There’s no doubt that London is one of the most beautiful places in the whole United Kingdom. It has so many tourist attractions that are worth visiting. There are palaces, parks, and the iconic Big Ben.
But what if you could take all that in a different but more grandeur angle?
Instead of just walking around them and looking up from the ground, you could soar above it all in a helicopter and see those big palaces, spacious parks, and a giant clock from above.
If you’re wondering how to make that happen, I’ve rounded up the best helicopter tours in London that offer unobstructed views of this world-famous capital.
How much does a helicopter tour cost in London?
A helicopter tour in London costs between £200 and £800, depending on the tour duration and number of passengers.
How I chose the best helicopter tours in London
- Service quality: I picked those who actually take tourists to all locations indicated in their package. It’s also important that the pilot knows how to manoeuvre the helicopter without making tourists anxious.
- Range of services: I selected companies with extensive helicopter ride options, such as tours, charter flights, and more.
- Value for money: I opted for the ones that offer relatively affordable tour packages with the inclusion of London’s iconic landmarks.
- Customer service quality: I went for helicopter tour agencies with staff who replied quickly to online enquiries and instructed people well about the do’s and don’ts before the flight.
1. Get Heli
Address: Heliport, The Pod, Bridges Ct Rd
Phone: +44 20 3637 7616
Business hours:
- Mon-Fri: 9 AM – 6 PM
- Sat-Sun: 9 AM – 5 PM
What I admire about Get Heli is their access to over a hundred helicopters. They have single-engine and double-engine aircraft of various kinds. Their ownership of many helicopters makes them an ideal company to visit during peak season.
I love their extensive, all-encompassing tours as well. They offer seven tours that will take you to diverse locations, such as the metropolis, the coastal area, and the green pastureland. Some of the tours are Cornwall, Cotswolds, and Newcastle tours.
Another great thing is that they have two departure points. They offer tours starting from both Battersea Heliport and Skyports London Heliport. This feature gives you the option to start your tour at a location closer to you.
I’m a huge fan of their extensive charter flights too. They have 20 charter flights for various events within and outside London. You can arrive in style at events like festivals, races, and more.
However, I’m a little disappointed that they don’t issue a refund. You will not get your money back even if you cancel a tour the same day you book it.
The experience was fantastic
“I recently booked a charter flight through GetHeli for a special occasion with my family, and I can honestly say the experience was fantastic. The team exceeded expectations in finding the best route and helicopter to suit our needs. They took all our requirements into consideration , making the process seamless and far more efficient and stress free. Highly recommend!”
-Adam Sinclaire, Google Review
Best service and price
“Get heli have been amazing in providing the most spectacular service. They were very accommodating and went above and beyond in making sure I was happy with the service received. They were always very responsive over telephone and email and tried their best to facilitate the best possible flight for myself. They suggested the best possible landing and takeoff sites for the helicopter and also recommended what size helicopter I should hire for the flight. They gave me the best possible deal and I received regular updates on the day about my flight. Fabrice was truly amazing, I highly recommend get heli for the best service and price. I have recommended Get Heli to my family and friends and will use them if I am ever in need for a helicopter again in the future.”
-Zahirah Pervaze, Google Review
2. The London Helicopter
Address: Hangar 1, Redhill Aerodrome
Phone: +44 20 7887 2626
Business hours:
- Mon-Sun: 9 AM – 5 PM
What I like most about The London Helicopter is that they offer long trips. Sightseeing is generally longer than a tour, allowing you to enjoy the experience more.
They have three main sightseeing routes, including the Central Tour, Olympic Tour, and Champagne Tour. Each route will take you to over 20 remarkable spots in the city, with the Olympic Tour having the most areas to visit (27 locations!).
What’s amazing is that they also have exclusive flights. They offer nine flights that will take you to urban, rural, and coastal areas. Some notable flights are trips to the South Coast, Kent Heritage, and Royal Surrey.
It’s a green flag for me that they hold public liability insurance. This ensures you are financially safe if something bad happens during the flight.
That said, I find it inconvenient that they don’t offer free estimates on their websites, especially for their charter flights.
Such an incredible experience
“What an incredible experience. It was all super professional, with friendly staff and clear instructions. The pilot was hilarious and awesome. The view was spectacular. The only thing that bothered me is that I don’t think there was enough space for all of us crammed in there. I was all right but I felt very uncomfortable, feeling like I’m smashing the thin guy next to me and I can’t do anything about it. When we got off the heli, he said he has cancer so his family is taking him on these bucket-list experiences. It broke my heart. Even after a year I still feel like I ruined this one for him because he had to sit with me and I was the “bigger” one not being able to give him enough space to enjoy the ride.”
-Lidia Gulyas, Google Review
The view was spectacular
“Came here and enjoyed a Google sponsored helicopter trip as part of the #localguides (used to be known as #cityexperts) initiative prize draw. Spectacular view. Just spectacular. Similar to sky diving or bungee jumping, it is one of those experience that is hard to convey fully on paper, much easier if you just experience it yourself. 18 minutes of fly time in a mini helicopter that packs 6 of us plus the pilot, absorbing the scenery that this city has to offer. So lucky that it was sunny that day. Costs around £150-250 per person, depending on how long you decide to ride that copter.”
-Burton Li, Google Review
3. Flying Pig Helicopters
Address: Elstree Aerodrome, Flying Pig House
Phone: +44 20 7118 8998
Business hours:
- Mon-Sun: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Flying Pig Helicopters is the go-to company if you want to experience manoeuvring a helicopter with expert assistance.
I’m a big fan of their lesson-flight approach. As a flying school, they’re passionate about sharing their knowledge of aircraft. This is why most of their tours give tourists a chance to experience driving a helicopter in a few minutes.
They offer eight tours with different types of helicopters for each flight. I find this amazing because you can learn how to control various aircraft in every session. Some helicopters you will handle are Guimbal Cabri G2, Robinson R44, and B206 Jet Ranger.
For destinations, they will take you to diverse locations. It’s brilliant that they came up with the idea to design their tours not just based on iconic landmarks but also tailored to tourists’ hobbies. For example, they have tours dedicated to movie and football lovers.
On the one hand, some clients I talked to said their short-flight tours are bad for business. They have tours that only last for 15 minutes.
Really loved everything
“No praise would be enough for this experience! Trust me everyone that can should do this at least once. This was a Virgin experience where you get to fly a helicopter Birthday Present from my wife. Very good friendly down to earth staff. Excellent briefing. Then there’s the actual flight. OMG! The pilot/instructor was brilliant. Clear concise and friendly. The R22 I flew in gave so much feedback through the controls it was just incredible! Really loved everything about it and would like to thank the team for the experience! If your thinking of doing this or learning to fly Helicopters, stop thinking. Book with flying Pig today. 10/10. I will be booking lessons off the back of this for sure. See you soon.”
-Andy Warwick, Google Review
The pilot was lovely and friendly
“What an amazing experience!! Paul the pilot was lovely and friendly and so we’re the receptionist Elaine and Chelby. Only disappointment was the fact I got a text message after 5pm the day before the lesson, offering me a discount price if i were to purchase photos and the movie. But I needed to reply before 5pm. But I didn’t get the message until 5.50pm. When mentioned this to Chelby the receptionist she told me she couldn’t do anything. Was not very happy 😐 so please flying pig….You need to ensure those txt messages are being sent prior to 5pm for other people.”
-Helen c, Google Review
4. EBG Helicopters
Address: Hangar Six, Redhill Aerodrome, Kings Mill Ln
Phone: +44 1737 823282
Business hours:
- Mon-Sun: 9 AM – 5 PM
I love EBG Helicopters’ extensive voucher-based sightseeing tours. Their nine tours will allow you to experience different locations in London. Their Portsmouth & Isle of Wight tour will give you 90 minutes of a unique aerial experience.
It’s also a plus point that their vouchers are transferable. This is great because it allows you to gift it to someone special.
Aside from the sightseeing tours, their charter flight is good as well. You shouldn’t miss their Stonehenge charter flight to experience Britain. You will be amazed not just by the Stonehenge but also by the Old Sarum Ruins located near the landing zone.
Lastly, I appreciate their bespoke flight add-ons. You can buy a “Will you marry me?” banner, chocolates, and more.
The only downside of their operation is that they only use one type of helicopter. Their aircraft can only accommodate up to three tourists, limiting their availability to small groups.
Highly recommended
“I couldn’t have asked for better customer service from this company, I had enquired and had thousands of follow up questions, and all was answered. I had proposed to my now finance on this flight with pilot Ross who flew G-SWNS. Had no problems he was very informative pointing out the famous landmarks and felt comfortable with his flying as it was our first time in a helicopter. I than had the opportunity for Geoff to record and take some lovely pictures for us on my camera which again appreciate alot. Would like to also thank Amanda as she helped me initially with my enquires and was lovely. So thanks EBG Helicopter team. Highly Recommended.”
-Jemarl Ebanks, Google Review
Cannot recommend them enough
“Cannot recommend EBG enough! Anne-marie (our pilot) was fantastic! Informative throughout, pointed out all the best photo ops (London sightseeing tour) but most importantly for our first time in a helicopter, we felt completely safe as she told us what to expect (although the flight was much smoother than expected!). At the end of the flight I popped the question to my now fiancé and Anne-Marie made sure she could see the marry me banner in the distance (part of a proposal package with Elite Proposals, highly recommend also!) to wrap up an awesome experience. Thank you Anne-Marie and EBG!”
-Aaron Brooks, Google Review
5. Excel Helicopters
Address: Hangar 17 Stapleford Aerodrome
Phone: +44 800 368 8975
Business hours:
- Mon-Sun: 8 AM – 8 PM
What’s special about Excel Helicopters is their helicopter transfers. This service picks tourists up from various airports in London and drops them at Battersea Heliport. This service is convenient if you’re going somewhere near the landing zone.
Another worth noting is their shuttle services for big events. It’s a great option if you want to arrive quickly without booking a private, more expensive flight. This is bookable for events like the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot events, and the British Grand Prix.
Another great offering is their fine-dining charter flights. Called the Heli-Dining, they will take you to any restaurant in the city with class. What’s great is that you can include a sightseeing tour for a fair cost.
I also appreciate their bespoke charter flights. They can take you to horse racing, music festivals, and sailing events.
The only negative thing I noticed is their non-transparent pricing. They don’t show their service prices on their website. This might discourage some tourists from booking a flight with them and look for companies with transparent pricing.
Couldn’t be happier with the experience
“Honestly there’s not enough praise of this experience. From the start of booking with Bradley I found him brilliant and highly professional with been a wealth of knowledge. Tim the chief pilot was flawless and made the experience one to remember Anyone looking for an unbelievable experience this is a must.”
-Darryl Hawe, Google Review
It was an excellent experience
“Used their service for my wedding back in 2019. It was an excellent experience, would definately recommend. Being asian means we are not always good with time management lol so that was a fault from my end but everything else was spot on 👍”
-Suhel Dewan, Google Review
