Recommend you do the Arizona the first day after arrival since you will be wide awake early. Advance tickets are available on this website, but you should not need them if you get there early.

http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm

Never had their Macadamia pancakes, but they have them and all other breakfast items are good.

http://www.restauranteur.com/keoni/

Most of your other questions can be answered by wading through this thread. Have a great time in paradise!

Note that if you want to go to the Pearl Harbor museum, you can go at any time, it's free and you can just walk in.

If you want to go to the Arizona Memorial you will need a ticket. If you can't get a ticket for the time you'd like, at 7am HST the day prior they make unsold tickets available for morning time slots. I had reserved for 2pm and was able to get tickets the day before for 9am. I believe the tour companies hold a lot of morning tickets and they release them back for distribution if they haven't sold.

Unfortunately, there is no way to cancel the tickets you won't be using. I tried and there's no option. I even tried telling them at the gate and they didn't care. BUT, if you end up doing this, you'll have to open a second account with the NPS. The system won't let you have 2 sets of tickets for the same day. It makes no sense, but that's the way it was last month. I had to scramble to set up another account at 7am. If you can't get a desired time, have a second account ready.

They also have standbys on the same day. I wouldn't take my chances with those, particularly if you're going at a busy time.

I actually plan to visit the Arizona Memorial. What would be the best way to get tickets? I plan to go there early morning around 9 or so.

The best way if you want to do it without a tour, it to go to the NPS website and reserve the tickets. They are free.

You can also get there by taking a tour, which IIRC, costs about $50-$70 and includes other stops.

Would you or anyone else recommend the tour?

Sure, I did a tour. Check out viator. We ended up doing a circle island tour, to check out the highlights on the island. In hindsight (we also had a rental car), we could have hit all the destinations on our own, but it was actually kind of nice not worrying out when/how to get there without dealing with all the details for a change. There are one or two places we probably would not have known to go on our own, and we also get commentary from the local tour driver (who talked about everything from history to real estate prices there)

A big part of the decision to do the tour was visiting the Arizona Memorial. I had an epic fail moment and somehow forgot to request tickets ahead of the trip, even though a friend reminded me to do it. Partly because it was a last minute decision to go so there was a lot of planning in a shortened amount of time. No regrets - tour took care of figuring when/how and the little details, and it was very nice for a change.

That all depends on the type of person you are and what else you want to do. If money is an object and a guided bus trip is not desired, you could take TheBus 20 or 42 for $2.50 each way. Takes about an hour. (Walk back to the main street for the return trip. Use the transfer to stop off at the Ala Moana Center's Food Court) It is the way we always do it and have always obtained free tickets for the launch by going early. They open at 7:00AM. If you wish to go around the island, you could rent a car for less than a tour bus for multiple people. Of course you will need to do a little research.

Tickets to the Pearl Harbor museum and the Arizona Memorial are free. No need to reserve or pay for a tour. I was there about 2 weeks ago when my nephew was visiting me and we just walked up at 10:30am, got a ticket for 10:50am on the next boat out to the Arizona (there is a short film first). Walked through the museum afterwards. Completely free. Same thing about 2 months ago with other visitors - walked up at 11:00am and got 4 tickets for 20 minutes later. I have never had a problem getting walk up tickets.

For the best banana macadamia nut pancakes I have ever tasted, go to Lulu's. Upstairs above the ABC store, on the corner of Kalakaua and Kapahulu. Make sure to ask for coconut syrup.

I'm looking at the website for the Arizona Memorial and I'm wondering I'f I should go for the narrated tour. Anyone have any suggestions? Also, anyone know how long the narrated tour is?

I purchased the narrated tour for the 4 of us. I used it very briefly and the other 3 not at all. The issue was that it was crowded so it was difficult to get to the location the narrator was talking about.

I would save my money. However, the information contained was very good. I just didn't use it very much.

I guess I should save my money and reserve a free ticket for the Arizona memorial?

Anyone know whats included in the tickets?

Moving on from the Pearl Harbor museum, anyone know if I will require tickets for snorkeling at Haunuma Bay?

For Hanauma Bay. Parking is $1 per car. Be there early as the lot gets full quick. Or take TheBus route 22 from Waikiki Kalakaua Avenue.

You are required to purchase ticket to the beach. $7.50 for non-Hawaii resident, Hawaii residents are free. Then you have to watch a 10 minute video about the nature preserve before you can walk down to the beach.

The park closes every Tuesday and whenever there is large wave or jellyfish influx (7 to 8 days after a full moon).

The movie, short boat ride to the memorial, and the memorial itself.

The museums are free and available to anyone, with or without a ticket to the Arizona.[/QUOTE]

So thats all included in the free reserved ticket? And with the narrated tour, a tour guide is included?

I guess I don't need a tour guide I guess.

Are there any other snorkeling places worth going to or Haunama Bay is the place for snorkeling?

Anyone know what time I should head out to the Arizona Memorial and Haunuma Bay so I can plan accordingly?

Moving on, there has been a string of shark attacks recently and somewhere in Oahu was mentioned. Should that be a concern if I plan to go to the beach?

Only if you plan on stepping off the beach and into the ocean...