chrispet

We (family of three, with a 4yo) are spending 2 nights in Waikiki to see Pearl Harbor. I love WWII memorials and history so it is the focus of our trip. We are off to Maui after our 2 nights.

I would like to see more of Oahu if there is time so that is why I considered an Island Circle tour, but would that leave enough time to see Pearl Harbor?

Also considering paying for a Pearl Harbor bus tour to try beat the lines, any thoughts. What companies give the best tours?

TIA

DebitNM

Get to Pearl Harbor as early as you can. If you get in on one of the first tours, you should be done by mid morning. We were there about 45 mins. before they even opened and got in and out by 10 am.

montereybob

I did the PH bus tour and felt rushed through the exhibits due to the regimentation of the tour and needing to get back to the bus on time. Next time I will go early in the morning on my own so that I can go at my own pace through the exhibits.
All of the above applies to the circle island tour as well. It takes a full day with several of the stops being touristy and uninteresting and not enough time at the really good stops. Better to rent a car and drive to the places of most interest to you. The Oahu Revealed travel guide book has an excellent list of the most interesting sights to choose from.

carolyn

I agree. Rent a car and go to Pearl Harbor early, and then drive around the island stopping at the sites you prefer. Be sure to include Hanauma Bay even if you just look down on it from the overlook. (It is closed on Tuesdays.) We also like to eat in Haliewa and get shave ice at the General Store, stop at the Pali Overlook, walk on the beach in Kailua if you have time, and stop at the Blow Hole. Punchbowl National Cemetery is a very peaceful site and has a beautiful view of Honolulu, the beach, and the ocean.

In oeswe to plot your route, you can look at a guide book from your library if you don't want to buy one, and you can rent a car right in Waikiki.

carolyn

In order to . . . the keys keep moving.

Jenny_Peterson

My husband and I did the PH with a tour and wish we hadn't. We didn't rent a car on Oahu and what a mistake. If we had we could have done PH much more efficiently. When our tour bus got to PH we were just one of many busses pulling in at the same time and we had to wait in line like everyone else. Paying the $30-35/pp got us a guide who could tell really good jokes and a ride. We did the Grand Circle Island tour also, which took one full day. We saw some things that we would have missed on our own, but a good travel guide would have prevented that. We stopped at a great coffee plantation and the Dole pineapple facility. They may be "touristy" but well, that's what we were. I would recommend based on this to rent a car, invest in (or borrow from library) a really good guidebook and do the tours on your own pace.......