Best way to get to Pearl Harbor.
 

We are staying in Waikiki. I am wondering whats the best and most reasonable way to see Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial etc etc? We do not have a car. Is it best to take a tour or take a city bus and do your own sightseeing.
Thanks!

When we were there we took a city bus to Pearl Harbor. You can view the exhibit at the ticket office and then get on the tour boat to go out to the Memorial. No need for a tour guide on this one.

I was near Waikiki and took a city bus, cheap, simple. Just go at least a couple of hours before you want to tout because the tickets are all time specific.

go early as it fills up and you will have a long wait.

I disagree with going early...We arrived at 1pm almost all the bus tours were gone and we waited in no lines.

Just a quick thought on this. I did this many years ago so things may have changed, but back when I did Pearl Harbor,the NAVY tour was the ONLY boat tour that was allowed to dock at the memorial. All other tours just cruised past. You may want to check before you book anything.

I'm fairly certain that the whole site is operated by the National Park Service. There is only one way to get to the Memorial, though, and that's on board the "official" boat.

My family and I took a shuttle from our hotel to the memorial.

I agree with getting there early. You may have a wait, which isn't a problem because that'll give you time to look at the battleship or the submarine. There's a memorial adjacent to the sub for all the subs lost on duty during WW2.

We were there in early May and took a cab, only because my DH doesn't like buses. The memorial is run by the National Park Service and you take a Navy launch to the memorial. Tickets are free and first come, first serve, even if you are on a tour, you will wait in line from what I heard from other people at the hotel. Bus service is easy and plenty of people go that way. No need to take a tour unless you want to see sights like the Punchbowl Cemetary that is usually included. You will only get about 13 minutes on the acual memorial but there are plenty of other things to do.

When we went last summer, we were allowed to spend as much time as we wanted on the memorial. The boats come and go on a consistent basis.

If you HAVE to go to Pearl Harbor, I would suggest getting there early. The tours do sell out later in the day. We were there when it opened and we had to wait for a couple of hours to get on the tour. The museum is very interesting to look at while you wait.

Thanks for all your help. Some people say get there VERY EARLY, others say get there at lunch and there are shorter lines/waits. We will be going very soon and I am not sure what is the best tactic.
I don't want to miss the tours, but I hate waiting for 2-3 hours

This is from the National Park Service site. There's plenty to do while you wait to board the boat. I thought the tour of the USS Missouri was just as impressive and interesting as the Arizona Memorial tour.

I'd also just take the city bus. Have good time!

This is from the National Park Service site. There's plenty to do while you wait to board the boat. I thought the tour of the USS Missouri was just as impressive and interesting as the Arizona Memorial tour.

I'd also just take the city bus. Have good time!

The Visitor Center is the first stop for visitors planning to tour the Memorial. Located within the Center are: two theaters, a museum, a bookstore, restrooms, limited snack bar, public telephones, and exhibits outlining the Pearl Harbor attack.

When guests enter the Visitor Center, they are asked to line up for a numbered ticket, which provides free admission to the Memorial tour. While waiting for the program to begin, many visitors tour the Visitor Center and its shoreline exhibits including the museum and Remembrance Circle. When the number that appears on their ticket is called, visitors are asked to assemble at the theater entrance in preparation for the tour to begin. The guided tour* of the USS Arizona Memorial includes a 23-minute documentary film depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor, a short boat trip and a self-guided exploration of the Memorial.

For visitors interested in a narrated tour an audio headset is available for rent at the visitor center front lobby. Join Pearl Harbor Survivors as they remember December 7, 1941 in this one hour audio tour that is narrated by Academy Award winning actor and US Navy WWII veteran Ernest Borgnine. The audio tour takes visitors to 24 destinations and is available in seven languages: English, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, German and Spanish. For more information, click Things to Do above.

When I went a few years ago, I got there around 11 a.m. and walked right up to the ticket counter, while people who got there earlier said the line was snaking around the place. I still had to wait about an hour-and-a-half, two hours to see the movie and board the boat, but that gave me time to go on the submarine and take pictures. It went by quickly. And definitely take the tour of the Missouri.

We were there summer '07 and planned to arrive by 7 AM. Between a late start, getting lost and ending up on PH base, we finally got to the memorial around 7:30-7:45. We waited in line 1 hr for a ticket timed for 2 hrs later. Of course my boys wanted to leave and return another day, but I knew this was the best day for our schedule. Highly recommend the audio tour and the 2 hrs went quickly visiting the museum. When we left at 12:30, tickets were gone for the rest of the day. Get there EARLY unless you can come another day if you arrive and tickets are gone for the day.

Exactly, go early and take city bus.
two yrs ago we stayed close to airport, took city bus to memorial early as we had a 3:00 pm flight to Kuaui. I wanted to see Waikiki beach so we took a taxi, $65 later and then took city bus ($1 ea.) to hotel where they shuttled us to airport. Saw lots of things we did not see in taxi. It takes longer but is worth it.