PEARL HARBOR, USS ARIZONA, HONOLULU CITY TOUR

About the Historic Landmark Tour

The excursion begins with a Pearl Harbor tour, where we relive the events that unfolded on that fateful Sunday morning in 1941, when U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor came under attack by Japan – catapulting the United States into World War II.

A visit by boat to the USS Arizona Memorial then offers an appropriate setting to reflect on the extensive battle that took place, leading to the loss of life of 1,177 of the ship’s crewmen.

The journey then moves onward to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, where many of those who fought for their country are buried. Finally, you’ll visit Honolulu’s most noteworthy historical landmarks, including Iolani Palace, Kawaiahao Church, the Hawaii State Capitol, and Honolulu City Hall.

Historic Landmark Tour Highlights (* denotes stops made)

• Pearl Harbor Visitor Center* – Welcome to the Pearl Harbor tour, your gateway to American wartime history. Here you can visit monuments and museums, see exhibit galleries and displays, and learn from Pearl Harbor survivors.
  • “Road to War” and “Attack” Exhibit Galleries – These galleries located at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center display personal memorabilia, dramatic photographs, artifacts of the battle, and so much more.
• USS Arizona Memorial* – A must see for all visitors.  The Memorial marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 crew and built over the sunken battleship USS Arizona, killed on December 7, 1941.  The attack on Pearl Harbor led to the United States’ involvement in World War II.  The Memorial was built in 1962 and visited by over 2 million people annually.  A navy boat shuttle ride brings you to the USS Arizona Memorial and due to limited capacity, there may be days that the shuttle boat tickets sell out or bad weather prohibits the shuttle from operating.
• National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl – This beautifully maintained cemetery at Punchbowl is a memorial to honor the men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces and those who gave up their lives in the line of duty. This is also the final resting place of Ellison Onizuka, the first astronaut from Hawaii, who was in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
• Hawaii State Capitol Grounds – Includes the Father Damien Statue – a tribute to the Roman Catholic priest who died after 16 years of serving leprosy patients – the Eternal Flame, the Korean Vietnam War Memorial, and the Liberty Bell.
• Iolani Palace – This majestic structure was the official residence of Hawaii’s last reigning monarch and is the only royal palace in the United States. It features American Florentine architecture seen nowhere else in the world.
• King Kamehameha Statue – One of Hawaii’s prominent chiefs who united the Hawaiian Islands.
• Honolulu City Hall – Known as Honolulu Hale, the city hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the site of the chambers of the Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council.
• Kawaiahao Church – One of the oldest standing Christian places of worship in Hawaii, this church is often described as the Westminster Abbey of the Pacific. It was constructed from slabs of coral rock hand-chiseled by Hawaiian divers almost 200 years ago.