The 12-minute flight
The shortest flight on offer, and the one all three operators fly.
- Camps Bay
- Cape Town Stadium
- Lion's Head
- Signal Hill
Helicopter flights over Cape Town
Twelve minutes over the city, or fifty out to the Cape of Good Hope — every route and every seller on one page.
from $163.04 per person
Compare flights- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Live prices from every seller
- You book at the seller — no fee from us
They all lift off from the V&A Waterfront, and from up there the city lays itself out: Table Mountain flat against the sky, the Twelve Apostles dropping into the Atlantic, Clifton and Camps Bay strung out below. Three companies fly these routes and sell them through several booking sites — on the Cape Point run at prices that differ by more than double. This site puts them side by side, with live prices, and says where a seller stops telling you things.
The six routes
Sorted by flight time. The price is the lowest per-person figure we can confirm for that route.
The Atlantic coast flight
Sixteen to twenty minutes along Clifton, Camps Bay, the Twelve Apostles and Hout Bay.
- Clifton
- Twelve Apostles
- Table Mountain
- Cape Town Stadium
The Robben Island flight
Two operators fly it, and they fly it for different lengths of time.
- Robben Island
The Two Oceans flight
Twenty-four to twenty-seven minutes across the peninsula, with Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak on the way.
- Hout Bay
- Table Mountain
- Chapman's Peak
- Twelve Apostles
The Table Mountain 360° flight
The only route that crosses to the False Bay side of the mountain.
- Chapman's Peak
- Constantia Valley
- Fish Hoek
- Kalk Bay
The Cape Point flight
The longest route on offer: 42 to 50 minutes to the tip of the peninsula.
- Atlantic coastline
- Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
- Table Mountain
- Twelve Apostles
The three companies that actually fly you
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Cape Town Helicopters
The only operator in Cape Town that bundles a boat cruise with several of its flights.
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Sport Helicopters
The only operator in Cape Town flying a Bell HU-1 Huey.
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NAC Helicopters Cape Town
Founded in 1946, and the only one of the three that names a safety standard.
What a helicopter flight over Cape Town costs
- 12 min Over the city and the near coast from $163.04 per person
- 16–27 min The Atlantic seaboard, Robben Island or the False Bay side from $239.47 per person
- 42–50 min Out to Cape Point and back from $624.46 per person
One figure on the tables is not what it looks like: NAC Helicopters prices some flights per group rather than per person, so a number that seems doubled is for two people. Every row says which unit the seller uses and what it works out to per person.
Where the flights take off
East Pier RoadV&A Waterfront, Cape Town
All three operators fly from the far end of the road, past the Table Bay Hotel.
One exception to note: Sport Helicopters checks you in at its office on Quay 5, a few minutes away, and takes you to the helipad from there. Its listings include that transfer, which is why one seller can appear to name a different departure point than another for the same company.
What to know before you book
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Two on board to depart
Seats on shared flights are sold individually, and the operator fills the remaining places. A shared departure needs a minimum of two passengers in the same time slot.
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You will be weighed
Per-seat limits run from 113 kg to 140 kg. Weighing is discreet, at check-in, and decides where you sit — say so when booking if anyone is near 120 kg.
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Shared by default
The helicopters seat six and shared flights are filled with other passengers. A private flight is priced as the extra seats.
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Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours before departure, on every listing here. If the forecast turns, you move the booking yourself at no cost.
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Fly in the morning
Wind, not rain, grounds a scenic flight, and it builds through the day. An early slot is the calmer one. Season and wind →
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Be there 30 minutes early
Check-in, weighing and the safety briefing all happen before boarding, and the slot does not wait.
The wind matters more than the season
Cape Town’s main season runs from November to March, and Cape Town Tourism calls January one of the city’s busiest months. That is the window most visitors book in — and the one in which a scenic flight is least likely to be the only thing on your day.
The complication is the south-easter, the wind Capetonians call the Cape Doctor. It blows from late August into March and is strongest in November, at the very start of the season. It is the same wind that lays the cloud “tablecloth” over Table Mountain in the photograph, and it usually builds through the day rather than at dawn.
That makes the morning the better slot: calmer air, and enough of the day left to rebook if the weather closes in. Every listing on this site cancels free up to 24 hours ahead, so an early booking costs nothing to move.
Frequently asked questions
How many people do I need for a helicopter flight in Cape Town?
Seats on shared flights are sold individually, and the operator fills the remaining places with other passengers. The minimum applies to the departure: a shared flight operates once at least two passengers are booked in the same time slot. Booking a second seat yourself, or the whole helicopter, takes that condition out of the equation.
Will I share the helicopter with strangers?
Yes, unless you book the aircraft privately. Shared flights are filled with other passengers up to the six seats, which is what keeps the per-person price down. Every operator also sells the helicopter exclusively; on the booking sites that is priced as extra seats, and how many depends on the operator, so it is worth pricing before you assume it is out of reach.
More on this: The three operators, side by side →
Is there a weight limit?
Yes, and it depends on the aircraft. The published per-seat limits run from 113 kg to 140 kg, with an average of 75 to 90 kg across all the seats — so a group is assessed as a whole, not one passenger at a time. Everyone is weighed discreetly at check-in, because the seating plan depends on it. If anyone in your party is near 120 kg, mention it when you book rather than on the day: it can decide which aircraft flies, and that is far easier to arrange in advance.
More on this: The three operators, side by side → What to know before you book →
How early should I be there?
Thirty minutes before departure. Check-in, weighing and the safety briefing all happen before boarding, and a scenic flight runs to a slot — arrive late and it does not wait. Thirty minutes is the only check-in time any of the three publishes, and the safer assumption at all of them.
More on this: What to know before you book →
Can I cancel?
Yes. Every listing on this site cancels free up to 24 hours before departure, at all three operators and both booking sites. That is worth using: if the forecast turns, you move the booking yourself at no cost rather than hoping the flight goes ahead. Booking direct with an operator instead can mean a longer notice period and a non-refundable deposit.
What happens if the weather cancels my flight?
A flight cancelled by the operator is refunded or moved to another slot — you are not charged for weather. What grounds a scenic flight over Cape Town is wind rather than rain, and the south-easter usually builds through the day, so a morning slot is both calmer and easier to rescue: if it is cancelled, there is still a day left to fly.
More on this: Season, wind and when to fly →
Can children fly?
Yes, and there is no upper age limit. A child over two needs its own seat and counts as a passenger, both towards the two the flight needs and in the weight calculation. Under-twos can sometimes be carried differently depending on the aircraft, so ask the operator before booking rather than assuming a free seat.
Where do the flights take off from?
East Pier Road at the V&A Waterfront — the far end of the road, past the Table Bay Hotel. All three operators fly from there. Sport Helicopters is the exception worth knowing about: it checks you in at its office on Quay 5 a few minutes away and takes you to the helipad from there, and that transfer is included in its listings.
More on this: Where the flights take off → The three operators, side by side →
Why does the same route cost twice as much at one seller?
Usually because of the unit. NAC Helicopters prices some flights per group rather than per person, so a figure that looks doubled is for two people — every row on this site states the unit the seller uses and what it works out to per person. The rest is real difference: the operators charge different amounts for comparable routes, and a listing resold by an agency carries that agency’s margin on top.
More on this: What a flight costs, by length →
When is the best time of day to fly?
The morning. Cape Town’s south-easter — the wind locals call the Cape Doctor — blows from late August into March and is strongest in November, at the start of the main season. It is the usual reason a scenic flight is cancelled or cut short, and it typically builds through the day. An early slot is the calmer one and leaves the rest of the day free to rebook.
More on this: Season, wind and when to fly →
Do you sell these flights?
No. Every booking happens at GetYourGuide or Viator, under their terms and at their price. This site earns a commission if you book through one of the links, and the price you pay is the same either way. Nothing here is ranked by what it pays — the tables sort by price per person.