An aerial view of Maui reveals some of the most pristine areas found on the island and provides a breathtaking vantage point that most people never get to enjoy. When you take to the skies with a helicopter tour in Maui, you'll experience breathtaking scenes of many top attractions. You'll see stunning and lush green landscapes, commanding mountain views and 360 degrees of mesmerizing blue ocean. These unique and picturesque excursions allow visitors to gain a whole new level of appreciation for Maui's striking beauty.

Before booking Maui helicopter tours, visitors may want to consider some ground-based sightseeing around the island. Doing so can provide an excellent alternative to what you'll witness on helicopter rides in Maui. And once you've already traversed the topography at ground level, it helps deepen the appreciation and understanding of the spectacular panoramic view from the sky. Most helicopter rides Maui tour operators offer highlight the east and west coasts, which are the most striking to see from the air.

Those who are interested in Maui helicopter tours can choose certain areas or an entire island tour. On the eastern side, a helicopter tour in Maui will fly over Haleakala, the 10,000-foot, second-oldest volcano on the island. At the highest elevation of the mountain, the volcanic landscape is breathtaking, with the crater taking center stage. The mountainous slopes on the north and east sides are draped in lush, tropical rainforests, which can be difficult to access during Maui hiking trips in the area. You'll also see plunging, verdant valleys and remote areas that have resisted development. On some Maui helicopter tours, you can also see the Seven Sacred Pools from above.

The most easterly tip of Maui comprises the town of Hana, which is typically reached by driving the twisting and winding Hana Highway along the north shore. Some liken the north shore of Maui to the northern Napali Coast on Kauai , only slightly less striking, yet beautiful in its own right. Maui helicopter tours fly over dense, rainforests blanketing the coastline, above remote Maui beaches, plenty of gushing waterfalls, and jagged coastal bluffs.

On the west coas, a helicopter tour in Maui reveals why the island has been dubbed The Valley Isle. Two of the island's older volcanoes are found in the region, along with the eroded remains of a dead volcano that was once much bigger than the remaining two. Water erosion over millions of years sculpted the mountain into a chain of plummeting valleys, creating razor-sharp edges that loop around the expanse of the west side. Tours also fly over Lahaina and the ever-popular Kaanapali Beach.

With the numerous options for Hawaii helicopter rides, Maui isn't the only island you'll have the opportunity to see. Tours offer several different trip combinations. A Maui-Big Island tour is popular as is a tour over Maui and the island of Molokai; considered one of the best kept secrets of Hawaii. Touring only one of Maui's coastlines can be several hundred dollars less than an entire island tour or a combination tour, with tours that include the Big Island being the most expensive. Morning and afternoon helicopter tours are usually priced the same, and most companies don't charge extra on the weekends. Custom charters are available and tend to come with inflated rates. Either way, you can enjoy Maui helicopter tours any day of the year except Christmas, so it's easy to add one to your Hawaii vacation itinerary.

Among the companies to consider when looking to book a Maui helicopter tour is Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. With its main office in Maui at 1 Kahului Airport Road, #105, Blue Hawaiian offers six different standard tours. The cheapest is the West Maui Mountains tour, which lasts about a half hour and highlights hidden mountain valleys, mist-shrouded peaks and cascading waterfalls. Next up is the West Maui and Molokai tour. Approximately 50 minutes long, this tour combines views of West Maui with views of the lofty, spectacular sea cliffs of Molokai Island. Soaring over Molokai, you’ll also see Hawaii’s tallest waterfall and the famed Kalaupapa peninsula. In the same price bracket as the Maui/Molokai tour is the Hana/Haleakala tour, which also lasts about 50 minutes and showcases the stunning beauty of Haleakala Crater and the corresponding Haleakala National Park.

If you want to see Maui in all its glory, Blue Hawaiian offers the 65-minute Complete Island tour. Highlights include the Haleakala Crater, the rugged Northeast Maui coast, the gorgeous West Maui Mountains, and more. If that still isn’t enough, you can bump up to the Maui Spectacular tour. Lasting an hour and a half, this tour also covers the top sights around the island, but also tosses in a landing at Ulupalakua Ranch on the Haleakala slopes for refreshments and a different perspective. Rounding out the standard tours for Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is the two-hour Maui-Big Island tour, which flies over the Haleakala Crater before crossing the Alenuihaha channel to take in Big Island’s Kohala Mountains and waterfalls. On the return trip to Maui, the town of Hana and the lush Hana Rainforest are highlighted before landing.