For those of you who follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, you’ll know that My Vacation Lady LOVES Hawaii.

One of the top tourist attractions in Oahu, and possibly all of Hawaii, is Pearl Harbor.  It is definitely something that history buffs heading to Hawaii want to see and it attracts visitors from all over the world.

Pearl Harbor

We have visited a couple of times and on our last visit, we noticed the huge improvements made to the visitors center and the entire experience.

3 fun facts that you might not have known about Pearl Harbor:

1.  It is named for the pearl oysters that were once harvested there

2.  It is the largest natural harbor in all of Hawaii

3.  It’s the only naval base in the US to be designated a National Historical Landmark.

What are so do’s and don’ts when visiting Pearl Harbor?

  • Do not bring in backpacks, purses, fanny packs, diaper bags, camera bags or luggage of any time that offer an type of concealment.
  • You can store bags at the entrance to the Visitor’s Center for a storage fee per bag.
  • DO bring your wallets, cameras, cell phones and water bottles.
  • Wheel chairs and baby strollers are permitted

What are some tips to help enhance your visit to Pearl Harbor?

  • We usually recommend taking a tour of Pearl Harbor since they obtain tickets at set time slots for you in advance so you don’t have to wait.   When we visited last, our tour guide offered us 2 options to us— explore on your own or listen to his story of what we were going to see.  We opted to stay with the guide to get a bit of the local flavor in addition to the history.  It was one of the rare times that I didn’t look and zip by- I actually listened to his stories.
  • The 45 minute USS Arizona Memorial program begins at the theatre.  We  recommend watching the 23 minute documentary film before you board the ferry to the memorial.
  • The program starts at 8am and runs through 3:30pm.
  • The National Park Service releases tickets 8 weeks in advance at 3pm Hawaii time.  You can get these tickets at www.recreation.gov . There is a non refundable $1 per ticket service fee.
  • Only the Arizona and the Visitor’s Center is free ($1 per ticket reservation fee)  but you can buy advance tickets for the Bowfin, Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
  • For an all – inclusive experience, consider the Passport to Pearl Harbor which includes all 4 sites for one price (currently $90 for adults and $45 for kids 4-12) but doesn’t include a reservation time to the USS Arizona Memorial

    Passport to Pearl Harbor Tours Include:

    • Battleship Missouri Memorial- general admission
    • USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park- general Admission
    • Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor – general admission Admission
    • Visitor Center Self Guided Multi Media tour
    • Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center

Pearl Harbor is one of the must do- must see attractions in Hawaii and is truly a moving experience.

Here are some of our client’s favorite Pearl Harbor Tours 

We can help you book these in advance.

My Vacation Lady is a Hawaii Destination Specialist and we can help plan your Hawaii vacation or honeymoon experience.  We offer our clients tips on how to help enhance your Hawaii travel experience so that this vacation is one you’ll remember for a lifetime.

We are WEDDING WIRE and The KNOT approved