Calling all adventure seekers and fearless wanderers in London.
If you’re looking for a wild ride and an exhilarating way to explore London and its incredible sceneries, riding a helicopter is the ultimate way to do it.
Get ready to take in the stunning views from the skies and have an awesome story to tell people.
Helicopter rides are not only for tourists but for locals looking for new fun things to do in the city.
Several tour companies may offer helicopter rides in London, but you should only choose and trust the most experienced and reputable ones.
Safe helicopter rides in London should be a top priority before booking a tour.
Fortunately, this article lists the top 5 most well-reviewed helicopter ride tours.
The list only includes tour companies with good safety records and high customer satisfaction.
In a nutshell, the top 5 picks are the following:
- London Pleasure Flights
- The London Helicopter
- Heli Air Ltd
- Virgin Experience Days
- EBG Helicopters
Contents
1. London Pleasure Flights
- Address: Hangar 17 Stapleford Aerodrome, Romford RM4 1SJ, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 1708 688800
- Visit Website
London Pleasure Flights offers a 30-minute helicopter ride for £199 per person for up to five passengers per flight.
They are located in Stapleford Aerodrome, the departing location. The route takes you to the west of London where you will see the following sights along the way:
- Bank of England
- London 2012 Olympic Park
- The O2 Arena
- Greenwich
- Cutty Sark
- Canary Wharf
- Katharine Docks
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- HMS Belfast
- Gherkin
- NatWest tower
- The Shard
- Paul’s Cathedral
- Globe Theatre
- Tate Modern
- OXO Tower
- London Eye
- Horse Guards Parade
- The Mall
- Buckingham Palace
Check the available tour dates to help you plan ahead. You can book a flight in three ways: Request A Call Back, Purchase Tickets, and Redeem Voucher..
After completing the booking, you will receive an email confirmation, which will be needed on the day of your ride.
You will be required to indicate the following:
- Name of passenger
- Passenger weight
- Voucher Number
- Mobile telephone number
2. The London Helicopter
- Address: Redhill Aerodrome, Hangar 11, Redhill RH1 5JY, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 20 7887 2626
- Visit Website
The London Helicopter offers three tour packages: London Skyline, London Landmarks, and London West. All three routes depart from Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey.
Should you book the London Skyline tour, it is a 20-minute helicopter ride from Redhill overlooking the London skyline and costs £160 per person.
You can also book a private group for London Skyline for £1,000 for up to six passengers.
London Skyline tour goes through the following sights:
- Box Hill
- Epsom Racecourse
- Richmond Park
- London Skyline
- Wimbledon Common
- Nonsuch Park
- Godstone Surrey
If you want to hit all major London landmarks, you should book the London Landmarks tour.
London Landmarks is offered as a private flight for two passengers for £660 or six passengers for up to £1,300.
It is a 30-minute helicopter ride passing through 22 landmarks:
- Wembley Stadium
- Stamford Bridge
- Royal Albert Hall
- Battersea Heliport
- Hyde Park
- Battersea Park
- Green Park
- Buckingham Palace
- Marble Arch
- Westminster Abbey
- Battersea Power Station
- British Museum
- Millbank Tower
- Houses of Parliament
- Trafalgar Square
- The Oval
- London Eye
- National Theatre
- Paul’s Cathedral
- The Shard
- The Gherkin
- Tower Bridge
Lastly, choose the London West tour if you want to fly over the Surrey countryside heading to the West and see the London skyline.
It is a 30-minute helicopter ride which costs £220 per person or £1,300 for a private group of up to six passengers.
This tour includes the following sights:
- Box Hill
- Surrey Hills AONB
- Brooklands Historic Park
- Thorpe Park
- Heathrow Airport
- Hampton Court Palace
- Richmond Park
- London Skyline
- Wimbledon Common
- Epsom Racecourse
- Kenley WWII Airfield
Book a flight and select your desired route, number of seats, date, and payment. To help you prepare for your flight, read their Frequently Asked Questions.
If you’d like to purchase gift vouchers, you can do so and select from £50 to £300.
3. Heli Air Ltd
- Address: Wycombe Air Park, Near Marlow, High Wycombe SL7 3DP, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 1494 769976
- Visit Website
Heli Air Ltd has a variety of Helicopter Rides by Region, from Cotswolds to Gloucestershire and Manchester. For their London helicopter tours, they provide 10 packages.
The cheapest helicopter tour costs £149, which is the 10 Mile Helicopter Tour available at any of their four bases.
The basic London helicopter tours are London Helicopter Tour For 1 for £195.00, London Helicopter Tour For 2 for £379.00, London Helicopter Tour For 3 for £495.00, and London Helicopter Tour For 4 for £649.00.
The route is typically from Heli Air London to High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire, London). Moreover, it is a 50-minute helicopter flight covering 77 miles.
Heli Air Ltd also offers a Premium London Helicopter Tour For 5 for £899.00. The flight lasts for 45 minutes for up to five passengers.
It departs from Wycombe Air Park (Buckinghamshire, London) and uses an AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopter.
For other tours near London, you can also avail of any of the packages below:
- Wycombe Helicopter Tour For 3 for £199.00
- Chiltern Hills Helicopter Tour For 3 for £399.00
- Wycombe Helicopter Tour For 4 for £249.00
- Chiltern Hills Helicopter Tour For 4 for £469.00
4. Virgin Experience Days
- Contact: Contact Us Page
- Visit Website
Virgin Experience Days is one of the top companies providing unique customer experiences in the UK. One of their offered experiences is Helicopter Rides & Tours. They have a variety of sightseeing tours in London and its neighbouring areas.
You can choose their pre-planned London routes or curate your own desired tour locations. If you want to choose your tour locations, book the 15-minute Themed Helicopter Pleasure Flight for One for £125.
The tour allows you to choose from 36 locations across the UK, from South West to West Midlands and East England.
For curated tours in the City of London, book City of London Helicopter Sightseeing Tour for One for £149. It is a 25 to 35-minute helicopter flight available on Fridays to Sundays.
You can depart from two locations in the South East and one in the East of England.
Here is a complete list of packages and prices available from Virgin Experience Days:
- Themed Helicopter Pleasure Flight for One – 15 minutes– £125
- City of London Helicopter Sightseeing Tour for One– £149
- London Helicopter Sightseeing Ride for Two– £255
- Football Stadium Helicopter Tour– £119
- Themed Helicopter Pleasure Flight for Two – 15 minutes– £245
- Glimpse of London Helicopter Tour for One– £85
- Glimpse of London Helicopter Tour for Two– £159
- 20 Minute London Skyline Helicopter Sightseeing Flight– £160
- 20 Minute London Skyline Helicopter Sightseeing Flight for Two– £320
- 30 Minute London Landmarks Helicopter Sightseeing Flight for Two– £440
- 30 Minute London Landmarks Helicopter Sightseeing Flight– £220
5. EBG Helicopters
- Address: Hangar One, Redhill Aerodrome, Kings Mill Ln, Redhill RH1 5JY, United Kingdom
- Phone: +44 1737 823282
- Visit Website
Departing from Redhill Aerodrome, EBG Helicopters takes you across the Surrey countryside to Central London.
You will fly over M25 towards London Heathrow Control Zone, A3, Wimbledon, Wembley Stadium, River Thames, and Central London. Take in the popular sights, including:
- Hyde Park
- The Royal Albert Hall
- Buckingham Palace
- Vauxhall Bridge
- Houses of Parliament
- Millenium Eye
- Trafalgar Square
- Horse Guards
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- The Globe Theatre
- The City
- The Tower of London
- HMS Belfast
- Tower Bridge
- River Thames
- Chelsea Harbour
- Battersea Power Station
If you want to extend your tour for an additional 10 minutes, you can include the Olympic Extension to get a glimpse of the Olympic Village and the neighbouring areas.
Check the list of packages and inclusions below:
EBG Helicopters Tour Packages
| Tour | Flight time | Price |
| Central London Tour – Exclusive Hire of Helicopter | 35 minutes | £600 – up to 3 seats. |
| Exclusive Central London Tour with Champagne – Exclusive Hire of Helicopter | 35 minutes | £600 – 2 seats (1 complimentary champagne bottle) |
| London Tour with Olympic Extension – Exclusive Hire of Helicopter | 45 minutes | £750 – up to 3 seats |
| Exclusive Central London Tour with Champagne, Chocolates & Flowers – Exclusive Hire of Helicopter | 35 minutes | £745 – 2 seats |
How to Prepare for a Helicopter Ride in London
Have you booked a helicopter tour already? If so, it is best to review yourself with helicopter safety measures and how to prepare for a flight. Here are a few simple ways to prepare yourself for a helicopter ride.
- Be prepared to keep warm and wear appropriate clothes: Wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes. You’ll be wearing seat belts and harnesses over your body, so it is best to wear appropriate clothing. Moreover, wear a jacket and warm clothes since helicopters can get chilly at high altitudes.
- Arrive earlier than your scheduled time:Plan to arrive at the helicopter tour location at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Some helicopter tours require passengers to arrive early to prepare for safety instructions.
- Review tour restrictions or policies and follow the pilot’s instructions: Tour operators usually have restrictions on passengers with medical conditions and weight limits per flight. Moreover, the pilot is responsible for the safety of the passengers, so it’s essential to follow their instructions pre-flight and in-flight. It is also important to avoid distracting the pilot at any time to ensure flight safety.
- Stay seated and hold on during the flight: Remember to remain seated with your seatbelt fastened while the helicopter is in flight. If you need to move around in the helicopter, hold on firmly to any handles to avoid bumping yourself on hard surfaces.
- Stay calm and enjoy the flight: Lastly, try to relax and enjoy the scenery. Be calm and follow the flight crew’s instructions in the event of an emergency.
Best Time to Take Helicopter Rides London
The best time to take a helicopter ride in London will depend on a few factors. However, the weather is the most important factor to consider when choosing a time to take a helicopter ride. Generally, helicopter tour operators don’t fly in rainy or bad weather.
So even if you have booked the flight already on a rainy day, the tour operator will most likely cancel your booking and ask you to rebook on a different day.
You can also decide on whether you prefer cooler temperatures in the winter season or warmer temperatures in the summer. Another factor to take into consideration is the time of booking.
It is primarily up to you to decide whether you prefer early morning or afternoon flights. Your helicopter tour experience can also be affected by the time of day.
Taking a sunrise or sunset tour, for instance, can provide beautiful views and stunning golden skies.
On the other hand, an afternoon tour may show less dramatic lighting conditions. The bottom line, it all depends on your personal preferences.
You enjoy early morning or afternoon flights or choose between cooler or warmer temperatures. Nevertheless, both experiences will still provide an exhilarating adventure in the skies.
A Unique Experience to Love London
Nothing can compare to seeing London from the air, admiring its stunning views and iconic landmarks. A helicopter ride in London is definitely an experience you won’t forget.
No matter what type of experience you are looking for, make sure that you choose only reputable and experienced tour operators.
Of course, don’t forget to follow their safety protocols and procedures at all times. So what are you waiting for? Get a bird’s eye view of London with a helicopter ride today.
Helicopter rides London are not for the faint-hearted, though. That’s not a problem! Winterville has several travel blogs with tips and recommendations to experience London from land and water. Here are other ways to explore London:
- 10 Scenic Drives Near London For a Road Trip
- Top 5 Thames Cruises London For Boat Trips
- Cable Cars London: How to Book
- London Bus Guide: How To Get Around London By Bus
What do you think about Helicopter rides London? Do you have tips and advice you’d like to share with fellow travellers? Write a comment below in the comments section.
