No helicopter operator flies sightseeing trips out of Amsterdam itself, because the city sits under Schiphol’s controlled airspace and there is no public heliport in it.
Every flight described as an Amsterdam helicopter tour therefore starts at an airfield somewhere else, and the first practical question is how far you are willing to travel to get on board.
The two closest to the city
Ryfas Helicopters flies from the Noodweg at Hilversum, the nearest base to Amsterdam of any operator here, and is reachable eight in the morning to eight at night, seven days a week, on +31 35 785 8028.
It has been carrying private and business passengers for twenty-five years and covers sightseeing flights, trial lessons and VIP transport rather than tours alone.
HeliCentre works from the Emoeweg at Lelystad Airport and is the other realistic day trip, open nine to half past five all week and until five on Sunday.
It combines round flights with charter, aerial inspection work and a flight school, so the same desk that sells you a sightseeing seat also sells lessons.
Operators worth the longer drive
Prince Helicopters at Zierikzee in Zeeland has its own heliport, takes bookings online and holds the strongest record of the group, with 98 per cent of its 44 reviews five-star.
It also runs aerial photography and event flights, and opens half past eight to half past five on weekdays with slightly later weekend starts.
123Helikoptervluchten operates from Elburg, opens nine to five every day of the week including Sunday, and carries 135 reviews at 4.9, more than any other name on this page.
Heliflight Helicopters flies out of Stroe on the Veluwe, eight to five on weekdays and a Saturday morning, with nothing on Sunday.
HeliAir at Harskamp adds aerial filming and pilot training to its sightseeing work, and closes on Sundays.
Westheli at Voorschoten and Vluchtmaken.com at Breda both work to quote rather than a fixed price list, and Vluchtmaken sells balloon rides alongside the helicopters.
The listings that are not sightseeing at all
CHC Helicopters Netherlands and Clarkson Port Services both work from the Luchthavenweg at Den Helder, and their business is offshore and port logistics rather than tours.
Taylor Travel Management Group sits in the General Aviation Terminal at Schiphol and handles air taxi and travel management, which is a charter conversation rather than a seat on a scheduled sightseeing run.
What to settle before you pay
Ask whether the flight is a shared seat or a private charter, because shared flights usually need a minimum number of passengers and can be pushed back until the aircraft fills.
Weight and passenger limits are set per aircraft and are asked at booking rather than on the day, so give real figures.
Weather cancellation is the other variable worth pinning down: find out who decides, how much notice you get and whether you are refunded or rebooked.
Building the rest of the day around it
None of these bases is inside Amsterdam, so a flight is a half-day at minimum once travel is counted, which is worth planning against the city’s museums and attractions rather than on top of them.
If you would rather someone else assembled the logistics, the city’s travel agencies and tour operators handle exactly this kind of booking, and its hotels cover the overnight if the airfield is far enough out to warrant one.
Finding a flight
Every helicopter company listed above sits inside the wider Amsterdam tour operators list, with a phone number and published hours for each.
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- Our Guide to Travel Agencies in Amsterdam
