Honolulu: 30-Minute Helicopter Tour Diamond Head & Waikiki

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.86 (29 reviews) 97% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/9

Duration30m

GroupUp to 3

LanguagesEN · DE +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

See Oahu's Coastline in Half an Hour, From the Air

You board a shared helicopter with two to three passengers, wear a headset, and spend 30 minutes circling Oahu's south shore from Waikiki past Diamond Head, Koko Head, and Makapuʻu Lighthouse. Doors are optional for photos. Cell phone lanyard and headset included. Book online or call for same-day availability.

30m

Step-by-step itinerary

30-minute shared helicopter tour

Start and stop at Honolulu Airport
Fly over Sand Island and Honolulu Harbor
Pass Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island
View Ala Wai Harbor and Waikiki
See Diamond Head and Waialae Golf Course
Fly over Honolulu Downtown and Punch Bowl Cemetery
Pass H201 Interchange and Black Point Sea Pools
View Moanalua Gardens and H3 Highway
Fly over Aloha Stadium

The Experience

What does Honolulu look like when you're not standing in it? That's the question a 30-minute helicopter tour answers. The flight starts over Waikiki's shoreline—the high-rises and beach you know from ground level shrink into a strip of sand and concrete—then banks toward Diamond Head, the volcanic cone that's been staring back at the city since 1927. From there the route traces Oahu's south shore, past Koko Head, Makapuʻu Lighthouse, and the black-sand beaches and tide pools that most visitors never reach on foot.

You're in a shared flight, which means two to three passengers total, so it's not a crowded cabin. The doors are optional—some people want them off for photos, others keep them on. Either way, you get a cell phone lanyard and an aviation headset so you can hear the pilot and each other over the rotor noise. The whole thing takes 30 minutes from takeoff to landing, which sounds short until you realize you've covered the stretch of coast that would take an hour or two to drive, and you've seen it from an angle that changes everything. Honolulu Harbor, Ala Moana Beach Park, Magic Island, the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor—they're all down there, arranged like a map you're reading from above.

Weight limits apply on shared flights: if your party of two combined weighs over 380 pounds, you'd need to upgrade to a private flight for an extra fee. For last-minute bookings within 12 hours, call or email directly—shorter, lower-cost flights might still be available. The helipad is accessible by public transportation, and the flight suits most fitness levels since you're sitting the whole time.

What’s included

Your flight includes a cell phone lanyard to secure your device, an aviation headset so you can hear the pilot and fellow passengers, and 30 minutes in the air over Waikiki, Diamond Head, Koko Head, Makapuʻu Lighthouse, and Oahu's south shore.
Doors are optional for photography.
Public transportation access is available to the helipad.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Honolulu Helicopter Tours

Is this one for you?Right for travelers with limited time in Honolulu who want to see Oahu's coastline without a full-day commitment. The 30 minutes is tight, but that's what keeps the cost down and fits into a morning or afternoon without eating your whole day.