Honolulu: 60-Min Helicopter Tour Doors Off & Circle Island

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/18

Duration1h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Sixty Minutes Over Oahu: From Waikiki to Sacred Falls & Back

You fly a complete circle around Oahu in 60 minutes, seeing Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, the Ko'olau Mountains, Lanikai Beach, Sacred Falls dropping 1,000 feet, the North Shore breaks, and the USS Arizona Memorial. Choose doors on for a steady view through windows or doors off for unobstructed photos and the full wind experience. Parking and a phone strap are included; you're back at the airport before lunch.

Step-by-step itinerary

Oahu 60-minute helicopter tour highlights

Fly over Waikiki Beach
View Diamond Head
Pass Hanauma Bay cliffs
Fly over Makapu’u lighthouse
See Ko’olau mountains and Lanikai Beach
Fly past Mokolii Island and Ka’a’awa Valley
Approach Sacred Falls waterfall
View North Shore surf spots
Pass Dole Plantation pineapple maze
Fly over USS Arizona Memorial

The Experience

You're in the helicopter before you've fully processed the view. The rotors spin up, the ground drops away, and Waikiki's white sand shrinks to a ribbon below—that's the first thirty seconds of the 60-minute circle island tour. The pilot banks toward Diamond Head and you realize you're seeing the whole island in a way that changes how you understand it. Hanauma Bay appears as a perfect turquoise crescent, the Ko'olau Mountains rise sharp and green on the windward side, and the scale of it all—the cliffs, the ocean, the valleys—hits different from ground level.

The route follows the island's perimeter, so you're never far from water or dramatic geology. You pass over Lanikai Beach and the sandbars of Kaneohe Bay, then head north toward the North Shore where the winter swells hit Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay. The pilot points out Mokolii Island standing alone offshore, and then the helicopter turns inland toward Ka'a'awa Valley. This is where Sacred Falls comes into view—water dropping over 1,000 feet into rainforest below, and the helicopter flies close enough that you see the mist rising. It's the kind of moment that makes you forget to breathe for a second. After that you swing past the Dole Plantation's pineapple fields and back toward Pearl Harbor for a final pass over the USS Arizona Memorial before returning to the airport.

The choice between doors on and doors off matters more than you'd think. Doors off gives you unobstructed shots and the full rush of wind and altitude, but it requires closed-toe shoes, jackets, hair ties, and a minimum weight of 80 pounds (100 pounds for the larger Airbus helicopter). Doors on still gives you the full circle and the same views through the windows—it's warmer, quieter, and lets you focus on the landscape without managing the elements. Either way, the tour includes parking fees and a phone strap so you can secure your camera. Groups stay small enough that the helicopter doesn't feel crowded, and the whole experience moves fast—you're back on the ground before the adrenaline wears off.

What’s included

Your 60-minute circle island helicopter tour includes the full route around Oahu with views of Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Lanikai Beach, Sacred Falls, the North Shore, Dole Plantation, and the USS Arizona Memorial.
Parking fees and a phone strap are provided.
You choose between doors on (windows, comfort) or doors off (unobstructed views, open air).
The tour departs from and returns to the Honolulu airport.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Rainbow Helicopters

Is this one for you?Best for travelers who want to see the entire island's landmarks in one flight without spending a full day driving between stops—the helicopter covers the circle in an hour, and the doors off option is worth it if you're comfortable with heights and want photos without reflections.