Empire State Building by Helicopter
Completed in 1931, the Empire State Building held the title of world's tallest building for nearly 40 years and remains one of the most recognized Art Deco skyscrapers anywhere. Its 86th and 102nd floor observation decks draw millions of visitors a year.
Seeing it by helicopter
Midtown flyover routes pass the tower at roughly the height of its upper floors, putting its tapered crown and spire in full view from the side -- a profile the building's own observation decks can't show you, since you're looking out from inside them rather than at the building itself.
Helicopter tours that fly over Empire State Building
New York City, New York
NY Helicopter Tour: Manhattan & Brooklyn
Experience Manhattan from a breathtaking new perspective on a 25-30 minute NYC helicopter tour with HeliNY! Your helicopter ride will lift off from downtown Manhattan and fly past iconic New York City landmarks such as t
25 min to 30 min
From $449 USD
New York City, New York
NY Helicopter Tour: Ultimate NYC Sightseeing
Experience Manhattan from a breathtaking new perspective on a 17-20 minute NYC helicopter tour with HeliNY! Your helicopter ride will lift off from downtown Manhattan and fly past iconic New York City landmarks such as t
17 min to 20 min
From $309 USD
New York City, New York
NY Helicopter Tour: Manhattan Highlights
Experience Manhattan from a breathtaking new perspective on a 12-15 minute NYC helicopter tour with HeliNY! Your helicopter ride will lift off from downtown Manhattan and fly past iconic New York City landmarks such as t
12 min to 15 min
From $271 USD
Likely to sell outNew York City, New York
New York City Sunset Helicopter Tour from New Jersey
Experience New York City at its most breathtaking moments - from the sky at sunset. As the sun dips below the horizon, the city glows in a golden light, reflecting off the Hudson River and simmering glass towers of Manha
40 min
From $444 USD
Likely to sell outNew York City, New York
NY Helicopter Tour: New York City Skyline from New Jersey
Enjoy an unforgettable 25–30 minute flight from Linden Airport, New Jersey, offering breathtaking aerial views of New York City’s world-famous skyline from BOTH sides of the helicopter as it goes up and down the Hudson R
25 min to 30 min
From $330 USD
New York City, New York
New York City Helicopter Airport Transfer with Scenic Tour
Combine efficiency and excitement with a private helicopter airport transfer and scenic tour of New York City. Skip traffic and travel between JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, or Teterboro Airport and Manhattan in comfort while e
15 min to 25 min
From $6300 USD
Good to know
- •This is a different view from visiting the observation decks -- a flight shows you the building's shape from outside, the decks show you the city view from inside it.
- •The building sits in the same midtown cluster as the Chrysler Building, so most routes show both within the same pass.
- •Night flights show the tower's colored lights (which change for holidays and events), a detail a daytime flight won't show.
Is flying past the Empire State Building the same as going up to its observation deck?
No -- they show you opposite things. The observation decks let you look out over the city from inside the building; a helicopter flyby shows you the building's own tapered shape and spire from outside, which the decks themselves can't show you.
See live availability for New York City helicopter tours on Viator.
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