THE BEST HELICOPTER RIDES IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Looking for helicopter rides in Northern Ireland?

There are so many experience days out there to help fill your weekends and avoid being stuck at home once lockdown has ended, but a helicopter tour is an experience that will stay with you forever.

You’ll never forget the breath-taking aerial views, no matter what might be down below. You’ll also never forget that incomparable feeling of adrenaline and pure excitement as you fly 1000ft above the world; gliding, hovering, turning and twisting to see all the glorious sights that Northern Ireland has to offer.

The region is well known for its beautiful scenery, rocky coast and the largest fresh water lake in the British Isles, Lough Neagh. If you’re a city lover rather than a nature enthusiast, there’s still something waiting for you. The region’s capital, Belfast, has some amazing landmarks that are just as exciting to explore from the sky as they are from the ground.

So, sit back, and let us do all the work in finding the very best helicopter tour to suit you.

Mussenden Temple & Northern Coast Tour

This sightseeing tour is perfect for anyone who’s keen to explore the stunning northern coast. You’ll begin the adventure from Derry City Airport. After the famous vertical take-off, you’re sure to be up for an adventure-packed 30-minute flight.

You’ll soar across Lough Foyle towards the enchanting Binevenagh Mountain and surrounding lake. Expect awe-inspiring views that are guaranteed to stay with you forever! As you continue along the coast, you’ll get the chance to spot sights such as Inishowen Head, Benon Srand, Downhill (where you’ll get a chance to look at the castle ruins), Castlerock and Portstewart.

Many of these are used as backdrops in the popular HBO series Game of Thrones - so you can imagine how beautiful they must be! You’ll also fly up close to Mussenden Temple, built in 1785 as the Lord Bishop of Derry’s Library, and now owned by The National Trust. At £125, this tour is a bargain for what you get.

HeliPower Fly & Dine Experience

This sightseeing tour adds a little something extra to an experience of a lifetime. Tour operator Helipower knows that taking a helicopter tour is often a special occasion activity, and offer a combo package to make it that little bit more extraordinary!

With their Fly and Dine experience, you’ll be treated to an informative 15-minute sightseeing tour of Belfast, followed by a delicious lunch in the Ulster Flying Club Restaurant, Cloud 9. After take-off, you’ll head straight for the vibrant city of Belfast, where your expert guide will point out all the major sites and supply you with some interesting facts about what you’re seeing.

Expect to see The Botanic Gardens, Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic and Belfast City Hall before heading towards the southern coast of Belfast Lough. You’ll fly over Hollywood, where you’ll get to see Cavehill and Bangor, full of its memorable bridges and the historic Penrhyn Castle. After that it’s time to return back to base and have some well-earned traditional Irish food!

Game of Thrones Filming Locations Tour

We couldn’t write an article on helicopter tours in Northern Ireland and not include a Game of Thrones one, could we? Although covering a similar area to the first option on our list, this tour goes that extra mile for all the Game of Thrones enthusiasts on board.

Not only will you get to explore the spectacular north coast, passing Mussenden Temple, Bishops Gate, Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge; the tour also goes out of its way to show you filming locations from season 1, 2 and 5.

This includes the Dothraki Grasslands, Dragonstone, Coast of Dorne, Lordsport Harbour and The Stormlands. The tour is a generous 60 minutes long, because there’s just so much to see! Your pilot will be well-versed in all things Game of Thrones and ready to give you some informative facts as you enjoy your journey.

We can’t recommend this one enough for fantasy fans.

Create Your Own Helicopter Adventure

Cutting Edge Helicopters are willing to go above and beyond for their customers with this tailored experience.

You’ll decide everything, from how long the tour is for, to where you go and what you see. If you want to fly over your friend’s house and take a selfie, your pilot will make it happen! If you have a rough idea of what you’d like to see, the team will talk you through the route, add any suggestions, and tell you how long the route will take.

As experts taking multiple sightseeing tours a day, they’ll be on-hand to help you with recommendations, but ultimately, you’re in charge! One thing is for sure, Northern Ireland, with it’s historic castles, rolling countryside, astonishing coastlines and picturesque beaches has so much to see.

Tours start from £297 for 3 people and will be priced depending on duration and route. This is definitely something to look into if there’s a specific set of locations you’re looking to tick off your list.

20 Minute Trial Flying Lesson in a Robinson 22

We couldn’t do this without giving ourselves a little shout-out, could we?

Here at Experience Days, we sell a variety of helicopter trial flying lessons for everyone. This 20-minute flight is the perfect option for beginners, but we have 30- and 60-minute lessons available too for anyone that’s keen to become an expert pilot in no time.

We have lessons available in both Robinson 22s and Robinson 44s, two of the most famous helicopters and undoubtedly the best for learning how to fly, due to the simplistic controls. Whether you’re interested in taking your curiosity about flying to the next level, or are just fascinated to find out what it feels like to control such an exciting machine, this experience is ready to cater for you.

There will be an expert pilot by your side at all times, instructing you on how to fly. You’ll get to take the controls for a while, but don’t worry, your pilot will be right there to take over if necessary. All of our gift vouchers come with an 18-month validity period, making them the perfect gift for any helicopter enthusiast during these unpredictable times.

Thank you for reading!

We hope you enjoyed our 5 favourite helicopter experiences in Northern Ireland. It’s clear to see that there’s a lot of beauty to be explored over in this part of the UK, and we suggest you get planning for as soon as you can! If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, you can view our full list of helicopter experiences here and our full list of Northern Ireland experiences here.