There’s a unique charm about seeing Santorini from the sky, particularly during the enchanting hours of early evening between 17:00 and 19:00. As the sun begins its descent, casting a golden glow across the island, a helicopter tour offers an unrivalled perspective of our island. The aerial view captures the island’s stunning landscapes, dramatic cliffs, and picturesque villages in a way that’s simply breathtaking. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, the experience promises to be unforgettable!
As well as being able to hire a helicopter for an individual flight, in 2025 you will have the opportunity to be part of a group helicopter flight. It’s a much more cost-effective way to go on a sighseeing flight, sharing not only the experience together, but also the cost.
During the summer season we offer shared helicopter flights over Santorini twice a week. The group flight lasts 20 minutes and the itinerary includes almost all of Santorini’s main attractions:
The schematic route of this helicopter tour is shown on the map in the photo slideshow above.
The helipad is located almost in the centre of our island. As the helicopter lifts off, you’ll feel a rush of excitement, knowing you’re in for a visual treat. The tour begins with a flight near the charming villages of Vothonas and Pyrgos. As you fly, the labyrinthine streets and quaint houses come into view, each bend revealing another hidden gem of these timeless villages.
The helicopter glides towards Thira and Firostefani. The view from above is spectacular, with white buildings cascading down the cliffs, their bright facades reflecting the evening sun. Nearby Firostefani, known for its quieter charm, contrasts with its quieter atmosphere and fewer crowds. The famous blue-domed churches dot the landscape, creating the perfect postcard scene.
Continuing north, the route passes through Imerovigli, often referred to as the “Balcony of the Aegean”. This elevated vantage point offers unparalleled views of the surrounding sea and caldera – and you’ll be above it! The sight of Skaros Rock, an imposing promontory once home to a mighty fortress, adds a dramatic touch to the landscape.
As the helicopter continues its journey, the world famous village of Oia comes into view. Renowned for its spectacular sunsets, Oia is a sight to behold from the air. The evening light bathes everything in a warm golden hue, adding to the already magical atmosphere. Seeing Oia from above, especially as the sun begins to set, is a truly mesmerising experience.
The sightseeing helicopter tour then takes you across the dramatic caldera of Santorini, a remnant of the massive volcanic eruption that formed the island. The caldera’s sheer cliffs and deep blue waters are a testament to the island’s volcanic origins. Flying over this geological wonder, you can see the layers of volcanic rock that tell the story of Santorini’s turbulent past. Nearby, the islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni come into view. These uninhabited volcanic islands, located in the center of the caldera, are starkly beautiful with their rugged, blackened landscapes. Nea Kameni, with its active craters, and Palea Kameni, known for its hot springs, offer a striking contrast to the serene blue waters surrounding them.
The flight then heads to the southern tip of Santorini, over the Akrotiri peninsula. This area is rich in history and natural beauty and is home to the ancient ruins of the Minoan civilisation. Another highlight is nearby Red Beach, famous for its striking red cliffs and crystal clear waters. Also on the south-western tip of the island is the old Venetian lighthouse. Perched on a cliff overlooking the sea, the lighthouse has been a visual reference and an assistant for seafarers for over a century. The helicopter will then turn around and take you to the helipad in a few minutes.
The cockpit can be quite noisy during flight, but communication with each other and the pilot is easy using the microphone and headphones provided. The helicopter cabin is equipped with special headsets for all passengers.
The helicopter has large windows at the front and sides, ensuring that all passengers have a window seat, regardless of the seating arrangement. If you wish to take photos or video during this Santorini helicopter tour, we recommend that you sit next to the pilot for a near panoramic view.
In 2025 the price of a twenty-minute shared helicopter sightseeing tour is 295 euro. This is the price of a single ticket on a flight with a group of passengers.
We can arrange it! First of all, check out a private sightseeing tour with one and a half times longer route.
No problem, the same route can be repeated completely just for you later in the evening right before sunset.
Travelling with a large family or group? Contact us in advance and we will do our best to give you the most favourable offer.
Sometimes there are discounts on this trip and it is sold cheaper for our subscribers – follow us on Instagram!
You can book a ticket for a 20 minute shared helicopter flight over Santorini online (see “How to book excursions in Santorini”).
Please note that in order to process documents for an aerial excursion over Santorini, our managers will need some additional information about all participants: name and surname (as in the passport or ID), passport or ID number, date of birth, citizenship and weight. If you already have this information, you can write it in the comments field when placing an order. Also don’t forget to take your passports or ID with you – we can check them before boarding the helicopter.
In 2025, a twenty-minute group aerial tour takes place from 10/05 to 29/10. Available days – Tuesday and Friday.
Please note that the tour schedule is subject to change. Changes are extremely rare and usually associated with weather conditions on the island or in the sea. For example, it can be a strong wind, thunderstorm, rain or other force majeure situations. We always try to inform in advance about all changes.
Helicopter tours in Santorini are very popular – sometimes flight bookings start weeks or even months in advance. Please take this into account when planning your holiday on our island.
Program at the beginning of the season
ATTENTION: at the very beginning of the summer season (01.04 — 15.05) the program may be changed (rescheduling of dates, times or languages of accompanying). Please check the details you are interested in with the customer care managers before purchasing.
Please read Cancellation and Refund policy.
In case there are less than 24 hours left before the aerial trip, please book only after agreeing with the manager on availability.
Please note that in order to process documents for an aerial excursion over Santorini, our managers will need some additional information about all participants: name and surname (as in the passport or ID), passport or ID number, date of birth, citizenship and weight. If you already have this information, you can write it in the comments field when placing an order.
You will receive your tickets by email or WhatsApp – whichever is more convenient for you.
Please keep all documents and tickets until the end of the aerial tour!
The Santorini helicopter tour does not include transfers from and to hotels and villas – you can drive to the helipad if you have a rental car. If you wish, we can additionally organize a transfer for you by any type of transport (car or minibus of economy or premium class). Please let us know in advance.
Passport or ID (original or at least a photo on your phone or tablet). Before boarding the helicopter, we can check your documents.
If there is a possibility of motion sickness in transport, then we recommend taking the appropriate pills.
There are no limitations on participation in this aerial tour. If there is a possibility of motion sickness, then we recommend taking the appropriate pills.
All pilots as well as all personnel on the helipad speak English well.
There are few seats in helicopters, so there are usually just the pilot, you and some other tourists in the cabin. If you wish, you can rent a helicopter in a private way, so for an additional fee we can also provide you with a guide who will give you all the information about the sights during the helicopter flight over Santorini.
There are few seats in helicopters, so there are usually just the pilot, you and some other tourists in the cabin. If you wish, you can rent a helicopter in a private way, so for an additional fee we can also provide you with a professional photographer who will take pictures for you both in flight and when boarding the helicopter.
All helicopters for sightseeing flights in Santorini are provided and maintained by an Austrian company which has been in the passenger transport business for decades.
All pilots have years of experience both on islands and offshore as well as in mountainous terrain.
Your safety is guaranteed by an experienced team with a very attentive attitude from weather monitoring to helicopter fleet control and maintenance.
In good windless weather all helicopters are stable and you are unlikely to experience any rocking. In windy conditions, the helicopter may shake or vibrate on take-off and landing, but in flight it behaves smoothly.
Our team keeps a very close eye on the weather conditions on the island. If the weather is unsuitable for your helicopter flight in Santorini, we will inform you, cancel your flight and reschedule your aerial excursion to a suitable date and time with better weather conditions. If, however, the weather does not improve, we will refund you fully.
Yes, of course. If you rent a helicopter in a private way and your hotel has its own helipad, then (for a fee, usually due to hotel policy) our helicopters can land there. However, this is dependent on the hotel and in our experience it is not always available at all times: some hotels do not always maintain their helipads, some hotels do not allow helicopters to land or take off from their helipads at certain times, e.g. early in the morning or late in the evening, etc. You can contact our managers for such details and they will be happy to help arrange everything.
The following is an approximate schedule. The order is a request for the desired departure time. The exact time will be specified in the information provided with your order.
| Flight schedule | |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes | Total duration of the helicopter tour over Santorini |
| 3 minutes | Flying along the caldera cliffs above Thira and north to the village of Oia |
| 2 minutes | Flying over the village of Oia. Turn to the south |
| 10 minutes | Flying south over the volcano and the island of Nea Kameni |
| 2 minutes | Turning north over the Red Beach |
| 3 minutes | Flying over the Akrotiri Peninsula and returning to the helipad |