Big Island Helicopter Tour over Kīlauea: A Private Two-Hour Flight From Kona

The Big Island is bigger than all the other Hawaiian islands put together, and you cannot drive it in a day. A Big Island helicopter tour over Kīlauea is the one way to see the volcano, the waterfall coast and the hidden valleys of Kohala in a single morning. This flight leaves from the Kona airport, runs two private hours, and takes nobody but your own party.

This page covers what the flight sees, what it costs, who should pick the shorter flight instead, and how to get the most out of two hours in the air.

Why this made our list

Most helicopter tours on this island make you choose a side. Flights from Hilo are built around the volcano, and short flights from Kona stay on the dry west coast. This one does both. As listed, the route crosses to Kīlauea, swings past Hilo, follows the Hāmākua Coast with its hundreds of waterfalls, then turns into the deep valleys of North Kohala before crossing Kohala Mountain and running home along the resort coast. That is the whole island in one flight, without a two-hour drive to Hilo first.

The second reason is privacy. It is your party of one to four, nobody else, and every passenger has a window seat. You are not squeezed into a middle seat next to strangers, and you can ask the pilot to circle back over the waterfall you missed.

The third is the reviews. A 4.9 rating on FareHarbor over 160 reviews, from a small operator flying out of Kona, matches what we hear from friends who have flown with them.

Why this operator

We looked at three kinds of helicopter tours. The Hilo-side volcano flights are good value if you are staying in Hilo or Volcano, but most visitors stay in Kona and Waikoloa, two hours away. The big tour companies fly larger aircraft with more seats, and someone always ends up in the middle. This is a small crew flying private charters from the Kona airport, which puts the whole island within reach of the resorts and keeps the windows for your party. If two hours and a private charter is more than you need, the same operator runs a 30-minute flight over the Kona Coast from $229, which you can book with the second button on this page.

What the Big Island helicopter tour is like

The flight runs about 120 minutes in the air. Here is the route as the operator lists it; the pilot adjusts it to the day’s weather.

1. Check in at the Kona airport base. The base is at 73-310 Uu St. Expect a safety briefing and seat assignments based on weight and balance.
2. Cross to Kīlauea. The first leg heads for the volcano. From above, Kīlauea’s summit caldera is a vast crater of black lava rimmed with red ash. When the volcano is erupting you may see glowing lava; when it is quiet you see steam and fresh rock.
3. Past Hilo. On the east side you get views of Hilo, the island’s largest town, and the wet green country around it.
4. The Hāmākua Coast. The route runs north along wave-swept cliffs and rainforest, where hundreds of waterfalls drop straight to the ocean.
5. The Kohala valleys. Past Waipiʻo, the coast breaks into steep, sacred valleys that are hard or impossible to reach on foot. Deep inside, the listing describes waterfalls of more than 2,000 feet that the helicopter can hover right beside.
6. Over Kohala Mountain and home. The flight crosses the mountain and runs back down the sunny South Kohala resort coast to the airport.

Prices and what you get

The private flight is priced per helicopter, not per seat: $1,680 for up to three people or $2,240 for up to four, plus tax and booking fees. With a party of three that is about $560 each, which is in line with shared volcano flights that put strangers in the middle seat. That covers the full 120 minutes, a window seat for everyone, and the full-island route when the weather allows. A tip for the pilot is extra.

If you want a taste rather than the whole island, the 30-minute Kona Coast flight starts from $229 for up to three people and holds a 5.0 rating over 157 reviews.

Who it’s for (and who should skip it)

This is for first-time visitors who want the whole island in one look, photographers, couples marking a big occasion, and families of up to four who want the aircraft to themselves. It is also the best way to see the Waipiʻo and Kohala valleys now that the road into Waipiʻo is restricted; our Waipiʻo Valley guide explains the closure.

Skip it if you are staying in Hilo or Volcano; a shorter flight from the east side makes more sense there. Skip it if your only goal is the volcano and you would rather walk the crater rim; our Volcanoes National Park tour puts you on the ground for the day. And if two hours of flying sounds like a lot, take the 30-minute Kona Coast flight instead.

Where to check in and how to get there

The base is at 73-310 Uu St at the Kona airport (KOA), on the highway between Kailua-Kona and the Waikoloa resorts. From Keauhou it is about 25 minutes. From Waikoloa it is a little under 30 minutes. Your confirmation lists the exact check-in time; arrive a little early so the briefing does not eat into your flight.

Not sure which side of the island to base yourself on? Our Kona vs Hilo guide lays out the trade-offs.

Best time to go

Time of day. Morning. Clouds tend to build over the mountains and the windward valleys as the day goes on, and an early flight gives the best chance of clear views into the waterfall valleys.

Time of year. The flight runs year round. Winter brings more rain to the Hāmākua side, which means fuller waterfalls but more cloud. Whatever the season, book your flight early in the trip so you can reschedule if the weather turns.

Local tips before you book

• Wear dark clothes. A white shirt shows up as a reflection in every photo you take through the window.
• Turn off your flash and get close to the glass. Shooting with the lens near the window cuts the glare.
• Book early in your stay. If weather closes the valleys on your date, you want spare days to try again.
• Ask about the volcano that morning. Kīlauea’s activity changes week to week, and the pilot will know what is showing.
• Put the phone down at least once. Two hours is long enough to watch a waterfall without a screen in front of it.
• Build a day around it. A morning flight leaves the afternoon free for the beach or a Kona sunset sail.

The verdict

If you have one splurge on the Big Island and you are staying on the Kona side, make it this flight. Two private hours, a window for everyone, and the whole island from Kīlauea to the Kohala valleys without the long drive. Fly early in your trip, wear something dark, and keep your expectations about lava flexible. The valleys alone are worth it.