In my opinion, a helicopter tour is much more thrilling than any amusement park ride I’ve ridden. The views are beyond description and there is so much to see. A helicopter tour in Hawaii is an ideal way to see the islands’ cliffs, forests, volcanic shape, beaches and craters. One of the reasons I love Hawaii is the diversity of terrain and by taking a helicopter tour, you can really see that. Before you take a helicopter tour, you should spend some time researching your options online. Here are tips to help you choose the best tour and enjoy it.
1. Make a Safe Choice
Each year, thousands of Hawaii visitors enjoy safe, scenic helicopter tours across the Hawaiian Islands. Before boarding a helicopter, it is important to recognize that there are risks. Accidents are very, very infrequent, but they can and do happen.
How do you make a safe choice? First, choose a helicopter tour that advertises that they are certified as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) Part 135 Air Carrier, which means that the operator is subject to higher standards than general aviation operators.
There are three organizations that audit for and provide certifications that go above and beyond FAR Part 135 safety standards. Choosing a helicopter tour company that has chosen to take these extra safety audits can demonstrate a further commitment to safety. However, very few Hawaii helicopter tour companies have these additional safety certifications. These safety auditing organizations are:
- Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS)
- International Standard of Business Aircraft Operators (IS-BAO)
- Vertical Association International (VAI) also known as Helicopter Association International (HAI)
Finally, you might find it helpful to look up accidents from the National Transportation Safety Board. You can use this query form to search the accidents database. To get Hawaii results, be sure to select Hawaii as the state and Helicopter as the category of aircraft. The report can be rather cumbersome to review. As you will see from the report, most incidents are nonfatal, thankfully. Several incidents have happened during flight instructor training while no passengers were onboard. Do take note of the “doing business as” column as name changing is a little trick that helicopter tour companies play to try to disguise their safety incidents.
For your reference, I’ve culled through the NTSB helicopter accident report for incidents in Hawaii. I also follow Hawaii news sites. From most recent to oldest, here’s the list of fatal and/or seriously injured accidents on sightseeing tours since January 2004:
- July 11, 2024 – An Ali’i Tours and Charters Helicopter carrying two passengers crashed off the Na Pali Coast of Kauai. One passenger’s body was recovered. The other passenger and the pilot were never found. (Source)
- February 27, 2024 – A Jack Harter Helicopters tour with four passengers and a pilot crashed on a Na Pali Coast beach. One person was taken to the hospital with a back injury. No other injuries were reported. (Source)
- June 8, 2022 – Paradise Helicopter tour on Hawaii (Big) Island crashed on a remote lava field. Two people were seriously injured. (Source)
- December 26, 2019 – Safari Helicopter tour on Kauai crashed resulting in seven fatalities. (Source)
- April 29, 2019 – Novictor Aviation tour crashed on Oahu.
- October 16, 2017 – A Mauna Loa Helicopter crashed in the Pacific Ocean near Molokai during a pilot instruction exercise. This was not a sight-seeing flight. No passengers were on board.
- February 18, 2016 – A Genesis Helicopter crashed in Pearl Harbor on Oahu resulting in one fatality and four people with injuries.
- November 10, 2011 – Blue Hawaiian Helicopters tour from Maui to Molokai crashed at Molokai. There were five fatalities.
- March 11, 2007 – Inter-Island Helicopters on Kauai
- March 8, 2007 – Heli-USA Airways, Inc. on Kauai
- September 23, 2005 – Heli-USA Airways, Inc. on Kauai
- September 24, 2004 – Bali Hai Helicopter Tours, Inc. on Kauai
What about door-off helicopter tours?
Serious photographers often choose a doors-off tour. Without the doors, photographers don’t have to contend with refections and distortions from the windows. Some safety experts do not advise doors-off helicopter tours as they do come with additional risks. If you do decide to take a doors-off tour, make sure you and your camera equipment is secure. You will be exposed more to wind and the cooler temperatures at the higher altitude, so wear warm clothes.
2. Know the Seating Arrangement
Most helicopters tour companies in Hawaii use six-passenger helicopters with a seating arrangement of two passengers in front with the pilot and four in the back. That means that two people are going to be seated in the middle seats in the back and with a slightly less direct view of the window/scenery. The six-passenger helicopters that many companies use is either A-Star or Eco-Star type helicopters. The Eco-Stars are generally a little nicer than the A-Stars because they offer a bit more room, less noise, and more window space.
Though harder to find, there are some tour helicopter tours that take only four passengers. Two sit in front and two in the back. In that case, all four passengers have a direct window view.
Helicopter tours are best experienced if you are enjoying the ride rather than stressing over getting the best photo. We have taken probably well over 100 photos from our helicopter tours. Honestly, very few photos turn out great. So, that’s why we recommend trying to absorb as much scenery as you can to get the most out of your experience.
Helicopter tour companies that we have used with great results are Safari Helicopters, Sunshine Helicopters, Magnum Helicopters, Inter-Island Helicopters (no longer is service) and Blue Hawaiian. We took a unique eco-tour with Safari Helicopters and a standard tour with Blue Hawaiian. (We didn’t care much for Air Maui as the window nearest us was obstructed and scratched which blocked/distorted our view. See a photo of that window here.)
Bear in mind that seating will be based on the weight of you and your friend/partner. Weight needs to be balanced on the helicopter to make it fly properly and ultimately for safety reasons. It has been our experience that couples always sit together.
If you are taking a helicopter tour in Kauai, request the right side because most tours circle the island clockwise and you will be able to get the best view of the Na Pali Coast from the right side. You can make the request, though they cannot guarantee seating.
3. Shop online for best pricing
Most companies offer a nice discount for booking directly with them online. See these links for more information about the helicopter tour companies on each island:
- Kauai helicopter tours, costs, reviews
- Big (Hawaii) Island helicopter tours, costs, reviews
- Maui helicopter tours, costs, reviews
- Oahu helicopter tours, costs, reviews
4. Timing your Tour
If possible, try to book your tour on the first or second day of your trip so that you will gain a better orientation of the island.
5. What to do on the day of your tour:
Do
- Pay close attention and follow all safety instructions and don’t hesitate to ask questions about them.
- Wear dark clothing without pattens to minimize the reflection and glare on the windows.
- If you are prone to motion sickness, make preparations and/or take medication per labeled instructions.
- Use high speed film/settings for your camera.
- Hold your camera lens near the window to minimize reflections. Just don’t touch the window because the vibration will transfer to your hand and camera.
Don’t
- Wear earrings because they could get in the way of your headphones.
- Wear a hat as hats are prone to fly off and people naturally want to go chasing after them. This is a particularly important point if you are going on a doors-off tour.
- Spend too much time looking at the scenery through tiny viewfinder of your camera.
- You might want to avoid having a meal just before the tour.
6. Know which islands are the best for helicopter tours
I’m sure helicopter tours of all the islands are quite nice, but if you have a choice go with Kauai or the Big Island. Kauai is my top pick because of the views of Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali Coast, and seeing the remote waterfalls in Waialeale Crater. The Big Island would be my second pick because of possibility of seeing volcano activity. I have been fortunate enough to enjoy helicopter tours of Kauai, the Big Island, Maui, Oahu and the Great Barrier Reef. My favorite was the Kauai tour.
I’ll close these tips for finding the best helicopter tours in Hawaii with a few photos from tours helicopter tours I’ve taken in Hawaii.
This photo is of the Na Pali Coast of Kauai. Notice the rainbow:
The following photo of “liquid rock” in action was taken at Pu’u O’o. At the time, a helicopter tour was the only way to see any active lava flow.
The following photo is from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory showing a lava flowing as viewed from the air.
Cliffs of the Hamakua Coast on the Big Island.
Please feel free to add your helicopter tour tips in the comments.
Sheila Beal
65 comments
Awesome! it seems really interesting, but I think would leave the helicopter dead 🙂
The helo tour was the best part of our trip to Oahu. The island greenery and blue ocean comes alive from way up there.
“Don’t spend too much time looking at the scenery through the tiny view of your camera” is good advice. Not only are you missing out on the breadth of the beauty, but you may discover motion sickness that you never knew about!
Our daughter-in-law realized that she was becoming “uncomfortable” during our helo ride. Once she put the camera down and took a few relaxing breaths, she was fine. I was born and raised on the island; this was my first helicopter tour and I loved it!!
Wow. Thanks for this post. I’ve been to a lot of amusement parks but never have I taken a helicopter ride. (Only in a dream.) It would be amazing to do it for real.
Any thoughts on claustrophobia?
Hmmm, CF. I’m not sure about that one. I think that the windows help to keep you from feeling closed in. I would say that if you don’t feel claustrophobic on a small plane, you would most likely not feel claustrophobic on a helicopter. You might want to call one of the helicopter companies in Hawaii and ask them about it. I’m sure they’ve had clients with the same concerns. Hope that helps.
Hi Sheila,
You blog is simply great and helped me a lot saving many hours to plan my visit to Hawaii in the thanksgiving week. I originally did not plan to go to Kauai but now I am reading your blog on this helicopter tour and I am tempted. Do you think it’s possible to spend a day , flying to Lihue from HNL in the morning around 11:45 AM or earlier , take the helicopter tour 90 Min and back to HNL again in the evening with the 4:00 PM flight ? The Safary helicopter tour departs from Lihue airport, do we need a car there to go to the heliport and comeback to the main airport to catch our flight back ? I will have my son , 4 yrs old and my husband with me, you think 4 yrs old can take the helicopter tour ? Thanks, Mou
Hi Mou — I’m excited to hear that you’re finding GoVisitHawaii.com to be useful for your vacation planning!
I think that it would be possible to get in a nice helicopter tour of Kauai with a quick day trip from Oahu.
I’m not sure about the minimum weight/age requirements for helicopter tours.
I recommend you call Safari directly to ask your questions. I’m sure they’ll be glad to assist you with your questions and pick up from the airport. Here’s their toll free number: (800) 326-3356
Oh Wow Sheila, I did not expect so quick reply..can not thank you enough. I called them and sounds like it’s possible !
Mou
Hi Sheila,
Is there a particular helicopter company that you would highly recommend, with a nice balance between pricing, as well as the level of safety and satisfaction?
Hi Peter — Just my opinion, but from my observation, Safari Helicopters seems to take safety very seriously. I had a chance to talk to the owner one time and I was impressed at how much he stressed safety and how they have a schedule to replace parts before they show wear and tear.
Safari offers discounts for booking online.
Hope that helps and that you have a great helicopter tour! Please come back and tell us about your experience.
Sheila you are correct! If you type in “helicopter accident hawaii” I don’t see anything negative for Safari helicopters. They have never had a fatal accident. Unlike some companies who just pay alot to advertise that they are the “Best” in the state!
Just FYI – Actually her list in this blog states in 12/2019 they (Safari) had a crash with 7 fatalities.
We used Paradise Helicopters when we went to the Big Island! They were great and we did get to see lava! We also stopped in one of the valleys on our way back where we were able to explore and eat fresh tropical fruit right from the earth. It was wonderful!
You can check it out on my blog
Many thanks Sheila, your Go Visit Hawaii has been a big help. My wife and I are cruising the Hawaiian Islands in this May and have been researching the best option for a Helicopter flight. You have confirmed our choice of Kauai.
Am also considering the “Entire Kauai Island Air Tour” in a fixed wing AIRVAN GA8 Aircraft of 1 hr duration. It is more economical, but am looking at value for money regardless of cost. Would appreciate any thoughts and comments
John – Check out this post comparing fixed wing scenic flights to helicopters — https://govisithawaii.com/2009/11/30/hawaii-helicopter-vs-plane-scenic-tours/
Thanks again Sheila, your site has been invaluable.
Great to hear, John. Thanks for the nice feedback.
Sheila
Hello, I will be going to Hawaii this July 2014
I was wondering about the helicopter tour.
Are there any updates for 2014?
I love your site, I’ll be on it until I leave.
Thanks
Hi Paula,
Actually, we updated this article in March 2014. Here’s a link to one other recent post about helicopter tours that you might want to check out: https://govisithawaii.com/2014/04/02/hawaii-helicopter-tours/
There’s nothing particularly risky about flying with the doors off, per se, because everybody is strapped into their seats; you cannot fall out. As a pilot, I’ve flown with doors on in cool weather and doors off in sunny, warm weather, and when the sun is hot and bright, doors off is definitely better. Due to limited human depth perception, after one is a few hundred feet off the ground there is little sensation of height, so it shouldn’t even bother someone with acrophobia.
Your article is so helpful! We are going to three islands during our trip to hawaii (Maui, Kauai, and big island). We went ahead and booked DOORS OFF helicopter tours in Kauai and Big Island, but now that we are looking at costs, I feel like I might want to give up on one of them. Can you tell me what the pros and cons of the helicopter ride is in both Kauai and Big Island?? I may even end up doing both, but if I had to choose one which one. Some people say Kauai and some say Big Island.
Pooja – Having taken tours on both islands, I would choose Kauai. My only hesitation in recommending Kauai over the Big Island is if you had booked a tour to view the lava flows. Depending on what Kilauea is doing, the lava action can be pretty spectacular to view from the air. From this article, you can follow the links to monitor lava action to help you make your decision: https://govisithawaii.com/2009/10/07/how-to-find-out-whats-going-on-with-the-lava-on-hawaiis-big-island/
Thanks for the quick response! What do you think about an airplane ride vs. helicopter in Kauai to save money? The reason we are doing the helicopter ride in Big Island is definitely for the lava flow
Pooja – Read this plane vs helicopter article: https://govisithawaii.com/2009/11/30/hawaii-helicopter-vs-plane-scenic-tours/
Sheila, do you know if it is possible to take a helicopter from one island to another for the purpose of inter-island travel (not a tour)?
There may be some charter companies that offer inter-island helicopter service, but I don’t know of any.
In 2012, my teenage daughter and son decided they wanted to visit Hawaii. Since we live in New York, I replied “I’m not flying halfway across the world to go to the beach!” Famous last words! We visited Maui in 2012, The Big Island and Oahu in 2013, and are set to visit Kauai in 2015. I can’t get enough of Hawaii! Anyway, thank you for the info about the helicopter tours. It sounds like a once in a lifetime activity, similar to our 6-seat prop plane tour of the Alaska fjords. I wasn’t convinced at first that it was safe, but it’s still one of my fondest memories. I’m sure the helicopter tour of Kauai will be similar.
David – your situation sounds a lot like mine. I never wanted to go to Hawaii in the first place, but my husband and our friends of wanted to go to Maui, so I relented. Our first trip was to Maui, where we first fell in love with Hawaii. Six months later, we were in Kauai and then another six months later, we were on the Big Island.
We have also taken a prop plane tour of the fjords in Alaska. It was stunning. I think you will find Kauai to be equally amazing by helicopter.
We are planning a trip to Oahu in Feb. 2015 and would like to take a helicopter tour. Can you recommend a good helicopter tour company–reasonably priced, safe and will give a great tour?
Your blog is perfect … exactly what I was looking for. We are going to Big Island in a week with our 12 year old daughter and (almost) 8 year old son. My son’s primary interest is to see the volcano so we were planning to take a helicopter tour. I had 2 questions –
1. Do you think a doors-off trip to the volcano would be too harsh for our 8 year old?
2. We are thinking of either paradise or Safari Helicopters as they seem more economical. Do you recommend any particular company?
If you really want to experience everything about volcanoes do a tour with lavaland Hawaii. We did a your with them and it was amazing. Do both the helicopter ride and the tour with them to get the most out of your visit. Also. We did the closed door. Sulfur is not a good chemical to breathe in with open doors
I think it’s safer to be in an enclosed helicopter with children. When you buckle your seat belts, you’re held safely inside, but nothing stops anybody from unbuckling on a whim. Also, we found it to be a little scary at first with the doors off. A child might become even more frightened. — That’s just my 2 cents.
I haven’t heard anything bad about Paradise. I did have the opportunity to meet the owner/operator of Safari once and I was really impressed with his dedication to safety and keeping the equipment well maintained.
Don’t forget that you can see a lot of volcano history and activity on land at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Here’s a day-trip sight seeing plan from the Kona side to the Hilo side: https://govisithawaii.com/2013/06/03/kona-hilo-day-trip-waterfalls-volcano-lava/
One more thing, I recommend you call the helicopter companies to ask them if they’re flying over the active lava flow. The lava flow erupts in different spots, flows for a while and then stops before moving on to another site. There is no guarantee that it will be flowing in the future. At the time of writing this comment, lava is flowing in Pahoa towards residential areas. The county was prohibiting helicopters from flying and/or hovering over the residential areas. So, check to see where they’re able to go over the
active
areas.
do you recommend take the tour in the morning or in the afternoon? i read some reviews that the best time to visit (see) waimea canyon are in the morning (less clouds) but in the other hand the best time to see the real color on napali coast is in the afternoon. i’m wondering if i take a tour in the afternoon will be better? i really want to take nice photos (good colors) of waimea canyon and napali coast.
Thanks
There are no weather guarantees. There are some typical weather patterns, but they are not the exact same every day.
We’ve taken three Kauai helicopter tours. All of them have been in the afternoon and all of them provided beautiful Waimea Canyon views/colors. Waimea Canyon is adjacent to the Na Pali Coast so the weather is very similar.
If you are having trouble deciding when to schedule your Kauai helicopter tour. Call or email the helicopter tour company you are considering and ask for their advice.
Thank you for this amazing website! I am literally planning my entire Hawaii trip based on your recommendations, notes and details!
Onto my question – I am visiting Kauai and Maui during my trip. I have booked a sunset dinner cruise to visit the Napali coast in Kauai. I was initially intending to take a helicopter tour in Maui, but now torn between the 2 islands since you have recommended Kauai as #1 for helicopter tours. Since am taking the cruise, do you still think its a good idea to go for a helicopter tour in Kauai or would you advise I go for one in Maui? Looking forward to your feedback..
Vid – glad you’re finding Go Visit Hawaii useful for your Hawaii vacation planning.
You can’t go wrong with a helicopter on either island. I’ve toured both islands by helicopter and I really think Kauai is best. It gives you a different perspective of the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon and if conditions permit, a peek into Waialeale. Also, see this article on viewing the Na Pali Coast by land, air and sea: https://govisithawaii.com/2011/04/11/na-pali-coast-by-land-air-sea/
Which helicopter tour company would you recommend for the big island for a big guy (about 270 lbs). From my limited research, it looks like there can be some pretty hefty (no pun intended) extra charges for big people.
Charlie – unfortunately, we do keep up with that data as it is subject to change without notification. If you are going to be staying in a hotel, call the concierge at the hotel and ask for their advice for your situation. They normally have regular conversations with the helicopter tour companies to keep informed of changes and may have extra insight that’s not available online.
To help with your online research, the major helicopter tour companies on the Big Island are Safari Helicopters, Paradise Helicopters, Sunshine Helicopters and Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. If there are any other companies, I am not aware of them.
How far in advance do you need to make reservations for a helicopter ride? Thank you.
Our advice would be to book as far in advance as you can to make sure you get the helicopter tour that you want — especially if you are visiting around a holiday or during the peak summer months. That being said, we’ve booked a tour with only a day or so advance planning, but that was during October when crowds are low.
What is the best time to go to Hawaii? We are a group of 5 family members, can we hire a private helecopter for the Big Island and Mauai? Is it cheaper to take helecopter tours per person for each island or take a private helecopter? We are planning to go there for 3 days and 2 nights.
Thank you!
Ketan – Here’s our article on the best time(s) to visit Hawaii: https://govisithawaii.com/2007/10/15/the-best-times-to-visit-hawaii/
To our knowledge, there isn’t a helicopter tour that covers both the Big Island and Maui. You would most likely have to tour those islands separately. However, you might be able to charter a service that covers both. We’ve just never heard of one.
We haven’t every priced out private helicopter charters. If that is of interest to you, contact some of the helicopter tour companies directly for their pricing and advice. Perhaps start a Blue Hawaiian which has a presence on both the Big Island and Maui.
Your blog is very helpful, thanks so much. I have a question. Would I have to charter my own helicopter to ride with just my wife or is it possibly we could be riding alone anyway?
Chris – I believe you’d have to charter a private tour if you just want the helicopter to yourself. You might want to verify that by contacting a few of the helicopter companies and getting quotes.
Hi Sheila,
I plan to take a helicopter ride on the Big Island, I found blue helicopter and safari helicopter. Safari seems to be cheaper with similar coverage. I’m not sure if the price difference makes a big difference in terms of experience. Thanks!
Yi
Hi Sheila,
Great advise!
My fiancé and I are starting our honeymoon in Maui next month and we were wondering if there were any helicopter tours of the active volcano on the big island? Most tour I see start from Hilo on the big island. Looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks!
Joe
We are going to Kauai in 2 weeks. Any recommendations/tips for a luau, we are all vegetarian. Also interested in helicopter rides. I see the you recommend Safari. I was also given names of Blue Hawaiian, Island Helicopters and Sunshine Helicopters companies. Any preferences between these? thanks!
See our Kauai luau posts for the options and links to reviews: https://govisithawaii.com/2007/11/29/kauai-luaus/
We don’t have a preference. You really need to decide what helicopter tour company is best for you based on the seating arrangement that you prefer and what’s included in the tour.
We are very excited for our February vacation and have to say thankful to be reading all of the great information that you have to provide, thank you! Our question please – we have two children 12 and 15 and can’t decide whether we should go to Maui or Kauai. (this after writing lists of things to do on both islands) – We are definitely planning to visit Oahu and Hawaii too. Any updated thoughts please?
You can’t really go wrong with either choice, but for winter months, we prefer Maui over Kauai — particularly South Maui. Read more here: https://govisithawaii.com/maui-where-to-stay/
I am planning a trip to Maui in March and We received a gift from a friend for viator to book excursions of our choice and we would like to do the helicopter tour. The gift is for $500.00 and we wanted to make sure we chose the right one… any advice. Also with other excursions is it better to purchase advance tickets or is it a better deal once you arrive on the island?
Sheila, I am traveling to Hawaii the third week of July with my best friend Jill and her two children were considering on taking a helicopter ride not quite sure which company to go with any recommendations . Also can you recommend any other sightseeing tours that would be fun . Jodie
We don’t have any additional advice beyond what’s in the article.
Go to our home page and click on the island guide(s) of your interest. From there navigate to the “what to see and do” section.
Just a heads up that Inter-Island Helicopters is now a website in another language about premature ejaculation, so you might want to update the link or remove it entirely.
Thanks for letting us know. We’ve removed the link.
We have a group of 7. I looks like most of the tours seat 6. Would you recommend we try to use 2 4-seater helicopters? Which company does this?
Check out the links under section 3 in the article. From there you can navigate to the island(s) you’ll be visiting and find the websites for each helicopter tour company on that island. You’ll be able to find their seating arrangements.
Hi there, how many people can go up at once , we are a family of 5 and would like to book a helicopter tour. Also would like to know what you recommend in regards to footwear. thanks.
Thanks for this great post. Very informative.
I forgot to ask, are you aware of any helicopters on Maui that have seats facing each other in the back which would allow more people with window seats? Thanks
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any company that flies a helicopter with that configuration.
Here’s our page of Maui helicopters.https://govisithawaii.com/2018/07/24/maui-and-molokai-helicopter-tours-pricing-and-reviews/ It needs an update, but it shows all the major companies.
Hello, nice article! Did you helo fight at Oahu? I’m in doubt between Kauai and Oahu helicopter tour
Yes, we toured Oahu by helicopter in 2019. See our write up, photos and video from that tour here: https://govisithawaii.com/2019/01/15/review-thrilling-doors-off-oahu-helicopter-tour-with-magnum-p-i-helicopters/
While it’s great to see Oahu by helicopter, we think Kauai is more spectacular to see, in comparison to Oahu.