A helicopter ride in Dubai with Helicopter Ride Dubai costs AED 715 per person for a shared seat on the 12-minute City Scapes and AED 1,450 per person on the 25-minute City Circuit. Private flights are priced per aircraft for up to 5 guests, from AED 3,145 on City Scapes to AED 15,593 for the 60-minute Gulf Desert Tour.
Key takeaways
- Shared seats are priced per person: AED 715 for City Scapes (12 minutes), AED 921 for Fun Ride (15 minutes), AED 979 for The Iconic Tour (17 minutes) and AED 1,450 for City Circuit (25 minutes).
- Private flights are priced per aircraft for up to 5 guests: AED 3,145, AED 4,041, AED 4,525 and AED 6,353 on those same four routes.
- The Imperial Tour (40 minutes, AED 11,463 per aircraft) and The Gulf Desert Tour (60 minutes, AED 15,593 per aircraft) are sold as private flights only.
- Every passenger aged 2 and over buys a seat at full price, and children under 2 cannot fly.
- The optional Private Pickup and Dropoff costs AED 450 per car, with 5 to 6 guests per car.
- Cancelling more than 96 hours before departure brings a 100% refund, 48 to 96 hours brings a 50% refund, and under 48 hours brings no refund.
How much is a helicopter ride in Dubai? The full price list
Helicopter Ride Dubai sells six sightseeing routes over Dubai. Four of them can be booked either as a shared seat or as a private flight. The other two are private only. The table below lists every flight price the company publishes, with the unit that applies to each one.
| Tour | Flight time | Shared seat (per person) | Private flight (per aircraft, up to 5 guests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Scapes | 12 minutes | AED 715 per person | AED 3,145 per aircraft |
| Fun Ride | 15 minutes | AED 921 per person | AED 4,041 per aircraft |
| The Iconic Tour | 17 minutes | AED 979 per person | AED 4,525 per aircraft |
| City Circuit | 25 minutes | AED 1,450 per person | AED 6,353 per aircraft |
| The Imperial Tour | 40 minutes | Private only | AED 11,463 per aircraft |
| The Gulf Desert Tour | 60 minutes | Private only | AED 15,593 per aircraft |
Read the table across a row to see both ways of booking the same route. Read it down a column to see how the price rises with flight time. The shared column is the price of one seat. The private column is the price of the whole helicopter.
All prices are in UAE dirhams (AED). Each route has one set flight time and one set price for each way of booking it, so once you have chosen a route and a booking type, the flight price is fixed.
For a side-by-side look at the routes themselves, the Dubai helicopter tours page compares all six. This guide stays with the money: what each price covers, how the two units work and what can change the amount your group pays.
How does shared seat pricing work?
A shared seat is priced per person. You buy one seat on a flight, and the other seats on that flight can go to other guests. Each person in your party needs a seat of their own.
The four shared routes are the shorter ones. City Scapes costs AED 715 per person, Fun Ride AED 921 per person, The Iconic Tour AED 979 per person and City Circuit AED 1,450 per person. The two longest routes, The Imperial Tour and The Gulf Desert Tour, are not sold as shared seats at all.
Two rules sit behind every shared seat price:
- Age. Every passenger aged 2 and over buys a seat at full price. Children under 2 cannot fly, and guests aged 2 to 12 fly with a guardian.
- Weight. Shared flights allow up to 110 kg per passenger. A guest above that must contact the team and buy an extra seat.
Shared seating suits solo travellers, couples and small groups who are happy to share the cabin with other guests. It is also the only way to book a single place on a flight, because the private price is set for the aircraft rather than for each guest.
How does private flight pricing work?
A private flight is priced per aircraft. You book the whole helicopter for your own group of up to 5 guests, and nobody outside your party joins the flight. The price is one figure for the aircraft, not a figure per guest.
On the four shorter routes, private prices are AED 3,145 for City Scapes, AED 4,041 for Fun Ride, AED 4,525 for The Iconic Tour and AED 6,353 for City Circuit, each per aircraft for up to 5 guests. The two longest routes are private only: The Imperial Tour costs AED 11,463 per aircraft and The Gulf Desert Tour costs AED 15,593 per aircraft, again for up to 5 guests.
The weight rule works differently on a private flight. Instead of a limit per passenger, a private flight carries up to 450 kg in total. The age rules stay the same: children under 2 cannot fly, and guests aged 2 to 12 fly with a guardian.
A private flight is not the same thing as a private charter. Charters across the UAE, helicopter transfers to places such as Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and aircraft charter are separate services that Helicopter Ride Dubai quotes on request. None of them uses the prices in this guide.
Shared seat or private flight: the prices side by side
The two ways of booking use different units, so the clearest comparison puts them next to each other with the unit spelled out. The table below shows what changes between them.
| Shared seat | Private flight | |
|---|---|---|
| How the price is set | Per person | Per aircraft, up to 5 guests |
| Who is on board | Your party plus other guests | Only your group |
| Routes you can book | City Scapes, Fun Ride, The Iconic Tour, City Circuit | All six routes |
| Price range | AED 715 to AED 1,450 per person | AED 3,145 to AED 15,593 per aircraft |
| Weight allowance | Up to 110 kg per passenger | Up to 450 kg in total |
To weigh the two for your own trip, start with the number of people in your group, counting every child aged 2 and over. Find the per-person price of the route you want in the shared column of the first table. Then find the per-aircraft price of the same route in the private column. With both prices and your head count in front of you, you can see which booking fits your budget.
Price is only part of the decision. On a private flight, the cabin, the windows and the pilot's commentary are shared only with people you know. A shared seat lets one or two people fly the shorter routes without booking the whole helicopter. If your group has more than 5 guests, one private flight cannot carry everyone, so speak to the team about the options before you book.
How much does a helicopter ride in Dubai cost for 2?
Two guests have two ways to book. On a shared flight, each of you buys a seat at the per-person price of your route: AED 715 per person on City Scapes, AED 921 per person on Fun Ride, AED 979 per person on The Iconic Tour or AED 1,450 per person on City Circuit.
On a private flight, the two of you book the whole helicopter at the per-aircraft price: AED 3,145 for City Scapes, AED 4,041 for Fun Ride, AED 4,525 for The Iconic Tour or AED 6,353 for City Circuit. The Imperial Tour at AED 11,463 per aircraft and The Gulf Desert Tour at AED 15,593 per aircraft are open to a couple too, because both are sold only as private flights.
For a couple, the choice usually comes down to the setting as much as the spend. A shared seat keeps the cost on a per-person basis. A private flight means the cabin holds only the two of you, with the pilot's commentary in your headsets and nobody else at the windows.
What does a family of 5 pay?
Families pay by the same rules as every other guest. Every passenger aged 2 and over buys a seat at full price, so a child of 2 or older counts as a full passenger. Children under 2 cannot fly, and guests aged 2 to 12 fly with a guardian. There are no lap seats and no child discounts.
A family of five can book either way. One option is five shared seats at the per-person price of the chosen route. The other is a private flight at the per-aircraft price, which covers the whole helicopter for up to 5 guests. Set the shared price per person from the first table beside the private price per aircraft for the same route, then decide.
Weight matters for families as well. On a shared flight, each passenger can be up to 110 kg. On a private flight, the whole group can be up to 450 kg in total. Check every member of the family against the right limit before you book.
If you want transport, the optional Private Pickup and Dropoff costs AED 450 per car and takes 5 to 6 guests per car, so a family of five fits in one car. For route length, check-in and the rest of the day with children, see the guide to a Dubai helicopter ride with kids.
Is a Dubai helicopter ride priced per minute?
No. Helicopter Ride Dubai prices each route as a whole. The booking form sells the six routes, not blocks of minutes, and each route sets both the flight time and the price.
The more useful question is what each price buys: how long you are in the air and which landmarks the route typically passes. Routes adjust with weather and air traffic, and each tour page lists the landmarks a flight typically passes, so treat the lists below as a guide rather than a promise.
City Scapes: 12 minutes
AED 715 per person on a shared seat or AED 3,145 per aircraft for a private flight. The route list names Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Coastline, The Palm Jumeirah and Downtown Dubai. It is the shortest flight and the entry point for a shared seat.
Fun Ride: 15 minutes
AED 921 per person on a shared seat or AED 4,041 per aircraft for a private flight. The route list names Burj Khalifa, Aquaventure Waterpark, Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Coastline, The World Islands and Business Bay.
The Iconic Tour: 17 minutes
AED 979 per person on a shared seat or AED 4,525 per aircraft for a private flight. The route list names Atlantis The Palm, Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Coastline, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay and The Lagoon Project.
City Circuit: 25 minutes
AED 1,450 per person on a shared seat or AED 6,353 per aircraft for a private flight. The route list names The World Islands, Burj Khalifa, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Creek, Port Rashid, Dubai Internet City, Jumeirah Lake Towers and Dubai Marina. It is the longest route you can book as a shared seat.
The Imperial Tour: 40 minutes
Private only, at AED 11,463 per aircraft for up to 5 guests. The route list names Jebel Ali Port, Palm Jebel Ali, Ski Dubai, Burj Al Arab, Kite Beach, Dubai Canal, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Creek and Dubai Frame.
The Gulf Desert Tour: 60 minutes
Private only, at AED 15,593 per aircraft for up to 5 guests. The route list names Palm Jumeirah, World Islands, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Creek, Dubai Frame, Dubai Marina and Palm Jebel Ali, taking in city, coast and desert.
Matching your budget to the landmarks you want
Burj Khalifa appears on all six route lists, so even the 12-minute City Scapes includes it in its plan. If Dubai Creek or Dubai Marina matters to you, look at City Circuit, which lists both, or at the two private-only routes. Palm Jebel Ali appears only on The Imperial Tour and The Gulf Desert Tour. Choosing the route by the landmarks you care about is the simplest way to match the price you pay to what you came to see.
What is included in the price?
Every Helicopter Ride Dubai tour, shared or private, includes the same core items:
- a pilot who flies the route and talks you through it
- a pre-flight safety briefing
- an air-conditioned cabin with large panoramic windows
- noise-cancelling headsets for the pilot's commentary
Passengers are insured in line with local UAE civil aviation regulations. These items come with every one of the ten flight prices in this guide. Pickup is the main thing that is not included.
What costs extra?
Private Pickup and Dropoff
The Private Pickup and Dropoff is an optional add-on on the booking form. It costs AED 450 per car, with 5 to 6 guests per car, and the pickup comes 1 hour before your flight time. Without it, you make your own way: the meeting point is emailed to you after booking. Tours fly from Dubai heliports including Atlantis, The Palm, and the exact meeting point for your booking arrives in that email.
An extra seat for a heavier guest
On shared flights the limit is 110 kg per passenger. A guest above that must contact the team and buy an extra seat. On a private flight, the limit is the 450 kg total for the group, so plan the group against that figure.
Charters, transfers and aircraft charter
Private helicopter charters, helicopter transfers across the UAE and aircraft charter are quoted on request, not sold at a set price. Private charters need at least 48 hours notice, and UAE transfers need 24 to 48 hours. Contact the team with your dates and group size for a quote.
When should you book, and which window?
Book at least 2 days ahead, and earlier in peak season. The booking form offers three windows: 9:00 to 11:00, 12:30 to 14:30 and 15:10 to 17:00. Pick the window when you book, then plan the rest of your day around it.
Check in at least 45 minutes before departure. This matters for your money as well as your schedule: the company is not accountable for latecomers and may release the flight as planned. Add the pickup time, 1 hour before the flight, if you book the Private Pickup and Dropoff.
Cancellation and refunds: what happens to the money you pay
The refund depends on when the cancellation happens and who cancels.
| When the change happens | What you get back |
|---|---|
| You cancel more than 96 hours before departure | 100% refund |
| You cancel 48 to 96 hours before departure | 50% refund |
| You cancel less than 48 hours before departure | No refund |
| The company cancels for bad weather or a technical issue | 100% refund or a reschedule at no extra cost |
If the company cancels, guests hear by phone or email. Refunds reach a bank account within 7 working days. Read the cancellation and refund policy before you choose a date, especially if your plans in Dubai could still change.
Practical tips for planning your helicopter budget
- Count every passenger. Include every guest aged 2 and over, since each one buys a seat at full price.
- Choose shared or private. Use the side-by-side table to compare the per-person and per-aircraft prices for your group.
- Pick the route by landmarks. Read the route lists above and choose the shortest route that names the places you want.
- Check weights early. Shared flights allow up to 110 kg per passenger, and private flights up to 450 kg in total.
- Decide on pickup. Add the Private Pickup and Dropoff at AED 450 per car if you want transport, or wait for the meeting point email.
- Book ahead. Allow at least 2 days, and more in peak season, then choose one of the three windows.
- Pick a date you can keep. The refund tiers reward cancelling more than 96 hours before departure.
- Arrive on time. Check in at least 45 minutes before departure.
If you are still deciding whether to fly at all, read is a helicopter ride in Dubai worth it for an honest look at what the air adds. When you are ready, the guide on how to book a helicopter ride in Dubai walks through the form step by step.
Conclusion
The price of a helicopter ride in Dubai with Helicopter Ride Dubai comes down to three choices: the route, shared or private, and whether you add pickup. Shared seats run from AED 715 to AED 1,450 per person. Private flights run from AED 3,145 to AED 15,593 per aircraft for up to 5 guests. Pickup is AED 450 per car.
Once you know your route and group size, book your helicopter flight online, or call or WhatsApp +971 52 590 6075 with any question about weights, larger groups or charters.
