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Oahu Culture & history

Our most recommended Oahu Culture & history

Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona, and City Tour

1. Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona, and City Tour

Spend the day visiting the most important historical sites and landmarks of Honolulu, Hawaii. Visit Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Memorial, Iolani Palace, Kawaiahao Church, the Hawaii State Capitol, Honolulu City Hall, and more. Begin your tour with a visit to Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Enjoy the exhibits, galleries, and displays before boarding a Navy boat shuttle for a tour of the harbor along “Battleship Row.” Step off the boat to explore the USS Arizona Memorial, then continue to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater. See the historical landmark against a backdrop of rolling hills and lush foliage. Wrap up your experience with a narrated tour of downtown Honolulu. Spot the impressive state buildings and learn about the Iolani Palace, the official residence of Hawaii’s last reigning monarch and the only royal palace in the United States. Make your way to the Hawaii State Capitol grounds. See the Eternal Flame, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, Liberty Bell, the majestic statue of King Kamehameha, and Kawaiahao Church.

From Hawaii: Historical Dinner Cruise Tour to Kealakekua Bay

2. From Hawaii: Historical Dinner Cruise Tour to Kealakekua Bay

Step aboard and step back in time. Hop aboard a sunset dinner cruise in Kona for an enchanting Hawaiian history lesson from the experts. This family adventure departs from the Kailua Pier and is narrated by a local historian tour guide, who will reveal secrets, tell stories, and share legends related to the numerous landmarks along the 12 miles of magnificent Kona coastline. Unwind while you admire Captain Cook’s Monument at Historical Kealakekua Bay (only accessible by boat or hiking) with a complimentary cocktail from a fully stocked, premium bar. Begin your delicious dinner starting with an appetizer of Mauna Loa Big Island Macadamia Nuts (Vegan/GF). Then, enjoy a salad starter of Kealaola Farm mixed salad greens, Waimea grape tomatoes, Japanese cucumber, and red onion (Vegan/GF), served with house-made Maui Onion vinaigrette dressing (Vegan/GF). For your main course, choose the Thai coconut curry with Hamakua sweet potatoes, Hawaiian breadfruit, carrots, and bell peppers (Vegan/GF). Or, opt for steamed jasmine rice (Vegan/GF) with Kiawe mango barbecue pork short ribs served with papaya salsa (GF) and island-baked coconut dinner rolls served with butter (Vegetarian). Your dessert is a cheesecake with a local Lilikoi glaze (Vegetarian). Keep an eye out for dolphins, turtles, manta rays, and seasonal humpback whales throughout the evening. Enjoy live music from some of the Big Island's best entertainers performing slack-key Hawaiian Style music. Catch the sunset on the water and make sure to look for the famous Green Flash, a fleeting glimmer of intense emerald light that appears on the horizon just after sunset. Other highlights include the Ahu’ena Heiau, the Holua Slide, and the famous Kuamo’o Battlefield, just to name a few.

Honolulu: Skip-the-Line USS Arizona Memorial & Downtown Tour

3. Honolulu: Skip-the-Line USS Arizona Memorial & Downtown Tour

Come see the remarkable Pearl Harbor Memorial on this guided tour with hotel pickup and drop-off in Honolulu. A trip to Hawaii isn’t complete without a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, so save time with skip-the-line access. Board the Navy launch boats to view the USS Arizona Memorial and explore the harbor side displays and historic exhibits at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. After your time at Pearl Harbor, savor a fantastic lunch curtesy of the tasty southern food restaurant, Hughley’s Southern Cuisine. Once you’re done with lunch be whisked you away on a tour of the historic downtown City. Discover sites like the Punch Bowl Cemetery, the State Capital, Washington Palace, Iolani Palace, the King Kamehameha Statue, and the Aloha Tower.

Honolulu: USS Arizona Memorial & Battleship Missouri Visit

4. Honolulu: USS Arizona Memorial & Battleship Missouri Visit

Visit Pearl Harbor and discover what really happened on that fateful day in 1941. Benefit from guaranteed access to the USS Arizona Memorial and board the Battleship Missouri on Ford Island. Start with a convenient pickup from Waikiki and travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle to reach Pearl Harbor. Once there, your guide will escort you into the Pearl Harbor Visitor's Center and give you specific instructions on how to make the best of your visit. Explore the visitor center and the accompanying “Road to War” and “Attack” exhibit galleries that display pictures and recovered items from the events which transpired at Pearl Harbor and WWII. Then, watch a short film explaining the fateful day and its significance. Followed by a boat ride to the USS Arizona Memorial, the final resting place of the ship's 1,177 crewmen. Take a short break for lunch and grab some refreshments from the snack shop or food truck, then set out to discover the USS Battleship Missouri. Visit the battleship lovingly known as "Mighty Mo". After fighting in the last year of the war with Japan, Mighty Mo served as the location where Japan would sign the official surrender documents. It also offers a glimpse into what life at sea was like aboard a battleship. On the way back to Waikiki, enjoy a quick drive through the city to check out the National Cemetery of the Pacific and Historic Honolulu City.

Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial & City Tour

5. Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial & City Tour

Hear fascinating stories on this tour of Pearl Harbor and downtown Honolulu. Witness the key sites and memorials to the 1941 attack, and experience the island's wartime history. Begin this tour with pickup in Waikiki. Travel first to Pearl Harbor and ride the navy launch to the USS Arizona Memorial. Visit the sombre monument above a sunken battleship from the day of the attack. Explore the memorials to the many groups who lost their lives, and pause to reflect at the wall of remembrance. Return to your waiting van for a historic tour of downtown Honolulu. Your expert guide will explain what it was like to live on the island during wartime. See sights including Iolani Palace, the State Capitol, King Kamehameha Statue and Aloha Tower as you learn about the fascinating history of this historic place.

Honolulu: Salute to Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial Tour

6. Honolulu: Salute to Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial Tour

Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and personal stories of the world-changing events of Pearl Harbor, December 1941, and gain an insight into the fascinating, historical, and cultural background, all along with the ease of transportation. Experience the emotional power of Pearl Harbor as you enter the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. Revisit the past and observe never-before-seen artifacts, replicas and media displays that explain the events and details leading up to and following the attack. Look across the Harbor’s blue waters at Ford Island, the center of the attack, and imagine the residents waking up on a sleepy Sunday morning to chaos and madness. Travel across the harbor by shuttle boat and reflect on the graceful USS Arizona Memorial. Pause in tribute to those who lost their lives that day. You may spot green sea turtles and colorful fish swimming in the active reef around the Arizona, even as it serves to memorialize those entombed below. A historical film, a journey in time across the harbor, and perhaps a chance to meet a survivor of the attack complete your morning at the Memorial.

Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona, Might Mo, and City Tour

7. Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona, Might Mo, and City Tour

Experience the legacy of Pearl Harbor with a guided tour in Honolulu. Enter Pearl Harbor to explore the Battleship Missouri and listen to an audio-guided tour of the USS Arizona Memorial. Pass by iconic sites in Honolulu including the King Kamehameha Statue and City Hall. Be picked up from a select number of locations in Honolulu and spend the day exploring a part of US history in Honolulu. See Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona, Battleship Missouri, and Honolulu. Arrive at Pearl Harbor and be transported back in time with an audio guide tour of the USS Arizona Memorial. See footage and memorabilia from the attack on Pearl Harbor as you admire the final resting place of the sunken ship. See Mighty Mo, the Battleship Missouri, up close, and walk the decks while you listen to its storied history from your guide. Visit the Battleship Missouri, also known as Mighty Mo, and walk the decks of the battleship. Learn about the history of the ship and its role in ending WWII. From Pearl Harbor, head to Honolulu. Pass Hawaii icons like the King Kamehameha Statue, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Punchbowl, the Hawaii State Capitol, City Hall, and Kawaiahao Church.

Oahu: Full-Day Island Sightseeing Day Trip by Bus

8. Oahu: Full-Day Island Sightseeing Day Trip by Bus

Uncover Oahu’s majestic grandeur on a full-day day trip. Ride in a spacious and air-conditioned bus and be captivated by the unique beauty and the dramatic history that is found behind every corner. Take an unforgettable journey through the history of the island. Be picked up from the comfort of your accommodation. History comes alive before your eyes as you weave your way up the Koʻolau Mountains to the Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout where King Kamehameha I battled to unite the Hawaiian Islands.  Shortly after, gaze at the beautiful Byodo-In Temple, a replica of the Byodo-in Temple in Japan, built to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants in Hawaii.  Cruise along 7 miles of world-famous surfing beaches on Oahu’s north shore and sample the local flavors along the way. Waimea Valley and its waterfalls await you, discover this beautiful place steeped with history, spirituality and island traditions.  Follow your guide through the botanical gardens of this vast and tranquil setting. Learn how deeply embedded tradition is in today’s Hawaiian culture. Stop at the historic Dole Plantation surrounded by rows of pineapples and fields of sugarcane. Hear about how this plant became a symbol of Hawaii before returning to your accommodation. 

Honolulu: Pearl Harbor Tour with USS Arizona Memorial

9. Honolulu: Pearl Harbor Tour with USS Arizona Memorial

Learn about Pearl Harbor and the events of December 7, 1941 on this day trip from Waikiki. Take a boat ride to visit the Arizona Memorial, see exhibits related to the attack, and take a tour of the Battleship Missouri. After pickup in Waikiki, explore World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. See museum exhibits, footage from the attack, and other park monuments. Experience a boat ride to visit the USS Arizona Memorial over the sunken battleship. Head over the Admiral Clarey Bridge and drive by the USS Oklahoma Memorial on your way to the Battleship Missouri. Enjoy a guided tour of the ship, led by an expert docent.  You’ll be dropped off back in downtown Waikiki at the end of the tour.

Oahu: Multi-Stop Island Highlights Tour

10. Oahu: Multi-Stop Island Highlights Tour

Spend the day exploring Oahu’s most scenic sights, unique culture, and rich history. Travel from Diamond Head Crater along the southern coast to the famous surfing beaches of the North Shore. Get a complete overview of all the scenic points from your tour driver. An experienced tour driver will provide a complete overview of all the scenic points that the “Heart of Hawai‘i” has to offer. Some of the featured sites include: (*Denotes a stop) • Diamond Head Hawai‘i’s most recognized landmark. • Exclusive Kahala Estates Hawai‘i’s Gold Coast. • Hanauma Bay Lookout* Formed within a volcanic cone, this marine ecosystem offers spectacular views (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) • Halona Blowhole Lookout* Where a volcanic lava tube propels water up to the sky. • Waimānalo Town Known for its local flavor and numerous plant nurseries. • Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout* With panoramic views of the coast line to the sheer mountains veiled by the clouds. • Chinaman’s Hat The basalt islet in Kaneohe Bay is shaped curiously like a hat. According to Hawaiian mythology, the island is formed from the remains of a giant lizard or dragon’s tail tossed to the ocean. • Kualoa Ranch* Daily lunch stop (subject to change) at Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve on 4,000 acres, it is one of the most sacred places on the island with their goal to protect the natural beauty of the lands. • La‘ie Hawai‘i Mormon Temple Contains breathtaking lush tropical gardens of Hawaiian foliage and flowers, cascading water features and more. • North Shore Surfing Beaches The surfing mecca that attracts surfers from around the world for the massive winter waves and Hollywood for the 7 miles of picturesque beaches. • Dole Plantation* Visit Hawai‘i’s Pineapple Experience, see pineapple varieties and try the delicious Dole Whip.

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What people are saying about Oahu

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 1,135 reviews

Kim was so sweet, full of knowledge and humor, and did an incredible job. This tour was a great use of our time (we only had 2.5 days in Oahu), and maximized our view of the island without having to rent a car. I felt like we spent the right amount of time everywhere, except we could have spent more time at the botanical gardens and less time at Dole (though I know people love Dole). Thank you for everything, Kim!

Pearl Harbor was on my bucket list. This was by far my favorite excursion while we were in Hawaii. It's part of our history and I'm so glad I was finally able to pay my respects to those who sacrificed so much and paid the ultimate price.

Wonderful trip. Tour guide Chris is a wonderful person giving a lot of introduction for attraction places, coordinating schedule well.

Seamless booking and tour experience, our Tourguide Tra’ was awesome and top notch! Highly recommend

Our tour started at 7am, so the lunch wasn’t included. Our tour guide was awesome.