The 6 BEST Helicopter Rides in Melbourne (2023)

The 6 BEST Helicopter Rides in Melbourne and where to get the best price.

Helicopter rides and scenic flights are rated as one of the best activities and things to do in Melbourne.

With an amazing city skyline, spectacular coastal views and just a short flight from the Yarra Valley and Great Ocean Road, Melbourne is the perfect place for a helicopter ride or scenic flight.

To help you choose the right helicopter tour, you can find a detailed overview of each experience below. Alternatively, browse our collection of scenic flights, read about the top wineries to visit by helicopter from Melbourne, or compare every single flight from all the different helicopter companies in Melbourne in our Ultimate Guide to Helicopter Rides in Melbourne blog.

1. Melbourne City Scenic Flight

The best helicopter ride in Melbourne is this classic 20 minute flight around the CBD, Yarra River and Melbourne's most popular landmarks. It's the perfect helicopter flight for amazing aerial photography and to experience Melbourne from a new perspective.

Summary: This classic tour is competitively priced for those on a budget and should be flown by everyone in Melbourne at least once in their life!

Who should fly: This tour is perfect for locals wanting to rediscover Melbourne and for anyone visiting Melbourne for the weekend who wants to see as many popular landmarks in as possible in the shortest time.

Best time to fly: All year round! Flights at sunrise are the most spectacular with Melbourne glowing orange in the morning light and the high chance of seeing Hot Air Balloons floating over the city on a clear day.

Where to book the best deal: Melbourne City Scenic on a private helicopter flight with Rotor One.

2. Melbourne City and Beaches Flight

This 30 minute scenic flight covers the classic Melbourne City tour above and extends the flight to include Melbourne’s stunning coast and iconic beaches of Port Phillip Bay.

Offering more flight time and photo opportunities for your money, this helicopter ride will fly you low and slow down the coast for spectacular views of St Kilda Pier, Luna Park and the famous Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes (of which there are 82 in total in distinctive bright colours!).

Flying over Sandringham Marina you’ll even spot a sunken J7 submarine from World War 1 and at Half Moon Bay a 19th century shipwreck HMAS Cerberus (once used to defend Port Phillip Bay from naval attacks) for those who enjoy their history.

The coastal route over Port Phillip Bay also offers stunning aerial photo opportunities of the coast with the Melbourne City skyline in the background and you might even spot parachutes dropping from the skydiving plane over St Kilda on your way back!

Summary: All said and done, a helicopter ride over Melbourne's City and Beaches is definitely worth the extra money!

Who should fly: This tour is the perfect gift for special occasions such as a birthday or anniversary and is especially popular for wedding proposals with couples proposing in-flight or on the ground afterwards.

Best time to fly: All year round! Early morning flights offer the best light along the coast and a beautiful sparkle over the bay.

Where to book for the best deal: Melbourne City & Beaches Adventure on a private helicopter flight with Rotor One.

3. Helicopter to Yarra Valley for Wine Tour and Winery Lunch

The ultimate indulgence, perfectly suited to a helicopter, would have to be a wine tour and lunch experience in the Yarra Valley by helicopter.

If the entrance wasn’t already amazing enough, you and your partner will then experience a wine tasting and lunch menu that will leave you feeling like royalty.

With no shortage of wineries and restaurants in the Yarra Valley, passengers rate Hubert Estate, Zonzo, and Levantine Hill Estate as the best 3 winery choices in the region.

Summary: Perfect for a special occasion such as an anniversary or a business meeting with a professional client, a helicopter wine tour to the Yarra Valley will not disappoint!

Who should fly: This romantic tour is perfect to celebrate a special occasion such as an anniversary with a loved once. Couples also find this flight and the backdrop of a winery perfect for an intimate proposal.

Best time to fly: All year round! Weekends are fabulous but booking a wine tour on a weekday makes your wine tour and lunch experience more intimate.

Where to book the best deal: Hubert Estate, Zonzo Estate or Levantine Hill Estate on a private helicopter flight with Rotor One. For more winery options, see our ultimate guide to Wine Tours by Helicopter in Yarra Valley.

4. Scenic Phillip Island Helicopter Flight from Melbourne

Enjoy a helicopter ride to Phillip Island that showcases the very best of Melbourne CBD, Port Phillip Bay and Phillip Island from the air!

Experience the ultimate helicopter tour in Melbourne which covers all of the most popular landmarks in Melbourne. This tour gives you the chance to see Luna Park, Brighton Beach Boxes, MCG, Cowes, Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Seal Rocks and more from the air! 

The helicopter flight path covers everything that Phillip Island has to offer. It includes flying over the largest little penguin colony in the world - Penguin Parade and even the location that hosts over 30 000 Australian Fur Seals every year - Seal Rocks.

Summary: An all-in-one helicopter ride from Melbourne to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Victoria.

Who should fly: The Phillip island helicopter ride is perfect for tourists or locals who want to enjoy breath-taking aerial views of popular landmarks in Melbourne CBD, Port Phillip Bay and Phillip Island.

Best time to fly: All year round but October-February is one of the best times to fly from Melbourne to Phillip Island. The warm weather and clear skies in the summer is the perfect setting for the most spectacular aerial views.

Where to book the best deal: Phillip Island Helicopter Tour on a private helicopter flight with Rotor One.

5. Helicopter Tour to the 12 Apostles and Great Ocean Road from Melbourne

One of the most spectacular helicopter rides in Australia is along Victoria’s iconic Shipwreck Coast following the Great Ocean Road to the world famous 12 Apostles.

 This scenic flight takes just over an hour from Melbourne flying over the Great Ocean Road with amazing coastal views from Torquay to the idyllic towns of Lorne, Apollo Bay and Cape Otway, where you’ll spot Australia's oldest lighthouse.

The incredible limestone stacks that make up the 12 Apostles are awe-inspiring to see from a helicopter and with a two hour stopover you’ll also have plenty of time to take stunning photos on the ground.

Your flight will continue along Port Campbell National Park and over the natural wonders of the Arch, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, the Grotto and the Bay of Islands (a beautiful constellation of jagged rock formations) before heading back to Melbourne.

Summary: An essential bucket list experience, flying from Melbourne to the 12 Apostles by helicopter is a tour that you absolutely must do once in your life.

Who should fly: This tour is the ultimate gift and shared experience for a loved one and is often purchased as a once-in-a-lifetime gift to very lucky Mums & Dads!

Best time to fly: All year round but June - October is whale-spotting season! Early morning flights give the best light as the sun reflects off the ocean mist as it hits the 12 Apostles.

Where to book the best deal: 12 Apostles & Great Ocean Road Bucket List Tour on a private helicopter flight with Rotor One.

6. Helicopter Mountain Biking Tour to Mystic Bike Park in Bright

If you’re looking for an exciting, adrenaline-filled adventure, it doesn’t get any better than a Heli-Biking tour from Melbourne.

 This full-day tour includes a helicopter ride over the Great Dividing Range that passes by Lake Eildon and Mt Buller, and a private landing in Bright, just a few minutes away from the epic Mystic Mountain Bike Park.

Including downhill or eBike hire from All Terrain Cycles and an all day shuttle service from Blue Dirt, you’ll get maximum time to mountain bike the winding trails and downhill tracks at Mystic Bike Park.

After a day of mountain biking climb back into the chopper for the scenic flight home as the sun goes down on the most epic helicopter adventure in Melbourne has to offer.

Summary: If you like the idea of combining mountain bikes with helicopters, this tour is unmatched with anything else in Melbourne!

Who should fly: Anyone who loves mountain biking with friends or a loved one and mountain bikers visiting Mebourne looking for an exciting, adrenalin-filled adventure.

Best time to fly: Trails are dry and at their best from November - May but during the winter months there's far less mountain bike traffic on the mountain.

Where to book for the best deal: Heli-Biking in Bright at Mystic Mountain Bike Park (includes bike hire and all-day shuttles) on a private helicopter flight with Rotor One.

Which helicopter ride will you choose?

For more information on the different helicopter tours available in Melbourne and their prices, visit Rotor One.

If you have any questions or want personalised advice to choose a flight, you can reach us at (03) 7065 1888 or concierge@rotor.one and we’d be happy to help.

Whether you're surprising your partner on your anniversary, gifting an experience to your children on their birthday or simply looking for a new adventure for yourself, we’re confident you’re going to have amazing experience that you'll remember for the rest of your life.

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