6 TO 8 HOURS
Your Perfect Full Day at Pearl Harbor (6 to 8 Hours)
You don't need a full day to have an experience that stays with you for a lifetime. A focused morning at Pearl Harbor, starting early and knowing where you're going, gives you the USS Arizona Memorial and a World War II submarine, and puts you back in Waikīkī by lunch.
BEFORE YOU GO
Two things to sort before you arrive. First, book your USS Arizona Memorial reservation at recreation.gov. It's free, but it fills up weeks in advance, especially in summer. Grab your time slot first and plan everything else around it. Next, grab the Passport to Pearl Harbor ($99.99 adults, $49.99 kids ages 4 to 12). It covers admission to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, as well as a multimedia device for the Visitor Center and one Virtual Reality experiencethe Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, plus the self-guided multimedia tour at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and one VR experience at the Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center. It's the easiest way to manage a full day without juggling tickets at every stop. The Passport does not include the USS Arizona Memorial reservation, which you book separately.
7:00 AM
Start at the Visitor Center Exhibits
Arrive when the site opens at 7am and start in the Visitor Center galleries before your boat program. This sounds like the cautious, responsible thing to do, and it is, but it's also genuinely worth it. The Road to War and Attack galleries are free, beautifully done, and the context they give you makes every single site that follows more meaningful. At 7am, you'll likely have them almost to yourself.
Once you're done with the galleries, stop at the USS Arizona Memorial Narrated Tours desk to pick up your multimedia tour device. It can be used throughout the Visitor Center and while aboard the USS Arizona Memorial.
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8:15 AM
The USS Arizona Memorial
There's a 23-minute documentary that plays at 15 and 45 minutes past every hour starting at 8:15am. It's worth watching before you board. It uses real footage from the attack on December 7, 1941, and it sets up the memorial in a way nothing else can.
The boat takes you across the harbor to the memorial, which sits directly above the sunken hull. More than 1,100 sailors are still there. The oil rising slowly from the wreck, the black tears of the Arizona, surfaces while you stand above it. The Wall of Remembrance has every name. Allow 45 minutes for the program from the time your group is called to when the boat returns to the Visitor Center.
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9:15 AM
Multimedia Tour on the Waterfront, Plus the VR Experience
Back at the Visitor Center, use your multimedia tour device on the waterfront exhibits. The full tour runs long if you listen to every stop, but 30 to 45 minutes is a comfortable amount of time to walk the waterfront and take in the pieces that connect directly to what you just experienced at the memorial. When you're done, return the device at the Narrated Tour desk.
Before you leave the Visitor Center, stop by the Virtual Reality area. The 10-minute VR journey drops you into the events of December 7, 1941, and it pairs beautifully with everything you've just seen. Quick, immersive, and a natural bridge into the rest of your day.
10:15 AM
Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum
The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is right next to the Visitor Center. Just walk over. Explore the USS Bowfin, known as the Pearl Harbor Avenger, which made nine war patrols and sank 44 enemy ships. Climbing aboard and moving through her from bow to stern, the torpedo room, crew quarters, and conning tower, gives you a completely different kind of understanding than anything you'll get from a panel or a photograph. It's one of the most hands-on experiences at Pearl Harbor, and one of the best.
Audio tour is included in 7 languages. Budget 75 minutes. Jake's Street Food is right there at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum with waterfront seating, a great spot for a quick bite before you catch the shuttle to Ford Island.
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12:00 AM
Catch the Shuttle to Ford Island
The complimentary shuttle to Ford Island departs from the Visitor Center every 15 to 20 minutes starting at 8am. Due to enhanced security, you may need to show your government-issued ID while boarding, since Ford Island is an active military base. International visitors should keep their passport on them. The ride to the Battleship Missouri Memorial takes about 10 minutes.
12:15 AM
Battleship Missouri Memorial, the Mighty MO
If the USS Arizona Memorial is where the war began for America, the Battleship Missouri Memorial is where it ended. We call them the bookends of World War II. On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender on this deck. General Douglas MacArthur accepted it on behalf of the Allied Powers. World War II was over.
Standing on that exact spot, the surrender deck, is one of those moments that tends to stop people cold. The Mighty MO is also massive in a way photos can't capture. At 887 feet long, she's the last battleship ever built by the US Navy, and knowledgeable guides in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean walk you through her history across three wars. Budget at least 90 minutes on the ship, and then shop with purpose at the Battleshop. Every purchase helps preserve the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and you'll find exclusive keepsakes, from historic teak and American flags flown on the ship to unique souvenirs you won't find anywhere else.
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2:00 PM
Lunch at Slider's Grill
Slider's Grill has pier-side seating and a view straight out over the harbor. Hawaiian plate lunches, burgers, cold drinks. Open 10:30am to 2pm. If you want shave ice after, Wai Momi is right there too, open until 3pm.
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2:30 PM
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is a short shuttle ride from the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and it's the site that completes the picture. You're standing inside the original hangars that were attacked on December 7, bullet holes still in the windows, surrounded by more than 50 aircraft from the war. The exhibits cover the aerial dimension of the attack, the part that most people have never fully understood until they stand here.
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If you want to go further, the Tower View Experience takes you 168 feet up into the restored Ford Island Control Tower for a 360-degree view of the entire battlefield and harbor. It's the same vantage point the attack was observed from in 1941. Genuinely worth it.
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The Fighter Ace flight simulators are also here if you want to put yourself in the cockpit. Budget 90 minutes for the museum, and more if you add either upgrade. Last shuttle back to the Visitor Center leaves at 5pm, so it's worth keeping an eye on the time.
4:15 PM
Head Back
Allow about 30 minutes for the return shuttle to the Visitor Center. The site closes at 5pm. If you've still got a little energy, the Visitor Center bookstore is a great final stop. Over 120 titles on the Pacific War, plus maps, recordings, and some of the best souvenirs on the island.
GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
A few practical notes
Book your USS Arizona Memorial reservation at recreation.gov first: 56 days in advance, 3:00pm Hawaiʻi time. Everything else builds around that time slot. If you're unable to secure a timed reservation, the standby option is a good alternative. When you arrive at the Visitor Center, sign up on the tablet. You'll be texted when you're able to board the next boat.
The Passport to Pearl Harbor ($99.99 adults, $49.99 kids) covers the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, plus the self-guided multimedia tour at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and one VR experience at the Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center. It does not include the USS Arizona Memorial reservation.
Parking is $7 per day, credit card only. Arriving by 7am helps you beat the crowds.
Clear bags only at Pearl Harbor. Use the paid storage facility near the entrance ($7 to $10) if you have any bags to store.
All guests should carry a government-issued ID. International visitors must carry their passport on the Ford Island shuttle.
Wheelchair-accessible shuttles run between the Visitor Center and Ford Island. Complimentary wheelchairs are available at the Visitor Center, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Bringing your own for a full-day visit is often easier, since they don't transfer between sites.
The USS Bowfin submarine is not wheelchair accessible. The Battleship Missouri Memorial's main deck and surrender deck are accessible via elevators and ramps. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is fully accessible.
Dining on Ford Island: The Galley snack stand (hot dogs and pretzels) is near the Ford Island Shuttle entrance and opens 10:00am to 3:00pm no admission required. Slider's Grill at the Battleship Missouri Memorial offers pier-side harbor views, 10:30am to 2pm. Wai Momi Shave Ice at the Battleship Missouri Memorial, 9:00am to 3pm. Hangar Cafe at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, 11am to 4pm (grill closes at 3pm).