Reviews

What an amazing experience we had! Taking a tour in a helicopter adds a total new dimension to the amazing, beautiful sites of the islands. We took a West Maui and Molokai tour on an Eco-Star helicopter. Booking was very easy. You can do it via the website or simply call. The staff is very friendly. I must have called about 6 times with questions, and they were very friendly and patient. You can request for the front seats, however, keep in mind that seating is determined in order to meet the "weight and balance" requirements of the helicopter. My advice is to book this trip early on your vacation, so you have enough days to re-schedule the trip in case of weather. They are extremely accommodating. They will also offer you alternative tours in case the one you booked is not available due to weather (or you can re-book for another day). We arrived at the heliport (by the main Maui airport) 45 minutes ahead of our tour. Parking costs $7. We checked-in and then were presented a detailed safety video. There are free lockers available for your belongings. No hats are allowed on the ramp (for obvious reasons), and you are only allowed to bring phones (in airplane mode) and cameras for taking pictures. For the photographers out there, come wearing dark clothes to minimize reflections on the windows. A nice touch by Blue Hawaiian staff was to clean the windows prior to take off. The pilot will maneuver the helicopter so that both sides get to see the landscape. I got some amazing shots! I was surprised how smooth the ride was given the winds on the day of our trip. The cabin is also very quiet. Everyone is provided a Bose headset and a microphone so you can communicate with others and the pilot. We had a great and very friendly pilot, Gernot. He gave us a guided tour of the sites and talked to us along the way. He was great with our teenage kids. My son spotted a whale while flying towards Molokai, and he made a nice and gentle circle turn so everyone could see it! You can tell he loves his job! We took off and headed towards West Maui. As we were heading towards one of the valleys, I commented that I felt as if I was in the "Jurassic Park" island. Gernot, our pilot, confirmed that indeed it was the same valley used in the movie! We then headed towards Molokai, to see the breathtaking, imposing sea cliffs, which are the tallest in the world. We also saw several waterfalls, including the Papalaua Falls. We made two slow passes to get a great look and take additional pictures. Gernot also made a great effort in finding some amazing rainbows! Heading back we flew by Kanapali and headed around the north end of Maui, providing us additional sites. We ended up back at the airport, with a gentle approach and landing. As we exited the helicopter, the friendly ground crew offered to take a picture of us with our helicoter in the background. Thanks to our pilot, Gernot and Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours for an unforgettable experience!! PS. the flight is video taped in high-definition and you can purchase it after you land. A nice memento for recording your adventure for future viewing with friends and family.

We took the West Maui and Molokai tour. This is definitely the best way to enjoy breathtaking views of the island. Our pilot was excellent and gave us very good views of waterfalls and rainbows.We even got to see a Whale from above! The only downside was that the staff at the office were a bit rude and parking is not free. Otherwise, the tour itself was awesome. We loved the experience!

Booked Maui Island Spectacular but the weather didn't cooperate! We were given options and decided to take a partial refund and try West Maui and Molokai tour. Our teens got the front seats (be sure to request when booking but not guaranteed). Had a great time with Dean our pilot and he made a great flight/experience in spite of weather challenges. Thanks Blue Hawaiian, we will return!

We purchased the Maui Spectacular tour. This was a 90 minute flight, which covered the entire island of Maui and included one stop. Our first attempt at this tour was in the afternoon, but we were re-scheduled due to weather. We were already on-site and had sat through the safety video but were told that the Haleakala crater was closed due to rain. They offered to allow us to join a tour of West Maui and Molokai, but we declined, as we wanted to see the crater. The staff was very kind and told us that the weather near the crater often gets bad later in the afternoon and they suggested a morning tour- they booked us for the Maui Spectacular just 2 days later, in the morning. *Advice for anyone interested in the Haleakala crater- book an early morning tour if possible. There were 6 passengers (including us), as well as the pilot in our A-star helicopter when we finally were able to join the tour a couple days later. We put in a request to sit in the front two seats, but the request wasn't honored- they needed to balance the helicopter unfortunately. Therefore, 4 of us passengers were all seated in the rear. We were disappointed, but understand that this is sometimes necessary. In my opinion, the 2 middle seats in the rear did not offer very good vantage points for photos. Dean was our helicopter pilot and he was wonderful. He shared his background flying helicopters throughout his life, and it was definitely impressive (and helped us feel very safe!). Dean took us around the island, offered very helpful commentary as we flew, and answered our questions as we maneuvered on the island. For the Maui Spectacular tour, the stop is just past Wailea before visiting the Haleakala crater. You are able to get out of the helicopter, take pictures, and drink some wine- it is quite nice. The only thing that was a little disappointing is that we didn't have the landing area to ourselves. There was another Blue Hawaiian helicopter group in the landing spot already when we landed so the space didn't feel as open as it might have if we were the only helicopter and group landing there. For our tour, the weather was quite cloudy and rainy on the east portion of the island. I'm not sure how to pick a better day, but Dean mentioned that on some of the really nice days, they can get in to see some nice waterfalls and views- we were not able to see a lot on the eastern portion of the island and our pictures were quite drab looking unfortunately. All in all, this was a nice excursion. As others have noted, the price is a bit steep, but it is a really nice way to see the Halekala crater and Hana sights on the eastern portion of the island without waking up so early in the morning to make a drive on the edge of winding roads/cliffs.

Our pilot was super professional and knowledgable. We got an an exceptionally clear day which made for spectacular views. We appreciated the pilot doing a trick that makes a rainbow into a circle. This was the best way to see the whole island of Maui.

Unfortunately due to weather it is often not possible to go to Haleakala crater. The 1st attempt we were told after the briefing that the weather was not clear enough to fly over the crater. We were given the choice to reschedule. The 2nd time we were not. We later learned that very rarely is it possible to fly over the crater. The parts we did see were nice; but we were disappointed about not seeing Haleakala. It is quite expensive.

Really beautiful coastline and valley sights. The wind is strong so the chopper moves around quite a lot. I admit it was scary at times but beautiful sights make it worth it! Definitely recommend & would do it again.

We took a Road to Hana driving tour with a flight back on one of the Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. I was impressed with the safety procedures completed by the staff. As this was my first ride on a chopper, knowing my safety was so important to them made me feel totally confident with the ride. The chopper was comfortable and spacious with large windows. Our pilot made sure we had the best views possible during our air tour of Maui. I would love to do this again.

Our pilot, Rick, was not only an excellent pilot, but served as a very knowledgeable guide to the islands. Our group consisted of four, ages 7 to 70, and all of us were very pleased with the tour, safety and professionalism of the Blue Hawaiian team. We will use Blue Hawaiian again.

The Maui trips are affected by weather so call to confirm your scheduled tour is still available before driving an hour from main resorts in west. Otherwise they will try and sell you another tour. Seats in the middle/back of the eco-star chopper do not allow for photography, a huge drawback. Seats are assigned based on weight distribution. If you are in middle/back you must purchase a video of the trip for $42 to get the photos you want. Everything was well organized and pilot was informative and friendly.

We have used blue Hawaiian 3 times. Each time, we see something different even if it's the same trip. From mountains to waterfalls, to beaches to cliffs, whales to ships, the view from above is simply amazing.

My wife and I rode with Blue yesterday as part of a Road to Hana combo tour. The flight was wonderful and informative. We flew along the coast and far up in to the rainforest. The views were breathtaking. Our pilot was friendly and informative. A few things to keep in mind: If your are over 240 lbs they charge you almost double. Also, since the heliport is kinda in the middle of nowhere make sure you've scheduled your ride back in advance.

We did a Family helicopter tour in the Dominican Republic last year and knew we had to do one in Hawaii. We did the 2 island 50 minute tour and it was amazing. The tour guide at our resort recommended another company but we booked blue Hawaiian on our own. We did that because the helicopter we were on sat 6 people and the competitor's sat 7. Our family of 5 wanted the tour for ourselves so we bought the 6th seat. It was about $1600USD for all of us. Like I said very expensive but with it. Our pilot took a little off our original plan and we ventured over the ocean and were able to see a couple Whales breach. Unreal!!!! Our pilots name was Dean and he was fantastic. Enjoy!

Getting an overhead view of Kauai is something everybody should do. The pilot we had was fun, had a love for flying and Hawaii that was infectious. It was a flying history lesson that I'd love to be able to do again tomorrow. Hopefully someday, well worth doing this trip!

My friend and I did a private flight with Tim at the controls and providing historical insight and background of everything along the way. My friend Rob who has taken several helicopter flights on the islands said that Tim was the best pilot he has flown with. It was my first helicopter flight and I was amazed at how smooth and pleasant the entire trip was. The scenery from the air was fantastic with close views of the canyons and waterfalls. Korina and Loke who took care of us at the base couldn't have been more friendly and informative. They also have a video record of the entire flight available when you land. What a wonderful experience! A once in a lifetime event!