City By The Sea - 20 Min Helicopter Tour - Doors Off or On

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Honolulu, USA

20 minutes (approx.)
Flight time: 20 minutes
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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18 Minutes PRIVATE Helicopter Tour in Honolulu

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Price varies by group size

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Overview

Experience the beauty of Oahu from the sky on this 20-minute helicopter tour. Soar over Honolulu’s skyline and Waikiki's pristine beaches, taking in iconic landmarks like Diamond Head and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Opt for the doors-off option for extra thrills and crystal-clear photographs of this stunning cityscape.

Great for adventure-seekers
Aerial views of Honolulu city skyline, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Punch Bowl Crater, and Pearl Harbor
Opt to fly with doors on or off and choose from a range of departure times
Upgrade to a private flight for a personalized experience

What's Included

Parking Fees
Phone Strap

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Rainbow Helicopters
155 Kapalulu Pl #197, Honolulu, HI 96819, USA
We are located in the Caste and Cooke Aviation building. Please park in the lot to the left across the street.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Select a convenient departure time when booking, and begin your tour at Rainbow Helicopters located in Honolulu International Airport. Choose from a 'doors on' or 'doors off' experience and, for a more personalized experience, upgrade to a private flight.

Get a brief orientation from your pilot, fasten your seat belt, and take off, flying over Honolulu Harbor and the South Shore of Oahu. Watch the people milling around in Honolulu's commercial district, far below, and see people relaxing on Magic Island and the white sand of Waikiki.

Get a bird's eye view (and stunning photo ops) of Diamond Head, the Punchbowl Crater, and the U.S. National Military Cemetery of the Pacific. Head for Pearl Harbor, where you'll get aerial views of the Battleship Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorial.

After the excitement of soaring above the island, your helicopter circles back to the Honolulu International Airport

Rainbow Helicopters (Pass By)

Honolulu (Pass By)

Waikiki Beach (Pass By)

Diamond Head State Monument (Pass By)

Pearl Harbor National Memorial (Pass By)

USS Arizona Memorial (Pass By)

Additional Info

Total weight per passenger: 500 lbs
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
Safety of flight is our primary concern. The operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or appear to be intoxicated. Intoxicated passengers will not fly and they will be charged in full.

For doors off tours, jackets and/or sweatshirts, closed toe shoes, and hair ties are required. Long pants are recommended.
When booking the doors off experience, your seat may or may not be directly adjacent to an open door.
Only passengers weighing 80 lbs or more may fly with the door off in our Robinson R44 helicopter. Only passengers weighing 100 lbs or more may fly with the door off in our Airbus Astar helicopter.
All passengers 24 months and older must purchase a full fare seat.
For each guest weighing 250 pounds or more, a weight and balance fee is required to safely balance the aircraft. For guests weighing between 250-275 lbs, a fee in the amount of 50% of the seat price will be assessed after booking. For guests weighing 275 lbs or higher, an additional seat purchase will be assessed after booking.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Tatev_D

I recently had the opportunity to take a helicopter flight, and it was absolutely unforgettable! From start to finish, the experience was smooth, professional, and exhilarating.

Reviews

4.9

based on 33 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Amazing experience

Tatev_D, Jul 2025

I recently had the opportunity to take a helicopter flight, and it was absolutely unforgettable! From start to finish, the experience was smooth, professional, and exhilarating.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Aloha Tatev, We’re so glad to hear your City By The Sea tour was such an amazing experience! We take great pride in creating one‑of‑a‑kind journeys that are safe, memorable, and truly exhilarating, and it’s wonderful to know your flight reflected that from start to finish. Thank you for sharing your kind words; we’d be delighted to welcome you back for another incredible adventure! Mahalo, The Rainbow Helicopters Team

Excellent experience

Lorraine_B, Nov 2024

Absolutely fantastic, I cant rate highly enough, the staff were all very attentive and extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the experience, and attention was paid to safety. Would 100% recommend.

Excellent customer service

Troy_T, Apr 2024

Due to weather we were not able to complete our tour but the staff remained in continuous contact with us. The trip was canceled and rescheduled twice and once we had to completely cancel due to our travel plans the refund process was extremely was easy. When I return to Hawaii they are first on my list.

Fabulous

Tiffany_C, Sep 2023

Great amazing the r8de was unforgettable and the views were the best ever Thanks ViATOR ..I would recommend this once in a lifetime experience

Beautiful experience over the island of Oahu

Randell_S, Nov 2022

Harley our pilot was extremely professional and knowledgeable nice guy! An exquisite adventure. Worth every penny!!!

Great experience

George_G, May 2022

Absolutely amazing, Highly recommend , our pilot was great ,we chose to have the doors off .I would definitely try again in the future

Our pilot Matt was great!...

Deniesha_W, Mar 2022

Our pilot Matt was great! Awesome experience smooth ride. I’m afraid of heights and I was very nervous but it turned out great! Beautiful views… I would definitely do it again.

The entire trip....

Irene_T, Feb 2022

The entire trip. BEAUTIFUL landscape and fabulous pilot. Thank you Joey. Having one side if the doors opened added to thrill

thumbs up

Alegria_F, Jun 2021

this tour is highly recommended . You can see the beauty of the island .the pilot also narrates some Hawaii history while flying that makes it more interesting.

Cool having the door off

Alaa_A, Jun 2021

Great way to view Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, and Diamond Head crater. Having the door off added to the fun and made it clearer to view everything and added to the adventure. Highly recommend

Great Experience love the view

Pernell_M, Mar 2021

Awesome experience had a lot of fun my first helicopter ride and first time In Hawaii on my birthday!!

20 min w/ door off

Felicia_i, Dec 2020

I’ve never been in a helicopter before so the thought of one and without doors was both scary and exciting. Very nice staff and the pilot was great also and the views too. It was a great first time experience

We got to fly though a rainbow

charles_C, Mar 2020

What a great tour got to see a lot of different things you can't see from the ground . Got to fly over Pearl Harbor seeing Pearl Harbor from 2000 feet up was amazing

Amazing Views & Friendly Service

Tracy_W, Oct 2019

Been to Waikiki 5 times and this is the only excursion we had never done before. It was absolutely amazing & the views were incredible. Staff and pilot service was outstanding. My only regret is we should have done the 45 minute or 1-hour ride instead, 20 minutes just seemed so short. I would definitely do it again next time we are in Honolulu.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

We are so happy you decided to take a helicopter ride this time and chose us! We look forward to seeing you next time! Mahalo!

Doors off tour

Lawrence_W, Jul 2018

All personnel were professional and knowledgeable. Our pilot Joanna was especially impressive in her skills. I would highly recommend this tour for everyone, it was a fantastic experience.

Incredible experience with breath...

Amanda b, Dec 2017

Incredible experience with breath taking views. Staff was friendly and professional.

Great tour. Professional staff...

Natalie_M, Apr 2017

Great tour. Professional staff, efficient so the wait time wasn't long to get loaded. 20 minute flight is a nice introduction to people that haven't been in a helicopter ride before. Saw great, unique views of Diamondhead and Pearl Harbor. Highlight of our trip.

Very very cool tour, I also had an...

Nadim_T, Feb 2017

Very very cool tour, I also had an awesome pilot Fred was a really cool experience. Thanks again

Had a really great time. Our pilot was...

Chiterria_S, Dec 2016

Had a really great time. Our pilot was fun and gave a great tour.

Maravillosa Experiencia

Rebeca_A, Jan 2024

Es un viaje extraordinario por las alturas, donde puedes apreciar mucho mejor la isla , asi como las playas, el volcán, sobrevolar Pearl Harbor y las diferentes zonas de Honolulu. Nos encantó, todo estuvo de 100.