Private Air Tour in Kauai Takes You to All the Highlights
When we were planning our vacation to Hawaii, which included time on four different islands – the big island of Hawaii, O’ahu, Maui and Kauai – the ranking for the interest would have had Kauai on the bottom. Looking back after our trip, private air tour Kauai would be at the top of the list of places we visited during our Hawaii getaway.
Hawaii is known for its natural beauty, and there is plenty on display throughout the state. For us, Kauai stands out because of amount of pristine, still undeveloped land that is filled with lush growth that creates that perfect island vibe. If you’re planning an aerial tour in Hawaii, we recommend doing it in Kauai.
Planning Your Visit
Traveling to Hawaii is not cheap – stating the obvious there of course. So if you’re investing the funds to go to Hawaii, there are a couple of pro tips to recommend to you once you’re there. 1) Go to multiple islands – had we picked a single destination, or even two locations, we would have not had the chance to experience the beauty of Kauai. Air travel between islands is not that expensive and readily available. 2) Invest in the private tour versus the large group tour experiences, or better yet do it on your own. The more we travel, the more we are leaning this way, as it creates a better experience for you and ultimately you see more (or at least more of what you’re interested in since you set the itinerary).
Never in our travels has the recommendation for a private tour been more important than in Kauai. Throughout Hawaii, there are plenty of options for group tours. Some of our fellow cruise ship passengers signed up for group excursions to see the same sites but were disappointed in what they saw, felt rushed and cheated for not seeing the magnificent scenery featured.
Did we pay more? Maybe – but not much more than they did as we booked on our own. In our case, we booked a private airplane tour for our family via Ali’i Kauai Air Tours & Charters. They have a full fleet of small airplanes and helicopters, and were very easy to work with throughout our excursion.
Our Private Air Tour Kauai
An aerial tour of Kauai is the best way to experience Kauai, and in some cases the only way to see some of the best attractions. The aerial tour we took provided us with a breathtaking view of some of the most beautiful places on earth. While it is a small plane, it was a smooth ride, including take off and landing.
The island is small enough to get a full tour in and see why Kauai is so special. There are many highlights on this tour. Probably at the top of the list was the Napali Coastline, which features seaside cliffs that drop about 4,000 feet and Manawaiopuna Waterfalls, also known as Jurassic Falls having been featured prominently in the first Jurassic Park movie. There is so much more to see than just those two, though that would have been enough to make this tour worth its while.
The hills and valleys of Waimea Canyon and the twin waterfalls featured in the 1970’s TV show Fantasy Island are also a couple don’t miss highlights of this island paradise. Ali’i promises a full list of places you’ll see on the standard tour:
- Napali Coastline (4,000 ft seacliffs)
- Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific)
- Wai’ale’ale Crater (one of the wettest spots on earth)
- Alakai Swamp (The highest swamp in North America)
- Hanale’i Bay (famous surfing location)
- Hanale’i Valley (with its numerous waterfalls)
- Ke’e Beach (the end of the road)
- Lumahai Beach (Movie “South Pacific” was filmed)
- Queens Bath (tide pool where ancient queens bathed)
- Kilauea Lighthouse (also a bird sanctuary)
- Jurassic Falls (Manawaiopuna Waterfall)
Our pilot George was great to work with and was very patient with us as not everyone in our party was thrilled to be in a small twin-engine plane. For plane enthusiasts, Ali’i uses a twin engine, high wing Partenavia P68 plane, equipped with headsets for everyone to hear the narration from the pilot. Everyone has a window seat, and thanks to the skillful pilot everyone sees each attraction up close. From wheels up to touchdown our tour was just over one hour. Cost for the private airplane tour was around $200 per person. But you are guaranteed to see all the amazing sites you wanted to see. Similar air excursions being offered through the cruise line were more than double than what we were able to find on our own.
Helicopter tours are also available, but come at an even higher price tag than the private airplane. With the helicopter tours, your photography might be easier since you won’t have to deal with the wing and propeller on either side. But the overall experience isn’t likely to be much different, we believe. Our advice is to stick with the airplane, save your money and be selective with your photography.
The main airport in Kauai is located in Lihue, and is close to the cruise terminal and many of the main resorts on the island. In our case, we took taxis and Ubers to and from the airport for a minimal charge. We did not experience any difficulty finding transportation. You will be going in and out of the commuter terminal, which is located at 3745 Ahukini Road in Lihue.
A bonus opportunity for you on something awesome to do – once you’re done at the airport take a short ride and have lunch at Duke’s Restaurant. There are Duke’s restaurants throughout the Hawaiian Islands, featuring some of the best views we’ve ever seen from a restaurant, generous portions of fresh food and a to-die-for Hula Pie for dessert.
Learn more about our favorite things from the 50th state by checking our other reviews.
