Pearl Harbor and Honolulu: Our Oahu Day Trip from Maui

Kevin Pologruto

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October 28, 2026

The USS Arizona Memorial seen from our boat across Pearl Harbor — Our first look at the USS Arizona Memorial from the boat. The ride out was smooth and calm.

On our 2023 Hawaii trip we spent most of our time on Maui, but there was one day we knew we couldn’t skip: a trip over to Oahu to see Pearl Harbor. I’ve studied a lot of history, so this one meant a lot to us. We packed a Honolulu city tour, the Pearl Harbor visitor center, the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri into one day, and it turned out to be one of the most moving days of the whole trip.

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Check Pearl Harbor Tours from Maui

Getting to Oahu: The Flight and How We Booked

We took a short flight from Maui to Oahu for the day. We booked everything through Pearl Harbor Tours, and the package even included the flight, which made the whole day easy to plan. We didn’t have to sort out flights and tours separately.

The Honolulu City Tour

Honestly, the city tour was pretty cool. We got to see the historic banyan tree, the King Kamehameha statue and ʻIolani Palace. It was a great way to get a feel for Honolulu and its history before heading to Pearl Harbor.

The giant banyan tree we stopped at on our Honolulu city tour — This banyan tree was one of the first stops on our city tour.

The King Kamehameha statue in Honolulu — We stopped at the King Kamehameha statue on our city tour.

Kelli and me in front of ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu — Kelli and me at ʻIolani Palace.

The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

Pearl Harbor was incredible. There was so much information. As someone who has studied a lot of history, I found it incredible to see the artifacts they had there in person.

A WWII fighter plane on display in the Pearl Harbor museum — As a history lover, I thought the artifacts were incredible.

The USS Arizona Memorial

The boat ride out to the memorial was smooth. The memorial itself was stunning, tragic and awe-inspiring all at the same time. When everyone first entered the room with all the names, you could hear a pin drop. The magnitude of what happened really hits you there. God bless those sailors.

The sunken USS Arizona beneath the water at Pearl Harbor, with the USS Missouri in the distance — Looking down at the USS Arizona beneath the water, with the USS Missouri in the distance.

Touring the USS Missouri

Kelli and me in front of the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor — Kelli and me in front of the Mighty Mo.

The USS Missouri tour was amazing too. Seeing the history and the size of the main guns… wow. The ship is huge!

The massive main guns on the USS Missouri — The size of these main guns blew me away. The ship is huge.

Quick Tips

If you’re staying on Maui, Oahu is doable as a day trip with a short flight.
Look for a tour package that includes the flight. Ours through Pearl Harbor Tours did, and it kept things simple.
Pair Pearl Harbor with a Honolulu city tour to see the banyan tree, the King Kamehameha statue and ʻIolani Palace.
Give yourself time at the visitor center. There’s a lot of information and plenty of artifacts to take in, especially if you love history.
Don’t skip the USS Missouri. The ship and its main guns are something you have to see in person.

This post is part of our Hawaii series. Stay tuned for more from our Maui adventures!