Pearl Harbor Tour & Private Pearl Harbor Tour
Want a Pearl Harbor Tour? Millions of people visit Honolulu every year for its beautiful beaches. However, there is also another attraction you should see: Pearl Harbor.
DanielsHawaii offers private tours to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. If you are interested in something really special and breathtaking, you combine our private tour with a helicopter flight over Oahu and Pearl Harbor.
See the Pearl Harbor Memorial and the military Base Pearl Harbor from the air – truly amazing!
History of Pearl Harbor Attack
Hawaii was the scene of one of the most devastating surprise attacks in military history when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 around 7.55am local time. 183 aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States Naval base. Within two hours, 18 US warships had been sunk or damaged, 300 aircraft destroyed and about 2,400 Americans died during this attack.
The reasons why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor are because Japan had an increased need for natural resources like oil, minerals and steel. However, the United States also had an obvious interest in these natural resources and the U.S. Congress placed restrictions on doing business with Japan. Also, President Roosevelt moved the US Pacific Fleet from California to Pearl Harbor in 1939. This move was a threat to Japan, who wanted to expand in the Pacific as well.
The USS Arizona battleship was destroyed. However, the king of pop music Elvis Presley was fortunate to star in Paramount motion picture “Blue Hawaii”. This paid for his filming in Hawaii along with a benefit concert. The ticket sales and donations from other sources helped raised money to rebuild the USS Arizona Memorial.
Visiting Pearl Harbor
The memorial welcomes more than two million visitors a year. When Elvis passed away in 1977, the Navy placed a wreath for him at the USS Arizona Memorial.
If you are interested in visiting Pearl Harbor, make sure to arrive early around 7am, since there are only a few free tickets available every day. The tour takes a little bit over one hour, including an approximately 20-minute documentary about Pearl Harbor and a short boat ride to and from the memorial.
Pearl Harbor Hours & Security
The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center opens daily from 7 am to 5 pm and is only closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Please also note that you cannot take your purse or any bags inside Pearl Harbor due to security regulations. However, photo and video cameras are allowed inside Pearl Harbor, though camera bags are still prohibited and you are not allowed to take any pictures on the Admiral Clarey Bridge to Ford Island. There is a bag storage near the entrance to the Visitor Center for $4.00.
If you also want to visit the Battleship Missouri, the Pacific Aviation Museum or the Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, there are, however, entrance fees between 30 and 70 dollars per person.