we stayed in Maui and booked the volcano helicopter tour. The clouds were low so we could not go to the caldera but we didn't even get to see a volcano or go over the national volcano park. they took us to a lava field and waterfalls. very very disappointing to lose a full day of vacation for this. we could have paid the same price to see some more amazing waterfalls in Maui for half the price. would recommend a hiking or driving tour. read more

We booked this through TripAdvisor, which was a very simple process. I had booked the volcano park tour but we didn't get to see the volcano park and they took us to the coast and waterfall instead. Fast forward 2 days and it was perfect out... didn't go those days though. Tried to make the best of it but for $680 I would've rather seen the park. And we got paired with a very annoying couple. read more

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Having never flown in a helicopter, we were excited to experience the big island of Hawaii by air. Unfortunately, the day we arrived, the volcano was blowing smoke, making it too difficult to fly over. So, our pilot took us to Mauna Loa and across the island to some of the water falls instead. We got to see the coast line of the Eastern side of Hawaii... all which was absolutely gorgeous. Our pilot shared much history and tid bits about the island which made the trip even more pleasurable. With 5 family members total, the flight was comfy and all seats had great views... even mine, sitting in the middle! This was one of the less expensive tours... and we were quite pleased to have the helicopter for just our family. read more

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We felt safe during the ride. It was amazing to see through the big island by helicopter. It was amazing to see into the volcano. The staff are amazing. The pilot was open for questions during the flight. I learned a lot. Highly recommended! read more

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What a wonderful experience with Safari! Cookie, Samantha and Sam were a great team providing pre trip info, pre trip training, and in flight info. We felt safe and enjoyed the ride from beginning to end. Cookie greeted us as we approached the building. Informed us of how long before our pre flight meeting was happening. Greeted us using our surnames, it was quite impressive. She gathered us for the pre trip meeting, talked of the safety aspects to be aware of, which included the life vest, walking procedure out to the helicopter, all about the safety!! She then proceeds to walk us out to the helicopter in a specific order for safety. We were first in line, not knowing how that meant where we were going to get to sit inside the helicopter. She directed my wife and I to follow her over to the copter from our staging point about 20 feet in front of the copter. She opens the door and has us sit in the front row next to the pilot! How Cool!!! Cookie helps us with our seat belts and Sam helps us with the headsets. There is a button, think Jeopardy button that we have to push in order to talk to Sam. She says hello to make sure we hear her and we reply back to her Hello! It takes a minute to load all of the passengers, 6 of us and Sam our pilot. Sam goes through a few reminders of the safety concerns, how the emergency handles on the doors work, where the fire extinguishers were, and then we started up. What a smooth lift off and rise through the airport to clear the air space. It was my first ride in a helicopter and it will not be my last! I was impressed at how smooth our ride was, even the turns so that each side of the copter could see the sights. We made quite a few very tight turns for viewing and she always informed us prior to making the move so no one was surprised. Hats off to Sam for her amazing flying skill and knowledge that she shared with us about the Island and National Park. She even added some history in the mix that we appreciated. Thanks Safari Helicopters! read more

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Spectacular view of the island! Beautiful waterfalls and coastlines. Amazing tour of volcano national park. read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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This was my first helicopter ride, and it was a great experience. I had been in warned that I might have some motion sickness, which has been an issue flying in small planes and riding in cars on winding roads. But that was not the case at all with Safari Helicopters. Sam, our pilot, expertly flew the helicopter, warning us before every turn, when there could be some bumps (there weren't), and did a great job providing tons of info about the island, and answering all our questions. Unfortunately, the weather conditions wouldn't permit us to see the active lava, but we were warned about this ahead of time. We still decided to take the flight, and I'm so glad we did! read more

We booked a private ride for the family to get the helicopter all to ourselves and we had a fantastic time! Our pilot, Sam, was very professional and a very steady pilot and warns us ahead of time if things will be choppy etc. We appreciate that since two of us tend to suffer from motion sickness, but she truly made it as enjoyable. We did book the first flight of the morning to also ensure less winds. We got to see into the volcano from the air and it was really spectacular. It was our kids' first time in a helicopter and we were celebrating a birthday and it was worth every pretty penny we splurged on this experience. We took lots of pictures, and the staff got a group picture of us in front of the helicopter after the ride as well. We had a wonderful time, felt completely safe, and highly recommend them to anyone who visits the Big Island! read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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What an amazing experience. If you can afford this, you must do this. To properly see the volcano, lava & the birds eye view this is the ONLY way to go. You truly cannot appreciate this unless you do it. Cookie was awesome checking us in & giving us the low down; all with Hawaiian charm & hospitality! Then Sam was an amazing pilot! Very sensitive to making everyone comfortable & safe. I can't say enough fine things about her, except she was our favorite helicopter tour pilot we have ever had & we have had a few. Many Maholos! read more

Never posted a review to Yelp before but felt like we needed to make others aware of this experience. Unless you book the entire plane, Safari will likely refuse your reservation - for us it was an hour before we were set to board and after we'd already driven across the island. We booked a helicopter ride online, I received a call about an hour after letting me know that since we only had 2 people, they might not be able to take us unless more people booked. Despite that the info about needing more than two people was never stated on the website, we understood and just told them to confirm with us later that day if we would be able to go or not. I never received a call back, but I did receive a second email confirming our booking with information about when and where to meet. I called the company back later that afternoon and left a voicemail just asking for a final confirmation that we were, in fact, good to go as we would be driving from Kona to Hilo. The next morning, I received a call back letting me know that yes, we were booked and the agent gave me a time and directions on where to meet. We hit the road and were about 45 min away from Hilo when I got a call from a pretty rude employee telling me that since there were only 2 people, they couldn't take us. I told her about the conversation I had with the other employee just an hour earlier and she said she'd have to have her boss call me. Murphy called me a few minutes later, after I explained the situation, he halfway apologized and basically told me that he wasn't willing to do anything for us to make up for the situation. His final words on the call were "you're not going to get what you want." At the end of the day, the correct thing to do would have been to let us come on the flight regardless of the fact that they would have preferred to have more people on the flight. So, moral of the story is that this is unless you're willing to book the entire plane, they're going to wait until the last minute and then cancel your reservation. For us it was within 2 hours of takeoff time. We've talked to a few other helicopter companies who have been organized and accommodating! I would recommend saving yourself the headache and going with another company. read more

We could not have asked for a better experience! We booked two days early for at 10:20 am flight since we were driving in from about an hour away. Stephanie called about an hour after booking saying that we were the only people booked for that time, and they don't go unless the flight is fully booked (makes sense given the cost to operate a helicopter). She politely asked if we could switch to the 9:20 flight. She was very appreciative when we agreed and offered us the two front seats as a thank you. I was super excited as my only hesitation in booking a helicopter tour was some reviews saying the experience totally depends on the seats you get. We got on the helicopter, and our pilot Sam was a pro. She was very communicative about when we might feel turbulence, when she was going to be making a hard bank, or when she had to switch to another channel to talk to air traffic control or other helicopter pilots. We felt totally safe in her hands. And my earlier hesitations would've been unfounded even if we weren't sitting in the front. She would bank right for a loop to make sure one side got to see a site, and then bank left for a loop to make sure the other side didn't feel slighted. I was really impressed with Sam's knowledge of Hawaiian history, custom, and mythology as well as vulcanology, seismology, and climatology. I wish I'd brought a recorder to take notes. Overall, an amazing experience! I would recommend doing the flight early in the trip. As we hiked in Volcano National Park or saw other sites later in our trip, it gave us a richer perspective having seen the views from the top. read more

The pilot was nice, but was a little disappointed with the company. We were supposed to go to a volcano, and it had just erupted two weeks prior. However, once we get to the place, we go through the briefing, and then they told the entire group that we need to figure out whether we want to go on the tour or not, the reason they asked this question was because it was cloudy, and the helicopter cannot go over the volcano anymore. We asked them: well what else can we see? To which they responded that we will be going to see some waterfalls, the 2018 eruption, among other things. We were not really interested in going anymore, because our main interest was to go see the volcano. And when we were about to cancel and get our full refund, they told us that it has to be a group decision, and if we say no, then the other group cannot go on their trip either. Out of pity for the other group, we decided to go on the trip. And we did see some good views, which is why I gave it two stars, and the pilot was very sweet (5/5), however, we did not even see any waterfalls. We only saw the 2018 eruption and the summit that cause that eruption. I mean, makes sense why its so cheap. The time that it took from the airport to the volcano national park took up half the time, and we were really only over the summit for 15 minutes - and the summit we were there for 3-5 minutes. They told us that they need 4 people to fly. The other group had 3 people. We couldn't let the other group not be able to go on their tour because we didn't want to go. It was very pressured and forced to say yes. Couldnt they have let some weight on the helicopter or something? I have never heard of this 4 people mandatory rule. Saying this, it makes me want to give them 1 star. They didnt have what we wanted to see, then lied about what we would see, and made us feel pressured to say yes. 2 stars because pilot was nice - chewy (5/5), and what we did get to see was nice read more

This business was great! I booked online and got a web discount that was also the best priced tour I found. The staff at the facility was extremely friendly. Our pilot, Mike, was great. He gave us a guided tour as we flew towards the eruptions. He took us around to the active vents and the river of lava, and down to the ocean entry. He made sure we all got good views and time to take pictures. The flight was easy and comfortable. If you are looking for a great heli-tour, look no further. read more

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A truly memorable experience, with wonderful, welcoming staff! Stephanie was so helpful in booking our group over the phone, Doreen walked us through the safety info and was especially sweet to my daughter (who was so nervous for her first helicopter ride); and then Sam (our amazing pilot) was such a great guide!! We not only felt very comfortable and safe, but we also got to see so many different areas and were able to ask her a lot of questions. You learn so much and get to see the lava flow (& destruction areas) from 2018. Sam flew us right over Pu'u O'o crater - which was an incredible sight. Would absolutely do it again!! read more

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This company is only interested in filling flights. They will not call you ahead to cancel when they know they cant fly. Wadted time and taxi fare both ways, no flight. I get the safety issue, but when they have cancelled the ones before you, no excuse. Dont waste your time or money on these people. read more

Drive nearly 2 hours for a private tour just to get there and then canceling. Pay the little extra and go with blue Hawaiian tours

Really great experience from the ease of booking online to the flight. Top notch org. It was the cheapest tour I could fin d where we got the entire copter for my family of 4. Alex our pilot was great and very professional. The tour itself is a lot of fun with some great sites. Don't book with anyone else before calling them! read more

I reserved our tour in August for November, and am so glad we did. Be sure to also go on Safari's website and call them directly to confirm prices, which are WAY more affordable than Blue Hawaiian. Our safety briefing with a lovely and very nice young lady was easy to understand, and she was very helpful getting us all on the helicopter and buckled in. I forgot the name our our pilot (Bill, I think?) but he was very friendly and full of information. It had been raining for a few days, so we didn't get to see as much active lava flow as my sister did during May, but it was still an excellent experience to make you feel the power and wonder of Mother Nature beneath our feet! read more

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I wasn't sure of booking this tour due to flight altitude restrictions and hazy weather from the vog. But I was left very impressed with what our friendly pilot was able to show us. This was the highlight from my trip to the Big Island. I'm glad we started with this tour first. Riding in the helicopter was very smooth. We had friends who did the lava boat tour and they said everyone on the boat was puking because of the rough waves. I would recommend you to stick to seeing the lava in the air. read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

We did the deluxe volcano and waterfall tour and I was pleasantly surprised with the small size of the helicopter because that meant a smaller group - six passengers total so it was basically a private tour for two families. The pilot was very informative about letting us know what we were looking at and I loved the wide turns that allowed us to look directly down into the caldera of the volcano. The waterfalls were a bit of a let down - I was expecting the helicopter to visit falls that were inaccessible from land and get down close to the ground for viewing but they were just briefly pointed out to us from altitude. Can't complain through really since it was only an extra $10 to see the waterfalls and that did give us the idea to drive over and see them from the ground later. read more

What a once in a lifetime adventure! Such a wonderful and kind crew. Everyone there made us feel so comfortable. Kyle was very informative and knowledgeable. Could not ask for a better time. read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We had a fantastic time on the helicopter! Our pilot made an effort to ensure that everyone got their photos and had a great view. It's expensive but definitely worth it to get an aerial view of the lava flows. read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Safari helicopters is definitely worth it. I was skeptical about flying because I have problems with heights, plus the fact that we were going to fly near active volcanoes. Dareen was the attendant who checked us in and grabbed our weight, we flew with four other people, so our weights were needed to balance out the helicopter. She was such a sweet heart and explained what we should expect and what our roles were in the event of an emergency. Mike was our pilot, he took off and landed smoothly, gave an amazing detailed history of Hilo throughout the tour. When clouds were bunching up together he was swaying the helicopter just enough to part the clouds. Overall, my experience was comfortable, enjoyable, and most important... memorable. So you want the perfect experience to see the active volcanoes.. fly with Safari Helicopters. read more

This was great experience and very reasonable considering the competition. We took the lava and waterfall tour. Our pilot Mikey was very friendly, informative and patient with all my questions. I would definitely recommend this for anyone that wants to see the whole island from the bird's eye view. Plus the entire office team was super supportive of my post flight jitters. They totally earned their gratuity. 5 out of five. read more

We had a flight on 4/1 and it was awesome. The pilot is experienced and she told us tons of information about the nature, culture and useful tips about the big island. Highly recommend if you would like to see the live lava from the crater!!! read more

First time ever seeing lava was epic!! Such an incredible helicopter tour with Safari Helicopters with super chill and kind people running it. The ladies who checked us in and shared the safety information and instructions prior to getting on the helicopter were so nice! Plus they took our pictures after which was super nice! Our pilot Chewy did an exceptional job flying us over rad craters and the Kilauea Volcano while listening to an awesome playlist he put together that matched perfectly with what we were seeing! Plus he shared a lot of information with us along the way, super informative! We saw lava and magma peaking through from underneath the lava pools. It was incredible!!! Highly recommend this company and pilot Chewy! read more

We went on the Volcano tour! It was amazing!! The pilot also gives a great narrated tour!! Heading to the new beach that we saw from the helicopter now!! read more

Safari Helicopters - First helicopter ride!! Big island Hawaii with our pilot! - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

My wife booked a tour for our 17th wedding anniversary with Safari Helicopters, out of Hilo. Stephanie, the Office Manager, was the first person we met when we walked in. She has been with the company for something like 25 years! She did an amazing job greeting everyone, and briefed us all thoroughly for the flight. Sam, our pilot, is incredibly knowledgeable, and obviously loves showing off the island that she lives on. We saw lava bubbling in the crater of a volcano, a rock slide into a lava cone, some amazing waterfalls, and got a great narration of the tour. As a pilot for a major airline, I was impressed not only with Sam's flying skills (she is clearly one with the helicopter), but with her approach to making sure everyone has a great time, in an environment where safety is the highest priority. I would recommend Sam, Stephanie, and Safari Helicopters to anyone. read more

Cancelled the day before our flight AFTER we booked airline tickets from HNL. Less than 24 hours notice so we ate that cost too. No other tours available with such short notice. Classy bunch. read more

Josh was our pilot ... he did a phenomenal job and was very polite. The tour we got covered a lot of are a. Well worth the money read more

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Fun and more fun! Aimee set up our booking and facilitated checking in, safety briefing, and getting us in and out of the helicopter. Kyle, our pilot, was friendly, considerate of those with queasy stomachs, and presented an informative narration about the areas we were passing. We had some really great sights and helped with the rest of our trip on the big island. I would recommend checking this tour out if weather permits. read more

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I really enjoyed this! My wife on the other hand got a little bit sick but I believe this is because she is extremely sensitive to motion sickness. In the end though, she didn't regret going. The 2nd party in our helicopter group arrived really late. This pushed back on our departure time. This is of course, completely out of the control of the people who work here. We actually got the best seats and the guide whose name I have forgotten did an excellent job narrating about the history and significance of locations as we rode past them. When we did get to the Volcano, we did a lot of swooping and got amazing views of just about everything. Exactly what you see will depend on the activity on the volcano that day. The tour itself lasted almost an hour and was a pleasure! I'd do it again in a heartbeat the next time we're around but I don't think my wife will join me then. read more

My family and I went to the Big Island of Hawaii with one goal in mind: to explore volcanoes as much as we could. Part of that exploration would include aerial views of the volcano, lava, and destruction. Safari offered the most value at the time that we booked it, and overall, I was happy with the experience. My family on the other hand, was not so thrilled. We arrived and got our safety brief which was short and sweet. We were then geared up and waited on the flight line for our helicopter to return so we could hop on. While we were sitting there, we also observed the Blue Hawaii fleet of helicopters, which appear to be more modern. Safari just has one helicopter, so they are a more simple operation that only allows them to fly one family at once. It's kind of nice because you have their undivided attention. My family was composed of five people and we had an additional passenger ride with us for a total of six passengers + the pilot. It was cool. We explored forests that were currently on fire from the lava, we saw lots of lava fields, and neighborhoods that were decimated from lava. We also flew over the coast to see where the lava had once flowed into the ocean. Lava was not flowing at the time of our visit, but it was still cool to see the contrast of the black lava meet with the sapphire-blue ocean waters. Our only complaints came from the fact that the ride was not very smooth and our pilot's microphone was waaaay too loud. Everyone in my family got nauseous except for me and the hubby. I felt so guilty because it was my idea to do the helicopter tour and everyone got sick. Additionally, no one briefed us about the microphones available on the helicopter, so we didn't know we could speak to the pilot to ask questions. The main issue with this is that the pilot's microphone was so loud our ears were rumbling the entire time. I alternated taking one headphone off at a time so I could give my ears some relief. Once we landed, we told the receptionist about it, and she said "oh you could've have told him through your microphones." I let her know that no one told us about the microphones, so we were disappointed in that. Overall, we got to see some cool stuff because let's face it, riding in a helo is awesome and you gain access to sites you can't get to on foot or car. Would I do it again? Probably not, but I'm glad I did it this once. read more

Kyle is an awesome pilot! Love the staff as well. We're staying at the Hilton and they told us to go to blue Hawaii helicopters and I'm glad we didn't. They were charging almost 500 per person and this place is a fraction of that. We went over the active volcano, the beautiful coast, and waterfalls. The helicopter is air conditioned and such a smooth ride. Kyle is very knowledgable about everything....plants, the volcanoes, the waterfalls, you name it he can tell you everything about it. I'm so glad we got to do this, it was definitely one of our top highlights and I would HIGHLY recommend this business!!! read more

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Chipper staff, great safety record, unique tour of the big island. A definite highlight of my trip to Hawaii. We booked what must be the standard tour of the volcano. It lasted nearly an hour and featured numerous close encounters with flowing lava, gusting vog, and sweeping vistas. Your only chance to literally come face to face with the active vents in the volcano. Overall our flight was handled professionally, with care, and great narration. Would definitely recommend this crew. read more

Super flight with a top notch Pilot. Friendly & competent, laced with an element of humor! Lovely smooth flight with Sam! She said she was the newest. You would never have noticed. Lots of information and seeing the places from above is truly magical. read more

Amaaaaazing!!! Wow! It was My first time on a helicopter and I was hesitant at first. But I'm so glad I did it. We got a deal online and boy was it worth it. The ride was smooth and extremely informative, learned so much about the history of Hawaii. No seat is a bad seat. The pilot ensured each side got the same view. Amazing Hawaiian and film score music playing made it even better. Luckily for me flying over the crater while listening to John Williams Indiana Jones score was priceless. Seriously book now. Awesome views of the island, waterfalls and volcanos! Plus great pictures in front of the chopper after. :) read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Before I begin I would like to write out that before undergoing any preparations to purchase a helicopter tour on the islands I highly recommend you check each company's FAA safety history which outlines all past accidents each tour company has had. That being said, all the tour companies on the islands have had accidents of some sort with the exception of Safari Helicopters as of this review being written. Now on with the review, upon arrival my group was greeted by Safari's staff and given a safety rundown before promptly being assigned a seating arrangement and prepared for takeoff. Our pilot was Richard who was very experienced and very informative offering a narrated flight and enjoyed conversing with both my group and the other group in our flight. During our flight (which was the deluxe package), Richard took us from the heliport, over the south-eastern to southern coast showing us where lava has been pouring into the ocean. From there, we were shown the burning forests in Hawai'i Volcanos NP along with an exciting aerial view over the Kīlauea caldera being taken directly over with direct views of the currently erupting crater. Following that, we were taken to a remote part of the jungle behind Hilo for wonderful views of undiscovered waterfalls only accessible via flight before being taken over Hilo's coast and ending the flight. Flight time was around 50-55 minutes and the entire time I felt extremely safe. Overall, it was an awesome experience and I plan on returning to Safari for my next trip to the Big Island. Mahalo Richard and staff, aloha. read more

This was an amazing experience!! We were greeted by Doreen's friendly smile. She has sooo much aloha. I've never been on a helicopter. I was a bit scared, but Doreen made me feel comfortable. The pilot Kyle is excellent! He was very knowledgeable on the island and sharing stories on Hawaiian Legends. The ride was smooth. So glad to be in a fully air conditioned helicopter. The weather was perfect and we saw active lava flows and secluded water falls. Kyle circled around several times. I was able to get both video and still photos. I definitely recommend doing this for tourists and locals. I will surely do this again! Thanks Safari for such a memorable experience!!! read more

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Not as epic as I hoped it to be but it was still an awesome experience. (Lava + Waterfall). Not the fault of the company or crew, just mother nature I suppose. The pilot did his best with what was out there and had some great stories to share but I didn't get to see flowing lava. I would recommend if you have the means and have never seen lava fields before. It was cool to see the destruction caused by the lava as well as some cooled lava fields and a few breakouts/cones. read more