"Pearl Harbors" #1 Private Tour-The USS Arizona Memorial & More!

Wonderful experience. I felt like we got much more out of our visit to Pearl Harbor with the help of our great guide David. Highly recommend.

David was an incredible wealth of knowledge as a veteran following the "official" Pearl Harbor Memorial tour. It was great to be picked up in limo and get to watch a video on the way to Pearl Harbor to ground ourselves (and inform my children) about the event. The limo was fully provisioned and made for a great overall experience. He provided a detailed tour service onboard the submarine (and answered all the questions an 8YO could throw at him). He also provided some cool going away gifts for the boys to help them remember the experience.

We had a wonderful time! Leina was a fantastic driver and guide, and very knowledgable of the history of Pearl Harbor and its construction. The Mighty Mo was our favorite and Leina told us various stories and things to look for. Book this tour, ask for Leina and you’ll have the best time!

Kawika Joe Pear Harbor Tour If you are like us, visiting Pearl Harbor is a once in a lifetime event. We wanted to see and absorb as much as possible with this visit. My husband is well versed on the history of this tragic event, and he wanted the best tour we could get. Our cruise ship offered two excursions to Pearl Harbor, but neither of them were comprehensive. After a lot of research, I found the “Kawika Joe’s Limousine Hawaii”, who provides a 6-hour tour. The name of the tour operator seemed very casual to me. But let me assure you: You’ll ride in a limousine, but this tour operator isn’t just a limo-service with a canned tour. David, the owner, is a retired military officer. His firm’s name – “Kawika” means David in Hawaiian and “Joe” honors his late father a 2-star admiral. Dave has extensive understanding of the history of Pearl Harbor and a passion to share his knowledge and to honor all those who died and served during this iconic tragic battle. He is a licensed operator who takes the time to walk you thru the grounds and share information, as well as small poignant stories. Here’s an example: We visited the USS Missouri where the Japanese surrender was signed. Before that tour, David took the time to explain the significance of the USS Oklahoma memorial. Over 400 men including 3 brothers died on this ship. Yet the memorial is located in such an odd space that most visitors totally miss it, let alone learn about it. On our trip, a guide named Liana also joined David. She is one of a small group of people who is 100% Hawaiian and can trace her ancestors back 40 generations! What an added treat it was to have her talk to us and sing for us. Finally, I found while doing my research that a visit to the Pearl Harbor memorial has many components. Planning a visit was confusing for me. David’s tour simplifies the trip. In 6 hours, you’ll see, hear, and learn a lot. So, if this trip is once in a lifetime for you too, spend the bucks for this trip. He has several limos to accommodate a group making the cost very reasonable.

To start, I am stunned there are not any other reviews about this tour!! I’ll do my best to make this one count! To start, I am something of a nerd, as you can tell from my green T Shirt of the Nimitz Museum. I have always held a passion for history, and have this taken several tours in several different museums across the country. I can safely say this was the most enjoyable, timely, and informative experience I have had in my 28 years of nerding about history. My parents greatly enjoyed themselves, and our host was constantly making sure we were all kept on a timely, but not harsh schedule. Our host, Dave, was an absolute delight to be with, and I greatly admired his ability to both inform us about the more overlooked parts of the tour, but also in his easy going persona, and his charm with being able to connect with those around him. It was beautiful to watch him greet almost every staff member he came across, and to see them reciprocate the affection with sincerity. Dave is one of the best tour guides I have ever had the pleasure of being a patron of, and his example will inspire me to improve my own methods of teaching back at the Nimitz museum. In summary: I highly recommend this experience for anyone interested in seeing one of the most poignant places in Oahu. You get to travel on style, Dave is as great as great tour guides can be, and you can rely on making the most out of this unforgettable experience with Dave at the helm. Cheers for an outstanding event, and bless you for making this one of my most cherished tours I have ever had the honor of being on. Thank you, and a hui hou!