60 minOahu 60-Minute, Doors Off
★ 4.9 · 453 reviews
- One hour, above Hawaii's attractions
- Helicopter tour from Honolulu
- Most booked
- Free cancellation
$507
Check availability→ Side by side
Oahu or another island for a helicopter tour?
Kauai has the Napali coast, the Big Island has lava, Maui has the Hana coast — and Oahu has the city, Pearl Harbor and the cheapest seats in Hawaii. Here is an honest comparison if you can only fly once.
Is Oahu the best island for a helicopter tour?
Not for scenery alone — Kauai is. Oahu wins on three other things: it is where most visitors already are, its flights are the cheapest in Hawaii at $380, and it is the only island where the route includes a city, a crater and Pearl Harbor. If you are on Oahu anyway and want one flight, it is a strong buy. If you are choosing an island specifically to fly, Kauai is the answer.
Hawaii by island, for a helicopter flight
- Oahu
- From $380City, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Koolau cliffs. No landings.
- Kauai
- More expensiveThe Napali coast and Waimea Canyon. Landing tours available.
- Big Island
- More expensiveVolcanic terrain and Hilo waterfalls. Landing tours available.
- Maui
- Mid-rangeThe Hana coast and Molokai sea cliffs.
- Landings
- Not on OahuA Kauai and Big Island product
- Doors off
- Standard on OahuLess commonly offered elsewhere
- Getting there
- No flight neededMost visitors land in Honolulu anyway
- Day trips from Oahu
- AvailableLong days: leave early, back late
Side by side
What Oahu has that the others do not
A city from the air. Waikiki as a strip of towers on a reef is a genuinely unusual sight, and no other Hawaiian island offers it.
Diamond Head. A complete volcanic crater with a road spiralling into it, five minutes from downtown. It is the single most recognisable shape in Hawaii from above.
Pearl Harbor. Historically significant and visually striking from the air, and available on almost every route including the cheapest.
Price. Oahu flights start below every other island, largely because they are shorter and there is more competition.
Side by side
What the other islands do better
Kauai is the scenic answer, without much argument. The Napali coast is a wall of fluted green cliffs dropping into open ocean, Waimea Canyon is a mile wide, and several operators land you in a valley that has no road. If a helicopter flight is the reason for your Hawaii trip, fly on Kauai.
The Big Island offers volcanic terrain and, when there is activity, the only chance in the state of seeing something molten from the air. It also has the Hamakua waterfalls.
Maui sits between the two: the Hana coast, the West Maui mountains and, on clear days, the Molokai sea cliffs.
From Oahu you can do all three as day trips, but they are long days — an early flight out, a short tour, and a late flight back.
Every tour, current fare
The Oahu flights, for reference
If you are flying on Oahu, these are the options.
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| Tour | Price | Door to door | Landings | Per minute | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oahu 60-Minute, Doors Off | $507 | 60 min | None | $8.45 | 4.9 · 453 |
| 45-Minute, Doors On or Off | $460 | 45 min | None | $10.22 | 4.9 · 236 |
| Path to Pali, 30 Minutes | $413 | 30 min | None | $13.77 | 5.0 · 107 |
| Waikiki 20-Minute | $380 | 20 min | None | $19.00 | 4.9 · 33 |
| Blue Skies of Oahu, 50 Minutes | $412 | 50 min | None | $8.24 | 4.9 · 26 |
| Complete Oahu Island, 65 Minutes | $495 | 65 min | None | $7.62 | 4.8 · 9 |
| Waikiki Sunset, 50 Minutes | $483 | 50 min | None | $9.66 | 5.0 · 1 |
Book direct
Book an Oahu flight
Both cover the island properly. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
60 min
65 minComplete Oahu Island, 65 Minutes
★ 4.8 · 9 reviews
- 65 minutes, over Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head
- Oahu's sights from above
- Longest tour here
- Free cancellation
$495
Check availability→ Common questions
Oahu or another island, answered
Which Hawaiian island is best for a helicopter tour?
Kauai, for scenery alone — the Napali coast and Waimea Canyon, with landing tours available. Oahu wins if you are already there, want the cheapest seat, or want a route that includes a city and Pearl Harbor.
Are Oahu helicopter tours cheaper than Kauai?
Yes, generally. Oahu flights start at $380 and are shorter; Kauai flights are longer and priced higher, and the landing tours cost more again.
Can you do a helicopter landing tour on Oahu?
No. Landing tours in Hawaii are a Kauai and Big Island product. On Oahu the flight itself is the whole experience.
Can you fly to another island for a helicopter tour from Oahu?
Yes, as a day trip — there are packaged trips to the Big Island and to Kauai. They are long days: an early flight out and a late flight back.
Is Oahu worth flying over if I have already flown on Kauai?
For most people, no — unless the city, Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor specifically interest you. Those are the three things Oahu has that Kauai does not.
Which island has doors-off helicopter tours?
Doors off is standard on Oahu and offered on every flight sold from Honolulu. It is less commonly available on the other islands.
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