Hey there, I’m Justin. The Big Island of Hawaii is the biggest of the islands by far, and nearly all of its showpiece scenery sits on the wrong side of a mountain from the nearest road: valleys with waterfalls tumbling hundreds of feet, sea cliffs, and volcanoes that are still building the island. That makes a helicopter the most efficient way to see it, and it also means the choice of flight matters. This guide to the best helicopter tours on the Big Island of Hawaii compares private, waterfall, landing, and volcano flights using our own roundup and reviews, with real prices and policies. I explain what a Big Island helicopter tour covers, how a Big Island waterfall helicopter tour differs from a volcano flight, and how to book the right one.
Key Takeaways
- Our June 2026 roundup lists real helicopter flights from $241 for 30 minutes to $1,135 for a 2-hour-20-minute landing tour, and says most quality tours cost $450 to $800.
- Our top pick is the 2-hour private flight with three of four window seats, listed from $671, covering Kilauea, the Hamakua coast, the Kohala valleys, and the leeward coast.
- For waterfalls, the roundup lists a 45-minute Kohala flight from $461 and a private 1 hour 15 minute flight from $451, and winter’s wet season produces the most dramatic falls.
- Three entries in the roundup aren’t ordinary helicopter flights: a $35 simulator ride, a $125 night tour, and a ground tour with an optional helicopter add-on.
- Fly in the morning and book 2 to 3 weeks ahead, because afternoon trade winds and cloud build up and preferred times sell out.
Jump to a Section
- How to Choose Among the Big Island’s Flights
- What You’ll See: Volcanoes, Valleys, and Waterfalls
- Our Top Pick: The Private 3-of-4 Window Seat Flight
- Watch: A Real Big Island Spectacular Review
- Waterfall Flights: Kohala, Waipio, and the Hamakua Coast
- Longer Flights, Landings, and Doors-Off Options
- Budget Options and What Isn’t a Helicopter Flight
- Seasons, Prices, and Booking Tips
- Insider Tips from Justin
How to Choose Among the Big Island’s Flights
Choosing among the best helicopter tours on the Big Island starts with what you want to see, because the island is too large for one short flight to cover everything. Our ranked list of the ten best Big Island flights covers volcanoes, waterfalls, valleys, and coast, with prices from $35 to $1,135 and a clear message in its FAQ: most quality tours cost $450 to $800 for 45 minutes to two hours.
The second question is length. A 30-minute flight, like the Kona Coast flight from $241, gives you a taste, while two hours lets a Big Island helicopter tour cross the island and cover volcano, rainforest, and valleys in one go. Third is whether you want a private flight, a landing, or doors off. The roundup lists each of those, and I cover them below, along with the entries that aren’t ordinary helicopter flights at all.
The Big Island’s Best Morning Flights Sell Out Early
Our Big Island review advises booking two to three weeks ahead, especially in December and January and in summer, and says morning slots sell out first. If you want a private flight with window seats over the volcano, waterfalls, and coast, don’t wait until you land. Check live availability for your dates, pick an early departure, and reserve it now, with a backup day in mind in case weather moves the flight.
Check Availability & Reserve Your Seat →
We may earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Timing matters as much as the aircraft. The roundup says skies are typically clearer in the morning before afternoon trade winds, and it calls June excellent for clearer mornings and flowing waterfalls while noting that it is peak season. It also warns that weather cancellations are common, so check each operator’s cancellation policy before you pay. With that in mind, here is what you’ll see from the air.
What You’ll See: Volcanoes, Valleys, and Waterfalls
Start with the island itself. According to Wikipedia’s Hawaii Island entry, the Big Island covers 4,028 square miles, making it the largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the largest island in the United States. It is built from five shield volcanoes: Kohala, which is extinct, Mauna Kea, which is dormant, and Hualalai, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea, which are active. Mauna Kea is the tallest at about 13,803 feet, and a Big Island helicopter tour is one of the few ways to see how those volcanoes sit side by side.
Kilauea is the one most visitors ask about. A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory update describes the summit eruption in Halema’uma’u crater as ongoing and says episode 50 lasted about 7 hours on June 27, 2026, with a fountain reaching up to 1,000 feet. The eruption has come in episodes with quiet periods between them, so what you see depends on the day. I can’t promise active lava, and no honest operator can, so ask what the volcano is doing when you book.
The valleys on the north side are the other highlight. Wikipedia’s Waipio Valley entry describes a valley in the Hamakua District whose floor sits almost 2,000 feet below the surrounding terrain, which was the capital and home of many early chiefs. The access road is paved but open only to four-wheel-drive vehicles, and access to the valley floor is limited, so a flight is the practical way for most visitors to see it. Our waterfall review lists Hiilawe Falls among its sights, and it is a big reason a Big Island waterfall helicopter tour is so popular.
Closer to Hilo, Wikipedia’s Rainbow Falls entry describes an 80-foot single plunge on the Wailuku River, known in Hawaiian as Waianuenue, or rainbow water, for the rainbows that appear in its mist on sunny mornings around 10 a.m. It’s a ground-level attraction rather than a typical stop on a helicopter route, but it shows how many waterfalls the windward side holds, and why a Big Island waterfall helicopter tour is such a popular choice.
Our Top Pick: The Private 3-of-4 Window Seat Flight
The roundup ranks the Private Big Island Experience first, listed from $671 for 2 hours with a 5.0 table rating from 91 reviews. Our review of the private 3-of-4 window seat flight lists Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours as the operator, with a departure from Kona International Airport and doors-on aircraft. Only your party flies, and three of four window seats are guaranteed, so one person in a group of four won’t have a window.
The route is the reason I rank it first. The review describes Saddle Road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Hilo and the Hamakua coast, the Kohala valleys of Waipio, Waimanu, and Pololu with waterfalls reaching about 2,500 feet, and the leeward coastline with beaches, coral reefs, lava flows, and heiau. For a first Big Island helicopter tour, covering that much ground in one flight is hard to beat, which is why I’d call it one of the best helicopter tours on the Big Island for first-timers who want it all.
The practical details are clear. The review recommends mornings around 7 to 9 AM, says the dry season from April through October offers better leeward visibility while winter brings more dramatic waterfalls, and suggests booking 2 to 3 weeks ahead, especially for December to January and summer. It lists a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure and says the operator will work with you to reschedule if weather affects the flight. It doesn’t state weight limits, though passengers may be weighed at check-in.
Watch: A Real Big Island Spectacular Review
This 62-second Short from our channel shares a real guest review of the 2-hour Big Island Spectacular Helicopter Tour. The reviewer calls it one of the best experiences ever and says their pilot, Shane, was knowledgeable, fun, and experienced, so they felt safe the whole time. The flight plan he chose was so stunning that it brought tears to the reviewer’s wife. They also praise the staff, naming Tiffany and Jordan, for going above and beyond when the couple made a booking mistake. According to the video description, the flight covers active volcanoes and old lava flows, rainforests, waterfalls, sea cliffs, and valleys, which is the kind of variety a Big Island helicopter tour is built for.
Waterfall Flights: Kohala, Waipio, and the Hamakua Coast
If waterfalls are your priority, the roundup lists two dedicated options. The Kohala Waterfalls and Valleys flight is 45 minutes from $461, rated 4.9 from 40 reviews, and covers the Kohala Mountains with landscapes from tropical rainforest to desert-like terrain. The Private Magical Waterfall Tour is 1 hour 15 minutes from $451, rated 5.0 from only 13 reviews, with routing adjusted to conditions on the day. For a Big Island waterfall helicopter tour, the review counts matter, so weigh them when you compare.
Our review of the private magical waterfall tour lists Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours as the operator, departing from the Kona International Airport area. It names Waipio Valley with Hiilawe Falls, Waimanu Valley, the Honopue, Honokea, Honokane, and Pololu valleys, and a crossing of the Kohala summit. It’s doors-on, which the page says keeps passengers comfortable in misty valleys, and the pilot rotates seats for viewing angles. The page’s waterfall heights and departure details are inconsistent, so confirm them with the operator.
Timing is the key for this style of flight. The review says Hawaii’s wet season, from November to March, produces the most spectacular waterfalls, though the tour runs year-round, and that mornings from 8 to 10 AM have the calmest air and clearest visibility. It lists a full refund up to 24 hours before departure and says pilots may reschedule in poor weather. Our video library also has a long vlog over the Hamakua coast and the Kohala valleys that shows how those cliffs and falls look from the cockpit, linked in the closing section of this guide.
That tension, more water but more cloud, is the main trade-off. If your dates are in winter, expect the falls to look their best and weather delays to be more likely, and book early in your trip. If your dates are in the drier months, you’ll get clearer skies and somewhat lighter flow. Either way, the best Big Island waterfall helicopter tour is one you can reschedule if clouds close in.
Longer Flights, Landings, and Doors-Off Options
For the longest airtime, the roundup lists the 2-hour Big Island Spectacular from $791, rated 4.8 from 126 reviews, covering volcanic zones, rainforests, and island terrain, which it associates with Madame Pele’s landscapes. It’s the flight in our video, and it’s the one I’d pick for a Big Island helicopter tour with volcano and rainforest in a single long loop when you don’t need the privacy of the top pick.
If you want to get out of the helicopter, the Exclusive Landing flight, a Spectacular tour with touchdowns, is listed from $1,135 for 2 hours 20 minutes, with touchdowns at remote locations, and a 35-review rating of 4.9. It’s the most expensive entry in the roundup, and the only one that lists landings, so it’s the pick for travelers who want ground time as well as aerial views. The roundup doesn’t say where it lands, so ask the operator for the landing sites.
For open doors, the Kona Coast Hualalai Volcano flight is the only one the roundup lists as doors off or on, 1 hour from $640 with 18 reviews. A private 30-minute Kona Coast flight with all window seats starts at $241, covering lava coastlines, historic sites, and marine life, which makes it the lowest-priced real helicopter flight on the list. The roundup says doors-off tours are safe with licensed operators, with harnesses and FAA rules, so ask about age and seating limits.
Budget Options and What Isn’t a Helicopter Flight
Three entries in the roundup aren’t ordinary helicopter flights, and it’s worth knowing before you book. Flight of Aloha, from $35 for 25 minutes, is a simulated flying ride rather than a real flight, and the roundup presents it as a budget preview for nervous or motion-sensitive riders. The UFO Tour, from $125 for 1 hour 30 minutes, is a nighttime stargazing and lore experience that the page itself calls not a traditional helicopter tour.
The third is the Volcano Adventure, a ground-based Hilo sightseeing tour from $203 with an optional helicopter add-on, which the roundup lists as the most-reviewed option at 418 reviews. If you want a full day on the ground in the northeast with a flight added on, it’s a useful combination, but it isn’t a dedicated flight. When you compare the best helicopter tours on the Big Island, treat these three as different products and judge them accordingly.
That leaves the true helicopter flights as the better comparison for any Big Island helicopter tour shortlist. The seven that remain run from $241 to $1,135, and the roundup says most quality tours cost $450 to $800. If you’re weighing price against time, the private Kona Coast flight is the cheapest way up, the private 3-of-4 window seat flight is the best all-rounder, and the Spectacular and landing flights are the premium choices.
Seasons, Prices, and Booking Tips
For any Big Island helicopter tour, the roundup recommends booking 2 to 3 weeks ahead for June 2026 because preferred times sell out, and our private-flight review says the same for December to January and summer. Morning flights are the safest bet, since afternoon trade winds add turbulence, and the roundup says skies are typically clearer earlier in the day. It also notes that age minimums vary by operator, and that some children need their own seat at full price while some flights allow lap infants.
Season is a trade-off between clarity and waterfalls. Our private-flight review says the dry season from April through October offers better leeward visibility, while winter brings more dramatic waterfalls because of heavier rainfall, and the waterfall review says the wet season from November to March gives the most spectacular falls. The roundup calls June excellent, with clearer mornings and flowing waterfalls, though it is peak season, so book early if you want a specific morning slot. For a Big Island waterfall helicopter tour, winter is the time to go, but expect a few more cloudy mornings.
Weather policy matters on an island this big. The reviews list a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure and say operators will reschedule if weather affects the flight, and the roundup says reputable operators offer refunds or rebooking for weather cancellations. Wear dark, non-reflective clothing to reduce window glare, and take motion-sickness medication about 30 minutes before departure if you’re prone to it.
Finally, the roundup does not name operators or departure airports for most flights, so confirm both when you book, since Kona and Hilo departures cover the island differently. Our reviews of the two flights we’ve written up both list Kona International Airport. To compare everything, the complete Big Island top 10 list and our full list of Big Island flights we’ve ranked are the best places to start, and our helicopter tour reviews by destination cover the other islands. To see how Hawaii compares worldwide, check our 2026 ranking of the top helicopter tours in the world. The best choice among the best helicopter tours on the Big Island is the one that matches what you want to see, your budget, and your dates.
Insider Tips from Justin
Hey everyone, Justin here. Big Island flights reward preparation, and a few habits make the difference between a good outing and a great one. Here’s what I tell people before they book:
- Fly in the morning — Roughly 7 to 10 AM gives the calmest air and clearest visibility.
- Reserve 2 to 3 weeks ahead — Preferred times sell out, especially in December, January, and summer.
- Pick by what you want to see — Choose a volcano flight, a waterfall flight, or the all-in-one private flight.
- Ask about Kilauea — The eruption comes in episodes, so confirm what the volcano is doing before you book.
- Check what you’re buying — A simulator ride and a night tour aren’t ordinary helicopter flights.
- Confirm the weather policy — Most operators refund or reschedule for weather, but get it in writing.
Looking for a Helicopter Tour?
Browse our full directory of helicopter tour reviews by location to find the best experience wherever you’re headed.
Want to see the valleys before you choose? Head to our video library to watch a Big Island flight over the waterfalls, a real hour-long vlog that follows the Hamakua coast to the Kohala valleys, with views of Mauna Kea and several waterfalls, so you can judge the scenery and the pilot’s commentary before you book.
Best Helicopter Tours on the Big Island FAQ’s
Question: What are the best helicopter tours on the Big Island?
Answer: Based on our June 2026 roundup, strong options include the private 2-hour flight with three of four window seats, the 2-hour Big Island Spectacular, the 45-minute Kohala Waterfalls and Valleys flight, the Private Magical Waterfall Tour, and the Exclusive Landing flight. The best choice depends on what you want to see and your budget.
Question: How much does a Big Island helicopter tour cost?
Answer: Our roundup lists real helicopter flights from $241 for a 30-minute private Kona Coast flight to $1,135 for a 2 hour 20 minute landing tour, and says most quality tours cost $450 to $800 for 45 minutes to two hours.
Question: What is the best Big Island waterfall helicopter tour?
Answer: Our roundup lists a 45-minute Kohala Waterfalls and Valleys flight from $461 and a 1 hour 15 minute Private Magical Waterfall Tour from $451. The private tour has only 13 reviews, so compare review counts before you book.
Question: Can you see lava on a Big Island helicopter tour?
Answer: Not guaranteed. The USGS describes Kilauea’s summit eruption in Halema’uma’u crater as ongoing, with episode 50 lasting about 7 hours on June 27, 2026, but the eruption comes in episodes, so ask your operator what the volcano is doing.
Question: Where do Big Island helicopter tours depart from?
Answer: Our roundup doesn’t state departure airports. Our reviews of the private 3-of-4 window seat flight and the private waterfall tour both list Mauna Loa Helicopters departing from the Kona International Airport area, so confirm the departure point for your flight.
Question: Are there doors-off helicopter tours on the Big Island?
Answer: Our roundup lists one: the 1-hour Kona Coast Hualalai Volcano flight from $640, available doors off or on. It describes doors-off tours as safe with licensed operators, with harnesses and FAA rules.
Question: Can you land on a Big Island helicopter tour?
Answer: Our roundup lists one landing flight, the Exclusive Landing with Spectacular Big Island Helicopter Tour, from $1,135 for 2 hours 20 minutes with touchdowns at remote locations. It doesn’t say where, so ask the operator.
Question: What is the best time of year for a Big Island helicopter tour?
Answer: Our reviews say the dry season from April through October offers better leeward visibility, while winter brings more dramatic waterfalls, and the roundup calls June excellent for clearer mornings and flowing waterfalls.
Question: What is the best time of day for a Big Island helicopter tour?
Answer: Mornings. Our roundup says skies are typically clearer before afternoon trade winds, and our reviews recommend roughly 7 to 10 AM.
Question: How far ahead should I book a Big Island helicopter tour?
Answer: Our roundup suggests 2 to 3 weeks ahead for June 2026, and our private-flight review says the same for December to January and summer, with morning slots selling out first.
Question: What happens if weather cancels my Big Island helicopter tour?
Answer: Our reviews list a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure and say operators reschedule for weather. The roundup says reputable operators offer refunds or rebooking for weather cancellations.
Question: Are all the tours in the Big Island roundup real helicopter flights?
Answer: No. Our roundup includes a $35 simulated flying ride, a $125 night tour it calls not a traditional helicopter tour, and a Hilo ground tour with an optional helicopter add-on.
Question: Where can I watch Big Island helicopter tour videos?
Answer: Our helicopter tour video library on helicopterstour.com lets you watch real Big Island flights, including a long vlog over the Hamakua coast and Kohala valleys, before you book.
