If you are visiting the beautiful Hawaiian Island of Kauai, you’ll have lots of amazing things to see and do on the Garden Isle. But, perhaps you might be wondering if it’s possible to take a day trip, island hop to see Pearl Harbor. The good news is yes, it is possible!
A visit to Pearl Harbor is on most visitors’ bucket list of things to see when they travel to Hawaii. We have visited Pearl Harbor numerous times and can say that it is indeed worthy of your time and budget. It is both educational and emotional to learn the history of Pearl Harbor.
Logistically, it is possible to plan your own flights and make your own reservations to visit the historic sites within Pearl Harbor. I will say that it is a lot of work coordinating those plans on your own. I’ve done the research and planning myself and it’s very stressful and very time consuming. But, stay tuned….there is an easier option that we’ll get to below…
[If you want our top suggestion now, we recommend taking this packaged tour that includes flights to and from Oahu, ground transportation on Oahu, reservations, and tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and some Honolulu sightseeing.]
When most people generally think of Pearl Harbor, their thoughts tend to go to the USS Arizona Memorial, which is the sunken battleship with the hovering memorial structure. That’s what most people have highest on their list of places to see. These days, visiting the USS Arizona Memorial requires reservations that are timed and limited to a certain number per day. So, it can be tricky to secure reservations. For this reason we recommend an organized, packaged trip to Oahu.
When you choose a packaged tour, it’s a seamless process. When we took our first day trip tour to Pearl Harbor, all we had to do was get to the airport. The tour company handles the flights, ground transportation on Oahu, reservations at the USS Arizona Memorial, and any other Pearl Harbor tickets that were included in our tour. We certainly had an excellent day.
So, which tour companies do we recommend for a day trip from Kauai to see Pearl Harbor. Here are the options:
Aloha Sunshine Tours Day Tours to Pearl Harbor from Kauai
Aloha Sunshine tours offers some convenient day tours to Pearl Harbor from Kauai. Aloha Sunshine Tours has outstanding TripAdvisor reviews/ratings. Here are the tours they offer:
Our top recommendation: Battleships of WWII at Pearl Harbor Tour from Kauai includes tours of the Arizona Memorial, the Missouri Battleship, a scenic drive through Honolulu, and a drive through Punchbowl. This tour hits the top Pearl Harbor highlights and if I were booking a tour for myself today, this tour is the one I’d choose based on what’s included and the price, which slightly less expensive than Polynesian Adventures. To check availability and pricing see this link. The expected duration of this tour is between nine and ten hours.
Arizona Memorial Pearl Harbor Tour from Kauai is a quick and relatively inexpensive option. It includes touring the Arizona Memorial, plus a sightseeing tour of downtown Honolulu, and a drive through Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery. This tour is also the cheapest option that we know of. See the following link to check pricing and availability of the Aloha Sunshine Tour Pearl Harbor tour from Kauai. The expected duration of this tour is approximately seven to eight hours.
Complete Pear Harbor Experience Departing from Kauai includes all four of the top Pearl Harborattractions, plus some Honolulu sightseeing and a drive through Punchbowl. This tour is a great option for those who want a more immersive tour of Pearl Harbor. The expected duration of this tour is between 10 and 11 hours.
Polynesian Adventure Day Tours to Pearl Harbor from Maui
Polynesian Adventure is the company we booked for our first day trip to Oahu. Polynesian Adventure has offered tours for decades and they’ve earned excellent TripAdvisor reviews across the many tours they offer in the Hawaiian Islands. Here are the Pearl Harbor tours from Maui that Polynesian Adventures offer:
Kauai to Oahu day trip: World War II Deluxe Pearl Harbor Tour. This tour includes all four Pearl Harbor attractions, plus a scenic drive past the top downtown Honolulu spots. This tour is best for those who want to know all about Pearl Harbor and who have a greater interest in the history of it.
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To be sure, these tours are not cheap. We once spent a high price to take this guided tour ourselves. For the peace of mind to let an expert do the organizing, planning and driving, we don’t regret that expense — especially considering what a memorable day we had.
