Pearl Harbor: USS Arizona & Missouri Tour from Ko Olina

4.91

(950 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I never thought I’d feel so quiet just stepping off a mini-coach, but arriving at Pearl Harbor from Ko Olina, everything just sort of slowed down. Our guide—Kaleo, who grew up nearby—handed out visitor passes with this gentle seriousness. He said something about “the tears of the Arizona” before we even got on the Navy shuttle across the water. I remember the smell of sunscreen mixed with sea air while we waited, everyone a little hushed except for one kid asking if battleships still float. I get it now why people say you have to see this place in person.

The USS Arizona Memorial is almost blindingly white against the blue harbor. You can see parts of the ship beneath you through the water—oil droplets still rising after all these years, which Kaleo called “black tears.” That stuck with me more than I expected. There was this moment where no one spoke for a bit, just looking down or out at the flags. It’s not like a museum; it feels heavier somehow. I tried to pronounce some Hawaiian words on a plaque and Kaleo laughed (in a nice way), which broke up the tension.

Walking onto the USS Missouri later felt totally different—like stepping into another chapter right after finishing a hard one. The deck is huge, metal warm underfoot from the sun, and there’s this spot where they signed the surrender that ended WWII. One of the guides onboard told us stories about sailors sneaking snacks from the mess hall (apparently Spam is a big deal here). We wandered through narrow corridors and engine rooms that smelled like old paint and metal—honestly, I lost track of time in there. On the drive back through Honolulu and past Punchbowl Cemetery, I kept thinking about those oil drops on the water. Still do sometimes.