Pearl Harbor Tours from HonoluluPearl Harbor and Honolulu City Tour: Arizona, Punchbowl and Downtown in 5 Hours
This Pearl Harbor and Honolulu city tour from Roberts Hawaii packs two halves into one 5 hour day. It starts at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, runs a Navy shuttle boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial, then moves on to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl before a narrated drive through downtown Honolulu past Iolani Palace, the King Kamehameha statue, City Hall, Kawaiahao Church and the Hawaii State Capitol. Pickup is from 8 Waikiki locations and the $69 price includes National Park fees. It is one of several Pearl Harbor tours from Honolulu listed on this site, and this page lays out what the price covers, what the day feels like and who should book something else. The full lineup sits on Pearl Harbor tours from Honolulu.
About This Tour
Roberts Hawaii runs this 5 hour coach tour from Waikiki that joins the USS Arizona Memorial with a drive through downtown Honolulu. The first half covers the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center exhibits and the Navy boat ride along Battleship Row. The second half goes up to Punchbowl and finishes with a narrated city drive past the historic district.
The listing rates 4.3 from 1,725 verified GetYourGuide bookings. Reviewers generally like the Pearl Harbor half and say the city half is mostly seen from the vehicle, which is worth knowing before you book if you want to walk around downtown.
$69 per person. National Park fees are in the price. Food, drinks and gratuities are not.
5 hours in total. Check availability for starting times.
Hotel pickup and drop-off at 8 selected Waikiki locations only, including ABC Stores #83, Waikiki Beach Marriott, the Hyatt Regency and Ala Moana Honolulu.
A tour vehicle with a driver and guide. The listing states no group size cap.
Entered: the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and the USS Arizona Memorial. The inclusions list visits to Punchbowl, the Hawaii State Capitol and the King Kamehameha statue, while the itinerary marks them as pass by. Passed by: Iolani Palace, Honolulu City Hall and Kawaiahao Church.
Admission to the USS Arizona Memorial is subject to availability, so shuttle boat seats are not guaranteed. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times vary by day. The listing warns the tour is likely to sell out, so check your date early.
Quick answer Price, length and what you get
This Pearl Harbor and Honolulu city tour costs $69 per person and runs 5 hours with hotel pickup from 8 Waikiki locations. It covers the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, the Navy boat to the USS Arizona Memorial, Punchbowl and a downtown drive.
Key takeaways
- The Arizona Memorial ticket is subject to availability, and wind or sold-out boat seats can stop it. See what the price covers.
- Reviewers say the downtown part is mostly drive-by. If you want to get out, compare the Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl Tour or the private city tour.
- Punchbowl closes to tour vehicles from Saturday to Monday over Memorial Day weekend. See who this rules out.
- Going without a tour costs a $1 Recreation.gov fee for the Arizona ticket. See getting there on your own.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $69 price is a transport and ticket package, not an all-inclusive day. Here is what the listing puts inside it and what you still pay for yourself.
Included in the $69
The price covers hotel pickup and drop-off at the 8 selected Waikiki hotels and stops, transportation for the day, a driver and guide with live English narration, National Park fees, admission to the USS Arizona Memorial subject to availability, a visit to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, a downtown Honolulu tour and visits to the Hawaii State Capitol and the King Kamehameha statue. Reserve now and pay later is available. The visitor center grounds and exhibits are free to enter anyway, so the paid value sits in the transport, the narration and the Arizona boat admission, which is subject to availability.
Not included: food, drinks and gratuities. There is a small snack shop at the visitor center and water fountains where you can refill a bottle. The listing asks you to bring comfortable shoes, a sun hat, sunscreen, water and a jacket. Bag storage is not part of the tour, and the Pearl Harbor bag rule bans bags that offer concealment, so travel light.
The figures below come from the Roberts Hawaii listing on GetYourGuide.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel pickup and drop-off | Yes | 8 selected Waikiki locations only |
| Driver and guide | Yes | Live narration in English |
| National Park fees | Yes | Stated in the inclusions |
| USS Arizona Memorial admission | Yes | Subject to availability, not guaranteed |
| Punchbowl cemetery | Yes | Listed as a visit, but the itinerary marks it pass by |
| Downtown tour | Yes | Iolani Palace, City Hall and Kawaiahao Church are drive-by |
| Food and drinks | No | Snack shop and water fountains at the visitor center |
| Gratuities | No | Bring cash if you want to tip |
What You May Pay on the Day
No mandatory extras are stated for this tour. The realistic day-of costs are food and a tip for the driver and guide if the service deserves one. If you carry a bag larger than a wallet, storage near the visitor center charges a fee for all sizes, and the tour price does not cover it.
The simplest fix is to leave anything that offers concealment at your hotel and carry as little as you can.
Sources: Pearl Harbor National Memorial, National Park Service, Recreation.gov, Pearl Harbor Historic Sites
Kawaiahao Church in downtown Honolulu. Photo: Mark Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
Five hours, two halves. Here is the route in the order the listing gives it, with the sites you step into and the ones you only see through the window.
Pickup and the Drive to Pearl Harbor
The day starts at one of 8 pickup points spread across Waikiki, from ABC Stores #83 and the Waikiki Beach Marriott to the Kahala Hotel and Ala Moana Honolulu. The listing gives no fixed departure clock time, so check availability for your date. A driver and guide meet you and the tour vehicle drives to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, which opens 7 am to 5 pm daily.
Visitor Center and the USS Arizona Memorial
You get time for the exhibits, galleries and displays at the visitor center, then board a US Navy shuttle boat for the ride along Battleship Row. Each boat carries 145 people. The program lasts about 45 minutes with 10 to 15 minutes on the memorial itself, a white structure 184 feet long that spans the sunken battleship.
The Arizona lost 1,177 crewmen in the attack on December 7, 1941, and the remains of many of them are still in the hull. The Shrine Room wall carries their names. Two honest caveats: the ticket here is subject to availability, and high winds can suspend the Navy boats until conditions ease, so the memorial visit can be shortened or lost on any given day.
Punchbowl
The coach then climbs to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl Crater, the resting place of United States service members. The inclusion list calls this a visit and the itinerary line marks it as a pass by, so treat the time here as short. Note the closure window: Punchbowl is closed to tour vehicles from Saturday to Monday during Memorial Day weekend ceremonies.
Downtown Honolulu, Largely from the Window
The final stretch is a narrated drive through downtown. The inclusions list a visit to the King Kamehameha statue and the Hawaii State Capitol grounds, though the itinerary marks both as pass by. The listing points out the Eternal Flame, the Korean and Vietnam War memorials and the Liberty Bell.
Iolani Palace, Honolulu City Hall and Kawaiahao Church are pass-by sights. Iolani Palace was completed in 1882 and is the only royal palace on US soil. Several reviewers say the city part is mostly seen from the vehicle.
The fix: book the Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl Tour for a longer Punchbowl stop, or the private Pearl Harbor and city tour if you want to walk downtown on your own schedule. Drop-off returns you to the same 8 locations.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This is a budget coach product with real limits. If any of these matter to you, the alternatives below fit better.
Travellers Who Need Guarantees and Access
The Arizona ticket is subject to availability, so a boat seat is never promised. If a guaranteed memorial visit is the point of your trip, remember that no tour can guarantee a landing, because the Navy can suspend the boats. The Pearl Harbor tickets guide explains the reservation system.
The National Park Service bag rule bans concealed bags, and while this listing states no bag rule of its own, the park rule applies to everyone at the visitor center. Wheelchair users should note the tour is listed as wheelchair accessible, though the day involves a moderate amount of walking. Several reviewers say the guide gives brief instructions at the Pearl Harbor car park.
Travellers Who Want to Explore, Not Ride
Three of the downtown sights, Iolani Palace, City Hall and Kawaiahao Church, are pass-by only, and reviewers say the city section is mostly drive-by. Punchbowl time is short and the crater closes to tour vehicles Saturday to Monday over Memorial Day weekend. No minimum age is stated, but the listing does not cap the group size.
If the group size or the pass-by stops bother you, the small-group Arizona Memorial tour caps at 22 with pre-ordered Arizona tickets, and the private option linked above stops where you want. Anyone wanting Missouri or museum time should skip the 5 hour format entirely, since this itinerary enters none of the Ford Island sites.
The entrance of the Hawaii State Capitol building. Photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
Pearl Harbor is one of the few world-class sites you can do without a tour. Here is the do-it-yourself version and what to bolt on in downtown. The bookable options sit side by side on Pearl Harbor tours from Waikiki.
Doing Pearl Harbor Without a Coach
Entry to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, its grounds and museums area is free with no reservation. The USS Arizona Memorial program is also free and reserved only through Recreation.gov, which charges a $1 non-refundable fee per ticket. Reservations release daily at 3 pm Hawaii time in two windows, 24 hours ahead and 8 weeks ahead, and sell out fast in peak season.
Programs run every 15 minutes from 8 am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 3:30 pm. From Waikiki, TheBus routes 20 and 42 serve the memorial. Compare that with this tour at $69 if you value the narration and the hotel door-to-door convenience.
Read the bus to Pearl Harbor from Waikiki guide or the Pearl Harbor tickets explainer before deciding.
Adding the City Half Yourself
Punchbowl, the King Kamehameha statue and the Capitol grounds are the stops you can add yourself. Iolani Palace runs docent-led and audio tours, ticket sales are online only, and the palace suggests 60 to 90 minutes. The Ford Island sites, the Battleship Missouri and the Aviation Museum, need the shuttle from the visitor center, where guests may be asked for a government photo ID, and foreign visitors should carry a passport.
The Punchbowl Cemetery and Iolani Palace guides cover both stops in detail, and the site's page on Pearl Harbor tours from Honolulu shows every priced alternative in one table.
Itinerary
The listing states stops but few clock times, so the steps below use phases where no time is published.
-
Start
Waikiki pickup
Board at one of 8 pickup points including ABC Stores #83, the Waikiki Beach Marriott, the Hyatt Regency and Ala Moana Honolulu. Check availability for your departure time.
-
After pickup
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
Time for the exhibits, galleries and displays before the boat. The visitor center opens 7 am to 5 pm and the grounds are free.
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After the visitor center
USS Arizona Memorial
A Navy shuttle boat runs Battleship Row to the memorial. The program lasts about 45 minutes with 10 to 15 minutes on the structure, subject to boat availability and weather.
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After the memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The coach heads to Punchbowl Crater for a short visit. Closed to tour vehicles Saturday to Monday over Memorial Day weekend.
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Final stretch
Downtown Honolulu drive
A narrated drive. The inclusions list the King Kamehameha statue and the Hawaii State Capitol as visits, though the itinerary marks them as pass by, and Iolani Palace, City Hall and Kawaiahao Church.
-
End of tour
Return to Waikiki
Drop-off at the same 8 locations used for pickup.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of a $69 half-day coach product, from the listing and verified reviewer feedback.
What we genuinely like
- Two headline sites in one day, the Arizona Memorial and Punchbowl, in a 5 hour day
- National Park fees and Arizona Memorial admission, subject to availability, are in the $69 price
- Hotel pickup and drop-off at 8 Waikiki locations removes the parking and bus logistics
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and reserve now pay later is offered
- Live English narration from a driver and guide throughout
The honest downsides
- The Arizona ticket is subject to availability, and wind or sold-out boats can cut the memorial visit
- Three downtown sights, Iolani Palace, City Hall and Kawaiahao Church, are pass-by only, and reviewers call the city section mostly drive-by
- Punchbowl is closed to tour vehicles Saturday to Monday over Memorial Day weekend
- No group size cap is stated,
- Food and gratuities are extra, so budget for lunch and a tip
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who need a guaranteed memorial visit, want to walk through downtown sites or plan to add the Battleship Missouri, since this 5 hour itinerary enters none of the Ford Island attractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the $69 price include the USS Arizona Memorial boat ticket?
Yes, admission to the USS Arizona Memorial is listed as included, subject to availability, along with National Park fees, transport and the guide. On your own the same program is free with a $1 Recreation.gov fee, as explained in the Pearl Harbor tickets guide.
Is the USS Arizona Memorial visit guaranteed on this tour?
No. The listing states admission is subject to availability, and limited capacity or high winds can suspend the Navy boats entirely. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center guide explains how the reservation system works.
How long do we spend at Pearl Harbor versus downtown?
The 5 hour total splits between the Visitor Center and the roughly 45 minute Arizona program, then Punchbowl and the downtown drive. The downtown half is mostly narrated from the vehicle, which is why some readers prefer the Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl Tour with its longer cemetery stop.
Can I bring a bag on this Pearl Harbor and Honolulu city tour?
The tour listing states no bag rule of its own, but the National Park Service bans concealed bags at the visitor center and storage nearby charges a fee per bag. Details are in the Pearl Harbor bag policy guide.
What happens to Punchbowl on Memorial Day weekend?
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is closed to tour vehicles from Saturday to Monday during Memorial Day weekend ceremonies, so expect route changes that weekend. The Punchbowl Cemetery guide covers the site itself.
Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
The listing marks the tour as wheelchair accessible, and the Pearl Harbor park paths are flat and compliant, though the day involves a moderate amount of walking. The USS Arizona Memorial guide has the accessibility detail for the boat and memorial.
Which tour should I book instead if I want more time on foot in Honolulu?
Consider the private Pearl Harbor and city tour, which sets its own pace and stops, or compare every option in the Pearl Harbor tours from Honolulu.
What Travelers Said
Excellent tour with John . very i formation with lots of information about Hawaii. Well run and the right amount of time given to view nd experience the tour
The tour was exactly what we were looking for and John the guide was very fun, upbeat and knowledgeable. Great time. Highly recommended.
Our tour driver was informative and well organized. He prepped our group for the memorial tour well and we felt informed and ready to make the best use of our time at the visitors center as well as at the memorial.
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