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Maui: Helicopter Flight & Hana Rainforest Landing

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration1h 15m

GroupUp to 7

Audio guideEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Land in a Hawaiian rainforest only a handful of people ever reach

You fly 40 minutes over Maui's North Coast in a seven-seat helicopter, see the Road to Hana and Jurassic Rock from above, then land in the Wailua Valley rainforest for 30 minutes of ground exploration on a former taro plantation. Your pilot provides live commentary throughout. The whole experience takes about two hours from airport check-in to return.

1h 15m

Step-by-step itinerary

Check in at Kahului airport
Meet pilot and board helicopter
Fly along Maui’s North Coast
View sea cliffs, waterfalls, and JAWS
See Road to Hana and Jurassic Rock
Land at former taro plantation
Explore Wailua Valley rainforest

The Experience

The helicopter sits on the tarmac at Kahului airport, rotors still. You hand over your photo ID at check-in, meet your pilot, and climb in. The ECO-130 is small — seven passengers plus the pilot — which means you're not just watching Maui from above, you're seeing it from the kind of angle most people never get. The flight takes 40 minutes round-trip, and it moves fast.

As you lift off along the North Coast, the landscape unfolds in layers. Sea cliffs drop straight down. Waterfalls thread through valleys. Your pilot points out the Road to Hana as it winds through the landscape below, then Jurassic Rock — the formation that actually showed up in the movies. You pass over Paia and Hookipa, the famous surf break where the water churns white even from up here. The whole time you're getting live commentary about what you're seeing, not just silence and a view.

Then the helicopter descends into the Wailua Valley, deep in the rainforest. This is the part that matters. You land on what used to be a taro plantation, and you have 30 minutes to walk around. The ground is wet and uneven — closed-toed shoes are worth it — and you're surrounded by banana plants, coconut trees, wild flowers, and canyon walls that rise up around you. Waterfalls are close enough to hear. Your pilot stays with you and talks about the land, the history, the things that grow here. This is not a place you can drive to. You can't hike here without a guide. The only way in is the helicopter, and that's the whole point.

The flight back follows the same route, but you're already thinking about what you just saw. The whole experience — check-in, flight, landing, return — takes about two hours from start to finish. You need a valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license or passport, originals only; no copies or digital versions). Bring closed-toed shoes if you're landing. If you weigh over 275 pounds, you'll need to purchase an additional seat, which you arrange with the operator on the day of the tour.

What’s included

Your experience includes the 40-minute helicopter flight with live pilot commentary, an exclusive 30-minute landing and exploration in the Wailua Valley rainforest on a former taro plantation, and all taxes and fees.
You'll see the Road to Hana, Jurassic Rock, sea cliffs, waterfalls, and surf breaks from the air.
Transportation to Kahului airport is your responsibility.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Maverick Helicopters Maui

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see Maui's remote rainforest and coastline without hiking or driving the Road to Hana — the helicopter is the only way to reach this particular valley, and the 30-minute landing gives you time to walk around instead of just flying past.