Big Island Helicopter Tour: Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Coastline

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/13

Duration2h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

One flight, five volcanoes, and the whole island in a single loop

You fly from Kona over five volcanoes, including active Kilauea, then north to Kohala's 2,500-foot waterfalls and the Hamakua Coast's lush valleys. The route swings south along white-sand beaches and coral reefs before returning. All taxes, fuel, parking, and airport fees are included; you arrive thirty minutes early and fly with doors on.

Step-by-step itinerary

Helicopter tour of Big Island

Fly along saddle road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa
Fly toward Kilauea Iki volcano
Head north past Hilo town and Hamakua Coast
Descend upon Kohala Valleys with waterfalls
Cross summit of Kohala volcano
Fly over coastline with beaches and coral reefs
View ancient lava flows and historic temples
See luxury resorts on leeward shores

The Experience

The rotor blades spin up on the tarmac at Kona International Airport, and you're already climbing toward the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa — the tallest mountain in the world and the largest by mass, both visible at once. That's the opening move of this Big Island helicopter tour. You're in one of four window seats, which means no one's blocking the view, and the flight path doesn't cut corners. Thirty minutes after takeoff, you're looking down at Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes on earth, and the landscape shifts from black rock to green valleys in the time it takes to bank left.

The route heads north along the windward side, where Hilo sits below — the wettest town on earth, your pilot will tell you — and the Hamakua Coast rolls past in a blur of waterfalls and dense forest. Then comes the moment most people book this tour for: the Kohala Valleys. Waipiʻo, Waimanu, and Pololu drop away beneath you, and the waterfalls are so tall they look painted on. Two thousand five hundred feet of water falling into valleys that only a helicopter can really show you. The island's oldest volcano sits at the summit, and crossing over it means you've seen all five volcanoes that built this place in one flight.

The tour wraps along the leeward coast — white sand beaches, coral reefs still intact, ancient heiau temples scattered on the black lava, and the resort strip where the island's other side lives. It's a full-circle view of the Big Island that would take days to drive, and it takes about two hours in the air. Check in is thirty minutes before departure, and the doors stay on the whole flight. The minimum is three passengers, maximum four, so the helicopter never feels crowded, and weight limits are firm — 275 pounds per person, 750 total for the aircraft.

What’s included

Your flight includes all taxes, fees, handling charges, fuel surcharge, and airport departure tax.
Parking is free.
The private helicopter with three to four window seats is yours for the full two-hour route over Kilauea, Kohala's waterfalls, the Hamakua Coast, and the leeward coastline.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transport

Operated by Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours - Big Island of Hawaii

Is this one for you?Right for travelers with limited time on the Big Island who want to see all five volcanoes, waterfalls, and coastline in one morning or afternoon without driving. Plan for a two-hour flight with thirty-minute check-in beforehand; that's what fits the whole island into a single trip.