Helicopter Tours in Hawaii: Seeing the Islands From a Completely Different Angle

A helicopter tour is one of the few Hawaii experiences where the journey can be just as memorable as the destination. From the air, beaches, valleys, waterfalls, volcanoes, and cliffs that look impressive from the ground suddenly become part of one enormous landscape.

What I like about flying in Hawaii is how quickly the scenery changes. One minute you can be looking over the coastline, and a few minutes later you are above mountains, deep valleys, or areas that are difficult to reach by road. The experience also depends heavily on which island you choose because each one has its own landscape and aerial highlights.

Oahu is great for seeing Honolulu and the island’s famous landmarks, the Big Island is the choice for volcanic landscapes, Maui combines mountains and coastline, and Kauai is the one I would choose for dramatic valleys and waterfalls.

Here are our Top 4 helicopter tours. Scroll down for our favorites on each island.

Oahu: Honolulu landmarks and coastline from above

Oahu is probably the easiest island for a first helicopter tour because there is so much to recognize from the air. Flying over Honolulu gives you a completely different perspective of Waikiki, Diamond Head, the surrounding mountains, and the Pacific coastline.

What I enjoy about Oahu is the contrast. The developed areas around Honolulu quickly give way to green mountain ridges and valleys. From a helicopter, you can see how close the city is to the island’s more natural landscapes.

Some flights focus on the island’s major landmarks, while others cover more of the coastline. If you are staying in Waikiki and want a shorter sightseeing experience without spending most of the day traveling, Oahu is an easy choice.

Big Island: volcanoes, lava fields, and a landscape that keeps changing

The Big Island is the helicopter tour I would choose if I wanted to see something that feels completely different from the other Hawaiian islands. Its volcanic landscape is enormous, and seeing it from the air makes the scale much easier to understand.

Depending on the route and current conditions, flights can showcase volcanic features, rugged lava fields, mountains, and parts of the island that are difficult to explore on foot. The landscape is especially interesting because the island is still shaped by volcanic activity.

Not every Big Island helicopter tour follows the same route, so I would look carefully at what the flight actually covers. If volcanoes are the reason you want to fly, make sure the itinerary is built around the volcanic areas rather than choosing a general sightseeing flight.

Maui: Haleakala, West Maui, and two very different landscapes

Maui gives you a particularly interesting helicopter experience because the island has two very different landscapes. The enormous crater of Haleakala dominates the east side, while the West Maui Mountains create a completely different collection of valleys and ridges.

From the air, the size of Haleakala is difficult to appreciate from the ground. Flying around the summit area can show the crater and volcanic landscape from a perspective that hiking cannot provide.

Other flights concentrate on the West Maui Mountains, where steep valleys and waterfalls create some of the island’s most dramatic scenery. I would check the route carefully because a Haleakala focused flight and a West Maui flight can feel like two completely different experiences.

Kauai: waterfalls, hidden valleys, and the Na Pali Coast

Kauai is the island I would pick when the goal is to see Hawaii at its most dramatic from the air. The interior is covered in steep valleys and mountains, with areas that are extremely difficult to reach by road or trail.

A helicopter makes it possible to see places such as the interior valleys of the island and the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast in a single flight, depending on the route. Waterfalls dropping down the mountainsides can be another highlight, especially when recent rain has filled the streams.

This is also one of those tours where the weather matters. Kauai’s mountains create their own weather patterns, and clouds can move through the valleys quickly. I would keep some flexibility in the schedule rather than booking the flight immediately before another important activity.

What to know before booking a Hawaii helicopter tour

The route matters more than I expected. Two helicopter tours can both be advertised as sightseeing flights but show you completely different parts of the island. Read the itinerary and check how long you will actually be in the air.

Weather can also affect helicopter tours, especially around the mountains. Flights may be delayed, changed, or cancelled when conditions are not suitable. I would avoid putting a helicopter flight immediately before a flight home or another activity that cannot be moved.

Wear comfortable clothing and avoid loose items that could cause problems around the aircraft. If you are sensitive to motion, it is worth taking that into account when choosing your seat and flight length.

Picking one

For Honolulu, Diamond Head, and a mix of city and coastline, I would choose Oahu. For volcanic landscapes, the Big Island offers something you cannot really replicate elsewhere. Maui is the one I would choose if Haleakala or the West Maui Mountains are the main attraction. For waterfalls, deep valleys, and the Na Pali Coast, Kauai is hard to beat.