Illustration.
From Lower Manhattan · 12 to 30 minutes over the city
NYC Manhattan Sightseeing Helicopter Tour
HeliNY's shared flight from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, now called Downtown Skyport: the shortest option passes the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building, and the two longer ones add upper Manhattan and then the harbor. A pilot narrates; at most six people fly.
Choose a length
Twelve Minutes, Twenty or Thirty?
The NYC Manhattan sightseeing helicopter tour on this page is HeliNY’s shared flight from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, renamed Downtown Skyport in 2025, on Pier 6 at the bottom of Manhattan. Its 12-15 minute option passes the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building and reaches the lower part of Central Park, from US$272 on promotion, usually US$322 a person (checked November 2026). For upper Manhattan and the George Washington Bridge, book 17-20 minutes; for the harbor and the Verrazzano Bridge as well, 25-30.
NYC: Manhattan Sightseeing Helicopter Tour
HeliNY: 12-15, 17-20 or 25-30 minutes from Pier 6 with the pilot narrating, heliport fees and taxes in the price, six seats at most. On Sundays the same calendar sells a flight from Linden, New Jersey.
See flight dates →NYC: Sightseeing Helicopter Tour
Charm Aviation: the same three lengths from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, live commentary, heliport fees and fuel surcharges included. Shared flights need four guests to go.
See the flight →NYC Helicopter Tour: Statue of Liberty & Skyline
Zip Aviation: a pre-recorded narration you can hear in nine languages, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on even its shortest flight. Window seats are not promised.
See the flight →Ratings, review counts and from-prices as the GetYourGuide listings showed them (checked November 2026). A promotion or the date you pick moves the price, so take these as a guide, not a quote.
What each length costs
| HeliNY flight length | What it adds | 24 Nov 2026 | 20 Jan and 24 Mar 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-15 minutes from Manhattan | Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, Empire State Building, lower Central Park | US$272.19 (15% off) | US$322.12 |
| 17-20 minutes from Manhattan | All of the above, then northern Manhattan, the George Washington Bridge, Yankee Stadium and the Palisades | US$301.10 | US$354.23 |
| 25-30 minutes from Manhattan | All of the above, then New York Harbor, the Verrazzano Bridge, Brooklyn and Staten Island | US$404.96 | US$461.23 |
| 25-30 minutes from Linden, New Jersey | A skyline flight from New Jersey, the only option on a Sunday | Not on sale (a Tuesday) | Not on sale (Wednesdays) |
One adult, all taxes and fees included, read on GetYourGuide in November 2026. On Sunday 29 November 2026 the Linden flight was US$354.93 at 2:00 PM and the three Manhattan flights were not on sale; on the weekday dates the calendar offered Linden next on a Friday.
The NYC helicopter ride price sets these against the other operators and Viator.
- 4.8 / 5 7943+ Reviews
- 6 Passengers at most on one of HeliNY's sightseeing flights
- 10:00-17:00 The hours tourist flights may use the heliport, Monday to Saturday; none on Sundays (Downtown Skyport, November 2026)
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
In the Price of the Flight
The flight, the heliport fees and taxes, a noise-cancelling headset and a locker. Souvenir photos, getting to the pier and tips are extra.
HeliNY's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- Feel the unique thrill of helicopter travel as you take a ride over Manhattan
- Discover the best of New York City with narration from a highly-trained pilot
- Enjoy breathtaking views as you gaze down on the Big Apple from the sky
- Experience the beauty of Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, and the Hudson River
- Marvel at the Statue of Liberty, the Intrepid Museum, and more
What's Included
- Helicopter flight
- All heliport fees and taxes
- Noise-canceling Bose headsets
- Lockers
- Live pilot narration
Good to know: Children aged 2 and over are required to have their own seat/pay full-price · Flights departing from NYC at/before 3:30PM require check-in 30 minutes before flight time · Flights departing from NYC after 3:30PM require check-in 45 minutes before flight time · Flight times are approximate and may change slightly · A safety video is available in English, French, German, and Spanish · Final seating is determined by the weights of all passengers in the flight · There are no helicopter flights out of Manhattan on Sundays, flights from New Jersey are available · Tours require a certain number of guests to operate · Not all flights depart from Manhattan, please double check where your flight departs based on the option you choose · HeliNY is Wingman/TOPS certified! · Not suitable for: People over 275 lbs (125 kg) · Not Included: Photos (available for purchase), Transportation, Gratuities
From Pier 6 into the Air and Back
Check in at the heliport, watch the safety video, fly 12 to 30 minutes with the pilot talking you through it, and land where you started.
Check In at the Heliport
Arrive at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on Pier 6 with a passport or photo ID: 30 minutes before a flight at or before 3:30 PM, 45 minutes before a later one.
Safety Video and Seating
A safety video plays in English, French, German or Spanish. Final seating is decided by the weights of everyone on the flight.
12 to 30 Minutes in the Air
You wear a noise-cancelling headset and the pilot narrates as the helicopter follows the rivers and the harbor; the length you booked decides how far north and south it goes.
Back to Pier 6
The flight lands where it took off. Souvenir photos are offered for sale; buying one is up to you.
Photo Gallery
Manhattan and the Harbor from Above
The towers of Lower Manhattan, the Hudson, the Statue of Liberty on her island and the bridges of the East River.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
HeliNY's flight from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport: pick the date, then the length. On a Sunday the calendar offers the New Jersey flight from Linden instead. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Before You Fly
Planning the Manhattan Helicopter Flight
Whether it is worth the money, the price of each length, the Statue of Liberty, how long the ride really is, Sundays and the rules, and who can fly.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Prices on GetYourGuide and Viator are in US dollars; heliport fees are included where the page says so.
Three Sightseeing Flights from the Same Pier
HeliNY, Charm Aviation and Zip Aviation all fly from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on Pier 6. What each sells, how the pilot talks to you, and the limits each listing sets. GetYourGuide prices, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE HeliNY (this page) | Charm Aviation | Zip Aviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$272 per person (checked November 2026) (the 12-15 minute flight; US$322.12 on the January and March 2027 dates we read) | From US$269 per person (checked November 2026) (no date we read showed it: the 12-15 minute flight was US$319.54 on 24 November 2026) | From US$269 per person (checked November 2026) |
| Flight Lengths | 12-15, 17-20 or 25-30 minutes | 12-15, 17-20 or 25-30 minutes | 12-15, 18-20 or 30 minutes; the 30-minute flight needs at least 4 passengers |
| Read on 24 November 2026 | 12-15 minutes US$272.19 on promotion; 17-20 minutes US$301.10; 25-30 minutes US$404.96 | 12-15 minutes US$319.54; 17-20 minutes US$351.34; 25-30 minutes US$457.34 | 15 minutes US$269.10 on promotion; 20 minutes US$319.00; 30 minutes not on sale |
| Commentary | Live, from the pilot | Live, from the pilot | Pre-recorded, in nine languages |
| Group | Limited to 6 | Shared flights need 4 guests; at most 6 per aircraft | Small group; window seat not guaranteed |
| Weight | Not suitable over 275 lb (125 kg) | Over 275 lb (125 kg) buys an extra seat on shared flights | Over 250 lb (113 kg) buys an extra seat |
| Fees | All heliport fees and taxes included | Heliport fees, taxes and fuel surcharges included | Booking fee included for flights after 1 March; locker rental extra |
| Sundays | No Manhattan flights; a 25-30 minute flight from Linden, NJ | Not stated | Not stated |
| Best For | A pilot who talks you round; the only one of the three with a Sunday option | The same three lengths with live commentary, if HeliNY's date is full | Listening in your own language |
| See flight dates | See the flight | See the flight |
Other Flights over Manhattan
Longer Flights, Other Operators and New Jersey
The same operator's longer flights on Viator, the New Jersey flight that runs on Sundays, and other operators flying from the same pier.
17-20 MINUTESNY Helicopter Tour: Ultimate NYC Sightseeing
HeliNY's 17-20 minute flight on Viator, from Pier 6: shared, with live commentary in a climate-controlled cabin with floor-to-ceiling windows. Heliport fees and the fuel surcharge are included; souvenir photos are sold separately.
25-30 MINUTESNY Helicopter Tour: Manhattan & Brooklyn
HeliNY's longest flight from Pier 6 on Viator, 25-30 minutes over Manhattan and Brooklyn: shared, live commentary, heliport fees and the fuel surcharge included, no hotel pickup.
FROM NEW JERSEYFrom New Jersey: New York City Skyline Tour
HeliNY's 25-minute flight from Linden Airport in New Jersey, over the Verrazzano Bridge and up the Hudson to the northern tip of Manhattan. A shuttle from Linden station is free if requested; the journey out of Manhattan is yours to arrange. Check-in is 50 minutes before.
12-15 MINUTESManhattan Sky Tour: New York Helicopter Flight
Zip Aviation's Manhattan Sky Tour on Viator, a 12-15 minute flight from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport with all taxes and fees included, the US$40 heliport fee among them. Getting to the heliport and tips are extra.
18-20 MINUTESThe Big Apple Helicopter Tour of New York City
Charm Aviation NYC's 18-20 minute Big Apple flight on Viator, from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport: shared, with live commentary, the US$40 heliport fee and a US$5 fuel surcharge included. Photos are sold separately.
PRIVATE, FOR TWOFrom Westchester: NYC Private Helicopter Tour for Couples
Wings Air Helicopters' private flight for two in a Robinson R44 from Westchester County Airport, 30 or 45 minutes, with an option that adds transfers from Manhattan. The 30-minute flight does not reach Lower Manhattan or the Statue of Liberty; an airport fee of US$35 a person is not included.
Over Manhattan by helicopter
The Route, the Pier and the Fine Print
Which landmarks each length reaches, where you check in, what reviewers complain about, and the city's rules on tourist flights.
Where the 12-15 minute flight goes
The shortest option takes in five sights: the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building and the lower part of Central Park. The map shows where they sit around the heliport. Tours from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport are not allowed to fly over land, in the words of the City Council’s data team, and the city’s development corporation describes the sightseeing routes as over-water, above New York Harbor and the Hudson River (both checked November 2026). So you see the towers from the rivers, not from above the streets.
The two longer options keep going. At 17-20 minutes the flight adds northern Manhattan, the George Washington Bridge, Yankee Stadium and the Palisades cliffs; at 25-30 minutes it adds the harbor, the Verrazzano Bridge, Brooklyn and Staten Island. How long is a NYC helicopter ride compares them minute by minute.
The pier and the check-in
The heliport sits at 6 East River Piers, on the East River side of the southern tip of Manhattan. Its operator, Downtown Skyport, permits tourist flights from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday, and none on Sundays (heliport information page, checked November 2026). Check-in for HeliNY’s flight is 30 minutes before a departure at or before 3:30 PM and 45 minutes before a later one; bring a passport or ID card. The flight time on your booking is approximate, and lockers are included for what you cannot take on board.
Booking calendars show other start times on some dates, so treat the time you pick as a slot for the operator to confirm. Two reviewers in October and November 2026 who booked late-afternoon slots were sent up, or asked to go up, before the time they had booked.
What recent passengers said
HeliNY’s flight has 7,943 reviews on GetYourGuide, averaging 4.8. We read the 350 most recent in November 2026: 303 give five stars and 16 give three or fewer. Eight of those sixteen carry text, and they cluster:
- The seat. Two reviewers writing on 30 October 2026 sat facing backwards, and one on 23 October in a middle seat; on HeliNY’s flight seats go by the weight of everyone on board.
- The clock. A reviewer on 7 November 2026 found the 15-minute flight lasted about 10.
- The slot. Two had the crew put them on, or try to put them on, an earlier flight than the one they had booked.
- Access. On 25 October 2026 a guest in a wheelchair was not able to board.
The other 334 gave four or five stars. If a window seat matters to you, ask at check-in, and don’t book the short flight expecting a full quarter of an hour. Is the Manhattan sightseeing flight worth it goes through the reviews in more detail.
The city’s rules
Three apply to this flight. No tourist flights leave the heliport on Sundays. The routes stay over the water. And the City Council passed Local Law 64 in 2025: from 1 December 2029, non-essential flights to or from the city’s heliports, which includes sightseeing, may be flown only by helicopters within the FAA’s Stage 3 noise limits (Int. No. 26-A, read November 2026). It is not a ban on tours, and it does not touch the airports in New Jersey. Sundays and the rules has the details.
Before you book
- Day. Monday to Saturday for a Manhattan departure; on Sunday the calendar offers only the Linden flight.
- Length. 12-15 minutes for the classic skyline and the statue; 17-20 for upper Manhattan; 25-30 for the harbor and Brooklyn.
- People. Children aged 2 and over pay full price for their own seat; the flight is not suitable for anyone over 275 lb (125 kg). See children and weight limits.
- Bags. Lockers are included on HeliNY’s flight; travel light.
- Cancelling. Free up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Fly over Manhattan from Pier 6
HeliNY's sightseeing flight from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport: 12-15, 17-20 or 25-30 minutes with a narrating pilot, heliport fees and taxes included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from US$272 per person (the 12-15 minute flight; US$322.12 on the January and March 2027 dates we read) on promotion, usually US$322, checked November 2026.
See flight datesMore from New York
Other New York Tours with Open Dates
Harbor cruises, observation decks and city tours with live availability. Each shows what it includes and how to cancel before you pay.
Manhattan Sightseeing Helicopter Tour: Questions
What the flight covers, the price of each length, the Statue of Liberty, Sundays, where it leaves from, who can fly and the city's noise law.
On the shortest option, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building and the lower part of Central Park. Those are the sights on HeliNY's 12-15 minute flight. The 17-20 minute flight adds northern Manhattan, the George Washington Bridge, Yankee Stadium and the Palisades; the 25-30 minute flight adds the harbor, the Verrazzano Bridge, Brooklyn and Staten Island. See how long the ride is.
From US$272 a person for the 12-15 minute flight (checked November 2026). That figure was a 15 percent promotion on 24 November 2026; on 20 January and 24 March 2027 the same flight was US$322.12, the 17-20 minute flight US$354.23 and the 25-30 minute flight US$461.23, heliport fees and taxes included. Charm Aviation's flight from the same pier read US$319.54 for 12-15 minutes on 24 November. See the price of every length.
Yes, every Manhattan length passes it. The Statue of Liberty is on the route of HeliNY's 12-15 minute flight, and with Ellis Island among the sights of Zip Aviation's shortest option. The exception is the 30-minute private flight from Westchester, which does not reach Lower Manhattan or the statue. See the Statue of Liberty helicopter tour.
Not from Manhattan. Downtown Skyport, the company that runs the heliport, permits no tourist flights on Sundays (checked November 2026). On Sundays HeliNY sells a 25-30 minute flight from Linden Airport in New Jersey instead: US$354.93 for one adult on Sunday 29 November 2026, with getting to Linden not included. See Sundays and the rules.
The Downtown Manhattan Heliport, renamed Downtown Skyport in April 2025, at 6 East River Piers (Pier 6), at Manhattan's southern tip. HeliNY, Charm Aviation and Zip Aviation all fly their Manhattan flights from there. Check-in for HeliNY's flight is 30 minutes before a departure at or before 3:30 PM and 45 minutes before a later one; bring a passport or photo ID.
Children 2 and over need their own seat at the full price; the flight is not suitable for anyone over 275 lb (125 kg). Both rules apply to HeliNY's flight, which also seats everyone by weight. Zip Aviation sets its line lower: over 250 lb buys a second seat. See children and weight limits.
No. The City Council passed Local Law 64 in 2025; from 1 December 2029, non-essential flights, sightseeing among them, may use the city's heliports only with helicopters that meet the FAA's Stage 3 noise limits (Int. No. 26-A, read November 2026). Sightseeing flights from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport continue meanwhile, Monday to Saturday. See Sundays and the rules.
For most first-time visitors who want the skyline and the statue in one go, yes; plan on the short flight feeling short. HeliNY's flight has 7,943 reviews averaging 4.8 (checked November 2026). Of the 350 most recent, 16 gave three stars or fewer, and the ones with text complained about a rear-facing or middle seat, a slot flown earlier than booked and a flight shorter than the minutes sold. See is it worth it.
Still have questions? Email us at info@nycmanhattansightseeinghelicoptertour.com