7 History Tours in Honolulu to Build a Day Around

1.Pearl Harbor [Early Access], USS Arizona & Historic Honolulu Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 87 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $79Our pick

Start with a 6:30 AM Waikiki pickup, visit Pearl Harbor National Memorial and take the Navy boat to the USS Arizona Memorial when tickets are available. Then tour downtown Honolulu, including Iolani Palace, the King Kamehameha Statue, Aloha Tower, and the Eternal Flame, with a local guide.

“What attracted us to this tour was the guaranteed tickets to the Arizona Memorial. Also, Christine was a fantastic guide. Her communication and flexibility on pickup and drop off were very clear and helpful. She gave us some great historical information and was able to answer the questions that came to our minds. Overall, a great experience.”

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2.Historical Honolulu Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $149Top rated

Start at Waikiki’s Kuhio Beach and ride 13.5 mostly flat miles through parks, canals, Kaka’ako, Chinatown, and downtown Honolulu. Guide Kelly supplies bikes, helmets, water, snacks, local fruit, history, and frequent photo stops for groups of up to 10.

“Kelly was our guide and he was awesome. Informative, patient, and very knowledgeable. 100% recommend to anyone!”

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3.History & Culture Tour in Honolulu via Segway

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $254

Explore 19th-century Honolulu by Segway with guides such as Jeanne, Michael, Zach, and Allen. You’ll visit Mission Houses, Iolani Palace, Chinatown, Aloha Tower, and Kaka’ako Waterfront Park while listening through a two-way headset. The tour runs about 2.5 hours and begins in Kaka’ako.

“Our tour guide was amazing with so much knowledge of Honolulu! We will absolutely be recommending to our friends and family.”

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4.Through A Glass Darkly The Strange and Tragic History Of Honolulu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $39Best value

Meet Terry at the King Kamehameha statue for a 90-minute walk through Honolulu’s royal and political past. See Iolani Palace, Kawaiaha‘o Church, Washington Place, the State Capitol, and more while hearing stories of conquest, overthrow, scandal, and ghosts. English tour, maximum 20 people.

“Great informative walking tour. There is alot of standing which for some people may be difficult. He tries to keep you in the shade.”

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5.Semi Private Honolulu Historical Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $144

Let guides such as Ama, Simina, Melissa, or Eva lead you through Diamond Head, Iolani Palace, Hawaiian Mission Houses, King Kamehameha’s statue, and Bishop Museum. Your private group travels by air-conditioned minivan with hotel, airport, or harbor pickup, snacks, and water.

“Great customer service and communication from the tour operator. Our guide was Ama. Ama, as a native islander, knows a lot about the history of Honolulu and Hawaii in general. We visited the Iolani Palace and the Bishop Museum. We elected to skip the mission part of the tour because I had blisters on my feet, but still received the history from Ama. Ama also took us through Chinatown, a scenic drive along the coast where he regularly surfs, and down to Honolulu Harbor, Merchant Row and to the royal cemetery / mausoleum. Great experience!”

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6.Best Of Pearl Harbor: USS Arizona Memorial & Historic Honolulu

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $75

This four-hour Honolulu tour combines Pearl Harbor’s Visitor Center and USS Arizona Memorial with Punchbowl, Iolani Palace, and the King Kamehameha Statue. Hotel or condo pickup is available, and drivers such as Kama, Kenny, and Cousin Pe have added local stories and humor. Confirm the Arizona boat access before booking.

“We enjoyed our tour. Kama our driver was excellent knowledge about the area and humorous. We enjoyed his many comical insights on the various sites and history. It was better than driving to the site with no interpretation.”

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7.Historic Downtown Segway Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 2 hours · from $155

You’ll ride a Segway from Kewalos Basin Park through Kaka'ako murals and historic downtown Honolulu, with stops at Iolani Palace, Chinatown, Aloha Tower, and more. Guides speak English or Japanese, and Timo is known for patient instruction and taking photos at scenic stops. The tour ends along Ala Moana Beach.

“Timo was an amazing tour guide! He tailored the tour to our wishes and explained everything in detail!”

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