A Helicopter Tour tour by Paradise Helicopters. Back to all Big Island tours.
Tour Summary: A Helicopter tour to see lava, rainforest and waterfalls. Discover what Kīlauea Volcano has left behind in the wake of its recent historic eruptive episode.
Large photoThe lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater is also visible during the daytime. Image from October 2021, image credit for Paradise Helicopters and extreme exposure
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The lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater is also visible during the daytime. Image from October 2021, image credit for Paradise Helicopters and extreme exposure
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If the lava is flowing a helicopter tour is a safe and simple way to see it from a front-row seat
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Several still fuming cones along the 2018 eruption area and a small kipuka (island) with houses that got spared from the eruption.
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Pohoiki barely survived the 2018 LERZ eruption and now hosts a pristine new black sand beach
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a dry lava channel with the Muana Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes in the background. These views are only possible from the skies.
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The Hamakua coast is filled with waterfalls, most of those are very inaccessible and best viewable from the skies
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Helicopter tours give you a unique view of the aftermath of the 2018 LERZ eruption. This channel filled with a raging river of lava mid 2018
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If you choose to stop and swim at the Kulaniapia falls you will be provided with kayaks and SUP boards
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Many waterfalls on the slopes of Mauna Kea are impossible to reach by road. Hopping in a helicopter (or a small plane) is the only way to see them.
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The lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater is also visible during the daytime. Image from October 2021, image credit for Paradise Helicopters and extreme exposure
Tour Highlights:
- Called the “hottest helicopter ride on Earth!” by the Travel Channel
- Current activity at Kilauea Volcano
- Tropical rainforests of Puna
- Waterfalls of Hilo
- Doors-off or Doors-on experience
Important: Warm clothing suggested as flight is cool and windy, all cameras including cell phones must have straps.
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult |
|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $469 |
Tour Provider: Paradise Helicopters
Activity: Helicopter Tour
Coupons! Occasional discount coupons are available for this tour, see if this is the case for your dates.
Tour start time: Variable, check-in is 45 minutes prior to tour
Duration: 55-60 minutes
Departure from: Hilo
Pick-up available? No
Cancellations: Paradise Helicopters requires 48 hours notice prior to flight time to change or cancel your reservation. Reservations cancelled outside of 48 hours are fully refundable. Tours cancelled with less than 48 hours notice may receive a partial refund based on how far in advance from the flight the cancellation occurs. If you need to change or cancel your reservation please contact Paradise Helicopters directly -- they will be happy to accommodate you.
Read more: about helicopter tour in our Big Island helicopter tour guide.
(It is not possible to book this tour directly through our website. Clicking on the button above takes you to the Paradise Helicopters website where you can make the booking.)
Hilo is located on the lush Hamakua coast, close to the volcanically active part of the Big Island. This makes Hilo airport the best place on the Big Island for lava and waterfalls helicopter tours. Kona airport also hosts some of these tours (see our list of 6 Kona helicopter tours) but because Kona is much farther away you spend longer in the air to get to the lava and volcanoes, which makes these tours more expensive.
Helicopter Tours departing from Hilo:
The following tours organized by Paradise helicopters depart from the Hilo airport:
- Lava and rainforest adventure (approx. 55 to 60 minutes / $469 per guest)
- Doors-off Lava and rainforest adventure (approx. 55 to 60 minutes / $499 per guest)
Lava & Rainforest Adventure ($469 – $499)
The Lava & Rainforests Adventure showcases Hawai‘i’s story and its inextricable link to the elements. You will fly over Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes on earth and search out any activity at Halemaʻumaʻu crater, Ahuʻailāʻau, or Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent. The windward side catches enough rain to make Hilo the wettest city in the United States! All this water fills tunnels that once flowed with lava, creating incredible rivers, pools and waterfalls all over east Hawai’i. View Hilo’s lush rainforests, Mauna Loa’s vistas and the plunging Wai‘ānuenue (Rainbow Falls), so named for the rainbows you can see in the mist when the early morning sunshine hits the water.
Cost: $469 per guest
Duration: between 55 and 60 minutes, all flight time.
Sights:
- Current activity at Kilauea Volcano
- Tropical rainforests of Puna
- Waterfalls of North Hilo
Go to the Paradise Helicopters website to learn more about the Lava and Rainforest adventure and the Doors-Off version.
The lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater is also visible during the daytime. Image from October 2021, image credit for Paradise Helicopters and extreme exposure
Paradise Helicopters is a locally owned and operated company founded in Hawai‘i in 1997. They Hawaii’s number 1 company regarding safety, quality, and customer service, which means they don’t offer the cheapest helicopter tours but in our opinion certainly the best!
Paradise helicopters engages with the community, local Hawaiian businesses, non-profit organizations, and charities, to build and maintain relationships all over the islands. These relationships allow them to “access the inaccessible” in a uniquely Hawaiian way, which no other company can replicate.
They are also a certified member of the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawai’i and use a carbon offset program which is a way to leave a positive ecological footprint from the tours.
The health and safety of their guests, staff, and community is a top priority for Paradise Helicopters, and they have implemented the following enhanced guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Document clearance required (to make sure everyone is either vaccinated or has completed their quarantine)
- Social distancing
- Private and social-distancing flights available upon request
- Modified Check-in procedure
- Face Masks
- Monitoring symptoms
- Cleaning and Sanitization
Read more about the health and safety on the Paradise Helicopters website.
In addition to the above, Paradise Helicopters have been the only helicopter tour company that was awarded a Gold Star by the County. These gold star awards are given to companies that passed all necessary safety requirements by the State of Hawaiʻi and implemented additional requirements by the county, the Department of Health, and the Hawaiʻi Fire Department, so they can provide the safest possible conditions during this current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are affiliate partners with Paradise Helicopters meaning that we receive a percentage for each successful booking made through our website. This happens without any additional charge to you! (read more on the use of those links on our website here).
By booking tours through our website you support LoveBigIsland.com and help us to provide you and future visitors with free and high quality information about the Big Island. Thanks, you guys are amazing!