The short answer – yes, it’s the absolute best way to see the gems of Kauai!

We originally booked our helicopter tour for early in our visit, as suggested by many travel guides and bloggers. Great thing that we did! We showed up at the requested time on our initial departure day, amidst low-lying clouds and were excited to see that the tour before us had departed. Check-in was easy – you’re weighed, given a phone tether, offered coffee & water, and can visit with the staff as well as other folks flying. After the previous flights touched back down, The pilot came into the waiting room area, and explained that our flight would need to be cancelled due to weather and that we could either reschedule, or get a refund. They were totally booked up for the next two days, so it was lucky that we had flex time on the last day of our trip. We rebooked for a 10:45am flight time on Monday, and crossed our fingers.

After our check-in on Monday, we got the green light for our flight and were given a detailed safety briefing. The hour long flight absolutely flew by, especially since the adrenaline was high. It was a little windy while we were up there, so I think we had a bumpier ride than it usually would be.

Tour highlights include (in no particular order) the Na Pali Coast, Hanalei Bay, Waimea Canyon, Jurassic Falls, and Waialeale Crater.

Would I do it again? A resounding yes. It is the best way to see the gorgeous landscapes of Kauai, and we saw waterfalls and sights that either are difficult to access or inaccessible by land/foot. I also know what to expect a little more now & would love to share with those of you considering a doors off helicopter tour in Kauai.

Doors off or doors on?

If you are at all into photography, doors off will allow for a mostly unobstructed view of all the sights you see throughout the tour. There’s no glare off the glass, and you get more of a birds-eye view than you would with doors on. Now, while I will 1000% choose doors off every time from now on, that’s not to say I wasn’t pumped full of adrenaline the entire ride. Doors off makes it feel like you could just…fall out? Of course, you are strapped in and very safe. It’s just an alarming feeling if you’re not used to it.

What is the best time of day to book a doors-off helicopter tour of Kauai?

As I mentioned earlier on, I highly recommend booking the tour for early on in your itinerary as it leaves some wiggle room to reschedule later on if needed. We needed it! As for time of day, midday is a great time to book your flight if you’re thinking about photography and lighting ~ there are less shadows to deal with. If you really want to get out, it seems like the first flights of the day will often fly. Just keep in mind that the weather in Kauai changes all the time, and there may often be high winds or low clouds that may be the cause of cancellations. Be ready to roll with it, and trust that if you do have to reschedule 1) it’s safer and 2) the views and overall experience will be better next time!

What do you wear for a doors-off helicopter tour of Kauai?

Wear a jacket or coat that has zipper pockets, but doesn’t have a hood or long drawstrings. They will whip around! When we go again one day, I’ll wear a tighter-fitting quarter-zip. You must wear your hair back. I wish I’d done French braids or something tighter than a ponytail, though the headset acts as decent headband. It rained a couple times while we were in the air, but you don’t feel it.

You can only bring one device per person – the iPhone is great, but I do wish some of my photos were better resolution. Honestly, I can’t imagine toggling between a phone and camera for shots – it was stressful enough just holding onto my phone!

If you’re in the seats behind the pilot, the right side is the “better” seat for views. He turns the chopper around a lot so everyone gets a good look though. J gets that seat next time 😉

We booked a Hughes 500 Doors-Off Helicopter with Airborne Aviation. Premium seating was $375 per person, plus fees at time of writing.
Check them out at airborneaviationtours.com.