Visiting Pearl Harbor on your own (+tips from our visit)
Pearl Harbor is on the Oahu Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most visited places in Oahu, and I was grateful to be able to visit Pearl Harbor with my family during my visit in June 2024.
We visited Pearl Harbor on our own without any tour, and in this post, I will tell you exactly how to do this.
Visiting Pearl Harbor is a powerful, sombering experience steeped in historical significance.
Please keep in mind that Pearl Harbor is not a tourist attraction. It is a place of loss and sacrifice, and our intention to visit was to learn about the history and pay our respects to those who lost their lives or their loved ones.
That said, let’s dive into the details of how we visited Pearl Harbor on our own and some tips for visiting based on my experience. I highly recommend making time for a visit to Pearl Harbor in your Oahu vacation itinerary.
Visiting Pearl Harbor – Overview
✅ You can get to Pearl Harbor by a rental car or taking an Uber. You can also take public transit, which is called The Bus. We had a rental car and drove ourselves.
✅ If driving there, parking is $7 per vehicle. There is a QR code at the entrance through which you can pay the parking fee online.
✅ Pearl Harbor National Memorial has 4 historic sites:
- USS Arizona Memorial (advance reservations available 56 days before and 1 day before. Same-day standby lines available)
- USS Bowfin Submarine and Museum / Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum
- Battleship Missouri
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
✅ Visiting the USS Arizona Memorial by taking the boat tour, the two exhibits at the Visitor Center and the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center are free.
✅ Visiting the USS Bowfin Submarine and Museum, Battleship Missouri, and Aviation Museum have paid tickets.
✅ You only need advance reservations to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. For the other 3 sites, you can buy tickets at the Visitor Center.
✅ You can make advance reservations to take the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial (details below). Or you can join the standby line when you get there.
✅ We visited the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine, and the museums at the visitor center. Took a total of around 3 hours.
✅ Battleship Missouri and the Aviation Museum are on Ford Island, and you can take a free shuttle from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to go there. The shuttle is free, but you need to get tickets to visit these 2 sites on Ford Island.
✅ It can take a full day (7-8 hours) if you want to visit all four sites.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial and Historic Sites
Pearl Harbor National Memorial is a collection of 4 sites described below.
USS Arizona Memorial
- Cost – Free, $1 per person online reservation fee
- Time needed – around 2 hours to see the documentary, boat ride, and time at the Memorial.
- Open Hours – 7 AM to 5 PM
The USS Arizona Memorial is the most visited site at Pearl Harbor.
The USS Arizona Memorial is built above the sunken USS Arizona battleship. The memorial marks the resting place of 1,177 crew that lost their lives aboard the ship during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941.
The 45-minute USS Arizona Memorial tour includes a boat ride to and from the Memorial and approximately 15 minutes at the Memorial.
We reached Pearl Harbor an hour before our reservation time.
We first watched the 23-minute documentary at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater. I highly recommend watching the documentary before visiting the memorial.
It gives a good understanding of the history and significance of events that happened. Watching the movie was a very emotional experience for me.
There are three lines at the Memorial check-in: one for the Theatre, one for reservation holders, and one for stand-by.
Reservation holders need to be in the line 10 minutes before their reservation time. If you don’t have a reservation, you wait in the stand-by line.
From the reservation line, we were first made to sit in a theatre for instructions by navy officers, and then we boarded the boat. The boat ride is a quick 10-minute ride.
At the memorial, there are windows where you can see some parts of the sunken ship.
There is a wall at the memorial with the names of all the crew members who lost their lives abroad. We were instructed to read a few names while there to honor their memory, which we did.
Once done, we got back in the line to board the return boat back to the Visitor Center.
At the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, there are two exhibits called Road to War and Attack, which display photos and artifacts from WW II. They were a wealth of knowledge and had many interesting stories from history.
How to get advance Reservations for USS Arizona Memorial
Advance reservations are available to visit the USS Arizona Memorial on the official Recreation website here. On this page, select the USS Arizona Memorial tour. You will need to create an account first to reserve your tickets.
There are two booking timeframes for advance reservations to see the USS Arizona Memorial:
- 8 weeks (56 days) in advance – Tickets are released 8 weeks in advance, and you can secure a time slot by paying a $1 reservation fee per ticket. This is how I got the tickets for my family.
- 1 day in advance – Limited number of tickets are released a day prior at 3 PM Hawaiian Time (HST) and can be reserved online.
If you were not able to reserve tickets online, then there is a stand-by line available at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
To increase your chances of getting on the boat to the memorial, I recommend getting there when the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center opens at 7 AM. You have the best chance of lower wait times in the first few boats out as they have the most empty seats.
For more information about the USS Arizona Memorial, check the nps.gov official page here.
USS Bowfin Submarine and Museum
- Cost – Tickets are $21.99 for adults and $12.99 for kids ages 4 to 12.
- Time Needed – 1 to 2 hours to see the submarine and the museum
- Open Hours – 7 AM to 5 PM
After visiting the USS Arizona Memorial, we bought tickets to see the USS Bowfin Submarine. This is also called the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum.
I thought the tickets were expensive for the other Pearl Harbor sites, especially for a family or large group, which adds up!
The submarine was a self-guided tour. We could actually go down inside the submarine and tour it from one end to another. An audio tour is included in the ticket.
It was a unique experience to see a World War II submarine from inside. There were really confined sleeping chambers, dining areas, and other common areas. We had to walk through narrow passages and across several small doors.
Once we were out on the other side, we were back on the top of the submarine, and I was so glad to be out. Although I am not claustrophobic, it was really confined down there. That makes me think how the crew lived here for months at a time.
I think the submarine was worth visiting, but it’s not for people with mobility issues due to the stairs and climbing through small door openings. Also, it might not be a good idea for very young kids as there is not much space in there to move around.
The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum had many displays and artifacts about the history of submarines.
Battleship Missouri
- Cost – Tickets are $34.99 for adults and $17.49 for kids ages 4 to 12.
- Time Needed – around 2 hours
- Open Hours – 8 AM to 4 PM
Known as the Mighty Mo, the Battleship Missouri hosted the surrender ceremony ending WWII. Here, you can explore its decks and learn about its history.
There are guided tours available for an additional fee.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
- Cost – Tickets are $25.99 for adults and $14.99 for kids ages 4 to 12.
- Time Needed – around an hour
- Open Hours – 9 AM to 5 PM
Explore two historic hangars filled with aircraft from various eras, including World War II. The museum features interactive exhibits and historical displays, even an authentic piece of the USS Arizona.
The Battleship Missouri and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum are located on Ford Island, and personal vehicles are not allowed on the bridge. There is a free shuttle from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center that takes you to the Ford Island sites, but you need to pay the admission fee to visit the sites.
Passport to Pearl Harbor
There is a combo ticket called Passport to Pearl Harbor available at the Visitor Center that includes admission to –
- Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum
- Battleship Missouri
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
- Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center
The cost is $84.99 for adults and $44.99 for kids ages 4 to 12.
Ford Island Bus Tour
- Cost – $1 per person fee for online reservations that can be made at recreation.gov here.
- Time Needed – 1.5 hours
- Bus Tour Days – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:15 to 5 PM. Only 25 people per tour and only 1 tour per day.
The Ford Island Bus Tour (also called the Pearl Harbor Bus Tour) is the only way to see off-the-beaten-path historic sites like the USS Oklahoma Memorial and USS Utah Memorial on Ford Island with a tour guide.
For more information about the Ford Island Bus Tour, check the nps.gov official page here.
We didn’t have time to explore the Ford Island sites. We only visited the USS Arizona, the USS Bowfin submarine, and the museums and exhibits at the Visitor Center.
Tips for planning your visit
✅ Pick an early morning time for the USS Arizona reservation for better chances of getting parking.
✅ Arrive at least 1 hour before your reservation time to allow time for parking, bag storage, watching the documentary, and using the restrooms.
✅ If planning to go for the USS Arizona stand-by line, arrive around 7 AM when the Visitor Center opens for the lowest wait times.
✅ Only carry your wallet and keys. A clear water bottle is allowed. There are storage lockers available for rent if you have a backpack or purse.
✅ There is a cafe and snack shop at the Visitor Center. There was also a water bottle filling station.
Wrap-Up: How to visit Pearl Harbor on your own
Visiting Pearl Harbor on our own allowed us a personalized and flexible way to explore this historic National Park site. It was a bit emotional, but I was glad we were able to reflect on that day and honor those who were affected by the tragic event.
By planning ahead and following these tips, you’ll ensure a stress-free and memorable visit.
More about Oahu
Check out my other blog posts about my visit to Oahu here!
