Kauai Helicopter Tour: Na Pali Coast & Waimea Canyon

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration50m

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Fly over Kauai's Cliffs, Waterfalls & Hidden Valleys in an Eco-Star

You fly in a modern Eco-Star helicopter with individual seats, two-way communication with the pilot, and unobstructed glass views of Kauai's entire north and west coasts. The route covers Jurassic Park Falls, Waimea Canyon, Na Pali Coast, Hanalei Bay, and—weather permitting—Mount Wai'ale'ale. Arrive an hour early for check-in and safety briefing; bags and large cameras are not permitted onboard.

50m

Step-by-step itinerary

Kauai Eco Adventure Helicopter Tour

Fly over Lihue town
Pass by Kapa'a coastline
View Manawaiopuna Falls
Fly over Hanapepe Valley
See Olokele Canyon
Fly over Waimea Canyon
View Na Pali Coast cliffs
See Hanalei Bay and pier
Pass Princeville Resort area
Weather permitting, fly Mt Waiʻaleʻale
Pass Port Allen Small Boat Harbor

The Experience

You're strapped into an individual business-class seat in a new American Eurocopter Eco-Star, headset on, two-way radio live with the pilot. The helicopter lifts off from Lihue and banks toward Hanapepe Valley, where Manawaiopuna Falls—the waterfall from Jurassic Park—drops between emerald walls. The glass wraps around you. There's no partition between you and the view, and the aircraft's design cuts noise by about 50 percent, so you hear the pilot's voice clearly as he points things out, not shouting over an engine roar. That matters more than you'd think when you're trying to actually see what you're looking at.

From there the route moves north and up. Olokele Canyon opens below, then Waimea Canyon itself—the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and the comparison isn't just marketing. The walls drop thousands of feet, waterfalls thread down the crevices, and the scale is real enough that your brain takes a moment to process it from the air. Then you're over the North Shore: Na Pali Coast's 3,000-foot sea cliffs, Hanalei Bay with its turquoise water and the old pier from the South Pacific film, Princeville Resort sprawling on the ridge. If weather clears, the pilot will push toward Mt. Wai'ale'ale, the second-wettest spot on earth, where 450 inches of rain a year keep the mountain draped in mist and 3,000-foot waterfalls fill every ravine. You won't see it every day—conditions have to align—but when it appears, it's the kind of thing you remember.

Check-in is an hour before departure, which gives time for a safety briefing, weight check (the aircraft balances precisely), and boarding. Bags and large cameras stay behind—the rule exists because there's nowhere to stow them and nothing between you and the sky. You'll get your tour time confirmed after booking, and arriving late means you lose the flight with no refund, so plan your drive to the heliport with traffic in mind. The whole experience runs about an hour in the air, and it's the kind of thing that changes how you see an island you thought you already knew.

What’s included

Your tour includes the one-hour helicopter flight in an Eco-Star aircraft with individual business-class seating, two-way communication headsets with a State of Hawaii certified pilot guide, Bose aviation-grade noise-cancelling headsets, all taxes and fees, and wheelchair accessibility with a lift available at the base. Gratuity is not included and is left to individual discretion.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Kauai

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Kauai's entire north and west coasts—Na Pali, Waimea Canyon, Hanalei Bay, and the hidden waterfalls—without arranging your own boat or hiking routes; the fixed route and pilot commentary cover all the major sights in one flight, and the noise-reduced aircraft means you can actually hear what you're seeing.