Before I ever went to Cape Town, I had no idea the extent of its natural beauty aside from the fact that it was right on the coast of the ocean. If you really want to gain an accurate perspective of just how jaw-dropping and versatile the city is, the best way to do so is by taking a helicopter ride.

You’ll soar high above the iconic landscape, from rugged cliffs to sparkling waters, getting a good “lay of the land”. I’ve gone ahead and detailed the 5 top Cape Town helicopter rides that are well worth your time and money. Let’s jump right in!

Be sure to see our reviews of Cape Town Paragliding Experiences, Shark Cage Dives and Safari Tours.

Best Cape Town Helicopter Tours

	Cape Town: 25min Helicopter Flight with Boat Cruise	Cape Town Helicopter Tour: Atlantic Coast	Cape Town City Center Tour with Champagne
Location:	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Sport Helicopter Rides Cape Town, E Pier Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Start:	Between 9:00 AM & 5:30 PM	Between 9:00 AM & 5:30 PM	3:00 PM
Duration:	25 minutes	20 minutes	12 to 15 minutes
Includes:	Flight, Live commentary on board, Hotel Pick-Up	Flight, Live commentary on board, Hotel Pick-Up	Glass of Champagne, Live commentary on board, Alcoholic Beverages
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Cape Town Helicopter Rides For 2024

1. Cape Town: 25min Helicopter Flight with Complimentary Boat Cruise
2. Cape Town Helicopter Tour: Atlantic Coast
3. Cape Town City Center Tour with Champagne
4. Scenic Cape Point Helicopter Tour from Cape Town
5. Huey Army Helicopter Adventure Flight in Cape Town

Cape Town Helicopter Ride Reviews

1. Cape Town: 25min Helicopter Flight with Complimentary Boat Cruise

Do you have a packed schedule and aren’t sure if you can fit in a longer tour? Perhaps you just arrived to Cape Town and have no idea where anything is, or what there is to see.

If that sounds like you at all, you’re going to love the Cape Town: 25min Helicopter Flight with Complimentary Boat Cruise, learning and experiencing the city in a whole new way.

Seeing as the tour is just 25 minutes and with various start times available, you can fit this easily into even a packed itinerary. Things kick off with a complimentary hotel pickup right from your lobby, so you don’t have to deal with paying for separate transportation out to the departure point.

The tour starts at the V&A Waterfront helipad and was actually quite close to our hotel, so we didn’t have a long journey there. We met up with our pilot, who gave us a safety briefing and made sure everyone felt comfortable before hopping into the helicopter for a complete circle around the city.

We started off going around one of the New Seven Wonders of the World – Circle Table Mountain – which was absolutely incredible to see! We then continued to various other points of interest, such as the Cape Town Stadium, Signal Hill, Camps Bay, Clifton Beach, Twelve Apostles Mountains, Hout Bay, and so much more!

As we flew around, our pilot offered educational commentary about the history, geology, culture, and more about each point of interest, which was great for us newbies who didn’t know much before.

If you’re looking for a quick intro to the city and surrounding areas, it’s hard to beat this one in terms of content and convenience! With a clearly skilled, educated pilot, the views themselves, and the entire experience, I’d recommend it to anybody.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Cape Town Helicopter Tour: Atlantic Coast

Even if it’s your 50th time in Cape Town, I can guarantee this tour will show it to you in a way like never before. The Cape Town Helicopter Tour: Atlantic Coast lays out the city’s legendary beauty in front of you, letting you float above its most iconic landmarks.

Seeing Cape Town with a bird’s-eye view of the Atlantic coastline that will leave you more than impressed. In fact, I’m not quite sure if you could get better views of the Atlantic Seaboard than what you’ll find here!

However, it’s not just about the jaw-dropping vistas – though those alone are more than worth the tour cost – the private aspect creates an intimate and exclusive experience that’s perfect for solo travelers, couples, or small friend groups.

You get to engage directly with your local expert pilot, who will share insider stories and interesting insights into the landscape and culture below. The service from the start of our hotel pickup to the ride over, to our check-in at the departure point was all smooth and everyone was so friendly!

You do have various start times available, which makes it particularly easy to fit into a busy itinerary. However, if you have the option, I highly recommend taking it in the morning as the sky tends to be clearer and you’ll get pristine views of EVERYTHING.

Once we arrived to the helipad, we met up with our pilot and got in the helicopter, ensuring everyone had access to the windows to see everything well.

As we soared up high in the sky, we got a great view of Cape Town’s City Bowl, which is a natural amphitheater made by the towering mountains that help make the city so iconic.

Aside from all of the impressive mountains, you’ll also see cultural landmarks like the Cape Town Stadium which was one of the venues for the 2010 World Cup. Enjoy the harbor views, and all the different white sand beaches as your guide tells you all about them – so much fun!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Cape Town City Center Tour with Champagne

Next up is the shortest helicopter tour on my guide, but one that made such a positive impact on me that I couldn’t leave it off! The Cape Town City Center Tour with Champagne experience clocks in at anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes but is packed full of breathtaking views, learning, and tons of fun!

If you don’t have a lot of free time in your schedule or simply don’t want to commit to a longer tour, put this one at the top of your list. If it’s your first time in a helicopter and are feeling a little bit nervous, I’d also recommend this one to your for a few different reasons.

One, because you’re mostly focused on going over the city, rather than the water, which many people feel more calm about. Secondly, it’s quite brief, and third, the pilots in my experience did a great job handling first-time fliers and also happened to navigate very smoothly.

While this one doesn’t come with a complimentary hotel pickup, the takeoff location was very close to our hotel, and most of the main hotels in the city. Once we arrived, we were checked in with the friendly staff and got ready to head up with our pilot.

We all buckled in with our pilot, and soared up high in the sky, over all of Cape Town, marked by Table Mountain, Signal Hill, and other mountains.

You’ll also enjoy views of manmade landmarks such as the Sea Point Promenade and the Green Point lighthouse, which I had to experience later up close because it was so beautiful!

After we landed back on the ground, we were congratulated with a celebratory glass of champagne which just felt like the cherry on top of an amazing life experience!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Scenic Cape Point Helicopter Tour from Cape Town

Next up, we have the longest tour on this guide, which is one of the most comprehensive options if you want to see and learn just a bit more than you would on the shorter tours.

The Scenic Cape Point Helicopter Tour from Cape Town lasts around 1 hour long and offers excellent customer service, a fantastic pilot, and endlessly breathtaking vistas everywhere you turn.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience nicely blends adrenaline with sheer natural beauty in a well-organized format, showing off one of the planet’s most famous coastlines in a way few will ever get to see.

Unlike your average sightseeing tour, this helicopter adventure takes you straight to the center of Cape Point – the dramatic, rugged tip of the Cape Peninsula where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet!

Starting off at 3:00 pm, it’s the perfect time of day to really appreciate the sparkling waters contrasting the rough cliffside, fully taking in the vastness of this untamed area of the world.

Start off by meeting up with your pilot, where you’ll have a swift check-in process and have any and all questions answered that you may have. You’ll then hop onboard the well-maintained helicopter and buckle in, enjoying views from the nicely sized windows.

If it’s your first time in Cape Town, it’s a great way to get a lay of the land, with bird’s eye views of the city to kind of plan out future explorations. Have plenty of time to take photos of Clifton Beach, the 12 Apostles, Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Table Mountain, and much more!

Once we carefully landed, we all took a moment to commemorate our wonderful experience with a celebratory glass of sparkling wine toast with our pilot! It was such a fulfilling tour that I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to go above and beyond.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Huey Army Helicopter Adventure Flight in Cape Town

If you’re a thrill seeker looking to amp up your Cape Town experience, the Huey Army Helicopter Adventure Flight in Cape Town is exactly what you’re looking for.

It goes far beyond any typical sightseeing tour – and while they’re definitely not in any way inferior, this is more of a full-throttle experience that brings together history, adrenaline, and postcard-esque views.

While the other helicopter tours I’ve detailed on this guide are a bit more “polished”, this is a more rugged alternative perfect for those who’d like to relive some military experiences or simply want to get a glimpse into what it could be like.

This tour actually takes place on a real Huey UH-1, with a special adventure unlike any other on the planet that focuses on a more authentic “military” experience. This is a tour that flies with the doors off so you have fully unobstructed views over Cape Town with perhaps a bit more adrenaline added into the mix!

Upon arrival at the helipad, we went through a safety briefing and had all our questions answered before boarding – I highly recommend bringing a jacket as you don’t have anything blocking the wind.

This is not only a tour over Cape Town, but a flight where the captain will take you through an array of combat-simulated maneuvers and low-level flying that almost makes it feel like you can reach out and touch some of these iconic landmarks.

If you are ready for something outside the norm, you have to look into this cool tour! After landing, you’ll have a celebratory glass of champagne with the crew and rest of your group, which is the perfect cherry on top of an already-special time.

It makes you realize just how different helicopter tours can be, depending on the aircraft and pilot!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience