New York Helicopter Tour Routes

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New York Helicopter Tour Routes

What are the different routes New York helicopters take? Which attractions do you fly past? Read all of my tips here and book the right tour for you.

Click here to see photos from a helicopter tour.

Below you can find descriptions of some different flights on offer, three of the routes are also shown on the map. There are no more flights on Sundays that depart from Manhattan. This means, though, that the other days do sell out faster, so reserve your spot before you travel to New York.

Manhattan Sky, Scenic and Grand Island Helicopter Tour

The route with the red line is the Manhattan Sky. This helicopter tour takes approximately 12-15 minutes and is the shortest of all three tours. The price is about £194 which also makes it the cheapest helicopter tour.

Book the Manhattan Sky Tour here
Book the Manhattan Sky Tour with all fees included here

The route with the yellow line is called the Scenic tour. It takes the same route as the Sky Tour, marked with the red line, but this helicopter tour continues, further towards Harlem. You may even see Yankee Stadium. This tour takes approximately 18 minutes and costs about £217.

Book the Scenic Tour here
Book the Scenic Tour with all fees included here

The route with the blue line is called the Grand Island Tour. This is the longest tour available, and consequently, it also costs the most. You fly past Staten Island and even see as far as the Bronx. Including, of course, the same sites as the tours marked with the red and yellow lines (listed above), but you will see much more with this route. The price is approximately £287.

Book the Grand Island Tour here
Book the Grand Island Tour with all fees included here

Helicopter flight on a Sunday

The majority of the helicopter tours depart from Manhattan. Due to strict city regulations helicopters are not permitted to fly from Manhattan on a Sunday. Do you still want to take your helicopter flight on a Sunday? Then there is a good value flight, which departs from New Jersey.

Book your helicopter flight on a Sunday here

New York Helicopter Tour Routes - Manhattan Skyline New York Helicopter Tour Routes - Governors Island

Evening Flight

If you really want to do something spectacular, book an evening flight! See the lights of New York from above as you pass by the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Times Square, among others. The flight departs from New Jersey and you can get there by train from Penn Station.

Book the Evening Flight from New Jersey here

Private Helicopter Tour

Do you want a private helicopter flight, is money no issue? Then this is your chance! On this tour, you’ll see the most popular sights of New York, alone, with your friends, family, or loved ones. The helicopter seats a maximum of five people, so if there are only two of you, the free seats will be empty and you’ll have the whole helicopter to yourselves. This is a great thing to do if you have an important question to ask or a day to celebrate.

Book a Private Helicopter Tour from Westchester here

Additional Information

Important! After booking your flight, make sure you contact the tour operator to confirm the exact date and time of your booking. After making your booking online, you’ll receive a voucher by email, containing all the tour operator’s contact information. I advise that you contact them at least two weeks in advance, if not before. If you are booking within the two weeks prior to your flight, get in touch with the operator right away to confirm the time and date. The earlier you confirm your booking, the more choice you have of the available time slots for your date.

If your plans change upon arriving in New York and you want to rebook your helicopter flight, you can do so by contacting the tour operator.

New York Helicopter Tour Routes-map

Which routes do the helicopters take in New York?

There are three main helicopter tour routes in New York. It's best to view the map to see how they fly and what attractions you'll pass.

How long is a New York helicopter tour take?

Helicopter tours range anyway between 12 minutes and 25 minutes. Read my tips on which one is the best here.

About the Author

Hey there, I'm Eric! I'm a true New York fan with over 20 years of experience visiting and living in NYC. Here on my website, I share all my tips and valuable information to help you make the most of your trip. I personally test and regularly re-test everything on my site to ensure that what I write is useful, honest, and always up-to-date.
If you have questions, need more free tips, or want me to check your itinerary, please email me at eric@newyork.co.uk. You can also follow me on Facebook to get daily updates from New York.

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