Kohala vs Volcano Helicopter Flights on the Big Island: Which Route Fits Your Trip?

Quick Verdict: Kohala Valleys or a Volcano Flight

Choose a Kohala flight if waterfalls, sea cliffs and Waipiʻo Valley are your priority stops. Choose a route that names Kīlauea if the volcano is why you are flying.

• I would pick the Kohala Waterfalls & Valleys Helicopter Tour for travellers who want a shorter Kohala flight with pilot narration, which is how its listing frames it.
• I would pick the Kohala Waterfalls with Exclusive Landing Helicopter Tour for travellers who want to step out at a waterfall pool on a flight from Waikoloa.
• I steer travellers who want one long flight over volcanic areas, the Hamakua Coast and the Kohala valleys to the Kohala and volcano helicopter tour from the same operator's range.
• I steer travellers based near Hilo who want Kīlauea, rainforest and waterfalls to the Big Island: Discover Hilo Helicopter Tour.

Read my volcano helicopter versus ground tour comparison, because the eruption comes and goes and a ground visit may suit you better.

Route Coverage: Kohala Valleys, a Landing or Kīlauea

The two Kohala listings cover waterfalls, sea cliffs and valleys. The longer listing from the same operator adds volcanic areas, rainforest and the Hamakua Coast, and the Hilo listing centres on Kīlauea.

According to the Pololū Valley entry on Wikipedia, "Kohala is the oldest of the five volcanoes that make up Hawaiʻi Island; Pololū Valley at its northern end is reached by a short graded trail to the valley floor." When I think about this coast, I keep coming back to one scene from March 2023. From the Pololū Valley lookout at the end of the road in Kohala, I watched rain squalls march down the green cliffs toward the sea. The wind smelled of salt and wet grass. Below, waves broke white on the boulder beach, and their boom rolled up the valley walls a moment after each wave landed. What I took from that: wear sturdy shoes if you go down the valley trail, because the rocks stay slick after the frequent showers.

Kohala Waterfalls & Valleys Helicopter Tour: What the Listing Covers

The listing says this flight crosses the Kohala Mountains, the sea cliffs and Waipiʻo Valley, with pilot commentary through noise-cancelling headsets. According to the Waipiʻo Valley entry on Wikipedia, "The road into Waipiʻo Valley rises 800 feet in 0.6 miles at a 25% average grade; valley-floor access by road is limited to Big Island residents, county-permitted tour operators and those practicing Native Hawaiian customary rights."

The card does not state the departure heliport, so confirm it along with weight limits and the weather-cancellation policy.

Kohala Waterfalls with Exclusive Landing Helicopter Tour: What the Listing Covers

This listing departs from Waikoloa and flies over the Kohala waterfalls. Its card says the tour includes a landing on a grassy pad beside a freshwater pool and waterfall.

I steer travellers who want a moment on the ground at a waterfall to this one.

The Kohala and Volcano Helicopter Tour From the Same Operator

The listing describes one long flight in an Airbus helicopter over volcanic areas, rainforest, the Hamakua Coast and the Kohala Mountain valleys. Its card asks you to confirm the departure heliport, weight limits and whether lava viewing is likely on your date. I read that last line as the operator flagging that lava is not a given, and I would treat it the same way.

I would pick this listing for travellers who want Kohala and volcanic landscapes in one booking and do not need a landing.

Big Island: Discover Hilo Helicopter Tour for Kīlauea and Rainforest

This listing covers Kīlauea, rainforest, waterfalls and black-sand beaches in an Airbus Eco-Star. The listing targets travellers based near Hilo, but the card does not state the departure heliport, so confirm that along with seating allocation and weight limits.

Skip this listing if Kohala waterfalls or Waipiʻo are what you came for, because its card mentions neither. I would pick this one for travellers sleeping near Hilo who want the volcano side of the Big Island from the air.

Side-by-Side: What Each Listing States

Route and landing are the rows that decide this choice. The other rows are things to confirm. Where a card is silent, I have written check the listing.

I would pick from the first two listing columns if your priority stops are Kohala waterfalls and valleys, and from the last two if Kīlauea is the reason for the flight.

Choosing Between the Kohala Valleys and Kīlauea

Choose by what you want below the aircraft and where you are sleeping. The Kohala listings put waterfalls, sea cliffs and valleys first. The volcano listings put Kīlauea first, and because its eruption is episodic, no flight can promise lava.

According to the Kīlauea entry on Wikipedia, "Kīlauea is the most active of the five volcanoes that form Hawaiʻi Island and among the most active volcanoes on Earth." The same entry covers the current phase: "Kīlauea's current eruption began in December 2024 inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater, with episodic lava fountains that come and go rather than a constant lava lake." For status on your date, I send readers to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, managed by the National Park Service, and to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory updates.

My advice: pick the side of the island first, then the listing. I would pick the Discover Hilo listing for travellers sleeping near Hilo who want Kīlauea, and the Waikoloa landing flight for travellers who want waterfalls and a stop on the ground.

What to Check Before Booking a Kohala or Volcano Flight

Before paying for either kind of flight, confirm the departure heliport, weight limits, the weather terms and what the listing includes.

Two listings here carry Kohala Waterfalls in the title, yet only one card describes a landing and only one names Waikoloa.

It helps to schedule a weather-dependent flight early in your stay, so a night remains to rebook if the operator reschedules.

I steer readers still weighing other routes to my helicopter tours guide, and I steer anyone who cares more about waterfalls than aircraft to my waterfall tours page.