A Maui helicopter tour puts you over a volcano crater one morning or alongside towering sea cliffs the next — it depends which way you turn out of Kahului. Fly east and you cross the Hana rainforest, its waterfalls and coast, then climb toward Haleakalā. Fly west and the deep valleys of the West Maui Mountains open up before you cross the channel to the sea cliffs of Molokai.
From the air, the rainforest, the crater and the cliffs are right there under your window. The real question isn’t whether to fly, but which side of the island you want to see.
East Maui: rainforest, waterfalls and Haleakalā
Heading east, you fly over tropical rainforest with hidden waterfalls and pools, then along the Hana coastline. Then the flight climbs up the flank of Haleakalā, a dormant volcano over 10,000 feet high, to look into the crater and its cinder cones. It is a landscape that changes completely in a few minutes: green and wet along the coast, then bare and volcanic at the top.
One honest note: cloud can sit on the summit, so the crater view is never guaranteed on a given day. The rainforest and the coast carry the flight either way.
West Maui and the Molokai sea cliffs
Heading west, you fly into the valleys and waterfalls of the West Maui Mountains, then out across the Pailolo Channel to Molokai’s north shore. There the sea cliffs rise 3,600 to 3,900 feet, with rainforest and falls on their faces. Flying past cliffs that size is reason enough to choose a westbound flight.
Which Maui helicopter tour to pick
Fly Over The World’s Maui hub lists six shared flights with Air Maui from Kahului Heliport, six passengers per cabin. Only the 75-minute event lands, and routes shift with the weather.
- Maui 30-Minute Bird’s-Eye View Helicopter Tour — from USD 316, about 30 minutes, doors on, all ages. The west coast: Kahakuloa and the northwest shore, Kaʻanapali and the west beaches, and central Maui on the way out and back. It doesn’t cross to Molokai or fly Haleakalā or the Hana rainforest. Pick it for a first taste, or if time is short.
- Maui 45-Minute West Maui & Molokai Helicopter Tour — from USD 368, about 45 minutes, doors on, all ages. West Maui valleys and waterfalls, then across the Pailolo Channel to Molokai’s sea cliffs. Pick it if the cliffs are what you came for.
- Maui 45-Minute Doors-Off West Maui & Molokai Helicopter Tour — from USD 452, about 45 minutes, doors off, and listed as the only doors-off helicopter on Maui. Same West Maui and Molokai route in an open cabin. Ages 10 and older; edge seats 16 and older. Only a cell phone is allowed for photos, with a lanyard provided. Pick it if you want nothing between you and the view.
- Maui 45-Minute Hana Rainforest & Haleakalā Crater Helicopter Tour — from USD 368, about 45 minutes, doors on, all ages. East Maui only: rainforest, waterfalls, the Hana coast, then Haleakalā Crater. Pick it if the volcano and rainforest matter more to you than Molokai.
- Maui 60-Minute Complete Island Helicopter Tour — from USD 513, about 60 minutes, doors on, all ages. East and West Maui on one flight: Haleakalā Crater, forest and waterfalls, the Hana coast, then the West Maui Mountains, including the Wall of Tears when weather allows. You may see Molokai from the west coast, but this is not the crossing to the Molokai sea cliffs. Pick it if you want the whole island in one go.
- Maui 75-Minute West Maui & Molokai Helicopter Tour with Oceanfront Landing — from USD 472, a 75-minute event, doors on, all ages, Monday to Friday only. West Maui, the Molokai sea cliffs, rainforest and waterfalls, then a landing at Air Maui’s private oceanfront site on Maui’s north shore (not on Molokai — and you don’t swim) before flying home over the West Maui Mountains. Pick it if you want time on the ground as part of the day.
A simple rule: choose the Hana and Haleakalā flight for the volcano, a West Maui and Molokai flight for the cliffs, and the Complete Island if you can’t decide and want both. If you want the cliffs with a stop on the ground, take the 75-minute flight; if you want them with the doors off, take the doors-off tour.
Before you go
- Where: Air Maui, Kahului Heliport, last hangar on the left — 108 Lelepio Place, Kahului, HI 96732 (Hangar 110). Plus code VHR8+2X (some GPS units miss the hangar). Hotel pickup is not included.
- Timing: contact Air Maui at least 72 hours before for the exact check-in and departure time, and check in 30 minutes before your flight. Allow 60–70 minutes’ drive from Lahaina, Kaʻanapali or Kapalua, and 30–45 minutes from Kīhei or Wailea.
- Booking ahead: the operator recommends 1–2 weeks ahead, or 3–4 weeks for groups of six or more.
- Parking: paid by QR code at the heliport entrance, credit card only.
- Bags: none in the cabin, including purses, fanny packs and backpacks.
- Children: on doors-on flights, infants under 24 months sit on an adult’s lap; from 24 months they need their own paid seat. Doors-off is for ages 10 and older.
- Weights: everyone is weighed at check-in and seated for balance. Doors-on needs a comfort seat for one passenger 240 lbs or more, a couple 420 lbs combined or more, or a group of three or more averaging 200 lbs. Doors-off thresholds are 230 lbs, 400 lbs combined and a 190 lbs average, and anyone 250 lbs or more must buy a comfort seat. Under-reporting can cancel you at check-in with no refund.
- Cancellation: currently free up to 24 hours before departure. If weather cancels, you are offered another time or a refund as shown when you book.
Still weighing east against west, or want the paid front seats? Email us at hello@flyovertheworld.com and we’ll help you pick the right flight.