Oahu
I'm an American and a Navy Vet. My wife and I have always wanted to Visit the State of Hawaii with a priority to Visit Pear Harbor. LUCKILY for us, I was FORTUNATE enough to find Veltra Tours on the web. I cannot say enough about the quality of our tour. The timeliness of the tour, the knowledge and personality of our guide Nick, SUPERB. We saw and learned more than we could have expected in a single morning. Also would like to Applaud the U S Navy, the State of Hawaii and our National Park service for all they do to honor our History and our Veterans.
I took this tour with my 18 year old daughter and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our pickup was punctual and the tour from beginning to end was informative and entertaining. Although not enough time was spent at any of the sites due to the fact we only had half day tour, our guide made us feel like we learnt a great deal about each place we visited. It is possible to visit Pearl Harbor without a tour and also organise your own entrance to the Arizona memorial on line for a small charge but we felt as if the money we paid for a tour experience was very well spent simply because our guide was so lovely, welcoming and full of wonderful insight and information about Hawaii and the sites we visited.
We stopped at the Royal palace and were able to walk around to take photos. We drove through Punchbowl cemetery with little stories and anecdotes shared by Brayden our lovely guide and then onto Arizona Memorial where we were left to wander around for approximately 1& 1/2 hours.
Overall a great experience!
I previously visited Honolulu from the UK almost 18 years ago. The improvements made at the Visitor Centre have been money well spent. Although I enjoyed the City tour I did think it was a little rushed.
The battleship Missouri Memorial @ Pearl Harbor is a not to be missed experience. From the sheer size of the ship to the complexity of its workings, to the knowledgeable and competent guides and the great historical presence of the vessel, this is an experience like no other I have enjoyed. It would be easy just to marvel at the size and power of the ship but it also forces you to take pause and wonder at human ingenuity and capacity to create truly awesome weapons of war when the need arises. I heartily recommend this visit as a highlight of my time in Honolulu.
As a U.S. Navy Vet I was already beyond excited to go visit the iconic ship, but what was even cooler was being able to have access to so much of ship. However, the best part was being able to stand where the unconditional surrendering of the Japanese took place. Really neat! Only tip I can give is to take the early tours to have more time in each compartment, we took the 9am tour and our group was only 6 people (compared to the 15+ in the group after).
My husband is a history buff so he was able to expand on the information provided by the tour guide and my children learned a lot. Very informative and interesting. I would recommend this to anybody wanted to learn more about American history! Enjoy!
P.S. Make sure to wear good walking shoes.
This was very educational and fun. We had a great time and highly suggest getting the audio guide. It is worth it.
A really fantastic morning spent at Pearl Harbour and sightseeing around Honolulu. Our driver was fantastic and very informative.
The Arizona memorial is truly thought provoking and really brings home the horror of war
My wife and I went to Hawaii for our anniversary and as a history buff, I was really looking forward to seeing the Arizona Memorial and this tour seemed like a great opportunity to get the visit in on our limited time in Oahu.
However it was not to be, I was at the stop to board the coach on time. When the coach arrived (The tour was run by Robert's Hawaii), I was informed that the bus would be returning to the hotel between 1 and 1:30 PM; over an hour later than the itinerary on either website lists. Because of this, I could not make the trip which is the biggest disappointment I had on my vacation.
The ugly business out of the way, the staff at Veltra/Hawaii Activities and Roberts were extremely friendly helpful and went out of their way to make it right. I was given a refund despite it being well past the cancellation window and the agent I spoke with was very apologetic about the tour.
If I could rate just the staff, I would give them 5 stars, but the tour information still shows a 12-12:30 return to the hotels, so I would caution anyone that plans to take this tour to verify the return before and/or plan for a later return or risk being disappointed as I was.
It was the wright trip at the wright time. Even so it was sad. It was very important historic memory. Thanks.
This tour did not disappoint! My folks used to live in Mililani Town so I have been to Oahu many times. I didn't really think I could learn more than I already knew but I was wrong. Our driver/guide was phenomenal - I wish I could remember his name - and he was on the mic literally the entire time. He was funny and engaging, and shared island/culture stories and hilarious anecdotes. He answered the same boring questions I'm sure he's been asked a million times as though he was being asked for the first time. He spoke not only about the obvious "touristy" stuff, but shared "local" tidbits as well.
Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial...haunting and beautiful. This was my 8th visit the Memorial and I learn something new each time. A very noticeable change is how quiet the Memorial itself is. During previous visits I was sad to hear the disrespectful chatter and laughter by some tourists. The staff does an excellent job of reminding everyone of respectful behavior and I could definitely hear the difference. The Visitor's Center has changed quite a bit since my last visit and many new exhibits/experiences have been added. I recommend it highly, even if you've been before.
A side note about courtesy and consideration. There is always one family/group who doesn't seem to care if they keep others waiting and we certainly had one on this tour. If you are directed to be back to the bus at a certain time, please plan accordingly. Nothing sours the mood faster than being made to wait more than 25 minutes for people we had seen in the gift shop on our way to the bus.
The journey back to Waikiki was just as lively and informative as the morning trip. I can't express enough what a pleasure our driver/guide was. He made the tour for us!
Our bus driver kept us on track and shared great information about the entire Honolulu area. We returned to the bus early and he pulled out a ukulele and started singing. It was very entertaining! The AZ Memorial was impressive and our driver was great!
Good time had by all. Was extremely informative and tour guide was entertaining with all his trivia facts. 6am was WAY to early to travel there and I felt rushed during the whole experience.
Very much enjoyed it. Despite heavy rain the guide did a great job, and helped my wife win a special request.
Felix, our guide, was HILARIOUS and FULL of trivia information about the memorial and all the Hawaiian islands! Loved seeing the sights in downtown Honolulu and hearing it's history. Don't miss the opportunity to speak to and thank the WWII vets that are usually there at the memorial - priceless! The only thing that we missed was actually going ON the USS Missouri (Big Mo) and the submarine there. The sub cost an extra $10, but we didn't have time to go on. Access to Big Mo was not offered.
On this tour we saw sights that other tours never get to. First stop was inside the gun turrets, followed by 90 minutes of learning below deck how the ship's guns are controlled, fired and reloaded; how the ships fire controls work; where the different crews lived; how the ward room got its name.
Our guide was the best I've ever had on any tour. Handled complex subjects in easy to understand terms. He is a retired Navy Vet who volunteers three days a week and loves every minute.
The tour lasted about two hours and our small group of 6 were sorry it had ended (supposed to be 90 minutes). Next time I'm in Hawaii, I'll go back for another visit.
Friends recommended this tour enthusiastically, and I do likewise.
awesome and moving, tour guide Fred treated us like Ohana. He was funny and informative.
The tour is early so don't b late because they will leave you. The pearl harbor part of the tour is nice and short but long enough to get pictures of the memorial, museum and to do some shopping. The rest of the tour around the city i did not like. It felt like we drove around forever. At the cemetery the bus just drives in and out. It does not stop or lets u get out so you just get a quick glimpse and thats it. I am glad it was a half day tour.
It was sad to see how that especially in the movie then to see the memorial with all the names. The Missouri was great experience to see how the live on board ships.
For any first timer to the island of Oahu, this is a must. Plan on an early morning tour or visit to Pearl Harbor. The afternoons can bring wind or rain. If the winds are to harsh, (whitecaps) they will shut down the boat ride over to the memorial. Acouple of things to consider while there, 1) tour the submarine located at the center, 2) tour the USS Missouri (I think) that is located across the water, but adjacent to the Arizona Memorial. We were not aware of either and wished to have seen.
For those serving our country - THANK YOU
This trip was very informative. We enjoyed the knowledge we gained while there. It was a sad experience but a rewarding one.
This trip was amazing. It was a great way to see the Missouri Battleship, Punch Bowl cemetary,and Arizona. Would recommend to anyone traveling to the Oahu area.
Other than having my camera stolen at our pick up point, the tour was wonderful and our tour guide was most informative. We learned much more than we would have had we gone out there by ourselves. The tour of Honolulu was also very interesting and, again, our tour guide was most informative.
Sorry, no pictures to post - so sorry I couldn't take pictures.
The guide we had was excellent for the city tour, and the Pearl Harbour tour was very informative, moving, and a great experience.
Thank you
Nothing like reliving history. Im posible to spend only an hour on the MIssiouri 1/2 day easy to see it all ! Tour guides exceptional !
Bennie, the driver, was great. Awesome personality and full of interesting facts.
I was with a family member in a wheelchair- he was very patient and attentive.
Bus was very comfortable.
The tour was good- I loved the stop at Hilo Hattie's. The Arizona Memorial was the highlight- very moving and such a part of my family history.
Thank you.
what a wonderful experience. A little humbling at first but what patriotism for all that died that day. God Bless America!
Pearl Harbour is a must see, interesting and informative tour would definetly recommend. Drive to Punchbowl had amazing views of Waikiki and Diamond head.
Must see attraction
The Arizona Memorial and the Punch Bowl Veterans Cemetery were very moving experiences for us. Our driver was the real gem of this tour. He was informative, entertaining and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour to all visitors to Honolulu.