Our verdict
Best overall
The London Helicopter — Central Tour
A 35-minute private flight from Redhill along the Thames over the central landmarks, from £830 for two. The Olympic Tour adds Greenwich and seats three for £980.
Best value
Heli Air — shared London tour
A seat on a shared R44 from Wycombe Air Park for £245, with 50 minutes in the air. Vouchers are valid for four years, which suits a gift.
Best private option
London Eye Private Capsule Experience for Couples or Groups
Not a helicopter, but the only private aerial view you can book in central London on the platforms — a whole London Eye capsule for about £850.
4.8★ · 13from £850 GetYourGuide →
Skip it if
You hate early starts and long transfers
You’ll have to get out to an airfield in the Home Counties for a 35–50 minute flight. For the view alone, the London Eye or the cable car is far cheaper.
How much does a London helicopter tour cost?
A London helicopter tour costs from about £150 a seat on a shared flight bought through a gift-experience seller, £245 for a 50-minute shared seat direct with Heli Air, and from £830 for two on a private 35-minute flight with The London Helicopter. That’s per person for shared seats and per flight for private ones. What none of them do is take off in central London: the operators we checked fly from airfields in Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Kent, then follow the Thames into the city.
The booking platforms we compare — GetYourGuide, Headout and Tiqets — have almost no helicopter inventory in London, so this page compares operators from their own websites. We don’t earn commission on any of these flights.
London helicopter operators compared
| The London Helicopter | Heli Air | Adventure 001 (reseller) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Departs from | Redhill Aerodrome, Surrey | Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire | North Weald (Essex), Fairoaks (Surrey), Kent and others |
| Flight time | 35 min (Central) · 45 min (Olympic) | 50 min flying, 60+ min experience | ~45–50 min on the longer packages |
| Shared or private | Private (exclusive use) | Shared; exclusive upgrade available | Both — shared seats, or private for 2 or 4 (Kent) |
| Price | from £830 for 2 · £980 for up to 3 | £245 one seat · £449 for two | from ~£150–£212 pp |
| Route | Thames landmarks; Olympic adds Greenwich | “Iconic London sights”, about 77 miles | Thames into central London; Kent route via the Isle of Dogs |
| Extras | Champagne Tour option | Vouchers valid 48 months | Bubbly-on-landing package for 2 |
| Best for | Couples, proposals, a private occasion | A single seat or gift on a budget | Gift vouchers, choice of airfield |
Prices are each seller’s own “from” prices on 21 October 2026. Vouchers — Heli Air’s last 48 months — are redeemed on a date you agree with the operator, subject to availability, so a flight is less certain than a dated ticket.
Shared or private?
On a shared flight you buy a seat and fly with other passengers. Heli Air warns that single-seat buyers may not be on the same flight as their companions, so if you’re two, buy the two-seat ticket.
On a private flight the helicopter is yours. The London Helicopter’s prices — £830 for two on the Central Tour, £980 for up to three on the Olympic — work out at about £327–£415 a head. If you’re three, the 45-minute Olympic Tour is the better buy: more flying, Greenwich included, and the cheapest per person.
Is a helicopter tour over London worth it?
For a celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime view, yes: following the Thames from the air, with the bridges lined up below you, is something no other tour gives you. As sightseeing value, it’s poor — a full morning including the transfer for under an hour in the air, at the price of several days of other tours.
If what you want is the view, there are much cheaper ways to get high above London:
Private and aerial views you can book
London Eye Private Capsule Experience for Couples or Groups
from £850
See on GetYourGuidePrices and ratings checked 21 Oct 2026; they change daily.
- The London Eye: a standard ticket, or a whole private capsule for about £850 for a celebration — see our London attractions tickets page.
- Uber Boat plus the cable car: about £22 on GetYourGuide for a single river trip and a return ride on the London Cable Car — see the Uber Boat guide.
- A private chauffeur with a view: our luxury and chauffeur tours page covers vintage Rolls-Royce and executive-car tours for an occasion.
Questions people ask
How much is a helicopter tour over London?
How much is a London helicopter tour for 2?
Where do London helicopter tours take off from?
Are there weight or age limits?
What happens if the weather is bad?
Can I book a helicopter tour on GetYourGuide or Headout?
Sources
- The London Helicopter — tours and prices (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Heli Air — London Helicopter Tour for 1 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Adventure 001 — London helicopter tours (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide — air and helicopter tours in London (partner feed)
Written and checked by the Private Tours London desk