Private Pearl Harbor and Scenic Oahu Tour

A day with Noelani

Excellent tour guide with so much wonderful history and information to share about the beautiful island. We had a wonderful tour of Pearl Harbor and a lovely day with lunch and multiple stops per our Interests and requests. Highly recommend!

via Viator

Not a Guided Tour, you Have to Guide It Yourself

We booked the Pearl Harbor and island highlights tour expecting a knowledgeable, engaging guide who would bring the history and surroundings to life throughout the day Unfortunately, that’s not what we experienced. While Rich was friendly and accommodating at times, the actual guiding was very underwhelming. There was little proactive narration, and I found myself having to ask most of the questions just to get even basic information. That’s not what you book a guided tour for. A guide should lead the experience not rely on guests to prompt them. Even when passing or discussing key sites like the USS Missouri and the submarine, there was no effort to provide any meaningful context beyond “that’s not part of your tour.” Regardless of inclusion, a professional guide should take opportunities like this to educate and enhance the experience, especially for first-time visitors. The return drive was also uncomfortable, with erratic driving in traffic that didn’t make for a great passenger experience. What disappointed us most, however, was the company’s response. Rather than acknowledging the lack of engagement, they deflected responsibility , focusing on what was “included” and blaming weather conditions that didn’t reflect our experience. There was no real accountability. To put this into perspective, since this tour we’ve had several guides across Maui and the Big Island, and every one of them delivered continuous, informative, and engaging commentary throughout the journey while driving. That’s the standard we expected here. I appreciate not every guide will be a natural entertainer, but a baseline level of consistent information, engagement, and professionalism is essential. Sadly, this tour fell well below that standard, and the response from the company only reinforced that impression. I would not recommend.

Response from the operator: Aloha Mark, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We are sincerely sorry to learn that your experience did not meet your expectations. At Personalized Hawaii Tours, our goal is to provide engaging, informative, and memorable experiences that bring the history of Pearl Harbor and Oahu to life. We understand that every guest has different expectations, and we’re disappointed to hear that you felt the level of narration and engagement fell short during your tour. While National Park Service regulations prohibit guides from accompanying guests inside the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and USS Arizona Memorial, our guides are expected to provide meaningful historical interpretation throughout the drive and at every opportunity outside the restricted areas. We genuinely appreciate your comments, as they help us continue improving our service. Your feedback has been shared with our team and will be used as an opportunity to reinforce the high standards we strive to deliver to every guest. Mahalo for your feedback, and we wish you safe travels.

via Tripadvisor

Hard to have a great tour sheen no one shows up!!

The tour operator never showed up!!!! Said they never got the reservation from Viator. Seemed sus to us but who knows. Should get a full refund but sure started out our vacation inauspiciously!!!

Response from the operator: Aloha Sue, Thank you for your feedback, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, technical issues between booking platforms and tour operators can result in a reservation not being received. While this situation was completely unintentional, we understand how disappointing it was, especially at the beginning of your vacation. As soon as we became aware of the issue, we processed a full refund. Although we regret that we were unable to provide your tour, ensuring that you were refunded promptly was our top priority. We sincerely apologize again for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. We wish you the very best and hope you were still able to enjoy the rest of your time in Hawaii. Mahalo, Personalized Hawaii Tours

via Viator

People should know how...

People should know how much time they want to spend at Pearl Harbor. For us it was perfect timing. Our tour guide Handsome/Jacob, can’t remember his 200 character full name!

via Viator

Better then a brochure!

Billy is very informative and personable. He is a retired park ranger. You can't get better information other then reading a brochure. But who wants to do that when Billy will drive you straight to the destinations and share stories of the site. A fantastic memory for the ending of our vacation.

Response from the operator: Mahalo for your wonderful review! 🌺 We’re so happy to hear you had such a fantastic experience with Billy. His background as a retired park ranger truly adds a special touch — it’s like having history come alive right from the source! We’re thrilled he helped make the end of your vacation a memorable one. Aloha and mahalo for choosing us! — The Personalized Hawaii Tours Team 🌴

via Viator