Captain Amy was a wonderful pilot! The views were amazing and the commentary very informative. The flight was a perfect introduction to Hawaii!

The entire staff that welcomed us, Doug and Lauren and our pilot, Max, were so friendly and helpful. The weather was perfect and all the waterfalls were active. What a wonderful way to see the island, learn the volcanic history and catch the sight of whales.

From booking, to communicating before the flight, to the actual flight, Paradise Helicopters run a tight ship! The booking process directly with them over the phone was seamless, their operators/staff are wonderful! Our original booking fell on a day with very poor flying conditions, but the staff communicated with us prior to the original departure as well as throughout the following days and we were able to move our flight to a better day later in our vacation. The check in process was smooth with safety briefing and route review with our pilot Tyler (or Taylor). The crew then loaded us up on a helicopter and off we went. We did the Circle Island Experience, which is a 2-hour flight with a refueling “layover” in Hilo. On this tour you get to see everything there is on the island – Kona coast, Sough Point, the Volcano, waterfalls, and valleys of Kohala coast and if you are lucky whales. Tyler was a great, fun easy-going personality, gave us some insight into the island’s geology, history, fun facts and did a wonderful job at making sure both sides of the helicopter got to see the same views. Overall, although long, it was a smooth enjoyable flying experience. If you want to see the whole island in a short time this is the way to do it!

Not sure which tour we did. We had two seats for a two hour ride which went around the island. To fly around the volcano was amazing, even though it was quiet. As forward facing passengers we had great views of this. Only my husband who was seated on the left side was able to get great views of everything. Seated on the right side, my views were limited for the most part. The two passengers opposite us did not see a lot, the person on the right side saw mostly sea. Their offspring was selected to sit next to the pilot. Seats were very small and I got cramps trying to avoid knee touching the person opposite. Travel sickness tablets advised! The pilot tried to commentate but it was too difficult to hear.The flight spent far too much time on the lava strewn side of the island. For the rest, the green lush forests, valleys, waterfalls and coast line was spectacular.It was quite a fuel smelly trip and we were all glad to breath fresh air. Tipping wasn't essential but we felt we had to. A car was provided for us to return to our hotel.

We had a terrific experience seeing from the air the Big Island. Ryan the pilot was knowledgeable on all that we saw and continuously manuevered the helicopter so that all passengers could see everything. The big finish alone is worth the ride, the valleys are unbelievable, we were awestruck!! Put this tour on your list of must dos, it is well worth it!

This tour gives you such knowledge about the diverse terrain of the big island, with the GRAND finish of flying into Waipoi valley.....spectacular, no where else like it anywhere!! PS, our pilot Ryan, very knowledgeable and uber concerned with safety and comfort for all.

My 2.5yo and I went on this helicopter tour. It was just amazing!! The views are spectacular and you get to see the whole island! It’s a perfect option for people who want to see the beauty of the island but can’t/don’t want to hike for hours

Views of volcano, waterfalls, valleys and coastline were amazing. Pilot was knowledgeable and very friendly.

The Circle Island tour was stunning, amazing, and had both my friend and I in complete awe. We felt completely safe and taken care of by the whole staff, including our pilot. I am still giddy over seeing all the beautiful and breathtaking sites from above. Seeing the volcanoes, flying between valleys and waterfalls, seeing the coastline and the vastness of the Big Island…. It felt like a once in a lifetime experience. Not only that, but we chatted with one of their staff members after for 30 mins, where we chatted more about history, culture, real estate and local eats we need to try! She went out of her way to help us navigate which beaches to go to, and where we should eat. And my new fave sweatshirt is the one I got that day from them that says “Aloha” paradise helicopter on it! ☺️ it’s super comfy and cute. Many mahalos to the Paradise team in Kona! Thank you for helping us make our recent trip to the Big Island amazing.

Its hard to express what was the most exciting part. They range from the lava flows, to the forests, to the new crops(coffee-nuts-fruit), the snow on the high peaks, cattle ranches, the wild North Shore, the wild deep canyons to the break from forest to desert. but the high lite of the trip was the volcano crater.

A terrific experience with Paradise Helicopters. The pilot, Connor, was terrific - knowledgeable, capable - all the things you want in a pilot... We learnt that taxis in Kona can be difficult to come by and slow to arrive and Uber sporadic. As a result, we weren't on time. But the staff were flexible, managed our late arrival professionally and we left on time. All seats have good views. 2 seats are rear facing so whilst you have window views, you are travelling backwards and that makes the commentary sometimes slightly out of kilter with what you can actually see. It is also not great if you suffer from airsickness so it may be worth asking those questions up front so, weight permitting, you are placed in front facing seats.

There was no part of our tour that wasn't amazing. Our pilot Ryan grew up on the Island and share his knowledge and familiarity. We saw places you could only see from a helicopter.

The flight was breathtaking, weather was clear skies which gave us awesome photos & videos. Going over the active volcano was truly worth the price along with all the beautiful waterfalls.

We had an amazing time riding around the entire island! By far it is the best way to see the island. We were able to see beautiful beaches, lava flowing, and stunning waterfalls. It was the highlight of our honeymoon.

Great comms before and during tour. Informative friendly safe and professional. Need to Uber cab here we payed $24USD. Flight great fun and excellent to see stuff from the sky that land views just can't compete with nor inform you how big things are. Piolit provided a clever playlist to sights too. Fab.

This was a great experience, from start to finish. We were greeted by Liam, in the office, and he was friendly and helpful. Matt was was our pilot and he was the true professional. Matt was safety conscious but also was concerned that everyone had a good time. Matt was great at being an aerial tour guide. I think I can honestly say that we got to see it all, beaches, valleys, waterfalls and a volcano( with molten lava) or two, and other countless sites. Matt was great at providing a historical perspective as well as answering many questions. The weather was cloudy and rainy off and on, but that is Hawaii. Seating is tight, so be prepared for that. This is a fairly costly activity but how often do you have the opportunity to view the Big Island from above? This activity and company are highly recommended.

Top rate from beginning to end. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the airport. Attended a safety presentation and were weighed. Our pilot Brian was a skilled pilot and very informative. Brian and our shuttle driver were both born in Kona and know the area well. We had a 2 hour tour all around the Big Island viewing different colored beaches, turquoise waters, old lava flows, cattle farms and waterfalls to name a view. Kilauea volcano was erupting during our visit, so we were able to experience it from the sky. We weren't able to get real close but flew through the VOG (the haze of gases from the volcano) and could see the steam coming from the fissures. A once in a lifetime experience. We actually visited in May of 2018 but that was no longer an option.

Ask for Darren! What a spectacular experience. We circled the island with an expert pilot who was so knowledgeable about the history, geology and culture of the island. Absolutely fascinating flight. Incredible landscape and fabulous views. Worth every penny.

I've never been on a helicopter before-having wanted to wait for the experience when visiting Big Island. When you envision an experience, you hope everything falls into place and you have a great time....well I did! It was the highlight of my trip. Worth every penny. From being lucky enough to get the front seat without reserving it (SOMETIMES being a PARTY OF ONE has its benefits!), to the clouds parting over the active volcano so we can witness the lava glow in the caldera, and seeing a rainbow on the way back. I took the afternoon tour and rain and clouds came in, so the weather was not perfect. Earlier in the day, it was beautiful. That's the only thing I would change.

We had a very professional pilot with good skills and safe operation. ( I am a pilot). Incredible coverage of the island. Great maneuvering so both sides could see. Saw red lava in the valcano. Good penetration back into the canyons. Well run operation. Good equipment. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Helicopters are not cheap but this was definitely my money’s worth.