Helicopter Tours: Maui Vacation Activity Spotlight

Hawaii is known for its lush green mountains, beautiful beaches, and scenic waterfalls. West Maui in particular is a popular destination for vacationing tourists since it offers a wealth of activities for everyone to enjoy. Here, you can swim on the shores of Lahaina beach, hike the lush jungle, zip through the mountains, or play golf at the Kaanapali Golf Courses. But if you want to witness Maui’s awe-inspiring views from the air, you should take part in an exciting helicopter tour! 

During your helicopter ride, you will be treated to the impressive views of the West Maui Mountains, Haleakala, the rainforests of Hana as well as Molokai's waterfalls, sea cliffs, and the famous Shipwreck Beach on Lanai. If you are adventurous enough, avail of the helicopter tour that includes an oceanfront or cliffside landing experience!

Here are some of the tour operators that offer exciting helicopter tours in Maui.

Blue Hawaiian

Blue Hawaiian is one of the leading helicopter tour operators in Hawaii since the 1980s. Aside from Maui, they also offer helicopter tours in some other islands in Hawaii, such as Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island. The West Maui and Molokai Helicopter tour is one of its most popular tour packages. Costing around $200 to $350 per person, depending on the season, this tour will take tourists to soar above 88 miles of untouched coastline and witness towering waterfalls plunging from sea cliffs towards the turquoise sea on Molokai’s north shore.

An expert pilot who is also a Hawaii-certified tour guide will be your guide during this epic adventure. During the tour, you will also learn about Maui's history, culture, and traditions. The tour will take approximately 50 minutes and will depart from the Kahului Heliport. To ensure a safe and comfortable journey, Blue Hawaiian uses only the best helicopters in the industry. Their helicopters offer incomparable passenger comfort and feature the latest cutting-edge technologies.

Air Maui

Air Maui is another company that offers helicopter tours in various parts of Maui. Based in Maui, their West Maui and Molokai Tours are very popular mainly because they are using "doors-off helicopter", which makes the experience even more thrilling and fun. With nothing between you and the outdoor views, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of the West Maui Mountains and Molokai. 

Your 45-minute journey will start at the scenic West Maui Mountains, before passing through the Pailolo Channel where you can witness the magnificent sea cliffs and waterfalls of Molokai from up above. Brace yourself as the helicopter flies above the water, and with no windows to create glare, you'll be able to capture the most stunning photos from the air! From lush rainforests to magnificent waterfalls and gorgeous rainbows, you will be able to enjoy all these amazing views when you book this Maui helicopter tour. 

Air Maui also offers Hana and Haleakala helicopter tours where you get to marvel at some of the most spectacular sights on Maui, including the Haleakala Crater and the tropical Hana Rain forests.

Sunshine Helicopters

Sunshine Helicopters is a tour company run by a husband and wife team, Ross and Anna Scott. They started with a charter boat business, before venturing into helicopter tours in the 1980s. Today, Sunshine Helicopters is one of the most popular helicopter tours not only in Maui but all over Hawaii. They provide their services in the major islands of Hawaii, such as in the Big Island, Kauai, and Maui. Of all their Maui tours, it is the Maui and Molokai Helicopter Tour that is the most popular.

During your helicopter tour, you will glide over the towering sea cliffs along the windward coasts of Molokai. This area has the world's steepest sea cliffs, which were formed as a result of the massive earth slide about 1.4 million years ago. From here, your ride will hover over the towering and plunging waterfalls, as well as the hidden valleys! The other helicopter tours that they are offering in Maui are the Hana Haleakala Tour, which features the magnificent views of Haleakala's crater, and the Circle Island Deluxe Tour, which explores all the scenic glory of the Valley Isle.

Maverick Helicopter

Maverick Helicopters is one of the world's largest aviation-based tourism companies. They have operations in six locations all over the United States, including Hawaii. In Hawaii, they offer their services in Kauai and Maui. When it comes to their helicopter tours in Maui, it is the Molokai Voyage that is the most popular. It is a two-island helicopter experience that will take you to explore the picturesque islands of Molokai and Maui.

The Molokai Voyage tour is a popular Maui vacation activity, which takes approximately 55 minutes. Departing from Kahului Heliport, this helicopter tour will start at Molokai's tallest sea cliffs before flying over the Pailolo channel that features some of the most scenic waters between the islands. Then your helicopter will soar above breathtaking waterfalls, which include the Kahiwa Falls, the tallest waterfall all over the Hawaiian Islands. During your tour, you will enjoy a bird's eye view of the Molokai Fringing Coral Reef,  Halawa Valley,  and the ancient fish ponds on the southern coast.

Conclusion

Taking the helicopter tour in Hawaii is definitely one of the best things to experience on your Maui vacation. Aside from marveling at the majestic views from the air, you will hear historical narrations from your pilot, which makes the experience even more fantastic. 

Aside from a helicopter ride, some other activities that you should experience are swimming at Kaanapali Beach, and hiking the Iao Valley State Park. And in order to make the most of your visit to Maui, consider staying in the vacation rentals in  Lahaina Shores, where you get easy access to the various attractions in downtown Lahaina. The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach is also a great place to base yourself in West Maui. It's where you will find some of the best vacation rentals in Maui.

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