Hilo to Pearl Harbor Helicopter Package

Book Hilo to Pearl Harbor Helicopter Package

Affordable Inter-Island Day Trip

Experience a remarkable journey from Hilo on the Big Island to Pearl Harbor on Oahu in just one day for $690. This 8 to 9-hour tour includes a breathtaking helicopter flight over the Pacific, providing a unique view of Hawaii’s beauty. Enjoy seamless coordination of inter-island flights and guided exploration without the stress of traffic.

Pearl Harbor Fly-Drive with Helicopter Package From Big Island - Hilo f-1

Activity Price

690 USD

Duration

8–9 Hours

Age

Ages 3+

Location

Honolulu

Amenities

Inter-island helicopter transportation is the spine of this package, connecting your Big Island departure in Hilo to Oahu without the hassle of commercial airport check-ins and baggage carousels. In practical terms, this means you're airborne over open Pacific, watching the coastlines shift below you, rather than sitting in a gate waiting for a delayed flight — it's a fundamentally different way to move between islands.
Ground transportation on Oahu is included once you land, which matters more than people realize when you're navigating the H-1 freeway toward Pearl Harbor during peak morning hours. Rather than fumbling with a rental car or Uber surge pricing near the memorial, you're delivered directly to the site and picked back up — your only job is to be present for what you came to see.

Special Instruction

Two Islands, One Profound Day Trip
Pearl Harbor Fly-Drive with Helicopter Package From Big Island - Hilo f-1
Oil Still Rising at the Arizona Memorial

Eighty-plus years later, the USS Arizona still releases a slow rainbow slick of oil into the harbor — sailors who were on the ship call it the ship still bleeding. You stand on the white marble structure built directly over the sunken hull, look down into water that is simultaneously clear and haunting, and the history stops being abstract.

Pearl Harbor Fly-Drive with Helicopter Package From Big Island - Hilo f-1
Crossing the Pacific Channel by Air

The helicopter leg between islands gives you a perspective on the Hawaiian chain that almost nobody gets — you can see the curvature of the ocean, the volcanic ridgelines dropping into blue, the sense of just how isolated these islands really are in the middle of the Pacific. It resets your understanding of where you are before you ever reach Oahu.

Pearl Harbor Fly-Drive with Helicopter Package From Big Island - Hilo f-1
A Full Day That Runs Itself

You leave Hilo in the morning and by afternoon you’re standing at Pearl Harbor — no rental cars, no missed connections, no figuring out which shuttle goes where on an island you don’t know. The ground transfers on Oahu are already sequenced, so your only job is to pay attention. For families traveling with older keiki, that kind of structure makes the difference between a day that works and one that frays before it starts.

Book Hilo to Pearl Harbor Helicopter Package

Big Island to Pearl Harbor Complete Experience
About
Additional information
Pricing
Cancellations

Overview
Experience Oʻahu by air and land with a flexible fly-and-drive package that combines round-trip inter-island flights, a rental car, and a 45-minute helicopter tour over Oʻahu and Pearl Harbor. Spend the day exploring Pearl Harbor and other historic or scenic sites at your own pace, then enjoy a full circle-island flight for a unique aerial perspective.

Duration
Approx. 5 hours (structured activity time; you control additional free time on Oʻahu)

Meeting Point
Pick-up locations include:

  • Waikīkī

  • Ko Olina

  • Turtle Bay

  • Laie Marriott

What’s Included

  • Round-trip airline flight on Hawaiian Airlines (outer island → Oʻahu → outer island)

  • Rental car in Honolulu for your group

  • 45-minute helicopter tour (circle island + Pearl Harbor/USS Missouri flyover)

  • Free time to visit additional historic sites and scenic viewpoints around Oʻahu at your own pace

What’s Not Included

  • Admission/reservations for the USS Arizona Memorial

  • Meals and beverages

  • Gratuities

Itinerary

  • 7:15 AM – Flight departs to Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

  • 7:55 AM – Arrive in Honolulu, proceed to Baggage Claim

  • 8:00 AM – Board rental car shuttle

  • 8:30 AM – Pick up rental car and drive (~5 minutes) to helicopter departure location (address provided on your itinerary)

  • 9:30 AM – 45-minute helicopter tour: full circle-island flight over Oʻahu and Pearl Harbor/USS Missouri

  • 10:30 AM – Drive (~10 minutes) from heliport to Pearl Harbor

  • 11:00 AM – Visit Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

  • 12:00 PM – Watch documentary film and board Navy boat to USS Arizona Memorial

  • 1:30 PM onward – Free time to explore additional sites on your own (timing must fit around your flight schedule). Suggested areas (all visible during the helicopter tour):

    • Waikīkī

    • National Punchbowl Cemetery of the Pacific

    • Diamond Head

    • Hanauma Bay

    • Koko Head

    • Makapuʻu Lighthouse

    • Waimānalo & East Oʻahu

    • Polynesian Cultural Center (area)

    • North Shore surf beaches

    • Dole Plantation & pineapple fields

    • USS Missouri / Pearl Harbor area

  • 6:00 PM – Return rental car

  • 7:30 PM – Board flight back to your home island

  • 8:10 PM – Approximate landing time

Highlights

  • Aerial views of the sunken USS Arizona and USS Utah

  • Full circle-island helicopter flight showcasing Oʻahu’s coastlines, beaches, and landmarks

  • Flexibility to explore Pearl Harbor and other sites at your own pace with a rental car

  • Combined ground + air experience for a comprehensive view of Oʻahu’s history and scenery

Check-in details
Customers must check in at Kahului Airport (OGG) early enough to board their morning flights to Oʻahu. Detailed check-in instructions are provided after booking.

What to bring

  • Government-issued photo ID

  • Printed or mobile tour confirmation

  • Comfortable clothing and walking shoes

  • Sunscreen

Special requirements

  • All visitors must clear security at Pearl Harbor; bags are not permitted inside.

  • Each passenger’s body weight must be provided in advance for helicopter seating and weight-balancing.

Restrictions

  • No bags are allowed inside the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center (paid storage may be available outside).

  • Helicopter tour seating is subject to weight limits and operator safety policies.

Disclaimers

  • Inter-island flights are non-refundable once booked.

  • The tour itinerary may vary based on flight operations, helicopter scheduling, weather, or other operational factors.

Prices

  • US$690 – Adults (Ages 12+)

  • US$680 – Children (Ages 3–11)

  • US$189.50 – Mandatory Comfort Seat – Required for any passenger weighing over 240 lbs to accommodate additional weight and space.

Cancellation & Refund Policy

Full Refund Eligibility

  • 100% full refund options are available for tours originating from Oʻahu.

  • For tours that include flights, you must purchase trip insurance to qualify for a full refund.

  • To qualify, you must cancel at least 72 hours before the tour start time.

Operational Changes & Closures

  • No stop is guaranteed to be operating on the day of your tour.

  • Navy or Army operations may cause closure of Ford Island or suspension of the boats to the Arizona Memorial without notice.

  • If this happens, guides will adjust the tour and add alternative experiences so the tour remains worthwhile.

Tours with Flights from Maui, Big Island, or Kauai

No-Insurance Bookings

  • If you do not purchase flight insurance at checkout:

    • No refunds are available for cancellations or no-shows at any time after purchase.

    • Rescheduling fees may apply if you change your tour dates.

    • Tickets are non-transferable.

https://www.pearlharbortours.com/cancel-refund-policy/

Hilo to Pearl Harbor Helicopter Package — Frequently Asked Questions

  • The package includes access to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, which does involve the short Navy boat shuttle out to the memorial structure built over the sunken hull — that boat ride is part of the standard memorial experience and not a separate add-on you’d pay for. The visitor center, outdoor exhibits, and time at the memorial itself are all part of your day on the grounds. Plan for the experience to be more emotionally involved than you expect; most people underestimate how much the memorial itself asks of you.

  • Departures are early — this is a full 8 to 9 hour day and Pearl Harbor’s most meaningful time slots are morning hours when crowds are more manageable and the light on the harbor is clearest. Exact departure times are confirmed at booking and depend on the day’s flight schedule, but mentally prepare for a pre-dawn or very early morning start from Hilo. It’s worth it, but go to bed early the night before.

  • The helicopter serves as inter-island transportation, but flying over open Pacific Ocean between the Big Island and Oahu is inherently scenic — you’re above the channel with volcanic coastlines behind you and Oahu’s ridgelines ahead. It’s not a narrated sightseeing loop over lava fields, so don’t expect doors-off photography passes over Kilauea, but the flight itself is genuinely impressive and nothing like a commercial airline hop.

  • Helicopter operators in Hawaii do apply weight requirements for safety and aircraft balance, and the specific limit depends on the helicopter model used for this package. You’ll need to disclose your weight at the time of booking — this is standard practice and not meant to be intrusive, it’s an FAA safety requirement. Contact the operator directly when booking through CheapHawaiian.com if you have questions about specific weight accommodations.

  • The package is open to ages 3 and up, so keiki are welcome on the logistics side. Pearl Harbor itself is a solemn, historically significant site — it is appropriate for children, and many families bring kids specifically to provide a real-world history education that sticks in a way textbooks don’t. That said, the memorial asks for quiet and respectful behavior, and the subject matter involves loss of life, so it’s worth having a brief conversation with younger children before you arrive about what they’ll be seeing and why it matters.

  • Take motion sickness medication before you leave Hilo — both the helicopter crossing and the Navy boat to the Arizona Memorial can affect guests who are sensitive to motion, especially if seas are choppy or weather is moving through. Over-the-counter options like Bonine work best when taken an hour before departure rather than after you’re already feeling off. Avoid heavy meals right before the helicopter leg and choose a window seat if you can, as a visual horizon reference helps significantly.

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