Sightseeing on our island can be quite tiring, especially during the summer months when it’s crowded and very hot. There is a great alternative: you can fly over Santorini in a helicopter and see the sights from above!
This is exactly the kind of helicopter ride that gives you an absolutely comprehensive view of the island of Santorini, both in the distant past and in the present.
The helicopter tour over Santorini and Thirasia (also known as Thirassia or Therasia) is the most comprehensive flight itinerary available over our island: a 30-minute aerial tour during which you will not only fly over Santorini, the caldera, the islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, but also view the island of Thirasia, which was also once part of the old big volcano of Santorini.
In a half-hour sightseeing flight you’ll see everything there is to see in Santorini from the air – literally all the key sights:
The route of this excursion runs along a wider radius and contains more interesting objects. You will also fly over the small island of Thirasia. Its area is only 9 square kilometers, but it has two small ports, several villages and 21 churches!
The schematic route of this helicopter tour is shown on the map in the photo slideshow above.
On this aerial sightseeing tour we offer an Airbus AS 355N twin-engine helicopter to fly over Santorini, the volcano caldera and the small islands of Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni and Thirasia. It is a rather large helicopter with a spacious comfortable cabin and large windows. In addition to the pilot, the helicopter can comfortably accommodate five passengers – perfect for large families and groups of friends!
The passenger seats in this helicopter are arranged in two rows. One passenger can sit to the left of the pilot and the other four guests can sit in separate comfortable seats in the second row behind. The second row of seats is slightly higher than the first, so if you sit in the second row, you can look through both the front windows and the side windows.
In the front, the helicopter is equipped with large panoramic windows. The side windows also give the widest view if you sit in the second row by the window.
Another great feature of this helicopter is the windows at the bottom of the front part of the cockpit (under the feet of the pilot and the passenger sitting next to him). Thanks to these windows, the feeling of flying will increase, because right under your feet the scenery will be passing. You will also be able to take pictures through these windows literally vertically downwards.
Any helicopter is quite noisy, but during the tour you can communicate with each other and the pilot. Communication is done with a special headset – headphones with a microphone. The helicopter cabin is equipped with special headsets for all participants in the flight.
If you plan to take a lot of photos or record videos during your helicopter flight in Santorini, we suggest you take a seat next to the pilot: the panoramic windows and floor glazing will help you take even more interesting shots!
In 2024 the price of a thirty-minute aerial sightseeing tour in an Airbus AS 355N helicopter is 1450 euro. This is the price for a helicopter ride (private flight) and it does not depend on the number of people in your group.
No problem, the same route can be repeated in the evening before sunset.
We can arrange it! First of all, check out a sightseeing tour with a similar route, but on a small four-seat helicopter. If you still prefer this big helicopter, you can shorten the route a bit and fly for 20 minutes.
Sometimes there are discounts on this trip and it is sold cheaper for our subscribers – follow us on Instagram!
You can book a 30-minute sightseeing helicopter tour to fly over Santorini and Thirasia in an Airbus AS 355N helicopter 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 and citizenship. 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 2024, a thirty-minute aerial tour in an Airbus AS 355N helicopter takes place from 20/05 to 10/10. Available days – on a daily basis.
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 and citizenship. 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.
There are few seats in helicopters, so there are usually just the pilot and you in the cabin. If you wish (and there will be one free seat in the helicopter), then for an additional fee we can offer you a guide who will tell you all the information about the sights during the helicopter aerial tour over Santorini.
Helicopters don’t have a lot of seats, so it’s usually just the pilot and you in the cabin. If you wish (and there will be one free seat in the helicopter), then for an additional fee we can offer you 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.
The Airbus AS 355N is a very stable helicopter with two powerful engines. Even strong gusts of wind will not cause any serious rocking. In windy conditions the helicopter may shake or vibrate slightly on take-off and landing, but during the flight it behaves absolutely 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 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 | |
|---|---|
| 30 минут | Total duration of the helicopter tour over Santorini and Thirasia |
| 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 over island of Thirasia. Turn to the south in the center of the caldera |
| 10 minutes | Flying south over the volcano and the islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni |
| 2 minutes | Turning north over the Red Beach |
| 3 minutes | Flying over the Akrotiri Peninsula and returning to the helipad |