The Salute to Pearl Harbor Including USS Arizona Memorial is a half-day guided tour from Waikiki that handles every headache of visiting Oahu’s most visited historical site: hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional driver-guide, and a reserved slot in the USS Arizona Memorial program — the 23-minute documentary film plus the US Navy shuttle boat out to the memorial itself. Tours typically run about five hours with morning departures around 7:30 am or 9:45 am, and adults ride for roughly $52 with kids (3–11) around $40, infants under 2 free. If you want to pay your respects at the Arizona without renting a car, wrestling with parking, or competing for same-day boat tickets, this is the simplest way to do it.
Key Highlights
- Half-day guided tour from Waikiki — morning pickup at your hotel, drop-off back after, so you never touch a rental car or TheBus schedule.
- USS Arizona Memorial program included — the 23-minute documentary and the US Navy shuttle boat to the memorial, the two things most DIY visitors struggle to line up.
- Visitor Center museums and grounds — the “Road to War” and “Attack” galleries, waterfront memorials, and views across Battleship Row, with a guide to give it context.
- Budget-friendly around $52 per adult — among the cheapest guided Pearl Harbor options on Oahu, with children (3–11) about $40 and infants under 2 free.
- Historic drive-bys on the return — expect commentary and photo passes by downtown Honolulu sights such as the Aloha Tower on the way back to Waikiki.
Getting There: Pickup and Logistics
Waikiki pickup
The single biggest reason to book this tour is logistics. The driver picks you up from your Waikiki hotel in the morning — most departures leave around 7:30 am, with a second wave near 9:45 am — and you are back at the same spot around five hours later. The drive to Pearl Harbor takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes each way, about 12 miles from the center of Waikiki, and you will not spend any of it worrying about the H-1 West traffic or finding a spot in the visitor center lot. Confirmation emails usually name the exact pickup point nearest your hotel, so be in the lobby a few minutes early with your e-ticket and a photo ID.
Staying outside Waikiki? Some versions of this tour offer Ko’Olina pickups, and cruise ship passengers can sometimes arrange a late-morning departure meeting at Pier 2, Pier 10, or Pier 11. You cannot join the tour by simply showing up at Pearl Harbor; you have to be on the pickup list.
Going on your own instead
If you would rather manage everything yourself — drive, park, and chase down boat tickets — you absolutely can, and it is the cheapest way in. Our guide to visiting the memorial on your own walks through the DIY route: reserve the $1-per-ticket boat program on recreation.gov well ahead, or join the free standby queue at the visitor center on the morning. This tour is for people who would rather pay about fifty bucks and skip that entire planning exercise.
Best Time to Take This Tour
The earlier departure is the better play most of the year. Pearl Harbor builds crowds through the mid-morning, and the 7:30 am pickup gets you through the documentary and onto an early shuttle while the grounds are still quiet. Summer (June through August) and the weeks around December 7 are the busiest — book several days to a week ahead in those windows, because the operator’s boat-program slots are finite. Since the boat portion is weather-dependent, building the tour into the first half of your trip gives you a buffer day to rebook if the harbor closes unexpectedly.
Tour Itinerary: What to Expect
The 23-minute documentary film
Every visit to the memorial starts in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Theater. The film runs on the :15 and :45 of each hour — first showing 7:15 am, last at 4:15 pm — and covers the rise of tensions in the Pacific, the planning of the strike, and the morning of December 7, 1941 itself, when in under two hours the Imperial Japanese Navy sank or damaged 19 US ships and killed 2,403 Americans. It sets the tone for everything after. If you want to go deeper into the history before you go, our 30 facts about Pearl Harbor covers the attack from multiple angles.
The Navy shuttle boat and the USS Arizona Memorial
After the film, a US Navy-operated shuttle boat carries you across the harbor to the white memorial structure spanning the sunken battleship. The crossing only takes a few minutes, but the boat passes along Battleship Row — the moorings where seven battleships were lined up on the morning of the attack — and most guides narrate what you are looking at.
The memorial itself, dedicated in 1962 and designed by architect Alfred Preis, is 184 feet of white concrete that spans the Arizona’s midsection without touching the hull. Inside, the names of all 1,177 sailors and Marines killed aboard are inscribed on a marble wall, and oil still rises from the ruptured fuel tanks — the “tears of the Arizona.” It is an active burial site, with survivors’ ashes interred beside their shipmates. Expect roughly 45 minutes to an hour at the memorial. Boat operations are the Navy’s call — wind or mechanical issues can suspend service, in which case you still get the film, the museums, and the shoreline views.
The museums, grounds, and waterfront memorials
Back on land, you get time in the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center’s two museums — the “Road to War” and “Attack” galleries — which walk through the decade before the strike and the morning itself, with actual attack footage, artifacts, and oral histories. The waterfront also holds memorials to the other ships and men lost that day, and from the shoreline you can look across to Ford Island and the anchored battleships. Give the exhibits at least 45 minutes; history buffs could happily spend two hours, which is the one real constraint of a five-hour tour. For a fuller day at the site, see our ultimate guide to visiting Pearl Harbor.
The return: historic Honolulu
On the way back to Waikiki, the tour typically includes a drive through or past historic downtown Honolulu — the Aloha Tower is the usual highlight, the 184-foot lighthouse-clock tower that welcomed immigrants to the islands for decades. Some departures also pass the Iolani Palace grounds or the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. It is a pass-by rather than a stop, but it adds a layer of Honolulu history without lengthening the day.
Prices, Tickets, and the $1 Reservation Rule
As of late 2026, the Salute to Pearl Harbor Including USS Arizona tour is typically listed around $52 per adult (12+) and $40 per child (3–11), with infants under 2 riding free — pricing as shown on major booking platforms such as Viator, where this tour is sold. Prices move with season and seller, so confirm on the booking page before you buy. What you are paying for is transport, the driver-guide, and — crucially — a pre-arranged place in the USS Arizona Memorial program. That program is free at the memorial itself, but independent visitors must reserve boat tickets on recreation.gov, which charges a $1 non-refundable processing fee per ticket; reservations release in windows that sell out fast, especially the next-day slots.
Booking the tour does not remove the Navy’s weather caveat: if boat operations are suspended, there are no refunds for the memorial portion, though the operator’s standard cancellation terms apply to the tour itself — read the cancellation policy (typically free cancellation up to 24–48 hours ahead) before booking. Gratuities for your guide are not included, and bag storage at the visitor center runs a few dollars per item, so carry cash. To add a battleship to your day, see our guide to the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Nearby Things to Do After the Tour
The morning departure is the smart part of this itinerary: you are back in Waikiki by early afternoon with the whole day ahead. The classic pairing is a Diamond Head hike — the crater trail takes about 1.5 to 2 hours round trip and delivers the island’s best panoramic payoff, and you will need to reserve its entry and parking in advance. History momentum can also carry you to the Bishop Museum, Honolulu’s finest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific heritage, open daily in Kalihi.
If you would rather decompress, walk to Waikiki Beach for the afternoon, or browse the shops and shave-ice stands of Kalakaua Avenue. For a completely different flavor of the day, the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa is an easy second-half outing with its famous pineapple-whip treat. And if Oahu’s coast has you curious, see our roundup of the best things to do in Honolulu to fill the rest of your trip.
Practical Tips
Pearl Harbor’s security rules are stricter than most visitors expect, and they apply to everyone. Bags, purses, backpacks, and fanny packs larger than 1.25″ x 2.25″ x 5.5″ are not allowed anywhere in the visitor center or on the shuttle boats — leave them at the hotel or use the paid storage facility near the entrance (a few dollars per bag, which is why cash helps). Cameras and small hand-carried wallets are fine. Strollers are not permitted on the shuttle boats or in the theaters, so families with toddlers should bring a baby carrier.
Dress respectfully and practically: shirts and closed shoes are required, swimwear is not allowed, and heels are discouraged because you will be climbing in and out of boats. Every adult should carry government-issued photo ID. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and water — the memorial grounds are mostly outdoors and the Hawaiian sun does not care that you are sightseeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Salute to Pearl Harbor tour cost?
The tour is typically listed around $52 per adult (12+) and $40 per child (3–11), with infants under 2 free, on major booking platforms such as Viator where this tour is sold. Prices vary by season and seller, so always confirm on the booking page. That price covers Waikiki pickup and drop-off, a driver-guide, and a reserved place in the USS Arizona Memorial program; gratuities and bag storage are extra.
How long is the Salute to Pearl Harbor tour?
Plan on about five hours door to door. Morning pickups run around 7:30 am or 9:45 am depending on the departure you book, and you are back at your Waikiki hotel in the early afternoon. Of that, expect roughly 45 minutes to an hour at the memorial itself, time in the two museums, and 30 to 40 minutes of driving each way.
Do I need to reserve USS Arizona Memorial boat tickets separately?
No — that is the point of the tour. The USS Arizona Memorial program is free, but independent visitors must reserve boat tickets on recreation.gov, which charges a $1 non-refundable processing fee per ticket, and the slots sell out quickly. Booking the tour gets you a pre-arranged place in the program without the reservation scramble. If the tour is not an option, you can still try the free standby queue at the visitor center on the morning — it costs nothing but does not guarantee a seat.
What is the bag policy at Pearl Harbor?
Bags, purses, backpacks, and any containers that can conceal items larger than 1.25″ x 2.25″ x 5.5″ are not allowed in the visitor center or on the shuttle boats. Paid bag storage is available near the visitor center entrance for a few dollars per item, so leave large bags at your hotel or bring cash. Cameras and small hand-carried wallets are permitted.
Can I join the tour if I am not staying in Waikiki?
Usually, yes — but you need to arrange it at booking. Some departures offer pickups from the Ko’Olina area on select days, and cruise ship passengers can sometimes join a late-morning departure with pickup near Pier 2, Pier 10, or Pier 11, returning in time for sailaway. You cannot simply meet the group at Pearl Harbor; confirm your exact pickup point at least 24 hours before departure.
What is the difference between this tour and a memorial-only visit?
This tour is a packaged half-day: Waikiki pickup and drop-off, a driver-guide, the documentary film, the Navy shuttle to the memorial, museum time, and a scenic return drive. A memorial-only visit means getting yourself to Pearl Harbor and lining up your own boat tickets through recreation.gov or the free standby queue. If you have a car and like planning, the DIY route is cheaper — our memorial-only guide covers it. If you want the whole morning handled for you, book the tour.