Kauai Helicopter Tour: A Private Flight Over Nā Pali, Waimea Canyon and Waiʻaleʻale

Seventy percent of Kauai has no road. Waiʻaleʻale, the crater at the center of the island and the wettest spot on earth, is a wall of waterfalls nobody sees from the ground. The back of Waimea Canyon, the top of Nā Pali, the Jurassic Park waterfall: all of it is helicopter country. One hour in the air shows you more of this island than a week of driving.

This page covers the flight we book, what it costs, doors on versus doors off, and the one choice that changes everything: a private cabin instead of a shared one.

Why this made our list

The private cabin is the first reason. Most Kauai helicopter tours fly six passengers in an aircraft with two rows; the two middle seats see the island past someone else’s shoulder, and the operator decides who sits where by weight. This flight takes your party only, 1 to 3 people, in a four-seat helicopter with a bubble canopy. Every seat is a window seat. You are not waiting for a load, and the pilot flies the hour for you.

The doors are the second. Any passenger can fly with the door removed, which turns the canopy into open air and gives photographers the shot without reflections. On the big aircraft, doors off is a separate, more expensive product.

The route is the third. In an hour you fly Waimea Canyon, the Nā Pali cliffs end to end, the north shore, the interior waterfalls and the Waiʻaleʻale crater, plus Manawaiopuna Falls from the opening of Jurassic Park. The pilot narrates through the headsets and you can talk back.

And the reviews: 5.0 stars across more than 2,200 of them, the best record of any helicopter company on the island.

Why this operator

Kauai has half a dozen helicopter companies and most are good. The one with the longest history flies a doors-off MD500 that pilots and photographers love, four passengers in a tight cabin, and it is the flight we recommend if you specifically want the open-sided MD500 experience; the second booking button below goes there. The large operators fly roomy six-seat Airbus aircraft with big windows and a video; they are comfortable, and the middle seats are the trade-off. For the best combination of view, price and reviews, the private flight is our pick.

What the flight is like

Plan on about two hours door to door for an hour in the air.

1. Check in at Līhuʻe Airport 45 minutes before your time, at the office on Ahukini Road. Weights are confirmed, waivers signed, and the briefing covers the headsets, the doors and the rules.
2. Doors on or off. Your call, per seat. Loose items go in a locked bin either way.
3. Lift off and head west. Over Puhi and the cane fields to Hanapēpē Valley and up into Waimea Canyon, the red walls and the waterfalls in the side canyons.
4. Nā Pali. Over the rim at Kōkeʻe and out along the cliffs: Nualolo, Awaʻawapuhi, Kalalau Valley from above, the beach at the bottom, the trail along the cliff. The pilot banks so each side gets the view.
5. The north shore. Kēʻē, Hāʻena, Hanalei Bay and the taro fields behind it.
6. The interior. Waterfalls nobody can hike to, then the Waiʻaleʻale crater: a horseshoe of 3,000-foot walls streaked with falls, if the cloud lifts. Mornings are your best chance.
7. Manawaiopuna Falls on the way home, the Jurassic Park waterfall on private land, then back over Līhuʻe to the ramp.

Prices and what you get

The private flight is from $389 per person plus tax and booking fees. That covers about 60 minutes of flight time, headsets, the briefing, doors off if you choose, and a cabin shared only with your own party. Gratuity for the pilot is customary and extra.

Who it’s for (and who should skip it)

Anyone who wants to see the whole island, photographers, couples, and families with kids 7 and up. It is also the Nā Pali option for anyone who gets seasick, since the coast from 1,500 feet is a different and arguably better view than from the water.

Skip it if you are under 7, if you are not comfortable giving accurate weights (the aircraft needs them), or if you need a flight for a party of 4 or more; the larger operators fly six-seat aircraft and the second button below goes to the four-seat MD500 flight. If a tight budget is the issue, the big-aircraft doors-on tours are the cheaper way to see the same loop.

Where to check in and how to get there

The office is at 3745 Ahukini Road, Suite 107, on the airport side of Līhuʻe. From Kalapaki and the Marriott it is 10 minutes, from Poʻipū 25, from Kapaʻa 20, from Princeville about an hour and from Waimea about an hour. Check in 45 minutes early. Parking is free at the office.

Current flight times and the live calendar are on the booking page.

Best time to go

Time of day. The first flights of the morning. Cloud builds on the interior through the day and the crater is open far more often at 8 am than at 2 pm. Late afternoon has the warmest light on Nā Pali but the most cloud inland.

Time of year. Every month. Summer is clearest; winter has more rain inland but the waterfalls are at full volume, and the trade-off is worth it. Whatever month, book the flight for your first or second day so that a weather cancellation can be rebooked.

Local tips before you book

• Book the morning. The crater and the interior falls are the reason, and they cloud over by lunch.
• Book it early in your stay. Weather cancellations happen; give yourself a rebook day.
• Wear dark clothes. White shirts reflect in the canopy and ruin the photos. Doors off solves this entirely.
• Wrist strap everything. Phone and camera. Nothing loose with the doors off.
• Give honest weights. The aircraft balances on them and the pilot will know.
• Pair it with a boat. Air plus water is the complete Nā Pali. Fly in the morning and take the Kekaha boat tour the next day. For a full itinerary, see things to do on Kauai.

The verdict

A Kauai helicopter tour is the one splurge we tell everyone to make, and the private flight is the one we book: every seat a window, doors off if you want them, the whole island in an hour and a perfect review record. Take the first flight of the morning, wear dark clothes, and ask for the crater.