My husband and I just did this tour today (10/25/25) with three other individuals and the pilot. The cost was $630 per person, which we learned helps fund medivac services for the residents of Ni'ihau. We were allowed to bring bags, snorkel gear, and a cooler. After checking in, weighing in, and a brief safety talk at the Kaumakani office, we drove to the Port Allen airstrip by Salt Pond and got on the helicopter - a seven seater + the pilot. There were five passengers, so everyone got an assigned window seat. We then flew for about 35-40 minutes to and over Ni'ihau where we saw breathtaking cliffs, miles of empty beaches, wild horses, cattle, pheasants, pigs and goats as well as a brief glimpse of the village of Pu'uwai. (Note: the tour did not include any flight time over Kaua'i, although we skirted along the west end shoreline on the way back). We landed at a remote beach facing Lehua where there is a pavilion and a shed for changing. Time on the island was about 3.5 hours, which went by extremely quickly. There were tons of seashells and coral fragments that we were invited to take home, and the water was warm and crystal clear. Surprisingly, the beach was very littered, especially with commercial fishing debris and plastic (but still extremely beautiful). It was sad to see even the places that people rarely visit are still ruined by humans. We are residents of Kaua'i, so I think that this tour probably meant quite a bit more to us than it does for visitors to the island because we fully understand what a unique opportunity we just experienced/how special Ni'ihau is. Having said that, the other three people in our group seemed to enjoy it as well. We tipped the pilot because he was awesome, but IDK if that's normal because no one else did. For us being residents, it was worth the money. I'm not sure if I would feel the same as a tourist because of the (well justified) cost. No photos attached, as we were allowed to take them but were asked not to share them online. read more

They don't reply to emails and now return to sender, and no reply via phone. I presume they went out of business. read more

Niihau Helicopter - Beaches Near Me - Kaumakani, Hawaii

I took a flight to Niihau with this company in September, 2020 and it was great. I appreciated how Jill at Niihau Helicopter responded to my emails and made my options clear. They charged $465, but to my knowledge they are the only company sanctioned by the Robinson family that owns the island. They treat it well, respect the residents and know a lot about everything not to mention they have permission to be there. I needed to take two buses each way from Lihue, so I brought my bike, but it wasn't too difficult. I think they are flexible when it comes to the exact time of the morning and afternoon flights. I liked their storefront and they were very friendly. I flew with a pilot and three others in a helicopter and it was beautiful, fun, exciting and picturesque. It was also safe and made my heart beat faster. The pilot was very good and had flown to Niihau many times. They do not take people to the village or to meet any people in Niihau, but that's fine. They provided a peaceful experience on a secluded beach where you can walk around, take pics and videos,, find shells, sunbathe, watch sea lions play, eat lunch, etc. I took lots of pictures and videos, but they said they have a no-social media policy. I have respected it and planned on uploading the pics to my website or a special website. They typically go to the same location. However, for people that want to go more than once there is one other place that they land. read more

Just do it - the cost is worth it if you can find a way to swing it. This is one of those once in a lifetime things that you'll regret not doing if you pass on it. The schedule is very touch and go, particularly during the pandemic with other parties cancelling last minute, but if you can be flexible, you'll likely be able to make the trip while you're on island. We got a call the night before about an opening, and we snatched it. They have a no social media policy for pictures and video. All I will say is that the beach combing here was the best I've ever seen in Hawaii (you have no competition and you can keep whatever you find), the marine life loves hanging out at the beach on the north shore that they land at, and you'll be able to visit Niihau - which is off limits to everyone except invited guests and these helicopter tours. read more

Because I was only part of a party of 2, we had to be put on the "waitlist" in case there was another smaller group that could be combined with us. I totally understand that priority goes to parties that can fill the required spots, but I was never even given a call/text/email letting me know that we didn't get a spot on the tour. I felt like I had called and given all my information for nothing. I was completely forgotten about after I made that initial call. I feel like that's just bad customer service. read more

Hands down best tour I've ever done. U'a helped us get checked in and helped us every step of the way and was very helpful, especially since we had 3 kids with us. The pilot was phenomenal as well!! Very knowledgeable about the islands and the history. I've worked for many helicopter companies and been on many flights and let me just say that the flight alone was the smoothest and effortless helicopter ride I've ever been on. Not a single bump! When taking off and landing it was the smoothest I've ever experienced! And the island of Niihau... it can speak for its self, absolutely gorgeous! You can snorkel and the fish don't seem to be scared of you at all. We were all simply blown away and we will be making this a family tradition! Mahalo Niihau Helipcters for an unforgettable experience!! read more

I've always wanted to visit Niihau but when we first discovered Kauai 20+ years ago, the Internet was not what it is now so we had no idea that you could even fly to Niihau. On our recent trip, I was a bit late in planning so called and emailed them a week before our scheduled trip. I never received a response from either channels so I had our concierge from the Princeville Resort get in touch. She did but was told that they were sold out on the days that we were there. I was very bummed. Despite the concierge not being optimistic about my suggestion on getting on the waitlist, I decided to call and email them to please add me to their waitlist. Good thing I did because they called me on the 2nd day of my trip with the news that they had space for us. Note that when you call or email to book this, do it weeks in advance and be patient because they can't run the helicopters unless there are five guests. There is also the possibility of the helicopter being used to move locals on/off the island. Ua is a lovely person to work with but this isn't a call center where you book tours where you wait less than 30 seconds. If that is what you're expecting, please don't book this tour. In my personal opinion, it is a privilege to be able to visit this island - yes, it may seem expensive but it's to help preserve a way-of-life that doesn't exist in too many places any more. In those terms, you can't put a price tag on this experience. Each day, they may run up to 2 trips of up to 5 passengers. The helicopters used for the tours are primarily used to med-vac the inhabitants of the island off when needed. Our tour started in the morning where we checked into the office at Kaumakani which is west of Hanapepe. Ua is the main coordinator of the tours checked us in and weighed us with our belongings to take on the helicopter to load-balance. While in the office, I saw the beautiful Niihau jewelry made of the minuscule shells...interesting to note that this is the only shell jewelry that is insurable since some of these run as high as $100,000s. One might think it's expensive until you actually try looking for these shells yourself - DH said that they should charge more after he tried looking for it on the beach! After checking in, we drove 10 minutes to where the helicopter came to pick us up. This helicopter has been used in several films, most recently Godzilla and also Jurassic Park. We got a great history lesson of Niihau and Kauai from our pilot, George, who stayed with us the whole 4 hours. During the ride over, we got a good aerial view of the island which looks very arid and could be the bush in Africa...strange when you just come over from Kauai where it's lush and green. There were wild pigs and elands (antelope) running wild on the island - it was kind of cool to see from the air. George then landed us near this beautiful beach surrounding a reef garden. Other than a shaded wooden structure and an outhouse, it's you and nature (and the hot sun!). It was such an incredible experience to be someplace that hasn't been touched by modern civilization and spoiled. Other than our family, the only other folks on that beach were the lovely couple who came on our trip and the pilot. We were so lucky in who was on the same tour with us...on that principle alone, I hope that this tour doesn't get out to those entitled folks who won't appreciate this gift of being able to still visit someplace this unique. The Robinson family who are the stewards of this island have kept to their promise to keep this land for the use of the original inhabitants and their descendants, which I find very admirable. We beachcombed and found those tiny Niihau shells - in an hour of shelling, I found less than a dozen! They are smaller than the French nail tip, just to give an idea of who tiny they are. We also walked along the empty beach and snorkeled in the reef. On the day we went, it was beautifully sunny and breezy; the surf in the ocean was strong so if you plan on snorkeling, bring your own snorkels and fins. We brought water shoes but these were not needed because we were not allowed on the black reef rocks due to safety. It was the most idyllic few hours that we've spent in a while. Although we've been so remote motus in the Tahitian islands and the Maldives, this was so unique in that it was getting to experience history. The highlights for my DS was the monk seals napping on the beach. The Hawaiian monk seals are highly endangered and there are ~150 left in the world. It was incredible getting to see them nap in their natural habitat! On the way out, we saw a whole group of reef sharks mating - glad we weren't on that beach! As part of the tour, you will get a picnic lunch of a sandwich, chips and a drink. You will need to bring your own towel and any additional drinking water (or snorkel gear). There's not much else I would bring since we brought way more than we needed. And the best part...no cell service! read more

We highly, highly recommend taking this tour. Not only do you get to visit an island that many people do not even know exists, but you receive a once in a lifetime experience with professional and knowledgeable staff. From first speaking with Jill on the phone, to meeting her, and flying with Dana, we are still flying high. They offer a trip to an island that still encompasses the true Hawaiian culture as it has existed for hundreds of years. You get an aerial view of the island, then get to actually land on Niihau, and then can wonder around and snorkel in the most beautiful and clear waters you will ever see. In addition, Dana, the pilot, shares his experiences and knowledge to give you an even better experience. How fun to fly in the helicopter, and with the pilot, that flew in the Jurassic Park movies!!!! Forget the other tours that say they will take you to Niihau, this is the only one that really does take you to the island!!! read more

This was a great trip. We flew from Kauai by helicopter and took a tour of the beautiful island. We also flew over the small island Lehua, which is a bird sanctuary. While flying over Niihau, we saw antelopes galloping across the plains. It was extraordinary! Then, we landed and spent a good three to four hours on Niihau's beach. It's great to hunt for shells, snorkel, sunbathe, and have lunch. We saw a few monk seals sunbathing on the beach and one from the air. It is practically guaranteed to see monk seals while on Niihau. The snorkeling is phenomenal. We saw an octopus, lots of colorful fish, beautiful reefs, etc. There was a huge range from beautiful, not-so-colorful, gargantuan fish, to tiny striped fish, to brown fish with white polka dots. We combed the beach for the famous Niihau shells which we were allowed to bring home with us. They are extraordinarily miniscule, but quite pretty. We were not so lucky to find any illustrious Niihau glass balls, but we did not care because the trip was so wonderful. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone because it is a trip of a lifetime. It is very rare to meet someone has stepped foot on the intriguing "forbidden island." read more

Niihau Helicopter - Beaches Near Me - Kaumakani, Hawaii

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Had the helicopter chartered for a large group that I was taking over to Kauai. Shandra was excellent to work with; we communicated great via email and telephone. She was able to make special arrangements for us (we did 3 back-to-back shorter tours since we had a group of 21). Everyone in the group loved the experience! Truly one-of-a-kind. Props go to pilot Dana for the aerial tour of Niihau. Even tried to chase some eland in the chopper! Also met a few Niihauans on the island. So friendly :) Shandra, Dana, and everyone is so down-to-earth. And on top of that, the lunches were better than expected. You would think sandwiches would be mediocre, but they packed on the veggies and condiments. The cookies were also super delish. Thanks for the awesome experience! read more

This is a once in a lifetime trip that you will never forget. To visit an island that you can only be into is nice, but to see what Hawaii was 100 years ago..priceless. The island has great wildlife that you can see on the tour to Niihau. But the best part of the trip is pristine beach that you can get to stay on. Swimming, shell collecting, surfing, or just a nice little nap on the sand...can't beat this relaxing trip. read more