Choosing a good Pearl Harbor tour

As one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor (and specifically the USS Arizona Memorial) is a de facto item in anyone's Hawaii vacation itinerary, especially for those who are coming to Hawaii for the first time.

But because it's popular, visiting the USS Arizona Memorial could be a nightmare. It doesn't matter what day of the week you go; the memorial will always be packed. It's even worse during the Summer and Christmas seasons.

And as you might suspect, parking is pretty much a problem, together with long wait lines. You'll also have to go through tedious security checks, among other things.

Because of the above-named reasons, getting on a Pearl Harbor tour of some sort makes for a better alternative than visiting on your own. So how do you pick a good Pearl Harbor tour? Here's my simple criteria:

1. Tour time:
   The earlier the tour schedule, the better the tour. A tour that will pick up from your hotel around 6:15AM or so is a good tour to be on. The reason behind this is because the tour is trying to beat the lines that form at the memorial entrance. Being that no tour company has preferential treatment, a tour company that makes sure that you don't a lot of time waiting is generally one to consider. Going early also has additional benefits. You'll be under the morning sun instead of the midday heat blast for one thing. For another, you'll have more time after your tour for other things that you might be interested in doing.
2. Tour price:
   "You get what you pay for" definitely applies to tours as it does to anything that's worth your time and effort. Something that costs $20.00 or so and only includes the USS Arizona is good. Your tour will have a tour guide that will make sure your tour experience a pleasurable one at around this price. Expect to pay more if your tour includes visits to the USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum, as the tour price already includes admission to these Pearl Harbor attractions. It's actually a good thing that it does as they can get a better admission rate worked into the tour price.
3. Tour highlights:
   If you're just interested in visiting the USS Arizona Memorial, then this should matter that much. However, if you're thinking about visiting the USS Missouri, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and/or the newly-opened Pacific Aviation Museum, then you should make sure that any of these are included in the tour highlights. Keep in mind that there's only a few tour operators that go to the Pacific Aviation Museum: Polynesian Adventures and E Noa Tours. Out of the two, E Noa's Tour #15: Heroes of the Pacific will be your best bet. Other Pearl Harbor tours provided by E Noa Tours are some of the better ones to consider as well. There are also other tours that combine a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial with a sightseeing bonanza around the island. This, in my opinion, is a great value especially if you're on the island for only a limited time.
4. Tour operator:
   As I've mentioned in my previous post, getting a good tour operator is very important as far as your tour experience is concerned. Always make sure to read customer testimonials and look for certifications such as a certification in Hawaiiana from the State of Hawaii.

And that, my friends, is how I would choose a Pearl Harbor tour. I'll probably list a few tours that you should consider but I'll save that for another post. For now, look around and see what you can find. :)

It's not just about the sights

So you're looking around the web for sightseeing tours around Oahu. You decide on a circle island tour that takes you around the island, see some spectacular ocean vistas, learn more about Hawaii and the people that live here. You boil down your choices to two tours, offered by two different companies. Both go around the island. both are similarly priced. You look at the tour highlights and see that Tour A lists 16 highlights while Tour B lists only 14. Which one are you going to choose?

If you said Tour A, you're half right. Which means that you're half wrong as well.

Why is this? There are several reasons why looking at each tour's highlights isn't really a good indicator of whether you'll have a good tour experience or a great one. One reason is because all circle island tours pass by the same places (they go around the island, after all). Another reason is because no tour company can guarantee that they'll stop at a particular place, as certain spots around Oahu might be close for a number of reasons.

Hanauma Bay for example, is closed on Tuesdays. If there's a big swell on the North Shore, you'll probaby just pass by it because of the amount of foot and automotive traffic, rendering a proper stop very difficult.

Another reason could be as simple as the weather.

So what do you do? You look at the tour guide testimonials.

The thing that really makes or breaks a tour experience isn't the sights. It's the person interacting with you that does. Get an untrained tour guide and you'll probably end up stuck on a bus for the entire day. But get someone who's really into what he does and backs it up with, say, certification in Hawaiiana from the State of Hawaii, and you'll have an unforgettable experience.

So keep this in mind when you make your tour plans. The faster you realize that there's more to the tour than just the sights, the better your vacation will be.