Blue Hawaiian 50-Minute Flight

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters runs this 50-minute scenic island flight, the most-reviewed tour on the roster at 2,065 reviews and a 4.8 rating. Seats start at $489 per person, with free cancellation.

Overview

This 50-minute flight with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters runs from a base at Lihue Airport. After checking in an hour ahead for weighing, a safety briefing and boarding, the aircraft lifts off and heads over Kapaa toward Mount Waialeale. Princeville, Hanalei Bay, the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, Olokele Canyon and Manawaiopuna Falls, the waterfall familiar from Jurassic Park, all pass by in sequence before the run back over Hanapepe to Lihue.

Everyone wears Bose aviation-grade electronic noise-cancelling headsets with microphones, which means two-way conversation with the pilot throughout the flight. The pilot is a State of Hawaii Certified Tour Guide and narrates the scenery and island history as it unfolds. Several reviewers singled out the commentary and the in-flight music as a highlight of the ride.

This tour suits most travellers, including families, and reviewers describe views that cannot be gotten from the ground. One reviewer called it expensive but worth every penny, so it is best treated as a splurge rather than a budget outing.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Check in at LihueArrive at Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, 3730 Ahukini Rd #8, Lihue, one hour before the tour time for weighing, safety briefing and boarding. Late arrivals are not accepted and the booking is non-refundable.
2. Kapaa and Mount WaialealeThe flight passes Kapaa on the way toward the island's mountainous interior and Mount Waialeale.
3. North shore passPrinceville and Hanalei Bay pass by below on the north side of the island.
4. Na Pali CoastThe route continues along Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park.
5. Canyons and Jurassic FallsWaimea Canyon State Park, Olokele Canyon and Manawaiopuna Falls, known as Jurassic Park Falls, pass by later in the flight.
6. Return via HanapepeThe flight passes Hanapepe on the way back and lands at the same Lihue heliport where it started.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical details shape the day more than most people expect, from the early check-in to what cannot be brought on board.

• Arrive early. Check-in opens one hour before departure, and that window covers weighing, the safety briefing and seating. Late arrivals are not accepted and the booking is non-refundable, so build in extra time for traffic.
• Getting there. Transport to the heliport is not included, nor is parking at the base. One reviewer recommended taking a rideshare to the Lihue Airport location.
• Comfort in flight. Most reviewers described the ride as smooth, several comparing it favourably to other transport. Still, it is a 50-minute flight, so travellers with any sensitivity should prepare accordingly.
• What to leave behind. Bags, large cameras and extending selfie sticks are not allowed in the helicopter. Bring only what fits on you, and note that a USB video and photo package of your flight can be purchased afterward.
• Seating and weight. The helicopter carries a maximum of six travellers. Guests over 240 pounds (108 kg) need an adjacent empty seat at a half-price second seat charge, arranged after booking.
• Weather flexibility. The listing states that tour sights vary depending on weather, and the flight requires good conditions to run. If weather cancels the tour, a different date or a full refund is offered.

Common issues. The honest downsides are cost and rigidity. One reviewer noted it is expensive, and the listing is strict about the one-hour early check-in: late arrivals are turned away with no refund. Cancellations within 24 hours of departure get no refund, though weather or minimum-number cancellations come with an alternative date or full refund. Extra costs sit outside the ticket, including transport, heliport parking, gratuities and the post-flight video package. Guests over the weight limit pay for a second seat, and sights depend on the day's weather.

What To Know Before Flying