If you can choose the island, fly on Kauai. If you cannot, here is the flight to take on each island.
The short answer
The best Hawaii helicopter tour is a Kauai flight over Manawaiopuna Falls, Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast, about 45 to 60 minutes from Lihue or Princeville. Every flight starts and ends on the same island, though, so book on the island where you stay. On the Big Island take a Kilauea flight, on Maui one that crosses to Molokai, on Oahu the full hour with the North Shore.
See which flights still have places on your dates
The picks below are one flight per island and one for doors off. The finder after them narrows it down by island, doors and flight time.
Manawaiopuna Falls, Olokele and Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali cliffs and Hanalei Bay in 50 minutes, and the Mt Wai'ale'ale crater when the weather allows.
The full hour from Honolulu: Waikiki, Diamond Head, the Windward Coast, Sacred Falls, the North Shore and Pearl Harbor.
55 minutes from Kahului to the Molokai sea cliffs and Halawa Valley, back over the Iao Valley and Honokohau Falls. Bookable direct with Maverick.
From Waikoloa over Kilauea and the 2018 lava landscape, then the Hamakua Coast and the Kohala valleys.
Island first, then doors and time in the air. The answer comes from the routes and flight times in the listings.
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No flight fits every answer, so here is the closest one.
Also a good fit
The Kauai routes show what you cannot see from the road: Manawaiopuna Falls stand on private land in the Hanapepe Valley, which the Safari listing says only a helicopter reaches, and the Na Pali cliffs drop straight into the sea. Blue Hawaiian's 50-minute Eco Adventure continues past Hanalei Bay and, weather permitting, into the Mt Wai'ale'ale crater. For a stop on the ground, take Safari's 90-minute flight with the landing in Olokele Canyon.
The draw here is Kilauea. From Hilo, Discover Hilo reaches it in 50 minutes. From Waikoloa, the Big Island Spectacular adds the Hamakua Coast and the Kohala valleys, with an optional waterfall landing. Lava is only visible when the volcano is active that day.
Take a flight that crosses the Pailolo Channel to Molokai, where the sea cliffs and waterfalls of the north shore are the high point. Maverick's Molokai Voyage and Air Maui's West Maui and Molokai flight both do this, and Maverick can be booked direct. For Haleakala, Air Maui's Hana flight circles the summit crater.
Rainbow's 60-minute flight is the one that covers the whole island, from Waikiki and Pearl Harbor up the Windward Coast to the North Shore. If you only want Waikiki, Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor, the 20-minute flight shows them.
On Kauai, Mauna Loa Helicopters flies privately with a window seat for everyone; Air Kauai and Jack Harter start at age 10 and take your group with others. Families with younger children can fly Ali'i or Mauna Loa from age 7, with the doors closed next to the children.
For scenery from the air, Kauai: Manawaiopuna Falls, Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast are on almost every route. Maui is the better pick if you want a second island in the same flight, since several Maui routes cross to Molokai.
Doors on if you travel with children under 10 or prefer a closed cabin. Doors off for photos without glass, if everyone meets the age and weight rules and is fine with wind on board; at Air Kauai and Air Maui you may take only your phone.
On Kauai and Maui, 45 to 60 minutes covers the main route. On Oahu the full island needs the 60-minute flight. On the Big Island the longer flights from Waikoloa and Kailua-Kona take 90 minutes or more.
Manawaiopuna Falls, Waimea Canyon and Na Pali, from Lihue or Princeville.
See the Kauai flights