Waterfall Safari Helicopter

Kauai Deluxe Waterfall Safari: Helicopter Tour runs through Safari Helicopters. Rated 4.8 across 963 reviews. Runs 55 minutes (approx.). From $335.7.

Check park access before you go. Stops inside state parks (Waimea Canyon, Koke'e, Wailua River and Secret Falls) follow current DLNR notices and can be closed. Check the booking page for which stops are running on your date.

Overview

This 55-minute flight with Safari Helicopters loops over central Kauai, covering more than 100 miles in the air and passing the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon and Mount Waialeale. One reviewer described a dip into the volcanic crater where many waterfalls were streaming down, and several reviews mention large numbers of waterfalls across the route. Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park is a pass-by rather than a landing, so everything is seen from the aircraft.

There is no hotel pickup: everyone checks in at the Safari Helicopters base on Akahi Street in Lihue, across from Hilo Hattie.

It suits most travellers who want the island overview in under an hour, including families with school-age children. It is not a fit for wheelchair users.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Check in at Lihue baseArrive at Safari Helicopters, 3225 Akahi Street, Lihue, across from Hilo Hattie. Guests are required to check in 30 minutes before departure.
2. Pre-flight preparationAllow time for check-in formalities and any weight confirmation before departure, as the operator requires accurate weights for safety. The listing advises arriving well ahead of the departure time.
3. Board the helicopterThe aircraft carries a maximum of six travellers plus the pilot.
4. Fly Na Pali CoastThe route passes by Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, a pass-by with no landing, along with views of Waimea Canyon and Waialeale across more than 100 miles of flying.
5. Return to the baseThe flight ends back at the same meeting point in Lihue after roughly 55 minutes in the air.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical details shape how this flight goes, from weight rules to seating and weather.

• Weight rules. The per-passenger weight limit is 113 kg.
• Seating and views. The cabin carries up to six travellers plus the pilot, and one reviewer found the six-person layout crowded, with inhibited views from the middle seats and better sightlines from the front. Another reviewer preferred smaller groups of four or two for clearer views.
• Weather changes. Kauai weather shifts quickly, and one reviewer advised not judging the flight by the forecast and trusting the operator to give the best tour the weather allows. Poor weather can cancel a flight, in which case the listing offers a different date or a full refund.
• Group feel. Up to six travellers share the cabin, and some found that crowded for middle seats. Families with children roughly eight and up have reviewed it positively, and infants must sit on laps per the listing.
• Getting there. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so plan the drive to Akahi Street in Lihue. The base is near public transportation, and the listing states a fuel surcharge is already built into the booking price.

Common issues. Seating is the main complaint: one reviewer said the six-person layout was crowded and inhibited views for those in the middle, and another recommended a smaller group of four or two for better sightlines. Weather cancellations happen, and the listing promises a new date or a full refund when poor weather cancels a flight. The experience is not wheelchair accessible.

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