Helicopter tours and hire in Rio de Janeiro
Sightseeing flights from Lagoa and Sugarloaf, private transfers from Jacarepaguá, and the rules that keep tours high over the beaches.
- Shortest tour
- R$640 per person
- Christ the Redeemer tour
- R$920 per person
- Lagoa city heliport
- 08:00 to 20:00
- To Búzios
- About 48 min
Flying over Rio by helicopter
Helisight's tours from Lagoa and Sugarloaf start at R$640 per person for the 6 to 7 minute CaRIOcando flight over Ipanema and Copacabana, and R$920 for the 7 to 8 minute flight to Christ the Redeemer. Each departure needs at least 3, 4 or 5 passengers, depending on the helicopter. A private helicopter typically costs R$8.070 to R$23.550 per flight hour.
Rio's sightseeing flights leave from two heliports in the Zona Sul, by the lagoon and at the Sugarloaf cable car station, and trace the beaches and the Corcovado.
Helisight, part of the Helisul group, built its Rio heliports from 1991 and opened the Lagoa and Sugarloaf pads in 1992. It began night flights over the Sambadrome during Carnival in 1994.
Private transfers use the Lagoa city heliport, Jacarepaguá in Barra da Tijuca or Santos Dumont, and reach Búzios in about 48 minutes and Angra dos Reis in about an hour.
In town for Carnival? See Rio Carnival. For longer trips, compare private jets from Rio de Janeiro.
Sources:Helisight: Rio de Janeiro helicopter tours and prices, checked 19 October 2026Helisight: Voo 1 CaRIOcando, checked 19 October 2026Helisight: Voo 2 Cristo Redentor, checked 19 October 2026Helisight: who we areDECEA AISWEB: Heliponto Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro, Lagoa (SDRJ), checked 19 October 2026Flapper: insights on executive aviation in Rio de Janeiro
Rio helicopter tours and prices
- Flight time
- 6 to 7 min
- What you see
- Lagoa, Ipanema, Arpoador, Copacabana Fort, Copacabana and Leme
- Price per person
- R$640
- Flight time
- 7 to 8 min
- What you see
- Christ the Redeemer, via the Botanical Garden from Lagoa or Botafogo from Urca
- Price per person
- R$920
- Flight time
- On the operator's site
- What you see
- Longer route
- Price per person
- R$1,060
- Flight time
- On the operator's site
- What you see
- Longer route
- Price per person
- R$1,390
- Flight time
- On the operator's site
- What you see
- Longer route
- Price per person
- R$1,590
- Flight time
- On the operator's site
- What you see
- Longer route
- Price per person
- R$2,010
- Flight time
- On the operator's site
- What you see
- Longer route
- Price per person
- R$2,240
- Flight time
- On the operator's site
- What you see
- Longest published route
- Price per person
- R$3,710
- Flight time
- On the operator's site
- What you see
- Flown with the doors removed
- Price per person
- R$1,370
Prices published by Helisight, checked 19 October 2026. Each departure needs at least 3, 4 or 5 passengers depending on the helicopter in use that day.
Sources:Helisight: Rio de Janeiro helicopter tours and prices, checked 19 October 2026Helisight: Voo 1 CaRIOcando, checked 19 October 2026Helisight: Voo 2 Cristo Redentor, checked 19 October 2026
Tell us the dates and passengers. A specialist replies with aircraft options and an all-in price, around the clock.
Lagoa, Sugarloaf, Jacarepaguá and Santos Dumont
Tours leave from Heliponto Lagoa on Avenida Borges de Medeiros and from Heliponto Bondinho Pão de Açúcar in Urca. Both opened in 1992; the first, at Mirante Dona Marta, opened in May 1991.
Run by the city's air support office (CMAA) in Parque Brigadeiro Faria Lima. Open 08:00 to 20:00, with earlier or later use only by prior CMAA approval. Helicopters up to 16 m long or 5,000 kg; four parking spots, and no stays on the ground without approval.
In Barra da Tijuca, about 34 km from downtown, with a 900 m runway and a large offshore helicopter base. Open 05:00 to 22:00; later flights need formal authorisation and an extra fee. Parking is requested 24 hours ahead. Run by Pax Aeroportos since 2022.
Air taxi helicopters can use Galeão, Santos Dumont and Jacarepaguá by day and by night, so a helicopter can meet a jet.
A private heliport in the west of the city with an 18.9 m concrete pad.
Sources:Helisight: Rio de Janeiro helicopter tours and prices, checked 19 October 2026Helisight: who we areDECEA AISWEB: Heliponto Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro, Lagoa (SDRJ), checked 19 October 2026DECEA AISWEB: Jacarepaguá (SBJR) aerodrome record, checked 19 October 2026Wikipedia: Jacarepaguá AirportFlapper: insights on executive aviation in Rio de JaneiroDECEA AISWEB: Recreio heliport (SDRE), checked 19 October 2026
How sightseeing flights work in Rio
- Over the populated areas around the Lagoa heliports, covering Lagoa, Ipanema, Jardim de Alah, Leblon and Gávea, helicopters keep at least 1,000 ft, and climb or descend over the lagoon itself.
- Approach and departure at the Lagoa city heliport follow set headings, published in its AISWEB record.
- Only operators that have accepted the city's conditions and the heliport's operating standards, published in the city's official gazette, may land at the Lagoa city heliport.
- Tours carry paying passengers, so they are commercial air taxi flights under RBAC 135, flown by an ANAC-authorised operator. Helisight shows ANAC's Voe Seguro badge on its site.
- Tour departures need at least 3, 4 or 5 passengers depending on the helicopter in use, so smaller groups share or pay for the empty seats.
Sources:DECEA AISWEB: Heliponto Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro, Lagoa (SDRJ), checked 19 October 2026ANAC: RBAC 135, Emenda 15, in force 9 January 2026Helisight: Rio de Janeiro helicopter tours and prices, checked 19 October 2026Helisight: Voo 1 CaRIOcando, checked 19 October 2026
Helicopter flights from Rio
- Flight time
- About 48 min
- Example helicopter
- Airbus AS350 B2
- Passengers
- Up to 5
- Flight time
- About 60 min
- Example helicopter
- Robinson R44 II
- Passengers
- Up to 3
- Flight time
- About 27 min
- Example helicopter
- Bell 407 GXP
- Passengers
- Up to 6
Flight times and examples published by Flapper. A private helicopter is priced per flight hour, about R$8.070 to R$23.550 as a guide.
Sources:Flapper: insights on executive aviation in Rio de Janeiro
ANAC, DECEA and where a helicopter may land
ANAC, the National Civil Aviation Agency, writes the operating rules; DECEA, the air force's airspace department, publishes each aerodrome's record and charts on AISWEB.
- A paid flight must be flown by an operator ANAC has authorised for air taxi work. RBAC 135 governs these operations and covers helicopters of any size.
- Check the operator's name on ANAC's published list of air operators. Altivo Jets is a broker and names the operator and its ANAC authorisation before you book.
- RBAC 91 allows a Brazilian aerodrome to be used only if it is registered (cadastrado) with ANAC and the operator judges it suitable for the aircraft and the flight.
- Helicopter landings away from registered sites have their own sections: 91.329 in RBAC 91 and 135.229 in RBAC 135. An off-site landing is the operator's call under those rules, made site by site.
- RBAC 155, in force since 1 March 2024 (Emenda 01), sets design and operating standards for helipads. It is mandatory for public helipads and for elevated private ones, and recommended for private pads at ground level.
- Helipad operators must keep their details current with ANAC and in the aeronautical information service, so each pad's hours and limits appear in its AISWEB record.
Sources:ANAC: RBAC 135, Emenda 15, in force 9 January 2026ANAC open data: Brazilian air operators, including air taxiANAC: RBAC 91, Emenda 08, issued 2 October 2026ANAC: RBAC 155 Helipontos, Emenda 01, in force 1 March 2024
What goes into a helicopter price
You charter the whole helicopter and its pilot, so a private flight is priced per trip, not per seat.
- Flying time at the hourly rate for the type: as a guide, R$8.070 to R$23.550 per flight hour for the whole helicopter.
- Positioning when the helicopter is based away from your pickup point, both to reach you and to fly home.
- Landing, parking and handling charges at the heliport or airport, which vary by site and are set out on your quote.
- Waiting time if the helicopter holds for you during the day, or an overnight stay for the crew.
- Shared tours are sold per seat instead: in Rio, Helisight's shortest flight is R$640 per person.
Sources:Helisight: Rio de Janeiro helicopter tours and prices, checked 19 October 2026
Weather and daylight
- RBAC 135 sets visual flight requirements for helicopter air taxi flights, including visual reference with the surface (section 135.207), so low cloud or poor visibility on the route can hold or cancel a flight.
- Several landing sites close at night: Angra dos Reis aerodrome is open in daylight only, and the Lagoa city heliport in Rio runs from 08:00 to 20:00.
- Allow a weather margin either side of a fixed commitment such as a flight connection or a wedding.
Sources:ANAC: RBAC 135, Emenda 15, in force 9 January 2026DECEA AISWEB: Angra dos Reis (SDAG) aerodrome record, checked 19 October 2026DECEA AISWEB: Heliponto Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro, Lagoa (SDRJ), checked 19 October 2026
Helicopters flying in Rio
Tours and short transfers use single-engine Airbus and Bell types; offshore and executive twins are based at Jacarepaguá.
Operators in Rio de Janeiro
Air taxi operators authorised by ANAC under RBAC 135, with the helicopter types on their registered fleets.
Foz do Iguaçu. Helisul group, which also owns Helisight; H125, H135, AW119, Bell 505 and JetRanger
Rio de Janeiro. EC120, H125 and Robinson R44
Rio de Janeiro. Airbus H125 and H135
Rio de Janeiro. Airbus H125 and Bell 429
Rio de Janeiro. Airbus H125 and Bell JetRanger
Rio de Janeiro. AS355, AS365, H125 and Bell types
Rio de Janeiro. Leonardo AW139 and Sikorsky S-76
Rio de Janeiro. Twins from the H135 to the S-92
Sources:ANAC open data: Brazilian air operators, including air taxiHelisight: who we areHelisul Aviação: company overview
Questions, answered
Still deciding? A charter specialist will talk you through aircraft, airports and price, with no obligation.
Ask a specialistHow much is a helicopter tour in Rio de Janeiro?+
From R$640 per person for Helisight's 6 to 7 minute flight over Ipanema and Copacabana, and R$920 for the 7 to 8 minute flight to Christ the Redeemer.
Where do Rio helicopter tours leave from?+
From Helisight's heliports at Lagoa, on Avenida Borges de Medeiros, and at the Sugarloaf cable car station in Urca.
Do I need a group to fly?+
Each tour needs at least 3, 4 or 5 passengers depending on the helicopter in use that day.
How low do the tours fly over the beaches?+
Around the Lagoa heliports, helicopters keep at least 1,000 ft over Lagoa, Ipanema, Jardim de Alah, Leblon and Gávea.
How long is the helicopter from Rio to Búzios or Angra dos Reis?+
About 48 minutes to Búzios and about 60 minutes to Angra dos Reis.
Can a private helicopter land at Lagoa?+
Yes, at the city heliport (SDRJ), from 08:00 to 20:00, by operators that have accepted the city's conditions. Helicopters are limited to 16 m or 5,000 kg.
Fares, dates and rules on this page were checked on 19 October 2026. Official fares and schedules change every season; the operator or authority named in each source has the final word.
- 1.Helisight: Rio de Janeiro helicopter tours and prices, checked 19 October 2026
- 2.Helisight: Voo 1 CaRIOcando, checked 19 October 2026
- 3.Helisight: Voo 2 Cristo Redentor, checked 19 October 2026
- 4.Helisight: who we are
- 5.DECEA AISWEB: Heliponto Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro, Lagoa (SDRJ), checked 19 October 2026
- 6.Flapper: insights on executive aviation in Rio de Janeiro
- 7.DECEA AISWEB: Jacarepaguá (SBJR) aerodrome record, checked 19 October 2026
- 8.Wikipedia: Jacarepaguá Airport
- 9.DECEA AISWEB: Recreio heliport (SDRE), checked 19 October 2026
- 10.ANAC: RBAC 135, Emenda 15, in force 9 January 2026
- 11.ANAC open data: Brazilian air operators, including air taxi
- 12.ANAC: RBAC 91, Emenda 08, issued 2 October 2026
- 13.ANAC: RBAC 155 Helipontos, Emenda 01, in force 1 March 2024
- 14.DECEA AISWEB: Angra dos Reis (SDAG) aerodrome record, checked 19 October 2026
- 15.Helisul Aviação: company overview
See Rio from above, on your schedule.
A specialist replies around the clock with aircraft options, the operator's name and an all-in price.