Big Island: Private Helicopter Tour Volcanoes & Waterfalls

Summary

Circle Hawaii’s wild peaks and valleys by private helicopter with window seats for all

You’ll fly right past volcano craters, lush valleys with waterfalls pouring down impossible cliffs, and along sunlit coastline where ancient lava meets white sand beaches. Every seat has a window view on this private Big Island helicopter tour, with a local pilot sharing stories as you go. It’s not just sightseeing — it really feels like being let in on something secret.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — 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

What’s included

Your day includes a private flight with every seat by a window, free parking at Kona International Airport, all taxes and fees covered upfront including fuel surcharge and airport tax—just show up ready to fly (no hotel pickup needed). Check-in is required 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time.

★★★★★★★★★★

4.98

(92 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“If you look left now, you’ll see Pele’s latest work,” our pilot, Keoni, said, voice crackling through the headset. I pressed my forehead to the cool glass — below us, Kilauea’s black scars twisted through green like someone had spilled ink on a jungle. The air in the cabin smelled faintly of sunscreen and that weird new-plastic scent from the headsets. I’d never seen land look so alive and raw at the same time. My friend tried to take a photo but just ended up laughing — it was too much to fit in one frame.

The route from Kona took us right between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. It’s strange how small you feel flying between two giants — both older than anything I’ve ever known. Keoni told us stories about the mountains’ rivalries (apparently even volcanoes have personalities here). The clouds were low over Hilo town, making everything below look soft and wet. I kept thinking about how people actually live down there, in what’s apparently the wettest town in America. We skimmed along the Hamakua Coast after that — cliffs dropping straight into blue water, trees clinging on for dear life.

I didn’t expect to feel so quiet during the Kohala valleys part. Waipiʻo and Waimanu just opened up beneath us — waterfalls taller than skyscrapers falling into these deep green folds. There were moments when nobody said anything; just the thrum of rotors and that feeling of being somewhere ancient. Keoni pointed out old heiau ruins hidden in the brush, which I’d have missed if he hadn’t known where to look. Sometimes he’d slip into Hawaiian when naming places — Li laughed when I tried to repeat one back (I definitely butchered it).

The last stretch along the coast was sunlit and kind of surreal: white beaches, black lava flows frozen mid-spill, fancy resorts popping up here and there like they’d landed from another world. I still think about that view sometimes — how it all fits together on this island, wild and lived-in at once.