Pearl Harbor from the airport?
 

We will have a four hour layover. Is a quick trip to Pearl Harbor possible?

I'd say no, but there are others on this forum who have more experience in Hawaii than I do, so I think you should gather some additional opinions. I don't believe you can reserve a ticket in advance, so I can't imagine there's anyway to do this.

I just went to Pearl Harbor in early December. There was no line then (mid-day, mid-week), so we got the next available tour (at the top of the hour). The tour lasts an hour, and the second half is on the boat to and from the memorial -- so you can't just cut off part of your tour once you've gone out to the floating memorial.

However, I think our speedy experience was atypical. You'll have to be back at HNL about an hour before your next flight, so you might be cutting it really, really close.

"The tour lasts an hour, and the second half is on the boat to and from the memorial -- so you can't just cut off part of your tour once you've gone out to the floating memorial."

But you can tour the visitors center. It has the museum & the gift shop that is not part of the tour.

You can also go to the back of the visitors center for the Circle of Remembrance & good photo-op for USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri & USS Bowfin.

You can also view the 22 minute movie that is part of the tour & skip the ferry to the memorial if need be. But do this only if there is no line for tickets & no wait for the tour.

You can also walk across the parking lot for the submarine memorial area. It is free & is outside of the Bowfin/Missouri ticket office.

So you could experience everything except the actual ferry to the memorial & the time at the memorial.

Time at the visitors center would be about 1-2 hours total.

A cab takes about 10 minutes from airport to the USS Arizona Visitors Center.

I'm with Dusty.

Take a cab from the airport to the U.S.S. Arizona Visitors Center. If there is no line - GREAT, you're golden. Get a ticket, watch the movie and ferry out to the memorial. If there is a long line, then just visit the visitors center and take some pictures of the memorial (with the U.S.S. Missouri in the background), visit the submarine U.S.S. Bowfin, then taxi back to the airport.

"You can also go to the back of the visitors center for the Circle of Remembrance & good photo-op for USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri & USS Bowfin.

Should be: You can go through the Visitors Center to the back lawn for the Circle of Remembrance & photo-ops.

Never had a problem with lines at HNL or traffic around the area, so if you are a seasoned traveller and used to getting around under pressure, then I think you could pull it off.

If you are arriving midweek, the lines are not that bad at P.H. Why not call the office from your cell phone when you hit the runway and ask them?

Sounds like an exciting challenge!

We did it during our 4 hr layover, but the line was only a 20 minute wait. Very emotional.