Paradise Helicopters Reviews

This excursion is the biggest rip-off that I have seen. First off they do Not tell you about the seating arrangement until you have Paid and are already there. You have a 24 hour notice to give them to cancel your purchase. Smart of them!!!! Also they put my husband on this ride BACKWARDS. He got to see none of the sites until they passed it and now it appears faster because you are passed it. My husband complained before we took off on 2 occasions and they did NOT care . They take you to a town called Hilo and say it's a tourist town with shopping and eats. This place is a DUMP> with drug addicts and homeless people everywhere. I would not stand in the bus area due to the foul smell in there, making the driver pick us up across the street. Anyhow the company gave us half of our money back on my husbands seat. My credit card company ended up giving us the rest because they believed us on this purchase. I give them NO STARS truly but the rating system makes you give at least one. Our resort told us we should have asked them Who to have use and it was not this company , it was BLUE HAWAIIAN!!!!!!!! Oh , by the way we never saw the volcano erupting like everyone else... they said we would see it... it was ridiculous. The lady said we would get close but the FFA said it was not allowable at the last minute too.

What a fabulous tour! We had guests from Texas and it was the highlight of their visit. Chris was a wonderful pilot - very informative - and made us all feel extremely safe! The ground crew was great as well! Paradise Helicopters has a lot of really fun people working for them! I would 100% recommend Paradise to anyone visiting this beautiful island!

I planned my family s dream vacation to Hawaii visiting Kauai and Hawaii. I specifically chose the Big Island to see lava. I booked in advance and this was going to be the absolute highlight of our trip! We drove over an hour and a half to get to Hilo airport and arrived early. After our safety briefing we walked to the runway. Out of about 25-30 people we were the only ones not called out to a helicopter. After standing in the hot sun and waiting for almost 45 minutes a girl finally told us our helicopter was having battery issues and they were canceling. Of course there was not any more availability the rest of our vacation. I can not begin to describe how frustrated we were. Yes, I realize maintenance issues happen but I wish there were better backup plans! This was the only reason we came to this island and now we have no options! So disappointed!

Update!! Paradise employee assured us that she would refund our money immediately! My husband even confirmed before we left. Two days later I called the Hawaii Discount to see if refund was processed and she said Paradise had not even contacted them about a refund. She showed we actually flew! This is unacceptable service. She also said they probably would not have called to request refund if they hadn t already! Thank goodness I followed up! I understand we are only one customer (family of 5) but this experience was a once in a lifetime chance for us and was over $1,000!

We did the doors off tour over the volcano and it was awesome! Great staff, awesome pilot and a wonderful experience! We had a weather cancellation on our originally scheduled tour day, but I m so glad we rebooked, and they were so accommodating to help us make it happen. The pilot was very knowledgeable and told us a lot of information about the volcano and area. Overall I would do it again!

What you really want to do is learn to fly helicopters at Mauna Loa Helicopters, right next door.

The greatest and I've done a few in my day. Take the open door option. Very cool and very fun. Good price. Good pilot. Good time. Try it; you won't be disappointed.

Worst customer service experience. Our helicopter tour was cancelled second time( first due to weather ) due to the emergency landing of the helicopter which we were supposed to go according to them. We asked front desk lady to accommodate for other flights and options available. She wasn t very cooperative and was very rude and mean and acting like it was our fault and didn t bother about time we had spend travelling from Kona twice. When we asked for more information on available flights same day and next she was angry and called cops saying we were loud. I felt she didn t want other passengers to know that their helicopter had to do emergency landing. We were with our kids below 10 years old. They were really scared and we felt very threatened and harassed. I hope management looks into this incident and trains their staff to act politely as people are travelling on vacation here and with family. This incident happen at Hilo airport. I am still in shock how someone can act so badly with their own fault to the family with small kids. I am not recommending this company for anyone especially with family. I have to give one start so I can post this comment else I would have given 0 star.

went there a couple years ago. I remember the staff being very attentive and welcoming. We took a tour around the island, in which we received explanations about various things in the island, such as natural matters. I recommend going to the toilet before the flight. We also had a stop somewhere in the northern part of the island for lunch. The views you get to see are unique and can only be experienced through a helicopter ride. Some notable mentions are the city of Hilo, the forested areas of the north and the rocky, black beach in the south where the island continues to grow- you even get to see red hot magma blasting from inside the earth!

Friendly folks and the pilot was great. If I ever get to Hawaii again, I'll be flying around the island with these guys.

First of all, the Volcano Kohala Landing is a scam. There is no volcano landing. When we complained about it after landing, the owner said, Oh yea, we talked about changing that wording .

Not only was the tour not what printed material promised, but they landed the helicopter to feed two passengers, and NOT my family of four. They never offered that option to us. To that end, the response was, oh, that was arranged by a hotel and not through us. Really?

I have taken several other Helicopter rides, and not only was the trip a total scam, the pilot was obviously young and inexperienced. He couldn t keep the tail strait the whole trip.

DO NOT take this tour operator!

company takes the Covid safety rules seriously. thank you. booked a circle island tour with Paradise and so glad we did. friendly, professional, knowledgeable. we got lucky with a perfect weather day and so we saw all the highlights. waterfalls, jungle, valleys, snow capped peaks, and the current eruption lava crater. we were lucky enough to see about a dozen or more whales from the air. really was an outstanding tour.
a couple things to be aware of. first, if your a bigger person, it will start to feel cramped towards the end of the two hours. just the way it is in a chopper IMO. also, depending on the camera your using, the light, windows, and speed of the helicopter can make it difficult to get great pictures. if i had it to do again (hopefully someday) i would pick a doors off tour to assist with getting good photos. though i don't think this particular tour is available that way(could be wrong). with the high cost of this trip, these are good things to know.
our pilot was a great guy, answering any question from his passengers. and you really do see all the amazing things Hawaii island has to offer.

We flew doors off! Everyone has clear views. One person up front is it the middle but prob gets best views out front and under foot!

We were there during the eruptions of May 2018 and saw so much lava!

Matt our pilot mads sure each side had a fair share of viewing going around and around. Great staff. Great experience.

Recommend 100%.

If you're not a confident flyer doors off might be full on for first 10mins until you get used to it.

Great experience overall. Friendly staff. Really glad we opted to take the doors off.

A 2-hour tour of Course Island is too expensive. My butt also hurts. It's narrow because it's 6 people. I think a short course is fine.

Booked trip trough costco....great way to experience valley and volcano within half day tour. Our pilot was very experienced and knowledgeable which made experience more enjoyable. Though tour is for anyone above 5 years old but it could be little difficult for people with motion sickness and turbulence, especially for kids. Otherwise excellent ground staff and crew, who willing to help u make any car booking or excursion booking if needed while u r in hilo. They have flights from Kona and hilo both so u need to book according to u r hotel locations, u have choice to do volcano trip, valleys or both in same day trip. Valley trip was very scenic and overlooking 5 to 6 falls at once is amazing sight. Take motion sickness medication beforehand if your r prone to motion sickness. Good experience if you have not done helicopter ride before or not able to cover all areas of island on your own. Make sure you talk about seating preferences and what kind of flight you are on, we had 5 seat and cockpit seat in our flight ....person in middle sest may not get best view.

Amazing Helicopter ride while in Hawaii. I would recommend this experience as it is the best way to see hidden waterfalls and areas of the island you cannot get to by foot or car. Everything felt safe and well taken care of.

Absolutely worth it. Very professional company and we had a great time. You wont regret it !!

Fantastic tour! Just perfect.
Tons of explanations, super pilote, safety first through briefing.

They picted me up at the hotel brought me back after a fantastic flight.(I got the full day, Kona to Hilo in the morning, and back in the afternoon)

You don't feel like a customer, they really take care of you in a very friendly way.

Nicolas
I usually don't write reviews, but that was outstanding, I had to do it!

What a jaw dropping experience! We were scheduled for the lava tour but with the rainy weather and no visible magma (not since august 2018) we opted to try their new Waimanu valley and Kohala coast tour! We were so glad we switched! We were lucky enough to be the inaugural tour! The views were so breathtaking and with the doors off you get to feel every moment of the trip! The tour guide, Matt, was super knowledgable (born and raised on the big island) and he made the trip that much more memorable! Dont hesitate to do this tour! The weather is better in Waimea than in Hilo and you have a better chance of getting the green light to go! By far our favorite highlight of our trip to the big island! (Also two step beach for snorkeling, and Malakawena beach for clear water and white sand!)

The tour was extremely well done and the staff were excellent. We couldn't have been happier. I'll be honest, it's pricy but worth it in our family's opinion.

We didn't end up flying. The point of this review is to mention the excellent service and honesty of these guys. We tried to fly 3 times and were cancelled due to weather in all cases. The first time though they could've flown knowing full well the volcano wasn't visible but instead they gave us the option to reschedule/cancel or go on a modified tour.

Also a warning to others: DON'T WAIT. If you want to do one of these tours start trying right when you get to the big Island. The weather changes rapidly and obviously the company can't control it nor will they fly if they think it's not safe. So it might take multiple tries to get off the ground.

I had an extremely negative experience with Paradise Helicopters. Very unprofessional service and unfriendly staff to work with, I would not recommend booking with this company.

One of the helicopter tour services operating on the Hawaiian Islands. All staff we encountered at Paradise Helicopters, both on the ground and in the air we're professional, courteous and helpful. Our pilot, Koji provided us with some amazing views of inland valleys, coastal cliffs, waterfalls, lava flows both old and recent as well as aerial views of cities below wit some historical facts.

After listening to their advice because bad weather was coming in we moved to the next day. Excellent ride. We are all extremely pleased with the service, the ride and the pilot. Much better than what we expected or anticipated. Worth every penny!!!

We scheduled a tour to see the whole island on our honeymoon. Due to inclement weather conditions, the pilot wasn't comfortable doing the extended tour. Instead, they offered a shorter tour to the north. We definitely wanted to do it but because the rest of the passengers decided to opt out, they cancelled the flight. We were extremely disappointed. We felt that since there was the other option offered, they should have honored it. . Regardless of numbers.

My husband and I booked the experience Hawai i tour with Paradise Helicopters and were so pleased with the experience start to finish. The wonderful office staff answered my questions promptly and thoroughly with wonderful upbeat attitudes. When we arrived we felt safe and assured that Paradise ran a fluid first class operation. Our pilot, Matt, was a delight and offered priceless tid-bits the whole flight. Matt was sure to make sure we all were comfortable while he flew at different angles to making sure everyone had a once in a lifetime experience. I would recommend this wonderful company to anyone visiting the Island! Thank you Paradise Helicopters!

These guys are top notch! Helicopters are well maintained, ground crew is knowledgeable and safe, and the pilots are top notch and not a bunch of kids like the other tour company on the island. Our pilot was an ex marine pilot, very friendly and knowledgeable of the island. There were no questions he was unable to answer and had no issues showing additional things when asked. We did the 2.5 hour tour that included the off airport landing where they give you some Kona coffee. The flying through the canyons was amazing and the other operators don t fly like these guys do.

An unforgettable experience!! I want to do it again

Amazing circle island helicopter tour in Big Island! Staff and pilots were great. We all had a wonderful time!

My family and I had never been on a helicopter. Doing so in Hawaii was by far the best experience and best way to see Hawaii from the air. Paradise Helicopter is the way to go when you visit the Big Island in Hawaii!!

We took a sunset tour around the island last night. Absolutely incredible experience! Not just the sights, but our pilot Dan was amazing as well.

This fantastic tour is simply a "must" when visiting Hawaii. There is simply no better way to view of the entire "big island" than by air.

I saw the two types of lava flow that mark the island surface, the rain forests, the boiling lava within the "crater within the caldera" of Kilauea and a fantastic view of lava rolling into the sea. I also saw the white black and green sand beaches and the dramatic waterfalls of the valleys and cliffs on the eastern and north shores.

The around-the-island tour lasts about two hours. After a brief safety orientation, you are ready to board the flight. You are given a set of headphones/mic to communicate with the pilot and others onboard. The helicopter is built to accommodate six passengers plus the pilot.

I recommend wearing dark clothing to minimize reflections from the windows. There's a sliding panel in the side windows to take glare-free pictures but it's low and small. If you're prone to car-sickness, take a Gravol before the flight.

By far the best helicopters for tours. Paradise Helicopters is far and away the best helicopter tour company in Hawaii.

Our pilot, Colin, always made us feel comfortable and was very informative. The views of the lava flow, mountains and water falls were awesome. Landing in the gultch was spectacular. The staff that checked us in were friendly and you could tell they enjoyed their job. Highly recommend this outfit.

A pleasant ground crew,
pilot had a thick accent,
still an awesome flight.

I booked this tour through SVC Hawaii. The agent called them before and asked if they were flying. They said yes and that I should drive over. I was coming from Kona so that's about 1hr 45min drive. First off, the directions are poor. They tell you they are across from the terminal which is wrong. They are actually in the terminal area and you cannot see it unless you are in the terminal or someone tells you. They told me their parking lot was right across from them. Again wrong. It's a public parking lot. To make things easier for customers, who are majority tourists, just tell them to park in the public parking lot and walk across to Lobby A. Parking is also not validated. My tour was cancelled due to weather and I understand for safety reasons this had to be done. I told them I had an adventure cancelled the morning of and wanted to ensure they let the agency know it was not my fault so I could get a refund. Well I get back to the agency after driving another 2 hours and what do you know, they act as if they cannot find my reservation. They couldn't give a confirmation of the cancelation even after checking me in and assuring me this wouldn't happen. The manager Carlos gave me his card with supposedly his cell phone, but all i received was the main line's voicemail. After a lengthy discussion with the agency and dealing with a headache after having driven for 6 hours in one day while on VACATION, I gave up and will be disputing with my credit card company. save yourself the headache, it's not worth it.

Amazing experience of the island! We got to see lava, dolphins, whales, the gorgeous coast and landed on a hilltop for a picnic. The friendly, experienced, and safety first staff added a level of comfort in the air.

Was a great way to enjoy beautiful views all the way around the Big Island! My favorite part was flying into a valley with waterfalls coming down the sides of the mountains all around you!

Keith was our driver. Grateful to have had a couple hours with him. They are extremely helpful for first time flyers and make sure you're as comfortable as possible. Thanks so much. Recommend this above anything we've done in the last two weeks.

Priceless experience!! Great way to see the island. Our pilot and the entire crew were very friendly!!

Nice staff and pilot. Expect co2 emission to fill the helicopter.

Sent my kids (early 20s) up with these guys. They had a great time and raved for hours about the beauty of the valleys and waterfalls.

Awesome tour! Paradise Helicopters provided a top tier experience in which they went above and beyond. This was my wife and I's first helicopter experience and it did not disappoint. The operation takes safety very seriously and it showed, making all participants comfortable. Pilot ensured that all riders got equal photo ops at all view points, positioning the helicopter expertly. Our pilot even showed us a spot that normally isn't on the tour and took extra time to allow us to view a pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean. I highly recommend and will definitely repeat the next opportunity I have! Thank you Paradise Helicopters for a memory that my wife and I will not soon forget!

They treat people with disabilities and fat customers with kindness and dignity. They also have a great safety record. Would go again in a heartbeat.

Our pilot Ryan was top notch. Kept the ride smooth and informative. Even tricked him into posing for a photo. Mahalo!

Helicopter tour is awesome! Great way to see amazing views of the island

If you don't quit flying so low over my house in kona 1st thing in the morning on the weekend then I'm going to file a report to the FAA about this.

Great tour, guide tilts so you get a good view from each side. Views take your breath away. Quite comfortable ride.

We were a family of three (my wife, our son and me) and took the doors-off helicopter flight to the fissure 8 area of the Kilauea volcano on June 14, 2018. We have had mixed feelings about this flight. The flight over the lava rivers was a captivating experience. The pilot was very professional, friendly and informative. However, my wife had a "seat" right next to the pilot, i.e. the middle front seat, which was extremely narrow, uncomfortable and - worst of all - offered extremely limited vision to a short person like my wife. We were not informed about this and we paid the same price for this seat, despite its obvious disadvantages. The company should - at the very least - inform clients about the limitations of this seat and offer it for a smaller price than the other normal seats.

My husband and I absolutely loved our experience with Paradise Helicopters! If you're looking for one excursion to do when you visit the Island make sure it's this one! Ryan, our pilot, was so knowledgeable of the land and also great places to go and see/eat and he made sure to share it all with us. The flight itself was exhilarating and by far one of the best experiences I've ever had! Being able to land the helicopter on private land and hike out to the scenic cliff really was the cherry on top for us. Would certainly do this again and again.

From start to finish, our experience was awesome. Customer service is number one, and Paradise Helicopters has it down. Please compliment everyone I had contact with either by phone or in person. Given the chance, I'll fly with Paradise Helicopters again!

What an excellent experience. The staff, pilot and the helicopter itself were all top notch. Booked this for my wife s 50th birthday in the 50th state. She was the co-pilot. Great day as well for it was clear skies. Pilot very knowledgeable. Volcano was active. Waterfalls were beautiful. The land lush and water was shades of blue that I haven t seen in a crayon box. The whale watching was a bonus as well.
Mahalo
Jeff

This is an incredible tour that gives you amazing views of the Big Island.

N8361X SCAKA 25 NICE WORKS WELL WITH PRIVATE HELICOPTERS
GRANT

An amazing spectacle that created an experience we will never forget. We did the Big island tour. We had to touch down in Hilo due to a young child and mother becoming sick during the first half of the flight. However, our pilot felt bad for the stoppage and brought us down to a giant waterfall and let us get out of the bird to take a pic and to feel the water in the pool below the waterfall. We go to the big island every year and we will again choose Paradise Helicopters to take us on another tour. Highly recommend!

Fantastic tour of the island and the erupting volcano. Pilot was very informative!

Awesome staff and an amazing pilot! Had a very knowledgeable pilot. Showed me everything I was hoping to see and more. Well worth the price for this once in a lifetime experience!!!!

Wow, we had a beautiful tour around the island. The staff was professional, knowledgeable and welcoming.

Had a great flight with these guys. Lucked out with awesome weather and was able to fly low mostly the whole flight. Our pilot Matt was great, we actually ended up shutting down our first helicopter on the ramp and hopping into a second one after he spotted some erratic oil pressure sensor readings. 99.5% chance it was a sensor issue but I was happy to see him err on the side of caution. My confidence level in him rose quickly after that, since that shows quality decision making skills likely to transferred while in the air. Both aircraft were clean and well maintained externally and internally. Would fly again with them happily.

I had the experience of a lifetime it was amazing everyone should try it at least once.

Pilot was very smooth, great info about the island, showing all around the island in two trips. First trip was to Hilo second was return via different route.

really cool they allowed the doors off in our ride around Hawaii was fun

A must do while in Hawaii! Overall fantastic experience. Everyone was very informative and friendly. Open doors (extreme tour) is the way to go!!! Our Pilot Shawn was funny, knowledgeable, and had great music playing in the background.

Awesome experience. First time on a helicopter. Our pilot is Koji. He is awesome and funny. Had a great time with him. The view is incredible up top. I will definitely come back to do the doors off experience.

Fantastic tour, the pilot was very knowledgeable and extremely pleasant

My family of four thoroughly enjoyed the new Waimea based "doors off" helo tour of Kohala and the valleys! It was a short drive to the airport from the west side and check in and orientation were super easy and straight forward. The staff were incredibly friendly. Our pilot, Matt, did a great job providing some context of the area as we were flying. Sounds like this is a new option for the company and one of the driving reasons is to give folks more time to explore the amazing valleys and waterfalls on the east side. I couldn't agree more with this logic! I highly recommend this tour to those that are interested in less transit time and more time up close and personal with one of the most interesting areas of the island. Thanks Matt and Paradise team for a wonderful experience!

Amazing Helicopter ride while in Hawaii. I would recommend this experience as it is the best way to see hidden waterfalls and areas of the island you cannot get to by foot or car. Everything felt safe and well taken care of.

Fantastic trip. Would recommend to anyone thinking of taking a helicopter ride around the Big Island.

It was an amazing experience. The staff was so nice and professional. My family and I had a lot of fun. It was truly the best way to see Hawaii.

Although our trip had to be postponed due to weather we had a GREAT trip on Sunday 12/23/18. Believe them when they say your phone can fly out the very small windows. Yep I'm proof, mine went right out that tiny window! Even with that mishap I had a wonderful time. I wish they would record the trip for you to purchase.

My wife and I took the new doors off waterfall tour today. It is out of waimea airport. Convienent location, great staff and outstanding pilot (Rob). I am a thrill seeker by nature and this did not disappoint. Only way to go.

Staff were super nice and accommodating given our delay. We chose the doors off and were happier with this upgrade...unobstructed views. middle seat in the smaller copter was tight for 135 lb wife - bench seat.

only suggestion would be for rides 3 hrs prior, to send a text message update. now one like to drive from kona to hilo to be told there is a delay once they get there.

What a wonderful experience with an awesome pilot!

Ryan was our guide and I cant say enough about how great he made the experience. He had a music playlist that matched perfectly with where we were.(flight of the conchords when lifting off, dont go chasing waterfalls when we approached and toured waterfalls, etc). He was very informative throughout our flight and his capabilities as a pilot were impeccable. Smooth take off, smooth landing, smooth flying even in very windy conditions.

Awesome ride and amazing pilot(outside of the amazing views of big island...he made the flight really awesome. We will definitely request to fly with him if and when we come back for a different route!)

Awesone! Very professional service! Don't miss this experience in Big Island!

Great staff, safe, glad we took the plunge to do a once in a lifetime event!

Even though it says kona, the helicopter does NOT fly out of kona. It flys out of Hilo. We were so excited to go on this trip and it's very misleading how it says kona on google. Hilo is too far out of the way for us and we don't have time to drive two hours out of our way. Very bummed, I wish they would have made that more apparent.

The best helicopter tour I have been on. Very accommodating crew and experienced pilot helped me capture great HD video shots.

What a fantastic experience! Everyone from Jill at booking to our pilot Koji was wonderful. They made the experience unforgettable and truly wonderful. Cannot recommend them enough.

We had a fantastic experience with Paradise Helicopters! Our pilot, Koji, was very knowledgeable and an amazing guide. He took us as low and as close as we could get to all of the great attractions on the Big Island including all of the waterfalls, the craters and lava. I can be very uneasy about flying, but Koji gave us a smooth and amazing ride. I definitely recommend this to everyone who makes the journey to any of the Hawaiian Islands. It is a completely different way to experience the vastness and beauty of Hawaii!

Completely breath taking. Book in advance of your trip. OR if you are lucky, sign up on their website for deals alerts and you could get a flight for a steep discount if you are willing to drop what you are doing and be there on short notice.

Excellent company. I went to Hawaii just to see the lava flow and that's what I saw. They have responsible pilots and are honest in what they can or possibly cannot deliver. Read the other reviews and then check their website and SPEAK to a representative. The seating arrangement is not always guaranteed. Be honest about your weight because they put you on a scale immediately so they can seat you accordingly to balance the weight of the helicopter. I went with them on July 14, 2018. Those are the photos. If you want to see some really cool lava flow and geography of The Big Island with it's valleys, waterfalls, deserts, volcanos (dormant or active) I really recommend them.

I began the the tour extremely excited just to ride in a helicopter. Approaching the helicopters, it was clear that maintenance and cleanliness is held to the highest standard. Having the privilege to ride copilot, I witnessed 20+ years experience of our pilot Koji. He handled the helicopter with confidence maintaining a smooth ride and ensuring a clear view for everyone riding at each location. His narration of the tour was also top notch, expressing his own experience with the island along with current and historical facts. As far as the visual experience of our tour, it far exceeded what I anticipated, and really is the only way to take in the full awesomeness of the islands.

Fantastic circle tour of the big island. The pilot was extremely knowledgeable and very entertaining. Incredible way to see the island - would highly recommend.