Overview of This Doors-Off Maui and Molokai Helicopter Tour
Air Maui operates a thrilling doors-off helicopter tour that covers two Hawaiian islands in a single flight, giving you unobstructed aerial views of some of the Pacific's most dramatic natural features. The tour departs from the Air Maui office near Kahului Airport, about 40 minutes' drive from Lahaina, and takes you across Maui's rugged west side before crossing the channel to Molokai's remote northeast coast. You'll see 1,000-foot waterfalls, the world's tallest sea cliffs reaching 4,000 feet, and lush emerald valleys carved by centuries of rainfall—all from an open helicopter with nothing between you and the views.
This experience is ideal for adventurous travelers who prioritize views over comfort, photographers wanting unobstructed shots without glass reflections, and anyone curious to see landscape too remote or dangerous to reach by road. The doors-off setup delivers an adrenaline rush and authenticity that conventional helicopter tours cannot match. Fair warning: sitting in the window seat means your feet hang over the edge with minimal barrier, so expect an adjustment period as you acclimate to being suspended in open air.
Key Moments
Unmissable Sights on the Air Maui Route
- Kohau Falls — The island's tallest waterfall cascades 1,119 feet over two tiers and gained fame as a backdrop in the film Jurassic Park, creating an otherworldly appearance that justifies the detour.
- Wall of Tears — Over 17 separate waterfalls cascade down from cliffs several hundred feet high, a feature unique to Molokai's rain-soaked terrain.
- Molokai's 4,000-Foot Sea Cliffs — The highest sea cliffs in the world tower above the rugged coastline, with nearly vertical drops and sheer volcanic walls shaped by millennia of waves and weather.
- Pailua Falls and the Pailua Valley — Perhaps Hawaii's greatest natural wonder, this five-tiered waterfall plunges more than 1,100 feet from the tallest drop and flows year-round, surrounded by a crater formed by the Cali Lewis stream.
- Nakalele Blowhole — A natural phenomenon on Maui's northwest coast where ocean waves force water through a partially submerged cavern, creating a geyser-like spray.
- Kahakaloa Head — A historic landmark on Maui's coast where an ancient king once dove from great heights to inspire his warriors before battle.
What to Know Before Booking Your Flight
- Duration and Logistics: The tour requires a 40-minute drive from Lahaina to the Air Maui offices near the airport. Expect a full-day commitment including safety briefing and boarding procedures.
- What You Can Bring: You are limited to a cell phone camera, which should be attached to a lanyard for safety. Air Maui also captures footage from the helicopter's own cameras, which they share with passengers.
- Physical Setup and Safety: The pilot loads passengers one at a time onto the runway, ensuring everyone's goggles and headsets are properly positioned before takeoff. All safety equipment is provided, including jackets for cold exposure at altitude.
- Window Seat Considerations: The doors-off experience is exhilarating but takes adjustment; sitting next to the door means barely hanging on with feet dangling over the edge. Middle seats offer a less intense introduction to the format.
- Best Timing: Winter months (roughly December through March) offer the chance to spot humpback whales giving birth in the channel between Maui and Molokai. Bring a camera with good zoom capability if whale watching is a priority.
- Cost: The video references that the tour "wasn't cheap," confirming this is a premium experience. Spots fill quickly, so book well in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Doors-Off Hawaiian Helicopter Tour
What is the difference between a doors-off helicopter tour and a standard aerial tour?
A doors-off tour removes the helicopter doors entirely, eliminating any glass between you and the landscape. This means no reflections ruining your photographs, better audio clarity thanks to headsets, and a raw, unfiltered experience of wind, movement, and exposure. The tradeoff is less physical protection and a steeper learning curve for nervous flyers.
Is the doors-off experience safe?
Yes. Air Maui conducts a thorough safety briefing before flight and equips passengers with jackets and properly fitted headsets. Your seat belt is your primary restraint. The pilot and crew demonstrate extensive knowledge and professionalism, with experienced aviation practices ensuring passenger security throughout the flight.
How much of the flight covers which island?
The tour spends significant time over Maui's west side and mountains before crossing the 7.5-mile channel to Molokai. Once over Molokai, you fly along the northeast coast and the world's tallest sea cliffs, viewing Pailua Falls and other waterfalls, then return across the channel back to Maui, passing landmarks like the Nakalele Blowhole before landing.
What if I'm afraid of heights or the open air?
If you're nervous, request a middle seat rather than a window seat—your wife's experience in the video showed the front middle position offers excellent views with less exposure anxiety. The video's pilot and crew create a calm, professional atmosphere that helps passengers acclimate. Discuss any concerns with the operator when booking.
What is the weather like during the tour, and what should I wear?
The Molokai northeast side receives over 200 inches of rain annually, so the landscape is lush and misty, but the weather you experience during your flight depends on conditions that day. Air Maui provides jackets, which you'll want to wear—the open-air exposure and altitude create cold conditions. Wear secure, comfortable clothing and avoid loose items that could blow away.
- Doors-off helicopter
- A helicopter with the cabin doors removed entirely, giving unobstructed views and allowing passengers to photograph without glass reflections.
- Sea cliffs
- Steep, sheer faces of rock that rise directly from the ocean, often hundreds or thousands of feet tall.
- Waterfall cascade
- A sequence of waterfalls dropping in stages over a vertical cliff or rocky terrain.
- Volcanic shield
- A broad, gently sloping volcano formed by the eruption of low-viscosity lava that spreads in
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Video by BobShots Travel on YouTube. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to their channel and show your support for the great video.
Description
Fly with @bobshotstravel as we tour Maui and Molokai with Air Maui doors off helicopter tour! See 1000+ foot waterfalls and the highest sea cliffs in the world. The sights will blow your mind!
Video transcript for “Maui helicopter tour - Doors off epic trip with Air Maui 4K” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
come join us for the incredibly epic air maui doors off helicopter tour of west valley and malachi we take the 40-minute drive from lahaina along the beautiful coastline to the air maui offices by the airport the well-run operation after a safety briefing they gave us jackets for the
cold lining us up on the runway warding us one at a time based on seat positions ensuring everyone's goggles and headsets were properly positioned before you know it we took off from the adrenaline starts to pump you could only bring your cell phone camera which was attached to a lanyard
that's where most of these shots are from they do share the video from the helicopters cameras which you'll see in some places at the end of the runway we turn out over the water for a really nice bank turn no doors means no glass reflecting light and messing up your pictures the views were fantastic and the open
air experience was next level i was sitting next to the window which was great for the view but it did take a while to get used to barely hanging on with your feet hanging out over the edge we turned inland to see the west maui mountains before we headed over to malachi this area is some of the ruggedest in
maui and the roads here are substantially more challenging than the road to hana with over 400 inches of rainfall annually this area is one of the wettest on earth on the kohau falls the island's tallest cascades majestically in two tiers over the course of 1119 feet with its otherworldly appearance shots
of these falls were included in the movie jurassic park the wall of tears with over 17 cascading waterfalls several hundred feet high another epic sight we spot another helicopter visiting the falls headed back down the waihee valley to the coast the heavy rainfall in the area is caused
by the predictable pattern of the sun heating the ocean sending humid air into the sides of the volcano resulting in clouds get trapped by the mountains creating extensive rainfall we hug the rugged west maui coastline passing kahakaloa head where an ancient maui king used to dive from heights to
inspire his warriors before battle before we headed across the water to malachi crossing the seven and a half mile channel where whales give birth every winter so be on the lookout if you're there that time of year on the right is kanaha rock a seabird sanctuary you can see why they say it
looks like a turtle swim [Music] crossing over the coast of malachi volcanoes rain and pounding surf have created one of the most unique landscapes on earth on northeast malachi round in the corner you can see kapuapua falls and molokula falls this is the rainy side of malachi which
is much wetter than the other with up to 200 inches of rain a year the rain waters cut spectacular valleys in the volcanic shield with sheer walls and nearly vertical drops the consistent rainfall creates a lush emerald green landscape the sea cliffs of malachi up to four thousand feet the tallest in the world
get your first glimpse of spectacular papalua falls in the distance nestled deep in the papalua valley on the northern side of the wild and beautiful island of malachi perhaps one of the aloha state's greatest natural wonders surrounded by lush emerald greenery and the world's tallest sea cliffs papalua
cascades more than 250 feet down the crater created by the sheer force of the cali lewis stream the size of the valley are over 2500 feet tall unlike some falls in malachi this waterfall is active year round [Music] the falls consist of five drops with the tallest over 1100 feet
this area is part of kalua papa national historic park including a late 1800s leper colony nearby an interesting story of itself and the subject of the movie malachi in 1999. looking down the waterfall was one of the most impressive natural sights that i've seen in a lifetime of travel around the globe we
turn around to head back down the malakai coast along the seacliffs and across the water to maui [Music] our pilot richie was a good dude who shared a lot of knowledge steeped in hawaiian history and culture including kids that speak the language
fluently c-class reformed as a specific ocean pounded into the side of the volcanic rock toppling it into the ocean though we didn't spot any sometimes you can see herds of goats on the cliffs these cliffs are part of malachi's 88 miles of steen undeveloped shoreline we headed back across the channel and
the bird sanctuary from this side looked like an elephant we crossed the channel and saw the volcanic cliffs of the west maui mountains the force of the waves after traveling thousands of miles of open pacific slam into the rugged shoreline at the bottom you can see the shadow of
the helicopter crossing the water we get a bird's eye view of the nakalele blojo an incredible spot on the northwest side of maui a blue hole is formed on ocean waves to push through a partially submerged cavern spewing water like a geyser you can get to this spot by land but be sure to read the safety tips it can be a
dangerous place we flew over our pilot's friend who sold banana bread out of his truck it's hello in a very remote area in west valley on the island's north shore near the sleepy village of caja the 636th foothill is a scenic landmark but not many people make it here the
main reason is because the only road that leads here the road hugs the c-class and is very narrow often just one lane with many blind curves and no guard so stick to viewing it from the air unless you're up for some hair-raising roads you can see the reef of above which causes the surf to break
my wife enjoyed being in the middle seat in the front pretty sure she wouldn't have enjoyed the door seat coming in hot for a final leg on the way to the airport the banking turn as we headed back to the airport felt like riding in a stunt helicopter it was pretty relaxed at this point but
i'm not sure how i'd feel if i was taking a hard breaking turn like that sitting on the downside when i first started wearing just a seat belt it wasn't cheap but it was well worth the experience feel free to ask questions in the comments and subscribe for more from maui click that bob shot button on the
left and join us for more of our travels around the world let's see where we'll go next
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