What is a Rio de Janeiro helicopter tour like? — featuring Ann (Rio to Fly)
In this video: BEST Rio de Janeiro Brazil HELICOPTER TOUR 🚁🇧🇷 Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Copacabana
Ann · 2 years ago
How much does a Rio de Janeiro helicopter tour cost?
Shared tours typically cost around £250 per person for a 30-minute flight. A full private helicopter for two people runs approximately £554, making the per-person cost competitive if you're flying with a partner.
What this video answers
How much does a Rio de Janeiro helicopter tour cost?
What if the weather is bad on the day of my tour?
Is the front seat really the best seat in the helicopter?
A 30-Minute Helicopter Tour Over Rio de Janeiro's Icons
This video documents a private helicopter tour of Rio de Janeiro with the company Rio to Fly, capturing a half-hour flight that circles the city's most famous landmarks—Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Copacabana Beach. The tour departs from a helipad about 40 minutes by taxi from Copacabana, and the footage shows both the preparation process (arrival, lounge, safety briefing) and the full aerial route, from outlying beaches through the city center and down the mountainous statue.
This experience suits travelers who want an unfiltered, close-up view of Rio's landmarks without the crowds of ground-level tourism, and who are comfortable with small-aircraft flight. It's particularly valuable for those celebrating a special occasion—the videographer notes that birthday visitors get priority seating in the front row next to the pilot—and for photographers and video enthusiasts wanting stunning aerial shots from the best vantage point.
Key Moments
Highlights of the Rio de Janeiro Helicopter Route
Three complete circles around Christ the Redeemer statue in clear weather, close enough to photograph without zoom
Sweeping views of Copacabana Beach, Leblon, and Ipanema from the air, showing the beaches' scale and the density of people
Aerial pass over Sugarloaf Mountain with the sea and bridge in the background—described as a favorite Rio vista
Flyover of upscale neighborhoods like Praia da Tinga and Praia de São Conrado, including a hidden cove-like beach and a pool carved into rock
Views of Rio's rainforest and favelas integrated into the mountainous terrain
Distant glimpses of the famous Rio stadium and Copacabana Fort from above
What to Know Before Booking Your Rio Helicopter Tour
Cost: Shared helicopter tours run around £250 per person for 30 minutes; a full private helicopter for two people costs approximately £554
Duration and layout: Standard 30-minute flights with one front seat (next to pilot) and two rear seats; the helicopter has large windows throughout
Arrive early: Plan to arrive an hour before your scheduled flight time for check-in, paperwork, and lounge wait
Weather is critical: Tours are cancelled immediately if conditions are poor, with full refunds; bad weather can obscure Christ the Redeemer. Choose a clear, sunny day to maximize your view and avoid cancellation
Dress for heat: The helicopter has direct sunlight and little to no air conditioning; wear light, cooling clothing. Rear seats receive less direct sun than the front
Turbulence: Small helicopters feel wind and movements more than planes; if you're afraid of heights or motion sensitivity, this may not suit you
Audio quality: Headset communication can be unclear; English-speaking pilots are not guaranteed, though pilots will point out major attractions
Optional recording: Some companies offer professional flight recordings (estimated £200–300) so you can sit back and enjoy without filming
Transport to helipad: The departure point is 40 minutes from central Rio, so factor in taxi time and cost to your schedule
Frequently Asked Questions About Rio Helicopter Tours
How much does a Rio de Janeiro helicopter tour cost?
Shared tours typically cost around £250 per person for a 30-minute flight. A full private helicopter for two people runs approximately £554, making the per-person cost competitive if you're flying with a partner.
What if the weather is bad on the day of my tour?
Tours are cancelled immediately if weather conditions deteriorate, and you receive a full refund. This is why booking on a clear, sunny day is so important—not only to avoid cancellation, but to actually see Christ the Redeemer clearly, which can be obscured by clouds.
Is the front seat really the best seat in the helicopter?
Yes. The front seat, next to the pilot, offers the least obstruction and the best photo and video angles. The videographer notes that sitting in the front during her birthday flight was ideal, and she recommends celebrating a special occasion to secure priority seating there.
Will I feel sick or scared during the flight?
Helicopters are smaller and more turbulent than planes, so you'll feel wind and movements more noticeably. If you're afraid of heights or motion-sensitive, this experience may not be suitable. However, if you can tolerate it, the quick takeoff and intimate aerial perspective are part of what makes it thrilling.
Can I record my own video during the flight?
Yes, you can film on your phone or camera throughout the flight. Some tour operators also offer professional recording packages (estimated at £200–300) that you can purchase, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the view without managing your own equipment.
A guided aerial sightseeing flight in a small aircraft, lasting 20–40 minutes, that circles major landmarks and gives bird's-eye-view photography opportunities.
Christ the Redeemer
The iconic 30-metre statue of Jesus Christ atop Corcovado Mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro, one of the world's most recognizable monuments.
Sugarloaf Mountain
A granite peak at the entrance to Guanabara Bay in Rio, accessible by cable car and offering panoramic views of the city and beaches.
Favela
A dense, informal residential area built on Rio's mountainous terrain, often integrated into the urban landscape among rock and vegetation.
Helipad
A designated landing and takeoff area for helicopters, typically with parking and passenger facilities.
This video is invaluable if you're considering a Rio helicopter tour because it shows you exactly what to expect: the real cost, the actual views, the logistical details (the 40-minute taxi ride, the hour of waiting), and honest notes about comfort (heat, turbulence, audio quality). Most tour videos gloss over these details or oversell the experience, but this one walks you through the entire process from arrival to takeoff to the flight itself.
What I found most compelling is the videographer's genuine emotion seeing Christ the Redeemer from the air—that moment of circling the statue three times, close enough to photograph without zoom, really captures why people book this tour. It's the one aerial perspective you can't get from the ground or from a drone, and it's worth the investment if you have the budget. If you can stomach the cost and the turbulence, absolutely book it.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
Video transcript for “BEST Rio de Janeiro Brazil HELICOPTER TOUR 🚁🇧🇷 Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Copacabana” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
Brazil is probably high on your list of places to visit with iconic landmarks like Christ the Redeemer Sugarloaf Mountain and Co Cabana Beach it's no wonder why so many of us tourists flood the streets of Rio De Janeiro every year in a city like this a drone is not going to cut it you need a bir eye view to see
the city in its full Glory I was lucky enough to spend my birthday in Rio de janiro this year and I'm so excited to share with you guys the best thing that we did while we were there which was a helicopter tour there are so many different helicopter tours to choose from and the prices all differ
helicopter tours are quite expensive the price is typically around £250 per person for half hour flight and that price is usually for a helicopter shared with other people but we wanted a private helicopter and the cost for the full helicopter for just us two was £ 554 which is actually quite reasonable
so the company that we went for was Rio to fly this is not sponsored or anything we paid for this ourselves and we absolutely love the experience and just wanted to share with you guys this was the meeting point it's quite far from Copa Beach it's about a 40 minute taxi ride so it's important to bear that in
mind and this is where we went to you can see the helicopters park there to the left with this company we had to arrive an hour before our flight time and with every helicopter tour you'll have to arrive early so bear that in mind when booking your time this is the lounge building we were welcomed at the
door by the very very friendly staff and we had soft drinks to use as we wished and you could pay extra for alcoholic drinks it had bathrooms it was quite nice comfortable Lounge to wait in we filled in our forms which just had like an emergency contact and our passport details we could watch a few of
the helicopters set off before it was time to get on to hours the lounge also had some free Wi-Fi which was nice I could catch up with all my birthday messages and then we were shown into this cart which drove us over to our helicopter some of the helicopters actually took off just from right here
in front of where we getting the cart right now but some of us had to drive all the way around to the other side which isn't that far away but they do have a car that sends you there to save you doing all that walking this is not our first helicopter ride and usually there's quite a lot of like videos you
have to watch and like safety things there wasn't actually that much for this one they just had a poster in the lounge area to show you you know which direction to get onto the helicopter from but yeah it wasn't really that much safety stuff to do really so we had a 30 minute flight which is really exciting
not quite long for a helicopter tool and the layout is one seat in the front next to the pilot and then two seats in the back a fabulous tip is to go on your birthday so you're guaranteed a seat in the front which is the best seat in the house it does start to get a little bit scary here cuz you can hear the chopper
it sounds really close and even though the blades are so high up you can see they are so high compared to the height of that man stood next to it but it just feels like it's going to chop your head off so this bit is a little bit exciting some people just duck you can't help it but it's really exciting just getting on
and getting all excited to go on your helicopter tour the staff help you with everything they help you get in and to adjust your seat belt and to put your headsets on and then we were all ready to fly we did request an English-speaking pilot however our pilot really could not speak English too well
he did point out the main attractions which is the most important thing but yeah his English was not very strong so he could really tell us much more than that the single most important thing you guys when you're going on your helicopter tour is the weather Brazil has got some very tropical weather the
weather can change at the drop of a hat when you book your tour you're informed straight away that if the weather's bad your tour will be cancelled and you'll be refunded immediately that's why it's so important for you to check the weather app and do whatever is in your control to make sure that you pick a
nice sunny day to go on your tour that way you can avoid your tour getting cancelled and also on a clear day you're just so much more likely to see a lot more of Rio De Janeiro because of the beautiful weather conditions that we had on our flight day we had such a smooth takeoff it is so amazing with
helicopters how quickly you do take off up quite High into the sky and because the helicopter is a lot smaller than like a plane you can feel a lot more of the wind it is quite turbulent in the helicopter and you feel all the movements so it could be quite exciting but if you're a little bit scared of
height I don't think this is for you once we were up in the air our pilot started telling us a little bit about Brazil the best he could with his um English barrier I have to say that the quality of the headsets on this helicopter were not as good as previous helicopters that we've been on you
couldn't really hear much we couldn't hear each other really and we couldn't really hear the pilot very well even though like you can see the mic was practically to my lips you still could barely hear but it was quite nice to just sit back and enjoy the views and what stunning views they were because we
started the tour a little bit out of the city we got to see some amazing things on the way back into the main city the sun was so so hot on my legs and my feet it was almost unbearable I don't think there was any air conditioning in the helicopter if there was I could feel it it was absolutely boiling so it's so
important to bear that in mind when you're dressing for this make sure that you wear something cooling because it is extremely hot my husband did say though that I wasn't that bad at the back because they didn't have that direct Sunshine so that's a pack if you do have to sit in the back and he still loved
his views from back there the views are still panoramic and fantastic because there's huge Windows everywhere in the helicopter if you're enjoying this video and you love travel content make sure you subscribe I really app appreciate it so we started off going past this beautiful beach baruka you're not going
to run out of beaches to go to in Rio de Janeiro there are so many and as you can see this beach was absolutely massive we just loved seeing the buildings built amongst the rocks and all the greenery that's present in Brazil is just so wonderful and [Music] beautiful the next be that we flew past
that the pilot said is really good and to try is prior DEA tinga this beach is absolutely gorgeous and in a little Cove it looks like a little secret Beach and looks really nice the pilot also told us that this is one of the more upscale neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro and look how cool this little pool looks right up
here on this rock it looks gorgeous what is that does anyone know what that [Music] is [Music] the next Beach we flew past was Prior de sa conrado the sand looks so beautiful hair and it looks really [Music] calm it's so beautiful to see all the
favellas built among the rock it's really stunning this place is not far from the Fashion Mall we went to the Fashion Mall to watch a summer show this was such a fun show and a great way to see traditional Brazilian dance in [Music]
action next we flew past the beaches of Leblon and impanema these are two of the most popular beaches here in Rio de Janeiro you can see how many people are there and it's super busy Leblon Beach is known to be a little bit more upscale than Epona Beach even though Epona also very upscale both of these beaches are
classed a little bit more high-end than kopa kabana Beach which is probably the most popular beach in Rio de Janeiro and right around this corner you can see the outline of kopa kabana Beach right there it's so [Music] beautiful
round this corner you can see kopa Cabana Fort this is definitely worth a visit while you are in Rio de Janeiro and there's restaurant there in the fort where you can have a gorgeous view of coppa Cabana Beach and here we have it the famous kopa kabana Beach in in it's full
Glory from the kabana beach side of the helicopter tour we could finally see Christ the Redeemer statue in the background it's quite far away still at this point but you can see it and it's also exciting right from the beach [Music]
front [Music] from kopa kabana Beach you can also see Sugarloaf Mountain this is one of my favorite views of R de Janeiro with the Sea and the bridge and Sugarloaf in the background it's really beautiful while you are in Rio de Janeiro I would
definitely recommend doing a tour to Sugarloaf Mountain going up in a cable car it's definitely worth it and the views you get from up there are really beautiful also make sure you check the weather before going up there because if it's cloudy and clouds are covering the mountain you're not going to be able to
see anything so it's important to bear that in [Music] mind
here is a beautiful closeup of shigera mountain we were just taking in the beautiful views it does feel so surreal being up here and looking down at the city below and it's just wonderful we were then getting a little bit closer to the Christ the Redeemer statue the helicopter was just circling in closer
and closer till we could get right next to it and fly over it the Christ the Redeemer statue is at the summit the top of the cavado mountain we had the best weather conditions and look at this breathtaking view oh my gosh I can't describe the emotion of seeing this amazing view and
person it really was such a surreal moment I believe that each helicopter gets a certain slot to look around the Christ the Redeemer statue we went around it and around it three times it gave us so much opportunity to take our photos and videos and it was just so amazing we just kept going around it we
couldn't believe how close we were to it you can see we're just so close and this is without Zoom so it was just just so amazing and stunning you can just see how different this view is compared to if you were down there with the Statue which we also did but this view was just something else seeing the statue
overlooking the city was so breathtaking and amazing this moment was definitely the highlight of our trip to Rio De Janeiro and I can't recommend it enough the best views of the Christ the Redeemer with no queuing required this is where your hard work in choosing a day with the least
clouds possible pays [Music] off after Christ the Redeemer we Flew Over the rainforest of Brazil's City Center it's beautiful to see so much Greenery in this huge City it also gave us a chance to catch our breath after the beautiful amazing views that we just had or if you're a little bit unlucky
and you picked a little bit of a cloudy day then you might be quite disappointed if you didn't get to see Christ the Redeemer but you can still enjoy views of the rest of Rio as we Circle back to go back to the helicopter Depot we are back to the view of the bridge overlooking the city like I said
this is one of my favorite views of Rio and here you can see the very famous Stadium we never did visit the stadium but I would imagine you'd have to be quite careful visiting such a busy place to see a game our helicopter tour company did offer you can buy a recording of your full flight so the 4
30 minutes can be recorded for you to save you having to record anything so that could be an option if that's something that you interested in I can't remember the exact cost I think it was about 2 or 300 100 I can't really remember um but I think we decided not to go for it cuz I quite like taking my
own videos anyway but it is an option if you just wanted to be handsfree and just sit back and enjoy the flight I'm pretty sure that other helicopter tour operators also offer the same thing I can't remember the name of this rock but our pilot was telling us about this rock and you're supposed to be able
to see a face in the Rock can any of you see the face put it in the comment if you can we were now heading towards the end of our tour we're getting a little bit sad but still enjoying the gorgeous views on the way back so let's discuss then the pros and cons of booking a helicopter tour of Rio
De Janeiro I think the first con I would say is obviously the price it's quite expensive and also it is quite up to chance depending what weather you get you can look up on the weather app and pick a nice sunny day but Brazil is so unpredictable the weather can change at a drop of a hat and so you could end up
picking a sunny day which ends up being quite cloudy and then you don't end up seeing much of what you wanted to and you could end up quite disappointed and for £550 that's quite a lot of money to end up being disappointed the tour company will cancel the tour if the weather is bad
but they decide if the weather is bad to fly so it might be okay to fly in but it might be super cloudy and not okay for you to see the views you want to see you can't say you don't want to go on the tour just cuz you don't like the weather if it's a good day to fly then they will
take you out so you will be refunded if you can't see everything clearly because of clouds another con for me was how unbearably hot it was you can see on my legs like the sun was directly on me and it was just far too hot however for me I think the pros far our way the cons I think it is the best way to see Rio de
Janeiro and we were lucky we had a perfect day so we got to see everything that we wanted to see and it was the perfect way to see Christ the Redeemer without the crowds and from an angle that you just would not have any other way we also loved that we had a private helicopter just for us too we enjoyed
that so you can f out for that if you can and we had a super smooth Landing just like the takeoff and so yes I would definitely recommend doing a helicopter tour it was the highlight of our trip and I feel like you're not going to regret it especially if you get a nice clear day thank you so much for watching
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