Pearl Harbor · Tickets
Is the Pearl Harbor Passport Worth It?
The Passport to Pearl Harbor is $99.99 for an adult and covers the three paid sites: the Battleship Missouri, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and the USS Bowfin. Buy those three tickets one at a time and you pay $100.97. So the Passport saves you 98 cents, unless you also want the audio tour and VR session it throws in. Here is the verdict, the prices, what each site is like, and how to plan the day.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The Battleship Missouri (left), the Ford Island control tower at the Aviation Museum (center) and the USS Arizona Memorial (front). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Barker, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Quick Verdict
Passport, Separate Tickets, or Neither?
- Buy the Passport ifyou will see all three museums and you want the Visitor Center audio tour and VR session too. Then it saves $21.97 per adult. It also suits a two-day visit, since it is good on two consecutive days.
- Buy separately ifyou are skipping one of the three museums, or skipping the audio tour and VR. On the three museums alone the Passport saves $0.98 per adult and $2.98 per child, so it is a convenience, not a discount.
- Skip the paid sites ifyou have half a day or less. The USS Arizona Memorial and the Visitor Center galleries are free. If you want one paid stop, make it the USS Bowfin, next door at $25.99.
No ticket here includes the USS Arizona Memorial boat. That is a free reservation you book separately; our Pearl Harbor tickets guide explains how.
What the Passport to Pearl Harbor Includes
One Passport gets you general admission to three sites, plus two extras at the Visitor Center:
- Battleship Missouri Memorial, including its 35-minute guided tour.
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, with a self-guided narrated tour.
- USS Bowfin Submarine Museum, with a self-guided narrated tour.
- The multimedia audio tour of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center (about 1 hour).
- One session at the Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center (15 to 20 minutes).
It is good for one day, or two consecutive days in any order. Each site takes one visit, so whatever you see on day one is off the list for day two, and each Passport is for one person. You can buy it on any of the three museums’ own websites or the joint Pearl Harbor Historic Sites site, at the same price.
What it does not include is the one thing everyone comes for. The operators say it in capital letters: Passports do not include reservations for the USS Arizona Memorial. That program is free, with its own timed reservation. Some of the sites’ copy says the Passport covers “all four” historic sites; the fourth is the Arizona, and you still book it yourself.
Pearl Harbor Passport vs Separate Tickets: The Prices
Prices from each operator’s own ticket page, as of September 2026. Adults are 13 and up.
| Ticket | Adult | Child 4–12 | Kamaʻāina / military |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battleship Missouri | $44.99 | $19.99 | Not published; ask at the ticket window |
| Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum | $29.99 | $17.99 | $20.99 adult, $10.99 child |
| USS Bowfin Submarine Museum | $25.99 | $14.99 | $18.99 adult, $9.99 child |
| Passport to Pearl Harbor | $99.99 | $49.99 | $72.99 adult, $39.99 child |
Kamaʻāina and military rates are sold on site with a valid ID. The Battleship Missouri does not publish its rate, so ask at the ticket window.
Now the question in every search for “passport to Pearl Harbor worth it.” Here is the math, two ways:
| Adult | Child 4–12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri + Aviation Museum + Bowfin, bought separately | $100.97 | $52.97 |
| Passport | $99.99 | $49.99 |
| You save | $0.98 | $2.98 |
| Same three plus the audio tour and VR combo, bought separately | $121.96 | $69.96 |
| You save with the Passport | $21.97 | $19.97 |
On the three museums alone, the Passport is a wash: 98 cents for an adult, $2.98 for a child. The real discount is the audio tour and VR session, which are otherwise sold as their own combo for $20.99 per adult and $16.99 per child. If you want those, the Passport saves about $22 a person. If you don’t, you are paying for one checkout instead of three.
Before you count the audio tour as a must, know that the Visitor Center’s free Road to War and Attack galleries cover much of the same story at no cost. We couldn’t run the same math for kamaʻāina and military visitors, because the Missouri’s rate is not published.
The Three Paid Sites, One by One
Two of the three sit on Ford Island, an active military base. You can’t drive or walk there; a free shuttle loops from the Visitor Center to the Missouri, then the Aviation Museum, then back. Budget time for it.
Battleship Missouri Memorial
The “Mighty Mo” is the last battleship the U.S. Navy built, and it is where World War II ended: Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender on its deck on September 2, 1945. General admission includes a free 35-minute guided tour that finishes on that surrender deck. Afterward you can walk the Main Deck, Below Decks and Above Decks routes on your own. Two upgrades go deeper for $32 each: the 45-minute Captain’s Tour and the 60-minute Chief Engineer’s Tour, capped at 10 guests and physically demanding (steep ladders, tight passages). Kids can add the Chuck’s Quest scavenger hunt for $8.
- Time needed1 to 2 hours; at least 90 minutes with an upgrade tour
- HoursDaily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., last admission 3 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
- AgesNo limit for general admission. The Captain’s and Chief Engineer’s tours are ages 10 and up.
- Price$44.99 adult, $19.99 child 4–12. Kamaʻāina and military rate not published; ask at the ticket window.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
More than 50 aircraft in Hangar 37 and Hangar 79, two original World War II hangars that were strafed on December 7, 1941. General admission also covers the outdoor exhibits and the Rooftop Terrace of the Operations Building. The paid extras are sold on top: the Tower View Experience ($10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., first come first served), a guided Top of the Tower Tour ($20), a guided Hangar Tour ($10.99) and the Fighter Ace 360 flight simulator ($10.99 a seat shared, $21.99 solo). The tower is the red and white one in the photo at the top of this page.
- Time neededThe museum says 40 to 60 minutes self-guided. Plan on 90 for a first visit, plus 20 to 40 if you add the Tower View.
- HoursDaily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last shuttle back leaves the museum at 5 p.m. No holiday closures are published, so check with the museum before a holiday visit.
- AgesNo limit. Children 3 and under are free.
- Price$29.99 adult, $17.99 child 4–12. Kamaʻāina and military (on site, with ID; military means active duty and immediate family): $20.99 adult, $10.99 child.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum
A real World War II fleet submarine, nicknamed “the Pearl Harbor Avenger”: nine war patrols and 44 enemy ships sunk. You board and walk it bow to stern, then take in three museum galleries and the outdoor exhibits. A free audio guide comes in seven languages. It is the only paid site you can walk to from the Visitor Center, so there is no shuttle to wait for, and no reservation is needed. If you can’t manage the hatches, the museum’s World War II gallery has a virtual tour of the sub.
- Time needed1.5 to 2 hours for the sub, the museum and the grounds
- HoursDaily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., last admission 4:30 p.m. Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- AgesChildren under 4 are not allowed aboard the submarine. They can still visit the museum and outdoor exhibits.
- Price$25.99 adult, $14.99 child 4–12. Military and kamaʻāina: $18.99 adult, $9.99 child. Military in uniform get in free.
Pearl Harbor Remembered Tour: USS Arizona and Battleship Missouri
★★★★★ 4.9 · 6,256 reviews · From $149.74
Check AvailabilityWe may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Suggested Day Plans
These three plans are the official itineraries published by Pearl Harbor Historic Sites, the joint site that sells all three museums’ tickets, lightly trimmed. They agree on the order: book your Arizona boat first and build around it, see the Visitor Center galleries early before the tour buses arrive, and finish at the Aviation Museum, whose shuttle runs latest.
Full day, 6 to 8 hours
The history buff
- Visitor Center exhibits, arriving at 7 a.m. (1 hour).
- USS Arizona Memorial on an 8:15 a.m. reservation (about 45 minutes).
- Audio tour and VR back at the Visitor Center (30 to 45 minutes).
- USS Bowfin (75 to 90 minutes).
- Shuttle to Ford Island, Battleship Missouri (90 minutes to 2 hours). Add the Captain’s or Chief Engineer’s Tour if you booked one; both can sell out.
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (90 minutes), with the Tower View for the view over the harbor. Catch a shuttle back by 4:30 to 5 p.m.
Ticket: the Passport. This is the day it was built for: all three museums plus the audio tour and VR, so it saves $21.97 per adult.
Family day
With kids
- Arrive by 7:30 a.m. for an 8:15 a.m. USS Arizona Memorial boat.
- USS Bowfin next. After the quiet of the memorial, kids get to climb through hatches. Remember the under-4 rule on board.
- Shuttle to Ford Island, Battleship Missouri, with the Chuck’s Quest scavenger hunt (about 1 hour).
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum last. The partner site calls it “the most interactive stop of the day” and the most stroller-friendly one on Ford Island.
Ticket: all three museums, so price the Passport against separate tickets. The difference is $2.98 a child and $0.98 an adult unless you also want the audio tour and VR. Our Pearl Harbor tickets guide walks through the Arizona reservation.
Half day, 3 to 4 hours
Short on time
- USS Arizona Memorial first. Book the reservation before anything else.
- Visitor Center galleries, Road to War and Attack, free (30 to 45 minutes).
- USS Bowfin, the only paid site with no shuttle (60 to 75 minutes).
- Back in Waikiki by lunch.
Ticket: Bowfin admission only, $25.99. This plan skips Ford Island, so the Passport would be money spent on sites you never reach.
Itineraries from Pearl Harbor Historic Sites: history enthusiasts, family day and half day, checked September 2026. Times are their planning suggestions, not measured waits.
Have a spare afternoon after a half day? The Aiea Loop Trail and Keaiwa Heiau is the hike in the hills right above the harbor. Visiting in early December? Our Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day guide covers the 85th anniversary week, when the crowds are at their heaviest.
Getting There, or Letting a Tour Handle It
Pearl Harbor is about 45 minutes from Waikiki by car. Our guide to getting to Pearl Harbor from Waikiki compares driving, TheBus and rideshare, and the tickets guide covers the bag rule, which applies at every site.
If you would rather not book three museums, a reservation and a ride, a tour can bundle all of it. The pick below covers all four sites with admissions, Waikiki pickup and a narrated stretch through historic Honolulu; it runs 9 to 11 hours, and lunch is extra. At $174.99 against a $99.99 Passport, you are paying about $75 for the driver, the guide and someone else holding the Arizona tickets. If you only want the Arizona and the Missouri, the USS Arizona Memorial and Battleship Missouri tour is shorter, from $149. Our comparison of Pearl Harbor tours from Waikiki lays out the rest.
Complete Pearl Harbor Experience Tour from Waikiki
★★★★★ 4.5 · 407 reviews · From $174.99
Check AvailabilityWe may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Pearl Harbor is one day of the trip. For the rest of the island, start with our things to do in Oahu guide.
Pearl Harbor Passport Questions
Is the Passport to Pearl Harbor worth it?
Only if you also want the Visitor Center audio tour and VR session. The Passport is $99.99 for adults and the three museums bought separately are $100.97, so on the museums alone it saves $0.98. Counting the $20.99 audio tour and VR combo, it saves $21.97 per adult.
Does the Pearl Harbor Passport include the USS Arizona Memorial?
No. The Passport covers the Battleship Missouri, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, the USS Bowfin, the Visitor Center audio tour and one VR session. The USS Arizona Memorial program is free but needs its own timed reservation.
How much is the Pearl Harbor Passport?
$99.99 for adults 13 and up and $49.99 for children 4 to 12, as of September 2026. Kamaʻāina and military pay $72.99 and $39.99, on site with ID.
Can you use the Pearl Harbor Passport over two days?
Yes, on one day or two consecutive days, in any order. Each site can be visited once, so whatever you see on day one is off the list for day two. Each Passport is for one person and can’t be shared.
Where do you buy the Passport to Pearl Harbor?
The Battleship Missouri, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and USS Bowfin all sell it on their own websites, and so does the joint Pearl Harbor Historic Sites site. The price is the same everywhere.
Which Pearl Harbor museum is best if you only have time for one?
The Battleship Missouri. General admission includes a 35-minute guided tour that ends on the deck where World War II ended. If you have no time for the Ford Island shuttle, the USS Bowfin is next to the Visitor Center.
Leave a Reply