and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays; Diamond Head needs a timed reservation for non-residents, up to 30 days ahead. The North Shore needs no booking, but from November to April its swells are huge and dangerous. Kualoa Ranch, where more than 70 Hollywood films have been shot, Jurassic Park among them, is about 45 minutes from the airport.
For a first visit, yes, if you book the timed entries ahead. Pearl Harbor takes a morning (the featured tour runs 4 to 5 hours including travel); a full island loop takes a day; and Hanauma Bay (entry 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday) or the 1.5-to-2-hour Diamond Head hike fills another morning. Beach days and the North Shore need more time. The average visitor to Hawaiʻi stayed 8.66 days in 2025, and about 15 percent visited more than one island.
Oʻahu is the city island, busier and cheaper by the day; Maui is built around a few big scenic days and costs more. In 2025 Oʻahu had 5,665,698 visitors and Maui 2,531,472 (DBEDT); on an average day about 107,479 visitors were on Oʻahu and 54,500 on Maui. Visitors spent $238 a person a day on Oʻahu and $305 on Maui. Oʻahu has Honolulu, Waikīkī and Pearl Harbor; Maui has Haleakalā, the Road to Hāna and the boats to Molokini. Maui or Oʻahu goes through the choice, and the Maui page covers that island.
No: Oʻahu is the cheaper of the two, and the cheapest of the four big islands by the day. DBEDT's 2025 figures put visitor spending at $238 a person a day on Oʻahu, against $305 on Maui, $282 on Kauaʻi and $246 on Hawaiʻi Island. Hotel rooms averaged $284.12 a night on Oʻahu ($268.08 in Waikīkī) and $536.80 in Maui County. Lonely Planet's budget advice is to stay on one island, 'especially Oʻahu'. Lodging taxes are the same everywhere: the state and county lodging taxes plus the excise tax add about 18.7% to a room rate, before resort fees.
There is no single answer: HTA says there are 'no wrong answers', and the guides split between Oʻahu and Maui. Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 guide sends first-timers to Oʻahu, and U.S. News calls Oʻahu 'the best jumping-off point for first-time visitors', while an older U.S. News gallery says a first visit should be Maui. In DBEDT's 2025 figures, 35.4% of Oʻahu's visitors were on a first trip, against 27.3% on Maui. The island chooser sets out who each island suits.
Entry is free, but the USS Arizona Memorial program needs a ticket from Recreation.gov ($1 each) or a place in the free standby queue. Tickets are released daily at 3 p.m. Hawaiʻi time, eight weeks ahead and again 24 hours ahead, and in-person ticket handouts have been discontinued. Programs leave every 15 minutes from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3:30 p.m., and the park asks you to arrive an hour early. Parking is $7. The Battleship Missouri, USS Bowfin and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum charge separately, and the visitor center is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Transport from Waikīkī, a guide, a booked place on the Arizona boat and admission to the Battleship Missouri. The featured tour (from $156) picks up at 15 points around Waikīkī and Ala Moana, including the Pier 2 cruise terminal; the time you book opens the pickup window rather than fixing the arrival, and there is no Ko Olina pickup. It runs 4 to 5 hours including travel. Not every vehicle takes wheelchairs or scooters, so call the operator right after booking. Bring ID, a credit card and some cash; gratuities are not included, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. The Arizona-only version under the same operator name costs from $51 and skips the Missouri.
Not on either tour on this page: both allow no bags at all, only a phone and what fits in your pockets. The park's own rule is looser. Bags that could conceal something and are larger than 1.25 by 2.25 by 5.5 inches are not allowed, but clear stadium-style bags are, and paid bag storage near the entrance is run by the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. The Arizona-only tour also bans food and drinks.
No: Hanauma Bay is closed every Monday and Tuesday, and on 25 December and 1 January. From Wednesday to Sunday, entry runs from 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; the beach is cleared at 3:30 p.m. and everyone must leave by 4. Non-residents aged 13 and over pay $25 plus a 2.35% online fee (children 12 and under are free), and parking is $3, cash only. Reservations open two days ahead at 7 a.m. Hawaiʻi time; about a quarter of entries are walk-ins handed out from 6:45 a.m. Every visit starts with a mandatory education video.
Yes, if you are not a Hawaiʻi resident; without a reservation you are turned away. Non-residents book entry ($5 a person, free for 3 and under) and parking ($10 a car) up to 30 days ahead on the state parks site, by credit card only. Hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the last slot is 4 p.m. The trail climbs 560 feet in 0.8 mile, through a 225-foot tunnel; allow 1.5 to 2 hours. There are no weather refunds unless the park officially closes.
No: the Skyline rail line has a station at the airport but ends at Middle Street in Kalihi, short of Waikīkī. It runs from East Kapolei through the airport to the Kalihi Transit Center, and the extension to Civic Center in Kakaʻako is targeted for March 2031. Both Pearl Harbor tours and the island tour on this page pick up in Waikīkī, and the luau sells transport from Waikīkī hotels.
No: salt water keeps you buoyant and you hold on to the bars of the cage. North Shore Shark Adventures (from $99) gives you 20 minutes in the cage, with up to 8 people in it at once, or you can watch from the deck. Snorkel gear comes with the dive option; food and drinks are not included. The listing includes no transport to the North Shore. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
No: transport from Waikīkī hotels costs $30 more and is arranged with the operator by phone, by 3 p.m. Hawaiʻi time on the day. The luau is at the Coral Carter Adventure Park in Waipahu. You may bring your own alcohol; non-alcoholic drinks and a kava bar are included. Infants 4 and under are free but must be added to the booking. The show uses flashing lights and fire effects and runs rain or shine, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
From the beach directly behind the Duke Kahanamoku statue, on the beachfront of the Hyatt Regency. There is no check-in booth: walk down to the shoreline and the crew checks you in at the boat, rather than waiting at the statue. Waikiki Sailing Company's 2.5-hour trip on the catamaran Hāwea (from $85) snorkels Turtle Canyon, with mask, snorkel, fins and a flotation belt included, and it is not suitable for non-swimmers. The 8:30 and 11:45 a.m. trips serve cold brew coffee and granola bars, and alcoholic drinks are for sale. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Still have questions? Email us at info@besthawaiianisland.com