Top 5 Volcanoes National Park Helicopter Tours: A Review

Visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is already pretty awe-inspiring, that’s for certain, but viewing it from the air? So, yeah, it elevates the whole adventure to a totally new level. There’s really nothing quite like witnessing the sheer force of nature as lava flows meet the ocean or catching sight of those expansive volcanic landscapes from up above. Here’s my rundown of the five very best helicopter tours for experiencing this iconic national park in a spectacular way.

1. Paradise Helicopters: Doors-Off Lava & Rainforest Adventure

So, first on the list, Paradise Helicopters, they actually provide a trip that mixes both thrill and really impressive viewing of the landscape. What they offer is their “Doors-Off Lava & Rainforest Adventure.” Basically, that “doors-off” part means that, just a little bit, you’re totally unencumbered and very free to capture truly sensational photographs and videos. It also gives you that super-raw experience of actually feeling the air as you pass over those steaming vents and like, verdant rainforests. The flight patterns are pretty deliberate, so to be sure, everybody gets pretty awesome views, and those pilots? Well, they’re pretty amazing too – not only are they very experienced, yet, they also fill the trip with some rather engaging stories about the geology, the history, and of course, that Hawaiian culture.

The helicopters that they tend to use are generally pretty modern and also well maintained. Plus, Paradise Helicopters has this solid commitment to eco-tourism, which is really quite awesome. What that actually means is they’re all about trying to minimize the impact on those surrounding areas while also, too, promoting respectful interaction with such a gorgeous and unique ecosystem. Expect to spend around 45–50 minutes in the air, which gives you quite the substantial look at some of the key volcanic spots as well as, yet, some really picturesque rainforest regions. That tour price, it typically dances around the $300–$400 range, could be, which, actually, is a very worthy splurge for what you’re getting.

2. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters: Volcanoes & Waterfalls Deluxe

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, that’s another company that’s highly spoken of, offering something they tend to call the “Volcanoes & Waterfalls Deluxe” tour. In a way, their offer isn’t only a spectacular air experience but actually something that just adds a dash of luxury and comfort, could be. Those helicopters? They’re designed for enhanced viewing, very comfy seating, and noise-canceling headsets – really making for quite the ride. What separates this journey is its extensive coverage; not only does the flight get pretty close to the active volcanic zones, but it also heads way over some hidden valleys and cascading waterfalls that just aren’t accessible by regular ground routes. This definitely provides a wide overview of such geographical diversity that that island offers.

Now, you might tend to find this is just a little bit more pricey – with tickets commonly falling around that $400–$500 bracket. It’s also rather justified given just a little bit of comfort, viewing capabilities, as well as extensive tour length – approximately 50–55 minutes in the air. Like Paradise Helicopters, they tend to make a big effort to emphasize both passenger experience along with environmental care. They’ve gained plenty of recognition for basically upholding high safety standards and customer satisfaction too it’s almost. This tour is pretty amazing for anyone who likes to indulge in pretty high-end experiences while they’re experiencing those amazing landscapes.

3. Safari Helicopters: Big Island Spectacular

So, Safari Helicopters, now they give you the “Big Island Spectacular” – that actually implies that they’re basically trying to give an all-encompassing look at every key geological feature that the island possesses. Their journey commonly stretches a bit further than average, usually clocking around 2 hours, thereby ensuring participants basically soak in quite the generous portion of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in addition to other popular local attractions such as, maybe, the Hamakua Coast’s waterfalls or, arguably, that Kohala Valleys rather dramatic cliffs. During the trip, some extremely experienced pilots often provide very rich commentary, mixing scientific information with just a touch of Hawaiian myths and like legends – thus pretty much adding depth to such a visit.

Cost-wise, this specific Safari Helicopters adventure usually lands somewhere around $500–$600 mark. The value in picking them basically comes through some longer flight durations, thus, more complete looks. Their safety record tends to be top-tier, and many reviews pretty consistently highlight the tour’s comprehensiveness along with their pilots’ professionalism. Anyone eager to see every major viewpoint in one single tour tends to find “Big Island Spectacular” incredibly fulfilling, don’t they?

4. Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours: Lava Encounter

Okay, so moving onto Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours, they generally give something really very special for just those who find themselves fascinated just a little bit by something like volcanic activity in the most immediate way possible. What’s particularly awesome tends to be Mauna Loa’s “Lava Encounter”. That definitely tries to make an up-close experience when it deals with those active flows (weather along with volcanic behavior considering), making certain passengers witness first hand every process that shapes terrain in those Pacific areas. Safety will certainly be number one with experienced fliers knowing every volatility regarding air currents around such zones, making trips simultaneously secure also fascinating.

Lasting generally around 40–45 mins the expense for this one averages approximately somewhere around $350 to $450 actually – a somewhat modest yet really worthwhile expense considering rare sights experienced. Views tend focus nearly solely towards anything connected particularly well given energetic spots rendering lesser attention paid to more generalized destinations found nearby (jungles along streams for example). To actually satisfy craving intense intimate geological events here would actually become very appropriate but expecting panoramic overview is usually another tour option ideally matched instead, maybe.

5. Volcano Heli Tours: Volcano Adventure Flight

Alright last we find that Volcano Heli Tours giving some interesting offering too it’s almost termed really simply: something which definitely implies that trip covers every important volcanic location near where tours starts that tourists appreciate getting comprehensive experiences within those Hawaii parks limitations though, might be. Often during approximately nearly thirty minutes above average, such Volcano Heli Tours trip normally tries encapsulating prime volcanic viewpoints which therefore ensures amazing image quality combined informative story narratives directed expertly knowledgeable trip leads providing educational aspect beyond basically pure view pleasure alone when picking journeys together something quite attractive definitely does add value particularly families.

Expenses fall quite modestly often approximately round price areas which families visiting may consider viable – expenses vary perhaps dependant seasonality demands packages average commonly roughly within bounds usually falling approximately within ranges fluctuating mainly regarding availability discount application occasionally happening certain conditions warrant these packages becoming reasonably competitively affordable particularly folks looking combining pleasure alongside educational learning at park surroundings easily.