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→ Getting there
Where Honolulu helicopter tours depart from
Flights leave from the airport side of Honolulu, not from Waikiki, and two of them leave from the other end of the island entirely. Here is how to get there, how early to arrive, and the mistake that costs people two hours.
Where do Honolulu helicopter tours leave from?
From heliports on the airport side of Honolulu, roughly twenty minutes by road from the Waikiki hotels — not from Waikiki itself. Two of the tours on this site depart from Turtle Bay on the North Shore instead, about an hour away. Whether hotel pickup is included varies by operator, so read the meeting point before booking a taxi.
Departure details at a glance
- Main departure area
- Honolulu, airport sideAbout 20 minutes by road from Waikiki
- Not from Waikiki
- Correct — no flights leave the beachThis catches people out
- North Shore departures
- Turtle BayRoughly an hour from Waikiki
- Transfer included?
- Varies by operatorRead the meeting point on the listing
- How early to arrive
- Thirty minutes before the slotCheck-in, briefing and weigh-in
- Parking
- Available at the heliportsUsually free; ask which entrance
- Lockers
- ProvidedEverything loose goes in one, especially doors off
- ID
- Bring photo IDRequired at check-in
Getting there
The two-hour mistake
Two of the tours in this market leave from Turtle Bay, on the north-east corner of Oahu. They are good flights and the coastline up there is spectacular. They are also roughly an hour’s drive from Waikiki, each way.
Booked without noticing, that turns a thirty-minute flight into a half-day excursion with two hours in a car. If you are staying on the North Shore it is the obvious choice; from Waikiki it rarely is.
The listing always names the meeting point. Reading it takes ten seconds and is the single most useful thing you can do before paying.
Getting there
How the check-in works
Arrive thirty minutes before your slot. That time is used, not padding: photo ID, the safety briefing, and the weigh-in. Everyone is weighed, because seats in a four to six seat helicopter are assigned by weight to keep the aircraft balanced — which is also why you cannot choose your side.
Everything loose goes into a locker, and on a doors-off flight that rule is absolute: no hats, no loose scarves, no selfie sticks, phones on a wrist strap. Then you walk out to the aircraft with the pilot, and the whole thing is far less formal than an airline.
Book direct
All seven flights and where they start
Five leave from Honolulu; two start at Turtle Bay on the North Shore.
60 min
45 min45-Minute, Doors On or Off
★ 4.9 · 236 reviews
- 45 minutes, over Oahu's most secluded areas
- Shared or private helicopter tour
- Coast, city, and forest landscapes
- Free cancellation
$460
Check availability→ 
30 minPath to Pali, 30 Minutes
★ 5.0 · 107 reviews
- 30 minutes, on a Path to Pali tour
- Private or shared tour
- Waikiki skyline, Diamond Head, Makapu'u Point
- Free cancellation
$413
Check availability→ 
20 minWaikiki 20-Minute
★ 4.9 · 33 reviews
- 20 minutes, over some of the island's sights
- Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$380
Check availability→ 
50 minBlue Skies of Oahu, 50 Minutes
★ 4.9 · 26 reviews
- 50 minutes, over Oahu's sights
- State-of-the-art Eco-Star helicopter
- Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki
- Free cancellation
$412
Check availability→ 
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→ 
50 minWaikiki Sunset, 50 Minutes
★ 5.0 · 1 reviews
- 50 minutes, over the deep blue waters
- Waikiki skyline at sunset
- Last rays of light
- Free cancellation
$483
Check availability→ Common questions
Where Honolulu helicopter tours depart from, answered
Do helicopter tours leave from Waikiki?
No. They leave from heliports on the airport side of Honolulu, roughly twenty minutes by road from the Waikiki hotels.
Is hotel pickup included?
It varies by operator. Some listings include a transfer from Waikiki hotels and some do not, so read the meeting point on the listing before booking a taxi.
How early should I arrive?
Thirty minutes before your slot. Check-in, the safety briefing and the weigh-in all happen before slot time rather than during it.
Which tours leave from the North Shore?
The two Turtle Bay tours. They are about an hour from Waikiki by road, which turns a short flight into a half-day trip if you are staying in town.
Can I park at the heliport?
Yes, parking is available and usually free. Ask the operator which entrance to use, as the heliports sit on the general aviation side of the airport.
What do I need to bring?
Photo ID and, if you are flying doors off, a wrist strap for your phone. Everything else goes in a locker.
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