We did the Pearl Harbour and Missouri tour yesterday. We had never been to Pearl Harbour and there were so many options I felt overwhelmed. So we decided to book a tour (the day prior). We researched trip advisor and lots of googling and found Karma Tours. Our concierge hadn’t heard of them but we booked anyway from the trip advisor reviews. Booked online for next day tour. We like this one because it was an 8am start (not 6am like some other ones). We received an email straight away with confirmation then a phone call a few hours later confirming pick up time.
On the morning, it got to 8am and no car so called company and they answered straight away, as soon as they said they’ll be there in a few minutes the car rolled up. Koki was our lovely driver and welcomed us. The car (people carrier) was clean and there was water bottles ready for us and even ponchos!
The most surprising part was we were the only two people on the tour so, no more pick ups! We did the tour in reverse so we stopped at the statue and then drove through punchbowl cemetery, then headed to pearl harbour. At PH Koki came out with us and got the tickets to the memorial and Missouri (no waiting for us!!). After that she explained where we go and what to do, then we were on our own. We had about 40 mins before the documentary and the boat ride to the memorial so we went into the two museums.
Documentary and memorial were excellent. On the memorial there is a volunteer who gives a mini tour in the Shrine at the back. You get 15 mins or so at the memorial.
After that, we had time to buy and eat a sandwich from the snack shop, then we went to the shuttle for the transfer to the Missouri. The shuttle has a waiting area and fits about 40 or so people on the bus. The bus takes you first to the Missouri.
Missouri- awesome. To be able to board a not so long ago working battleship is amazing. She was active in the 90s! There is a free guided tour on board which goes for about 15 mins. Then you are free to wander inside and check out the ship. It’s awesome. We were on it for about an hour.
After the Missouri we waited for the shuttle (wait near the front gate so you don’t miss a spot on the bus and have to wait again). The shuttle went past the aviation museum then back to Pearl Harbor visitor centre. Here we met Koki and she drove us back to Waikiki (well we actually got dropped off at a restaurant near Ala Moana because we wanted to go there for a football game, which Koki was more than happy to accommodate).
All in all, I’m so glad we booked this tour. It was such an easy, hassle-free, no queue way to do Pearl Harbor. No prebooking at 7am for tickets, no driving or arranging transport, no fussing about timings etc. Don’t be scared to book smaller companies.