Helicopter Tours in Barcelona

Have you been to Gaudí's city several times and think you know it all? Is this your first time on the shores of the Mediterranean? In both cases, a helicopter ride is a worthwhile experience.

Flying over the statue of Columbus, the Olympic port and the Sagrada Familia is one of the things to see and do in Barcelona.

This is the simplest, cheapest and easiest option. However, this does not mean that it is not worth doing. Normally, these tours start from the city's coastline.

In fact, the heliport is located near the harbour. If you don't know how to get there, I recommend you read the post that explains how to get around Barcelona.

Although it may not seem long, 6 minutes are enough to get a different perspective. The gyrocopter flies north along the coast, flying over the Barceloneta neighbourhood and the Olympic Port, where the iconic Mapfre Tower and Hotel Arts stand. When it reaches Diagonal and the Besòs River, the helicopter sets off on its return journey.

• Price: between 70 € and 80 €.
• Duration: 6 minutes flight
• Company:

The second option takes twice as long and is generally only available at the weekend. The initial route is the same: after leaving the heliport you will follow the coastline to the city limits.

At the Forum, the pilot turns west to fly over the Eixample and then back to the port. During the flight you will see the following points:

• The World Trade Center business park and the Maremagnum shopping centre.
• Columbus Statue and the Las Ramblas axis
• The Barcelonetaneighbourhood
• The Port Olímpic area built for the 1992 Olympic Games. From above, the twin skyscrapers and Frank Gehry's "Peix", a golden sculpture on the promenade, stand out.
• Parc del Fòrum, a very large area that brings together spaces and facilities. Here there is a large photovoltaic panel, a bathing area, a huge square where events are held and the Forum Building which houses the Museum of Natural Sciences.
• Agbar Tower, the city's most emblematic skyscraper.
• Sagrada Familia, one of Gaudi's finest works in Barcelona. Its silhouette is even more impressive from the heights.
• Camp Nou, the home of the blaugrana. If you want to enter the Barça stadium, I recommend you to read the post about the Camp Nou Experience.
• Olympic Ring, another area that saw the light of day for the 1992 Olympic Games. It brings together the Lluís Companys Stadium, the iconic Calatrava Tower, the Palau Sant Jordi event venue and other buildings.

Since you'll be in the air for longer, you'll appreciate the Eixample's grid. This neighbourhood was the brainchild of Ildefons Cerdà; the engineer designed a grid of octagonal blocks whose buildings could enjoy natural light. It was a great urban transformation that allowed the city to develop. From above you can appreciate its magnitude.

• Price: between 120 € and 150 €.
• Duration: 12 minutes flight

This combo pack might be a good idea if you are visiting the city with friends and feel like doing something different. It is an alternative option to the tourist buses in Barcelona that allows you to tour the city in comfort. Due to their size, the cars cannot go into the old town, but the tour does not suffer from this factor.

As usual, the tour takes place aboard a Hummer Limousine, a vehicle with a long chassis that can carry 9 passengers. There is plenty of room inside: all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride with a few sips of cava or another drink. Each limousine has a Hi-Fi system and, in some cases, a light show.

After the ride, you'll be able to see Barcelona from another point of view, this time from the air. The chauffeur will take you to the heliport a short distance from the port. Once you've taken off, the route follows the same route as before: the coastline, the Eixample and Montjuïc mountain. Sometimes you can opt for the shorter route.

• Price: approximately 500 €.
• Duration: 12 minutes flight + 1 hour in limousine

This last option will take you to the most famous massif in Catalonia. It is a classic day trip from Barcelona, especially at weekends.

Locals and tourists alike come here to see the evocative rock formations and the Monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat, which houses the famous Virgin of La Moreneta.

With a helicopter ride you won't see the splendid interiors of the church, but you will be able to enjoy the extraordinary panorama of this natural site. Year after year, the mountains of Montserrat have been shaped by the combined action of wind and rain; the result is a landscape of sculpted rocks immersed in a Mediterranean scrubland of holm oaks, oaks and pines.

Before reaching Montserrat, the gyroplane flies over the main buildings and points of interest in the Catalan capital: the coastline, Agbar Tower, Sagrada Familia, Tibidabo mountain, Camp Nou, etc.

As usual, if you visit Barcelona in summer you can choose between the morning or afternoon shift.

• Price: around 350 €.
• Duration: between 35 and 50 minutes

Yes, you have nothing to worry about. First of all, Spain applies very strict air regulations. Flying over the big cities of our country is very controlled. Secondly, the pilots are experienced and the helicopters are of recent manufacture.

As a plus, before any flight, the pilot gives a briefing on the rules of gyroplane flying and some safety issues.

Yes, usually the maximum weight allowed is between 100 kg and 200 kg. Please note that, generally, the total weight of all passengers must not exceed 240 kg or 250 kg.

This is for safety reasons, operating above the maximum weight limit adversely affects the helicopter's performance.

Of course they do! If they are not afraid of heights, flying over the city becomes a real feat that the little ones usually love. As usual, if the baby is under one year old, they can sit on mum or dad's lap.

Generally, after the age of 2, you will have to pay for their seat and the ticket price is usually the same as that of an adult.

If you are interested in other children's activities, I recommend you read the post with the 10 things to do in Barcelona with children.

Sorry, this option is not usually available. The overwhelming majority of helicopter rides are in gyroplanes with 6 seats: two passengers in the front and four in the back.

Before take-off, the pilot will arrange each member of the group according to their weight. It is important to keep the helicopter balanced. In any case, I recommend that you tell the pilot your preferences. If possible, he will be happy to comply with your wishes.

There's no point denying it, both on take-off and in flight, the noise is consistent. Modern gyroplanes are much quieter than their ancestors and, even so, the spinning of the blades is anything but silent.

Don't worry, before taking off in flight you will be given a headset that has a dual function: to reduce noise pollution and to transmit the pilot's communications.

In the event of heavy rain, wind gusts or any other unexpected natural phenomenon, the helicopter ride will be cancelled.

At this point you will have two options: accept an alternative date or a refund. Every day, the pilots check the weather forecast to ensure a safe flight.

Before boarding the gyroplane you will need to identify yourself. To take a tour you will need to bring the following documents:

• DNI (or equivalent document in the case of non-Spanish citizens).
• NIE (accompanied by the national identity card)
• Passport (if applicable)