Helicopter flights, Airlie Beach: Best Whitsundays helicopter tours

There are several options for helicopter flights in Airlie Beach, Queensland. Some are pure scenic flights over the Whitsundays, others spend time on Whitehaven Beach.

Airlie Beach in Queensland is one of the most popular places in Australia for helicopter rides. This is partly because there are plenty of tourists staying there, but mainly because there’s some incredibly scenery to see from on high.

9 memory-making Airlie Beach experiences to add to your visit

Whitehaven Beach day cruise – with plenty of snorkelling thrown in.
Glass bottom boat tour – see coral and marine life without getting wet.
Heart Reef flight – see the islands and Great Barrier Reef from above before flying over Australia’s famous heart-shaped island.
Proserpine River crocodile safari – see the big crocs from a boat.
Whitsundays sunset cruise – with free snacks and sparkling wine.
Sailing on the Camira – glide around the Whitsunday Islands under sail.
Whizz around the islands on a guided jetski tour.
Waterfall explorer day tour – with swimming in Hinterland rock pools.
Enjoy high speed thrills on a jet boat ride.

Helicopter flights, Airlie Beach: 60 minute Whitsundays tour

When it comes to helicopter flights, Airlie Beach has a good menu of options to work with.

At the simpler end of the scale is a 60 minute flight over the Whitsunday islands. Departing from the Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine, but with free bus transfers from Airlie Beach, these hour-long Whitsundays helicopter flights fly over regional highlights such as Hill Inlet and Heart Reef.

These hour-long tours cost $629 (all prices in this article are correct at time of publishing, but may change in future).

Which Whitsundays cruise should I choose?

For those with limited time: Whitehaven Beach half day tour.
For the highlights reel: Whitehaven Beach and Hamilton Island day trip.
To see the reef two ways: High speed Whitsundays cruise plus scenic reef flight combo.
For romance, sparkling wine and sunset under sail: Multi-beach and reef Lady Enid cruise.
To see several islands: Sailing and snorkelling adventure.
For an overnight sailing adventure: Matador two day yacht cruise.

Airlie Beach helicopter rides: Whitehaven Beach by helicopter

Perhaps surprisingly, it is cheaper to pay for a two hour tour that lands at one of the most famous beaches in Australia – Whitehaven Beach.

This Airlie Beach helicopter tour involves a chopper flight from Whitsunday Coast Airport out to Whitehaven Beach, landing on the beach and staying there to for 1.5 hours on an island paradise. The helicopter ride takes about 15 minutes each way, and the tour again includes the transfer to and from Proserpine.

Prices start at $449 for this Whitsundays helicopter trip.

Get the best Whitsundays cruise deals

Whitsundays helicopter flights: Full day package

The third option is a full day trip, of which the Whitsundays helicopter ride is a short component. This fly and cruise package sees you head out to Whitehaven Beach on a cruise, enjoy four hours of beach time including a buffet lunch, and take a short helicopter flight while you’re there. The ride is five to ten minutes long.

If you just want the experience of flying in a helicopter over the Whitsundays, this is the cheapest option. Ticket prices for the cruise and fly combo cost from $249.

Other things to do in Airlie Beach include swimming in the Airlie Beach Lagoon, Whitsundays kayaking tours and fun crocodile cruises on the Proserpine River.