Kauai airplane or helicopter tour?

How do the plane and helicopter tours compare side by side?

The plane wins on price and seats; the helicopter wins on closeness and options.

Is a helicopter tour worth twice the price?

It is if hovering inside the crater or flying doors off is the point; if you simply want to see the whole island, the plane gives you more for less.

Many travelers do both on a long trip: the plane early on to see the layout of the island, then a helicopter or a boat for the part they loved most. If you only do one, set your budget first.

Which gets closer to the waterfalls and cliffs?

The helicopter. It can slow to a hover and turn tightly inside the Waialeale crater and Waimea Canyon, where a plane has to keep its speed and bank past.

Hawaii's air tour rules keep both at least 1,500 feet above the ground except for takeoff and landing, unless an operator holds an exemption, so neither skims the treetops. The difference is time over each sight, not altitude.

Which has better seats and windows?

The plane: every GA8 Airvan seat has a window, and the bubble windows let you look down as well as out.

On many helicopters two of the six seats are in the middle of a row, and seat assignment is by weight. If a middle seat would spoil it, pick a tour that promises no middle seats, such as the private Ali'i flight. Guests note that in the Airvan the middle row can be tight, with the wing strut in part of the view.

Want a helicopter without a middle seat? This private tour gives every passenger a window.

★ 5.0 1,793 reviews · 75 minutes · from $425

Explore the private helicopter tour →

Is a plane or a helicopter smoother?

Both can bump over the mountains on windy days; reviews of the planes mention a smooth ride as often as a bumpy one.

Small aircraft feel rising warm air off the ridges. Helicopters hover and turn more, which bothers some stomachs; planes fly steadier lines but cannot avoid the bumps. See what to wear and bring for motion sickness tips.

What about doors-off helicopter tours?

Doors-off flights give you open-air photos with no window glare, and they are helicopter only.

Expect stricter rules: Jack Harter's MD500 doors-off tour takes ages 10 and up, bans loose items and hats, and needs one smaller passenger for the front middle seat in parties of three or four. Air Kauai's doors-off flight lets you carry only your phone, on a lanyard.

Craving open-air photos? This MD500 flies a full hour with the doors off.

★ 4.8 424 reviews · 3 hours incl. transfers · from $460

Explore the doors-off MD500 →

Can you land anywhere on a Kauai air tour?

Only on a helicopter tour that includes a landing, such as Safari's Olokele Canyon tour on a private canyon rim.

The full-island planes take off and land at Lihue. A landing adds time on the ground for photos, and the whole trip runs about 90 minutes.

So which should you book?

Families and budget-minded travelers: the plane. Photographers and once-in-a-lifetime splurges: a doors-off or private helicopter.

If the plane is your choice, the Entire Kauai Island Air Tour and the Wings Over Kauai flight are close to identical at the same price; the Wings flight rates slightly higher. For a helicopter, Safari is the lower-priced full loop and Blue Hawaiian the premium name.

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