(All Reviews) Page 7) Volcano Air Flights & Tours (Hawaii Volcanoes National Park), Big Island tours & activities, fun things to do in Big Island | HawaiiActivities.com

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here

All Reviews for Volcano Air Flights & Tours in Big Island

Overall Rating

4.66 4.66 / 5

Reviews

232 reviews

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

A wonderful perspective

Reviewed by: Tammy R

Marco was our pilot and he was fabulous. My 13 year old was a bit nervous with the doors off and he made her feel right at ease.
The view you get and the knowledge passed down by Marco was great! You cannot truly appreciate the volcano and what it can do unless you see it from above. The big picture and unique view from above is priceless.
We saw lava the day we went and that was a bonus, but even if you cannot see the the lava, it is still a wonderful way to view the landscape and truly see the devastation the lava flow can do.
We have done another helicopter tour in the past on Kauai and it is the best way to see the islands. You can go places a car cannot and that is worth it!
Thank you Marco and the rest of the staff at Paradise Helicopter...you were wonderful and we had a great trip!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families
Posted on: 2012/07/24

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Fantastic!

Reviewed by: Mr. Ritter

I can tell you that we were totally satisfied and happy with the helicopter tour. The weather was great and so the pilot could show us fantastic views. The pilot and the whole crew was friendly and helpful and we felt safe and happy. Five stars for everything. Thank you again

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2012/06/05

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Worth the money

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

I did this helicopter ride with my husband and 12 yr old son. It was fantastic! We got lucky and had a sunny day, and the views of the island were amazing. We saw some lava flows, we saw waterfalls, and the pilot shared lots of information. We saw a house that had recently been destroyed by lava flow, and all that was left was a bit of roof. We had never done a helicopter ride, and I was a bit nervous about it. We rode with the doors on. It was very smooth, and the views made me forget to be nervous. I felt very safe actually. Our pilot (Aaron) was completely competent and friendly and knowledgeable. I got to sit in the front, next to the pilot. My husband and son sat behind us and they had a great time. Its expensive, but its worth doing at least once. You'll get a view of the island that you can't see any other way.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families with Young Children
Posted on: 2012/04/07

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Fantastic

Reviewed by: Christine P.

It was phenominal. Incredible views and good commentary from the pilot. I would definitely recommend a wind breaker if going with the doors off.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2012/03/25

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Excellent

Reviewed by: Dirk

This was an excellent activity! Our pilot, Toshi, did a great job of getting us close to the lava flows and the waterfalls. He was extremely knowledgeable of all the sights and was able to effectively communicate to both those who only spoke English and those who only spoke Japanese. I would highly recommend this two hour flight over the other flights available. What you are able to see in that amount of time is well worth the extra money!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Friends
Posted on: 2012/02/02

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Big Island Adventure

Reviewed by: Debra N. from Iowa

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is a first time visitor to the Big Island. The views were spectacular! Take many pictures in flight as the DVD of the flight does not capture everything you see and ask alot of questions about what you are seeing. For me, it was worth the money! The staff were great!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Friends
Posted on: 2011/11/30

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Excellent Tour

Reviewed by: John Johnson

I took the doors off flight and I was totally amazed.
This is the best experience you could even imagine.
Ranks equal to or even better than riding my Harley through the Rocky mountains in Colorado.
Of coarse you can tell that I highly recommend this flight and especially with the doors off.
The pilot on my flight (Dillon) (hope I spelled your name right) was skilled and competent and ready to answer all questions with knowledge and completness.

Just do it!!! A. L. (John) Johnson Englewood CO

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Friends
Posted on: 2011/10/26

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Awesome adventure

Reviewed by: Tom & Mindy

Totally awesome! Mark was full of interesting information and the trip was beautiful and amazing! We would highly recommend this adventure to anyone!!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2011/06/06

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Helicopter Volcano Tour

Reviewed by: Tina Thatcher

This was an excellent trip!

The pre-flight activities were well organized, and the staff was very courteous.

The actual flight was incredible, and the pilot was very knowledgeable. It was wonderful to be able to ask questions while in flight.

The weather was the only drawback. We couldn't see the crater due to rain/fog/wind. It was still an incredible trip, but it would have been even better to see the crater.

I would recommend this trip to anyone, although considering the cost, children probably wouldn't enjoy as much as adults. Seating is arranged by weight to balance the ride, so young children could be separated from Mom - might be an issue for some.

Overall, a wonderful tour conducted by a wonderful company.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families
Posted on: 2011/04/05

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

helicopter tour

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

We loved our helicopter tour! Our first time in a helicopter and we both had a few hesitations, but the ground crew was very helpful and supportive and Koji, our pilot, was wonderful. He made an effort to circle around each area so that everyone would have a great view of the area. The tour was awesome, we felt like we saw all the highlights on the island and really got a feeling of how the lava flows and how the island has changed over the years. We would definitely recommend this tour. The highlight of our trip to the Big Island.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2011/03/02

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Highly recommend!

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

This was an extremely unique experience. Some of the views can only be experienced from a helicopter. Waterfalls, lava flows, flights deep into the valley are just some of the sights on this tour. The pilot/guide is extremely knowledgeable and makes the trip fun as well. Well worth the cost and would highly recommend for any individual or group. I can only imagine that each trip would be different due to environmental conditions such as lava flows and rainfall so it is perfect for first timers and repeat guests.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Friends
Posted on: 2011/02/21

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Be Aware!!

Reviewed by: crfolgate

This would be a great trip IF you don't get stuck in the backwards seats. These seats are a total rip off since you don't get to see where you are headed and when there is something cool to see well too bad it's already past. Pilot does a good job of trying to circle around so everyone see's but there's no way for the backward seat folks to see anything really well. If you decide to go I STRONGLY recommend that you get guarantee's that you get a front seat or front looking seats only. My wife and Mom had great seats and enjoyed the views I'm happy about that but I wish I had saved the money and sent them up without me since it was two hours of flying backwards and barely seeing anything. You have been warned. :O
**** Also you should also be aware that the photo's of all the cool lava flows are really old. We saw very little lava and after the flight we found out they use old photo's for advertising. Pretty views are to be had but not much lava.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families with Young Children
Posted on: 2011/02/04

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Best bang for buck of heli tours

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

The staff was fantastic - friendly, helpful, and safe. Let alone the views and vistas you get to see - this is the best bang-for-the-buck of helicopter tours, with a full 2 hours in the air. The pilot, Koji, was very knowledgeable of the area and led an incredibly informative and fun talk over the intercom. Koji also provided a very comfortable ride that was much more mellow and safe than I was expecting (I'm afraid of heights and I LOVED IT, so don't let your fear of heights worry you, you'll be fine with these guys). Excellent work from everyone and I'll be back soon : )

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Friends
Posted on: 2011/01/19

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Helicopter

Reviewed by: Jerald Fox

Everyone shoud do this tour in the first few days of vacation. Fantastic experience and the best way to see the island!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families with Young Children
Posted on: 2010/12/31

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Volcano tour

Reviewed by: Adele + Samantha

The helicopter trip was fun. The pilot (Julie) was very informative. Would have been better if the volcano was erupting so that we could have seen that!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families with Young Children
Posted on: 2010/12/29

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Great experience with one caution

Reviewed by: Dawn

Had a fantastic time! Our guide, Jesse, grew up on the island and was a wealth of information about not just what we saw on the tour, but also about other activities on the island. Word of caution: if you book through a third party like we did, after you receive confirmation, call Paradise to verify your group size. We showed up as scheduled to discover that someone (don't know if it was Paradise or Hawaii Activities) incorrectly entered the size of our group as two instead of three. We couldn't take the tour on our scheduled day because the group was overbooked. Luckily we were able to go the next day and Paradise had availability. They took great care of us once the error was discovered, but if you're on a tight schedule, don't risk missing out. Call ahead! Inconvenience aside, this is something you should do and was well worth the cost!!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families with Young Children
Posted on: 2010/11/26

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Outstanding

Reviewed by: Peggy

The Volcano Helicopter Tour with Blue Hawaiian was outstanding! One of the highlights of our trip. We were not only fortunate enough to see lava in the crater and flowing into the ocean but saw many other great sites and learned a great deal about the region. Our guide (Thanks, Kemo!) was fun, knowledgable and a great pilot. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2010/10/11

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Doors off Helicopter ride

Reviewed by: Peter in Sydney

Well worth doing the helicopter ride and the Doors Off Experience is the way to do it. The ride itself is worth it but to then fly over the lava flowing into the ocean and seeing collapsed lava tubes is something else.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2010/09/24

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Hawaii Volcano Helicopter Tour 2hr

Reviewed by: Gary and Michelle Trupe

Absolutely fantastic!! Great care taken by the staff. Great attention to detail. Saftey always the first priority and concern. The staff is not only knowledgeable but absolutely incredibly fun to travel with. We would never go anywhere else and we will most certainly return. Keep up the great work! Aloha and Maholo!!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2010/08/30

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Thanks again

Reviewed by: Aimee and John

John and I wanted to send this email thanking everyone at Paradise for a once in a lifetime experience on our vacation. We took one of your newer trips which flew out of Kona, over the valleys, drop off in Hilo for the day (with paid rental car), then over the Volcanoes, and back to Kona. We really enjoyed the entire day. In fact we hadn't originally thought we would get to visit the Hilo area since the drive from Kona is a couple of hours. So not only did we get to see beautiful valleys, waterfalls, and running lava from air but we got to explore the Rain forest national Zoo, The Volcano national Park, Rainbow Falls, and Akaka Falls all by land as well. Also our pilot Steve was so informative and friendly he really helped make our day just that much more special. I'm sure he flies the same routes every day, yet you couldn't tell. His passion for the land, and surroundings was contagious. Thanks again, we included some of our amazing trip photos.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2010/06/10

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

First-Timers

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

This is a great activity except if you're prone to motion-sickness then it is not for you. Two hours was way too long for us. I was doing well in the first hour when we were shown the volcanoes and mountains but in the second hour I could not keep my eyes open due to my motion sickness. And that sucked because in the second hour is when he shows you the beautiful valleys and waterfalls! Thank God my husband was able to record it for me but it still wasn't the same. I would recommend a 45-minute-1 hour tour but not the 2 hour tour.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2010/04/22

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Big Island

Reviewed by: William

To start off with when we were making reservations transportation aparently wasn't available. Don't let them tell you that. They have vans and make pick-ups from the hotel we stayed in. We took the big island spectacular 2 hour. It was nice. The volcano part wasn't what i thought. I expected to see flowing lava. All you see is the top crust of past lava flows. Even the volcano vent wasn't what I thought it would be. The VOG was so thick thast about all you could see. A little let down. Although the 2nd part was the tropical rain forest. We had a nice ride along the ocean front. Went up the valleys and saw more waterfalls than I could keep track of. Pilot even sighted some whales and circled for us. Wind turbulance in some of the valleys made me tighten my seat belt a bit. Later I learned the pilot is a retired coast guard pilot. Wish I knew that going in, I would have been a bit more relaxed.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2010/04/04

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

We had a great time!!

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

We had a great time on the Big Island tour today. The flight was
awesome. The pilot, Koji, did a terrific job. He made sure folks on
both sides of the helicopter saw the sights-Pu'u O'o, lava flowing
into the ocean, waterfalls, etc. It was our first time in a helicopter
and it was a great experience.

The reservationists were patient and informative. The folks at the
terminal were helpful, supportive and very upbeat-they truly seemed
excited for us.

We will be sure to spread the good word about your outfit.

Thank you for making the experience positive, simple and memorable for
us.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2009/12/11

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Lava Hunting!

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

We did the "Fire & Falls" tour and loved it (although we both got a bit airsick, but that's not the company's fault, that's just because we're prone to it - the other couple with us was fine). I had picked Paradise because it was the cheapest air tour of the volcano (in terms of cost per minute), but I can't imagine why I would pay more for another company because this ride was everything we wanted.

We did the "doors off" tour and it was a 4-person helicopter (not incl. the pilot), so everyone had a fantastic view. I would highly recommend the doors-off experience. My husband is a bit afraid of heights, and even he agreed that doors-off was worth it (but a bit frightening for him). Our pilot was Jesse and he was a lot of fun.

What I loved is that if a passenger spotted lava, our pilot would circle back (as if we were "lava hunting") and make sure that everyone got a view.

The waterfalls portion was brief, and at the end. The main attraction of this tour is the volcano/lava.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2009/09/29

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Great!

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

Our group of 4 booked a "doors off" helicopter ride through Paradise Helicopters. None of our group had ever been in a helicopter before and this exceeded all of our expectations. The front desk staff was courteous and upbeat. The guy doing the safety briefing was thorough and knowledgeable while infusing some humor into the "speech". Our pilot was Joyce and we could not have asked for a better experience. Because there were 4 of us, we took every seat on the helicopter. We were concerned at first about the view from the front-middle seat, but she could still see everything, though you do miss the experience of sitting right by the window.

Joyce did a great job of going over the different areas multiple times so each side of the helicopter could see what was below. Joyce spoke clearly and slowly and we never had a problem hearing what she was saying and she would repeat the "attractions" for both sides of the helicopter.

If you have the option of choosing your pilot, you want J

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families
Posted on: 2009/09/29

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Gotta Do the Doors Off!!!

Reviewed by: Robin & Julie O'Neill

Doors Off is the ONLY way to go!!! Mahalo so much for the awesome tour experience over the Kilauea Lava Flow. Dylan was a great pilot and was very knowledgeable about the Hawaiian terrain we were flying over. He definitely provided a great commentary and guide to the beautiful sights below us. We have taken helicopter tours before over such things as Niagara Falls, but we will not want to be flying with doors on ever again. We highly recommend the doors off experience, it is second to none

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2009/09/17

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Flying high!

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

An amazing activity definately recommended to be done on Big Island. You get a narrated tour and see the flowing lava fields and the lava hitting the sea. A once in a life time experience. You see sights that you wouldn't see from ground level. Worth every penny. Very friendly staff.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2009/09/11

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Awesome!

Reviewed by: Tracey K.

Paradise Helicopters is an excellent company and I would highly recommend the Fire and Falls tour out of Hilo. For three of the four of us, this was our first time in a helicopter and it was amazing. Our pilot Dylan was fantastic and gave us a personal guided tour which was great because the whole ride was very interactive. Definitely the best way to see the Volcano and Water Falls!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families with Young Children
Posted on: 2009/07/04

Hawaii Big Island Helicopter Tour – Volcanoes, Valleys & Waterfalls Flight

Spectacular tour

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous

Our Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour was fantastic. Our pilot, Chris, was very informative and knowledgeable about the volcano and its surrounding area. His flying was superb as it was a very smooth ride. I would definitely recommend the Circle of Fire tour!!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Families with Young Children
Posted on: 2009/06/30

Kilauea Volcano Doors-Off Helicopter Tour from Hilo [Not Operating]

Doors off

Reviewed by: Glenn

The "doors off" was everything I had expected.....spectacular!!! Combine this with Jacks Volcano House Landing and you have a fantastic adventure. Jack Thompson met us and was a very cordial tour guide of the devastation that has occured arround his house. The pilot was an obvious experienced professional. The flight was smooth and not "white knuckle" at all. My wife was even pleasantly surprised, and she hates to fly!!!

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Test Package
Attended as: Couples
Posted on: 2009/06/02
  Top Destinations