Molokai Sea Cliffs Flight 2026: How to See Them From Maui

Booking choice: The Molokai and Maui helicopter, from $404 per person. Check dates Tour details

Plenty of Maui air tours mention Molokai in their name. Fewer put the sea cliffs on their published route.

Here is what each listing actually says, how to reach the cliffs, and what to expect when you get there.

The quick answer

For the cliffs by name, book a helicopter: the Maverick Molokai and Maui tour lists Halawa Valley and Molokai Harbor, and the Air Maui doors-off flight lists Molokai and West Maui. The 5 Island private plane flight does not name Molokai on its stop list, although some guests write about it. Ask the pilot at check-in if you fly by plane.

A deep green valley with ribbon waterfalls running down to the sea — A green valley cut by ribbon waterfalls, from the Viator listing photos.

How high are the Molokai sea cliffs?

About 3,000 feet: the National Park Service says Molokai's sea cliffs rise to three thousand feet above sea level, among the highest in the world.

You will see bigger numbers in tour copy; the Complete Island helicopter listing, for one, calls them 4,000-foot cliffs. We use the park service figure. Below the cliffs sits the flat Kalaupapa peninsula, built by a small offshore shield volcano 230,000 to 300,000 years ago, according to the same park service page.

Which Maui air tours fly to Molokai?

The Maverick helicopter and the Air Maui doors-off helicopter list Molokai on their routes; the Complete Island helicopter promises views of it.

Flight	What the listing says about Molokai	From	Free cancellation
Maverick Molokai and Maui	Halawa Valley, Molokai Harbor, Kahiwa Falls, the north shore	$404	3 days ahead
Air Maui doors-off	Molokai and West Maui Mountains (pass by)	$452	24 hours
Air Maui Complete Island	Views of Molokai and its sea cliffs from the West Maui coast	$513	24 hours
The 5 Island private flight	Not named on the stop list	$536	24 hours
The 60-minute 3 Islands flight	In the web address, not on the stop list	$380	24 hours

Does the 5 Island private flight go over Molokai?

Its stop list does not name Molokai, so do not count on the north shore cliffs.

The listing names Lanai, Molokini and Maui's coasts. Some guests do write about Molokai: one praised the tour "especially Malakai", and on the 60-minute flight one guest thanked the pilot for "showing us the beauty of Molokai" while another wrote "Terrific views of the Cliffs." A guest on the Haleakala flight said he would come back "to see the cliffs of molakai", which suggests it is a separate request.

Guests report being offered route options before take-off. Ask at booking and again at check-in, and accept that clouds on the north shore can rule it out.

A small low-wing plane flying past green sea cliffs with a waterfall — A photo from the 5 Island flight's Viator listing: the plane below green sea cliffs.

What will you see on a Molokai helicopter tour?

On the Maverick route: the Pailolo Channel, Kahiwa Falls on the north shore, Halawa Valley and Molokai Harbor, then the West Maui rainforest.

The listing tells you to watch for whales and dolphins on the channel crossing. One guest summed up the route as a tour of "the west Maui mountains before heading across the channel for a [...] run in and around the canyons and cliffs of Molokai". Another wrote: "You just can't see some of this beauty any other way! The spectacular cliffs and waterfalls are sure to impress."

Two practical points. Maverick only cancels free up to 3 days before, not 24 hours. And every traveler over 18 needs an original government photo ID at check-in, or nobody in the booking flies.

Cliffs by name? The 55-minute Maverick flight lists Halawa Valley and Molokai Harbor. Free cancellation is up to 3 days ahead, not 24 hours.

★ 4.9 · 55 minutes · from $404

Explore the Molokai and Maui helicopter Tour details

Is the doors-off flight to Molokai worth it?

Yes, if you are over 10, happy with only a phone for photos and fine with wind in your face for 45 minutes.

The doors-off helicopter lists Molokai and the West Maui Mountains, and its guests write about rainbows, waterfalls and the open view. The rules are strict: goggles on, hair tied up, closed-toe shoes or ankle-strap sandals, the phone on a lanyard, and outside seats only for passengers 16 and over. Weight limits start at 230 lbs per passenger.

A helicopter crossing a turquoise reef lagoon below a dry coastline — A helicopter over a reef lagoon, from the helicopter listing photos.

Can you see the cliffs from the ground instead?

Partly: the Kalaupapa lookout in Palaau State Park, on Molokai itself, looks down over the peninsula from the cliff top.

The park service overlook sits about 1,600 feet above the peninsula, at the end of Highway 470 in Palaau State Park. Getting down to Kalaupapa is another matter: visits are restricted, so check the current rules on the Kalaupapa park page first.

When is the best time to fly to Molokai?

Book a morning flight early in your trip, and go between November and April if you want a chance of whales on the crossing.

Clouds often sit on the north shore, and the Air Maui listing warns that routes and sights may vary with the weather. One guest on the doors-off flight had it cancelled three times, for weather or too few passengers, and ran out of vacation. Leave yourself spare days. For whales, NOAA's humpback whale sanctuary says visitors can see them from shore and at sea from November through April.

Tall green sea cliffs with waterfalls above a rocky blue coast — Green sea cliffs and waterfalls along a remote coast.

Which Molokai flight should you book?

For the cliffs by name, a helicopter; for privacy and more islands, the plane with a clear request.

The north shore is the reason you came: the Maverick Molokai and Maui flight, with its 3-day cancellation rule.
Open air, ages 10 and up: the Air Maui doors-off flight.
All of Maui plus a look across: the Complete Island helicopter.
Your group alone, five islands: the 90-minute private plane, and ask about Molokai at check-in.

Want the cliffs with the doors off? Check dates for the 45-minute flight, free to cancel up to 24 hours before.

Check dates for the doors-off helicopter

Frequently asked questions

Are the Molokai sea cliffs the tallest in the world?

The National Park Service calls them among the highest in the world, at about 3,000 feet above sea level.

Can you hike to the Molokai sea cliffs?

The Kalaupapa lookout in Palaau State Park looks over the peninsula from the top. Access down to Kalaupapa is restricted, so check the park page first.

How long is the flight from Maui to Molokai?

The tours here are round trips from Kahului: 45 minutes on the doors-off flight and 55 minutes on the Maverick tour, including the channel crossing.

Can kids go on a Molokai helicopter tour?

The doors-off flight takes children from 10 with an adult. The Maverick flight sells seats from age 2; adults over 18 need photo ID.

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