how to visit pearl harbor on your own

So, is everything worth it? There is no guarantee that you will be able to get on a tour, and you might have to wait in line for quite some time (I have read reports of people waiting in line for 2 to 3 hours), but it is in an option to consider. Do a quick check here under fees and passesto make sure its still free. You can get a direct bus to Pearl Harbor from Waikiki. It was the last US battleship to be built and the last to be decommissioned. By purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. There is an audio tour, narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, that takes you through the museums and includes narration during the visit to the USS Arizona Memorial. There are many air tours in Hawaii, but only one warbird airplane flight. We'd love to hear from you! Current Conditions Below is how we recommend visiting the four sites during your visit, based on crowd levels and the shuttle route: The National Park Service recommends getting to the visitor center an hour before your tour. This is how we got our tickets. Sometimes referred to as the black tears of the U.S.S. From Waikiki Hotels Group Tour With 20 Guests or Fewer They are also available at each site. Experience history from the seat of an authentic World War II airplane when visiting Pearl Harbor on your own. The staff at Pearl Harbor told us that those who get in line early in the day (before 9 am) usually make it on a tour. Stand inside an 80,000 square foot WWII-era aviation hangar, still pierced with bullet holes from the December 7th attack, at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. No one believed that. Many of the other ships involved in the attack provedsalvageable, but not the USS Arizona. Cheers, Julie. Update the number of tickets you are reserving under the Quantity field Everyone needs a ticket, including infants and small children. The events of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima are closely related. Relax and be confident in your booking, we've got you covered. As soon as one shuttle was full, another one was pulling up. ), north of Honolulu airport. , All Rights Reserved. Access to the memorial is available via shuttle bus from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. You can also get a direct bus to Pearl Harbor from the airport. The passcosts $89 for adults, and it includes shuttle transport between Waikiki and Pearl Harbor. Functioning Base: Pearl Harbor is a working and functioning United States Naval Base. The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (the USS Bowfin submarine) sits next to the Pearl Harbor visitor center. All tours include Arizona Memorial tickets. NORTH DAKOTA Tickets can be purchased on site or at the Pearl Harbor visitor center. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The USS Arizona Memorial, dedicated on May 30, 1962 to those who died during the attack, straddles the ships hull. It's one of the most complicated yet not-so-complicated things to explain. The absolute minimum you need to spend to visit Pearl Harbor when you are staying on Oahu is $7 per person! National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC, Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, swim shirts with UV protection like these, Why a personal swim buoy is an essential for snorkeling and swimming in the ocean, A walk along the harbor with informational signs, Video that comes with a ferry ticket to the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor ferry ticket to USS Arizona Memorial: $1. Visiting Pearl Harbor On Your Own: What To See & Do, Pearl Harbor Sightseeing: Five Ways To Reach Secret Spots, 10 Oahu Historical Sites + Experiences For History Buffs, Hawaii In July: Things To Do In July In Hawaii, Thinking Back on Pearl Harbor Memorial Day. You can purchase tickets to each Pearl Harbor site separately. The shuttles are large, relatively new, air-conditioned buses. Snacks While onsite shops sell snacks and sundries, youll save a little money bringing your own. First Release: Tickets are available 8 weeks (56 days) in advance at 3 pm HST. She was featured in several major productions. There is also a $1 fee to see the famous icon of the Pearl Harbor Memorial. **. During the tour, you'll get to see the USS Arizona Memorial. Is it worth it to sign up for a tour to make getting there and back easier?! Munitions on the USS Arizona exploded and then caused the ship to sink. Once you are at the USS Arizona Memorial, you are free to walk around and look out of windows to the sunken ship. For interisland flights, check your favorite flight search engine for the cheapest flights and then book directly with your airline of choice: If you book a Southwest flight, see here for tips on flying Southwest. Her commanding officers believe that she sank 34 large vessels and damaged many more. Take a 90-minute motor coach tour from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to Ford Island on an exclusive tour to see the U.S.S. The Passport to Pearl Harbor is a single ticket that includes admissions to three out of the four main Pearl Harbor sights: USS Bowfin, Battleship Missouri and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Admission: $21.99 adults, $12.99 children 4 to 12. How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. OAHU On September 2, 1945, World War II came to an end when Japan formally surrendered to the Allied Powers aboard the USS Missouri. USS Arizona Memorial is the main Pearl Harbor attraction and should be at the top of your list of things to do in Pearl Harbor. (More on that below.). Bear in mind that you may visit the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and its exhibits for free. You have to make sure you catch the bus on time when you take the bus from Waikiki to Pearl Harbor. Availability of this tour is extremely limited, with only 25 seats per tour. Step-by-step guidance on booking through recreation.gov: Weather The ticket desk is open daily from 8:00am to 3:00pm (discounts available to local resident and military with valid id). Cheers, Julie. Information gathered by US officials over the previous decade was used to locate and incarcerate thousands of Japanese-American community leaders in the days immediately following Pearl Harbor (see section elsewhere in this article "Other concentration camps"). Great question! But if you plan on visiting all of the sites, we recommend buying the all-in-one Passport to Pearl Harbor ticket. SLEEPING BEAR DUNES MI During normal park operations, the USS Arizona Memorial Program includes the 23-minute film in the theater followed by a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial. So this may be a cost of visiting Pearl Harbor for you if you arrive with bags. 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Take the shuttle bus to the Battleship Missouri Memorial at Ford Island. Book your Pearl Harbor toursnow! When Im not on the island at my Kihei condo, you can find me planning my next travel adventure from my home in the Pacific Northwest. Tim is an Aerospace Engineer, and when we visited Pearl Harbor, Tyler was one month away from starting college, with plans to major in Aerospace Engineering, so the Aviation Museum was worth the visit for our family. Battleship Row is where the battleships were docked during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Arizona. If you will be visiting Japan at any point in the future, then it will be especially interesting to visit the Hiroshima memorial in Japan after a visit to Pearl Harbor. Plus, it can be challenging to get parking midday, so an early morning visit avoids this problem. The National Park Service runs the ranger-led tour only once daily at 3:15 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The historic sites are only a short distance from the Honolulu airport. SOUTH DAKOTA Read all of our articles about the United States in our United States Travel Guide. BRYCE CANYON UT There are two main rooms to walk through, and one has a short video you can watch. These sites round out the visit for those who want to learn more about the events that took place not only at Pearl Harbor, but in subsequent battles in WWII and beyond. Its most known as the site of the devastating December 7, 1941 attack on the U.S. military base by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center opens daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tours to the USS Arizona Memorial depart every 15 minutes beginning at 7:30 a.m., with the final trip of the day departing at 3 p.m. The memorial is located just outside of the Missouri, and is accessible to all once on Ford Island via the free Pearl Harbor shuttle bus or other transportation. It is also one of the most fantastic attractions on Oahu. IDAHO Gain entry to two WWII memorials not typically accessible to the general public. You need to buy this Pearl Harbor ticket online before you arrive to Pearl Harbor. Spending money for lunch, sundries, and souvenirs. Since you are visiting a memorial, please be respectful. Interpretive signs along the shoreline provide context to the scenery. The shuttle runs a loop: visitor center Battleship Missouri Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum back to the visitor center. You can visit Pearl Harbor today. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS TN NC A taxi will be the fastest. Okay, so you know that a self-guided tour around Pearl Harbor is possible. Take a walk through our museums, listen to our audio tour as you walk along the harbor, take a boat ride out to the memorial, and more. NATIONAL LAKESHORES The USS Arizona was closed for over a year after there was a safety concern about the ramp of the memorial. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona was bombed by the Japanese. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center has reserved accessible parking in the front parking lot. To get here, ride the free shuttle from the Pearl Harbor visitor center. You should take a very early bus ($2.50) and get in line for a time slot for the Arizona Memorial. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is part of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, a National Park Service site. But regardless, a lot of people died.). At the far end of the memorial is the shrine. Any bag larger than 1.5 x2.25 x 5.5 inches is not allowed. Built for and by the United States Navy, the USS Arizona Battleship (BB-39) was built in the mid-1910s. 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. , On board the U.S.S. See the official National Park Service website for car and public transportation directions. Transportation to and from your hotel is also included as part of this tour. Today, the USS Arizona is a national memorialof the United States, and its a part of the National Park Service. Cheers, Julie, Your email address will not be published. Each tour accommodates 145 people. So, you cannot drive to the Battleship Missouri or the Aviation Museum on your own (unless you have clearance).