Published: July 7, 2026
Author: Adam Dimitrov — Owner & Head Luxury Reviewer
TLDR: In the summer and shoulder seasons, go with FlyNyon's open-doors helicopters at night. The short flights fly by too fast, and the city is way prettier after dark. Open-door flights offer the best experience.
In the freezing winter, stick to any closed-door tour since it is far too cold to comfortably hang your legs out. Finally, if you want the open-door thrill but need to save money, just book FlyNYON during the day as they can go as low as $150 per seat.
An essential part of any once-in-a-lifetime New York trip is marveling at the city from a bird's-eye view, hundreds of meters up from a helicopter.
I spent a month in New York as a tourist and tried out the two most popular helicopter companies.
I flew both during the day and at night, in closed and open-door "shoe-selfie" helicopters, on shorter (15 to 20 minute) and longer (30-minute) flights, departing from different locations (Lower Manhattan and New Jersey).
Compare open-door "shoe selfie" flights, classic climate-controlled Manhattan tours, night flights, and private couples rides side-by-side.
It is almost impossible to put into words the feeling of seeing New York City completely lit up at night from above. This is an absolute must-do experience for anyone traveling to New York.
In my experience, FlyNYON offers the most memorable helicopter tours in the city. The main reason for this is that, unlike most other operators, they fly with open-door helicopters. This means that during the flight, you can literally dangle your legs out of the chopper hundreds of meters above New York and capture those iconic "shoe selfie" photos and videos that you always see on social media.
Despite the doors being wide open, you don't have to worry for a single second. Every passenger is secured to their seat with a professional safety harness equipped with a quick-release button for instant detachment in case of an emergency. Before taking off, everyone goes through multiple comprehensive safety briefings.
Your mobile phones and cameras are also tethered to your harness using special cases and lanyards, ensuring there is zero chance of dropping your device onto someone's head below.
FlyNYON offers daytime, sunset, and night flights, with ticket prices increasing accordingly. I flew with them at 9:00 PM in early June. While daytime flights are undeniably cheaper, the night flight delivers a vastly richer and more spectacular experience (and I say this as someone who has flown over New York during the day with another company).
The weather was absolutely perfect, though I imagine that during the freezing winter months, the open-door setup might make it too cold to fully enjoy.
While the experience was worth every single penny, booking purely online can get incredibly expensive, sometimes climbing up to $600–$700 per ticket. After doing a bit of research, I came across a tip recommended by several past passengers: it is much cheaper to book the shorter 15–20 minute flight online, and then upgrade to the 30-minute flight in person at the terminal.
That is exactly what I did. By doing the on-site upgrade, my total flight cost came out to around $450 instead of the $600–$700 online rate. I honestly don't quite understand why they use this confusing pricing strategy, but the bottom line is that the trick works!
FlyNYON’s hangar is located in New Jersey, and getting there can throw a few curveballs at you. The most reliable option is taking an Uber, though that obviously comes with an extra cost. Public transport is available, but it's a bit more complicated. If you want to find the perfect balance between comfort and budget, I highly recommend taking a train into New Jersey first, and then ordering an Uber from there to save some money.
Crucial logistics tip: there are two ways to approach the meeting point, and one of them is very likely to be blocked by a seemingly endless freight train. Because of this, you might have to take a massive detour (there is actually a sign posted out there warning you about this). This train situation nearly made me late for my check-in.
My experience with their customer service and the friendliness of the staff was exceptional. We were looked after by an incredibly warm yet highly professional team. I can wholeheartedly recommend FlyNYON to anyone visiting New York City.
After arriving in New Jersey by train, I ordered an Uber to the FlyNYON terminal. My driver and I ended up stuck at a railroad crossing for at least 10 minutes while a seemingly never-ending freight train crawled past. I immediately messaged FlyNYON to let them know I was going to be late; they replied within minutes and redirected us via an alternative route (which was also written on a nearby roadside sign—clearly, this train misery is a regular occurrence here).
Once I arrived at the terminal, I signed the waiver and completed a basic questionnaire. Right there at the desk, they offered me the on-site upgrade to the 30-minute flight for about $105, and I am so glad I took it! The standard 15-minute flight only takes you as far as the Statue of Liberty, the Financial District ("money shot"), and the Hudson River. The 30-minute flight, however, crosses all the way over Central Park, Midtown Manhattan, the East River, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Next, I went through three separate safety presentations, and then they fitted us into our professional harnesses and secured our phone/camera lanyards. Unfortunately, Donald Trump decided that exact evening to fly out by helicopter to a Knicks game, which temporarily grounded all air traffic and locked down the airspace, so we had to wait. At least we were able to use the downtime to charge our phones.
After a short wait, we were driven out to our helicopter in a shuttle van. We were split into two groups: one for the short 15-minute loop and one for the 30-minute flight. Following one final, on-site safety demonstration, we took our seats in the aircraft and lifted off.
Seats are allocated based on weight distribution, but everyone gets the chance to dangle their legs outside, so seat location doesn't matter.
The helicopter first headed toward the Statue of Liberty, the classic Manhattan skyline money shot, and Governor's Island, before banking north and flying all the way up to Central Park. By this point, of course, we were already happily dangling our legs out of the open doors. For 30 spectacular minutes, we flew right over all the iconic skyscrapers and landmarks before heading back. The flight was incredibly smooth, and I didn't feel motion sick for a single second.
After landing, there was an opportunity to take some photos by the helicopter with our own devices. The shuttle then drove us back to the main building, bringing our unforgettable helicopter adventure to an end.
Book the 16-minute basic flight online, then upgrade to 30 minutes at check-in for the complete skyline loop.
If you want a closed-doors New York flight experience, HeliNY is the most popular choice in the city. While the closed doors mean you cannot experience the open air thrill of dangling your legs, you still get to enjoy amazing views of NYC in a comfortable, climate-controlled cabin.
The listing allows you to select between three specific flight durations depending on how far north you want the aircraft to travel:
After arriving at the heliport, which is located just a five minute walk from the South Ferry subway station in Lower Manhattan, the logistics proved to be significantly faster and easier compared to traveling out to New Jersey. I went through a quick security check, signed the standard waiver, and checked in for the flight that I had previously booked online through GetYourGuide.
Next, I placed all my personal bags and belongings into a non-site locker, received my safety gear, and watched the mandatory safety demonstration. Since the launchpads are located directly next to the terminal compound, we did not need to wait for any shuttle vans to transport us to the aircraft.
Right before boarding the helicopter on the tarmac, the staff took a quick photo of us in front of the chopper. Once inside, we took our seats and lifted off for the 15 to 17 minute daytime tour.
The flight path immediately took us out over the water, offering clear views of the Statue of Liberty, Governor's Island, and the Hudson River, alongside the classic Lower Manhattan skyline money shots.
I took this flight in early June, and while the outside weather was ideal, the internal climate control was a bit problematic. The cabin itself became quite warm (I went during the heat wave), yet the air conditioning was blowing freezing air directly at me. This combination, along with the enclosed space, triggered some motion sickness, and by the halfway mark, I was honestly just looking forward to the end of the ride.
Upon landing, we walked straight back into the main building where the pre-flight photos were available for viewing. You could choose to purchase the digital copies for $40, which brought the entire experience to a close.
Instant mobile tickets departing directly from Pier 6 with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
Charm Aviation is almost exactly like HeliNY. They leave from the exact same building at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (Pier 6), use the same types of closed-door helicopters with panoramic windows, and fly the exact same scenic routes over the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River. Their prices are also virtually identical.
The only major difference is the schedule. While HeliNY flies seven days a week, Charm Aviation does not fly on Sundays. This makes them a perfect backup option to book from Monday to Saturday if HeliNY slots are sold out, but you cannot use them for a Sunday flight.
All-inclusive pricing with heliport security fees included up front. Mon–Sat availability.
Zip Aviation is another company that is very similar to HeliNY. They fly out of the exact same Downtown Manhattan Heliport (Pier 6), use the same types of closed-door helicopters with big windows, and fly the same routes over the landmarks. They have thousands of reviews because they are one of the oldest and busiest companies on the pier, and they even offer unique night flights by taking off from an extra hangar over in New Jersey.
The biggest difference is how you book your seats because their rules for solo travelers are much more strict. If you are traveling alone, Zip Aviation only lets you book their middle-sized 17 to 20 minute flight. If you want their shortest flight or their longest 30 minute flight, you must have a group of at least 4 people to book it. This makes them a bit harder to use if you are by yourself.
Time-tested veteran operator on Pier 6 with instant confirmation and flexible cancellation.
Wings Air offers a completely different experience because they do not fly out of the crowded Manhattan pier. Instead, they leave from the Westchester County Airport (White Plains), which is located just north of the city. This tour is completely private and designed exclusively for couples, so you get the entire helicopter to yourselves without having to share the cabin with strangers.
Because you start further north, the flight path is unique. You fly into the city from the top, getting amazing views of Yankee Stadium and Central Park first. The biggest detail to watch out for is the flight time. The shorter 30 minute flight does not go down to the Statue of Liberty, so you must choose the longer 45 minute flight if you want to see the lower part of Manhattan and the iconic bridges.
The ultimate private romantic flight over New York. Entire chopper for 2 with zero strangers.
