Rio Helicopter Tour – Private or Shared With Hotel Transfers
Description
Discover Rio from a whole new angle with an unforgettable helicopter flight over the city’s most iconic landmarks. Your experience begins with hotel pickup and a drive to the helipad on the west side of the city. After a quick safety briefing, take off for a scenic flight over Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema, Urca, and Red Beach — covering in minutes what would take a full day by car. Flights are available in durations of 30, 45, or 60 minutes. You can choose between private or shared flights, and for thrill-seekers, we also offer the “Doors Off”. Flights last 30, 45, or 60 mins and can be private or shared. For thrill-seekers, the “Doors Off” option is also available. When space allows, a licensed guide can join your flight to offer live commentary through the tour. If not, the pilot will provide basic narration during the experience. Let us know your preferred date and flight time, and we’ll handle the rest for an unforgettable experience over Rio
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your private driver or tour guide will meet you at your hotel in Rio and take you on a scenic 1-hour drive to the helipad, located in the neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in the western part of the city. The route follows the coastline and offers beautiful views of several of Rio’s beaches along the way. Upon arrival, you’ll receive a safety briefing and instructions on helicopter boarding and disembarking procedures. Once ready, you'll take off and soar over Rio’s most iconic landmarks, enjoying breathtaking aerial views of the city. There are two types of tours available: private or shared. With the private tour, you choose your preferred time in advance, and the helicopter is reserved exclusively for you for the chosen itinerary.
For the shared tour, once your booking is confirmed, we’ll get back to you with the available time slots based on other travelers’ reservations. Your flight will be scheduled according to the best match in date, time range, and route. This option is subject to availability and coordination with other participants. The aircraft used is selected by us based on group size and logistics, and may include models such as Robinson R44, Jet Ranger, or AS350 Esquilo. When the aircraft has one or more seats available beyond your group size, and if you’d like to have our guide accompany you, we can arrange for them to join the flight and provide live commentary throughout the experience. This is a great way to enhance your tour with local insights during the flight. Just let us know in advance, and if there’s room, we’ll make sure a guide is onboard. When the aircraft is fully occupied, the pilot will still offer general narration during the tour.
The itinerary depends on the flight duration you choose at the time of booking: Cristo Maravilha (30 min): covers Rio’s most iconic landmarks, including Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema, and more. Doors Off (30 min): same route as Cristo Maravilha, but with the doors removed for an exhilarating open-air experience. Available only on select aircraft and subject to weather conditions. Bossa Nova (45 min): a longer route including Maracanã Stadium, South Zone beaches, Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Botanical Garden, and other highlights. Samba (60 min): the most complete route, covering up to 30 attractions such as Maracanã, the Sambadrome, Christ the Redeemer, beaches, Sugarloaf Mountain, and more.
At the end of the tour, your private driver or guide will escort you back to your hotel, wherever it is in the city. Let us know your group size, preferred date, and flight duration, and we’ll handle all the arrangements to ensure a smooth and unforgettable helicopter experience in Rio.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The helipad where the helicopter takes off is located in the western part of the city, in the neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes. It's about a 1-hour drive from the Copacabana and Ipanema areas, along a scenic coastal route with beautiful views of several of Rio’s beaches. PICK-UP INFORMATION: Your pick-up can be arranged at any location you specify at the time of booking. As this is a private tour, you’re free to choose the most convenient pick-up point, as long as it’s within the city of Rio de Janeiro. --- DROP-OFF INSTRUCTIONS: You can also choose your drop-off location freely, as long as it’s within Rio de Janeiro. Just let us know your preferred address when booking. --- HOTEL PICK-UP INSTRUCTIONS: When the guide arrives at your hotel, they will ask the front desk to call your room in case you are not already in the lobby. --- AIRPORT / PORT ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS: Upon your arrival at the airport or port, a staff member will be waiting for you in the arrivals area, holding a clear sign with your name. They will then escort you to your private transfer vehicle.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(11)
If you book an open door experience, you can’t use a big camera. You can use a cell phone attached to a harness. It was a little scary (for me) but worth it
Thank you so much for your review! 😊 We’re happy to hear that the helicopter tour was exciting and worth it, even with a bit of fear. The view of Rio from above is truly unique and amazing! We hope to see you again for more aerial adventures!
Helicopter tour was amazing…Vitor picked us up and provided us with history of the regions on the way to the heliport in perfect English, making the hour pass by quickly. The helicopter ride was incredible, full 45 min covering the major landmarks including circling around Christ the Reeder. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much for your review! 😊 We’re very happy to hear that the helicopter tour was amazing and that Vitor made the journey even more special with his insights. Flying over Rio and Christ the Redeemer is truly unforgettable! We hope to see you again for more experiences like this!
We had an amazing experience with this Rio helicopter tour from start to finish. Our English-speaking guide, Romayne, made the 45-minute drive to the heliport feel like part of the adventure. He shared so much interesting information about the different neighborhoods in and outside of Rio, giving us great context and helping us appreciate the city even more before we even took off. The helicopter tour itself was absolutely unforgettable—breathtaking views, smooth ride, and a truly unique way to see Rio’s landmarks from above. Everything felt safe, well-organized, and professional. Highly recommend this tour, especially with Romayne as your guide. It was one of the highlights of our trip!
We spent a wonderful day Romayne picked us up from our hotel with a chauffeur and took us to the heliport On the way, he explained the different landmarks we could see in the city After a short briefing, we took a 30-minute helicopter flight. The aircraft was nice and the pilot was very skilled. We saw all the classic landmarks of Rio with perfect viewpoints On the way back, we made two stops at the beaches. It was very complete and a really nice day Thank you!
My experience was phenomenal. Romayne, my tour guide, was courteous and informative. He arrived punctually and picked me up from my hotel. At the heliport it was easy and simple no long wait. The pilot circled twice around Christ the Redeemer for which I am grateful! I would definitely recommend this tour company
!!!One of the best experience of my life!!!. Best quality of the service. Romayne was lovely and he made sure that I'm happy and well in formed Obrigado Romayne ❤️
The view of Christ and the beaches from above is something that can't be explained. sensacao of floating... and we still had the support of the guide Henrique who was super careful With us
The transfer was punctual, the heliport was well organized and the flight was safe. The guide Lucas went along and told various curiosities along the way.
Experiência incrível! 🚁 Transfer pontual, heliporto organizado e voo seguro. Lucas acompanhou contando curiosidades, e ver o Rio de cima foi simplesmente outro nível, vale cada centavo. ✨
Today 11 Jan 2025, my wife and I took a private 30min panoramic helicopter flight over Rio ... and, it was fantastic!! This team is awesome from start to finish ... highly recommend them to anyone looking for a helicopter flight over or around Rio.
This was a fantastic experience - Rio has such a unique landscape, which is best seen from the air. This flight started near Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, heading South towards Ipanema, then North East along Copacabana and out to the Sugar Loaf before circling Christ the Redeemer for some amazing close-ups. The weather was sunny along the coast, but there were some clouds at the top of the mountains and Christ the Redeemer was not visible for some parts of the flight, but the pilot kept an eye on the weather and was able to adapt the route slightly when the clouds cleared. Special thanks to my guide Antonio, who was excellent.
Thank you for sharing your aerial experience of Rio with us! 🚁 We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the breathtaking landscapes from above. Weather can be tricky, but we're glad our pilot was able to adapt and provide you with memorable views. A big shout-out to Antonio for making your journey special! 🌅🏞🌤 We hope to fly with you again soon! ✈️🇧🇷😊
