Los Mundos de Celi

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Doors-off helicopter flight over Kauai: Do you dare blink?

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End of the Kalalau Trail, Kauai

Have one of the most breathtaking and unforgettable experiences of your life in Hawaii, flying over Kauai in a helicopter—with no doors!

Only a small part of Kauai is accessible by road. If you want to explore the rest of the island, you'll have to do so on foot, by boat, or… by air!

And you know what?

The most breathtaking sights on Kauai—the images you'll never forget—you'll see them from the sky.

If you're traveling to Hawaii, a helicopter tour over Kauai is a must—trust me.

We enjoyed it so, so, so much… that if we’d had better luck with the weather, we would have gone back in a heartbeat.

Well, let's tighten our belts a little, okay.

But it would have been worth it.

Make the most of it—it's not like you get to visit Kauai every day… or do you?

Is a helicopter tour of Kauai right for you?

Waterfalls seen from a doorless helicopter in Kauai, Hawaii

There are a thousand and one reasons to take a helicopter ride over Kauai. If I listed them all, I'd end up boring you. And I want you to keep reading, because…

I've saved the best for last!

So I'm going to tell you the only two compelling reasons why you might have a valid excuse to skip this activity:

  1. If helicopters terrify you.
  2. Or if the price is out of your budget.

That's it. There's no turning back.

Want a pro tip?

Try to overcome your fears and start saving now.

Why Choose Manua Loa Helicopter Tours

Or, in other words:

With or without doors?

Waimea Canyon as seen from a doorless helicopter

The thing is, one of the non-negotiable requirements my private reporter (wink-wink) insisted on was that the helicopter have no doors. For a photographer, this is essential, since the reflection off the glass makes it hard to take high-quality photos like the ones you see in this article. They're cool, aren't they?

There are only two companies that offer doorless flights over Kauai:

  • Jack Harter Helicopters: This company is one of the most famous on the island. They guarantee you’ll be in the air for 60 minutes or more. However, the doorless helicopter shown on their website has four passenger seats, and not all of them are by a window. It was never an option for us because, during our visit in November 2016, they only had helicopters with doors in operation.
  • Manua Loa Helicopter Tours: This was our only option for a doorless (doors-off) helicopter tour over Kauai. The tour lasts about 55–60 minutes and costs $287 per person. The best thing about this company is that they reserve each flight as a private tour for groups of two to three people at most. If you’re traveling as a couple, this guarantees you a truly doorless seat in the front row. If your group has three people, keep in mind that whoever sits up front with the pilot will have a door. So… let the best photographer take the back seats.
A close-up view of the mountains as you fly over Kauai in a helicopter

What are people saying about Manua Loa Helicopter Tours?

A perfect ten. If I ever get the chance to go back to Kauai, I'll do it again without a second thought.

Is it scary to travel without doors?

Not at all. The doors-off tour is definitely worth it. You feel completely immersed in this natural wonder when there's nothing separating you from it.

Our helicopter ride over Kauai

They asked us to meet them 45 minutes before the flight at their bus/office (I've marked the location on the map at the bottom of this page).

Detail of the Napali Coast, flying over Kauai by helicopter

On the first day, we went all the way there for nothing, since the trip was canceled due to bad weather. So, I recommend calling an hour ahead of time to confirm whether the activity will take place.

They rescheduled our appointment for two days later, and this time… it was confirmed!

The 45 minutes before your flight are for signing the invoice, weighing yourself (with everything you'll be taking on the helicopter), and watching a video explaining some safety instructions and rules.

A minibus picked us up to take us to the heliport. Once there, Bruno, the pilot, reminded us of the most important safety rules and showed us how to use the intercoms so we could talk to each other without being disturbed by the noise of the engine.

And… let's fly!

Inaccessible waterfalls in Waimea Canyon, Kauai, seen from a doors-off helicopter.

The experience was indescribable.

I spent the entire trip with my mouth hanging open, my eyes wide as saucers, and letting out exclamations of amazement every minute.

Bruno livened up the tour with evocative music and explanations about the places we were flying over. He even gave us a personalized overview of the valley where the Awaawapuhi Trail, which we had visited a couple of days earlier. The only thing we missed was the Blue Hole Falls, due to bad weather in the area.

Words cannot begin to describe how powerful the images are that this experience has etched forever onto my retinas.

So… a picture is worth a thousand words! Here's a summary of the video I recorded during the flight.

Video

Want to be blown away? Hit play!

Tips

  • Book your trip online well in advance. You don't want to miss out on a spot.
  • Choose one of the first few days of your stay on the island to do this activity. That way, if your trip is canceled due to bad weather, you’ll have the option to postpone it by two or three days.
  • Choose your flight time with your photos in mind. First thing in the morning , the sky is clearer and there’s less wind, although the Na Pali Coast isn’t yet well lit. As the day goes on, the mist and cloud cover increase, especially in the canyon; but the evening light is best for the west coast. We opted for visibility: 11:30 a.m.
  • Be sure to secure your camera or video camera with a strap around your neck or wrist.
  • Keep in mind that looking at your camera's screen might make you a little dizzy. Remember to enjoy the scenery with your own eyes. Those are the images that will stay with you forever.
The famous waterfall from the beginning of *Jurassic Park*, Kauai

Kauai is a spectacular island. Every corner, every view, every hour of the day will surprise you. Set aside a week to explore it and enjoy all its different facets—whether by car, on foot, by boat, or… from a bird’s-eye view!

What about you—have you flown over Kauai, or any other Hawaiian island, in a helicopter? Are you thinking about doing it? Let me know in the comments!

Useful links

And if you're planning your own trip, check out the rest of our articles about our experience in Kauai:

Want to explore another Hawaiian island? Check out our experience in Maui:

Map

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Reader interactions

Comments

  1. Hi, congratulations on your travel blog.
    I’m planning to travel to Hawaii next February… I was thinking of taking a boat tour on Kauai and a helicopter tour on the Big Island…
    Since you’ve done both on Kauai, do you recommend the helicopter tour much more?
    Should I tip the pilot? How much?
    Thanks!

    • Oh, Francesc! I'm having a really hard time answering the first question.
      I loved both of my experiences on Kauai—I enjoyed them so much.

      But I've never been to the Big Island, so I can't really compare. If the smoke coming from the volcano on the Big Island lets you see the lava clearly, I think your plan is the best one. But of course, you're always at the mercy of the weather and the winds.

      As for the tip, I'm not sure if you're supposed to give one or if it's mandatory, but we gave $10 (I don't know if that's the right amount either—sorry).

      Hugs, and have a great trip. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll enjoy it immensely. 🙂

  2. Great post. I feel like I've already been there. I even felt the mud wash off me just reading your stories about the trails.
    I wanted to ask you what time or time slot is best for the helicopter tour

    • Thanks, Vanesa. 🙂

      It’s hard to give a definitive answer to that question—it depends a lot on the weather.
      – First thing in the morning, there’s usually less cloud cover and fog, so you’re more likely to get a better view of the island from above. However, the sun might sometimes be directly in your face, causing glare, or your photos might come out backlit.
      – With the midday sun, you can be sure that light will enter all the canyons well and you won’t have to deal with backlighting, but there’s a higher chance of cloud cover.
      – Sunset offers the most beautiful colors along the Napali Coast; however, this time of day has the highest probability of fog or cloud cover, and the other side of the island will be less well-lit.

      As you can see, one isn't better than the other—it's more a matter of luck. Whenever it happens, you're going to love it—I'm sure of it. 🙂

      Big hugs and have a wonderful trip!

  3. Congratulations on all the work you do!
    I'm planning our trip to Hawaii, and I'm paying more attention to you than to Lonely Planet! 😉
    Given the number of days we have and our budget for the island, I think we'll have to choose between seeing the Na Pali Coast by boat or by helicopter—what would you recommend??
    Thank you so much, and congratulations!!!

    • Hi, Laia. More attention than Lonely Planet? What an honor! 😍
      Thank you so much, really.

      As for the question of whether to choose a boat or a helicopter, you're putting me on the spot. But I'm going to take a stand. 😉

      I think if I had to choose between the two activities, I'd go with the helicopter:
      The view of the Napali Coast is fantastic from both perspectives, but with the helicopter you get way closer to it, and they can even take you right into some canyons. And the great thing about the helicopter is that you see virtually the entire island, which is gorgeous from above, not just the Napali Coast.

      A downside? The flight lasts only 1 hour, while the boat tour takes much longer. Well, and it costs more, of course. But that one-hour flight is breathtaking and intense.

      Whichever one you choose, you're going to love it, hands down. But yeah, if I had had enough budget, I would have done the helicopter again. So that's what I recommend (I asked my husband to give you two points of view and he feels the same way).

      Either way, enjoy the trip heaps! 🙂

  5. What a fantastic experience!
    Thank you so much for all your tips—another great reason to add to the list of reasons to visit Hawaii.
    I loved the video—what do you use to stabilize the camera and get such smooth movements?
    And the photos of Nahuai (which rhymes with Hawaii 😀) are breathtaking, just as we’ve come to expect.
    Congratulations on a fantastic post!
    Luis

    • Hi Luis! Thanks so much! Yeah, honestly, flying in a helicopter over Kauai (which also rhymes with Nahuai 😜) was one of the highlights of my trip to Hawaii. Make a note of it—it’s totally worth it.
      As for the video’s stability, let’s just say I don’t have the steady hand of a surgeon! Half the credit goes to the GoPro and the other half to iMovie. The photos really are wonderful—Nahuai did a great job. Honestly, with images like these, words are unnecessary.
      Thanks again for your comment! Hugs.

    • Hi, Luis!

      Thanks for stopping by and for the compliments, hehe!
      As you can imagine, before getting on the helicopter, I did a lot of research and testing—all to make sure I had the right camera settings for the trip. And honestly, I’m really happy with the result, although I think most of the credit goes to the scenery. What an island!
      On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by how well iMovie stabilized the video—it really helps convey the experience more smoothly.
      But as Celi says, take note: there’s nothing like experiencing it firsthand 🙂

      Warm hugs!