The Hopper Helicopter Tour

The Hopper Helicopter Tour

The Hopper helicopter tour is the shortest scenic flight Chartercraft books, twelve minutes airborne from the V&A Waterfront Heliport. Aircraft is the Airbus H120 or H130 in the operator's rotation, both SACAA-maintained (the South African Civil Aviation Authority that licenses commercial flight operations). The flight tracks the Atlantic Seaboard out as far as Camps Bay, then loops back over Lion's Head, Signal Hill and Table Mountain on approach. A complimentary scheduled Day Cruise on Cape Town Cruises is included with the booking.

What does the Hopper helicopter tour include?

The Hopper is a twelve-minute scenic flight from the V&A Waterfront Heliport that loops Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard out to Camps Bay and back over Lion's Head and Signal Hill. Total experience runs around fifty minutes including a complimentary scheduled Day Cruise on Cape Town Cruises. Aircraft is the Airbus H120 or H130, with noise-cancelling headsets and live pilot commentary on every flight.

Where does the Hopper helicopter tour fly?

The Hopper route runs from the V&A Waterfront Heliport south-west along the Atlantic Seaboard, passing Mouille Point, Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton and Camps Bay before looping back over Lion's Head, Signal Hill and Table Mountain. The whole circuit covers what locals call the city hopper Cape Town loop: the city-bowl side of the peninsula in twelve airborne minutes.

The order of sights from the V&A:

• Mouille Point and Sea Point. The Green Point Lighthouse (the oldest operational lighthouse in southern Africa) and the Sea Point promenade pass directly below.
• Bantry Bay and Clifton. The four small white-sand beaches separated by granite outcrops, distinct from the air.
• Camps Bay. The wide beach and palm-lined strip with the Twelve Apostles directly behind.
• Return loop. North over Lion's Head, past Signal Hill, with Table Mountain on your right and the city bowl behind it.

Live pilot commentary on every flight through noise-cancelling headsets. The view of the Atlantic Seaboard from the air is the angle that doesn't exist from the road or from the cable car.

Who is the Hopper helicopter tour for?

The Hopper suits first-time helicopter passengers, visitors with one afternoon in Cape Town, and small celebrations like proposals or milestone birthdays. It is the entry-level scenic flight in the operator's catalogue and the most-booked first helicopter experience in Cape Town. A short helicopter flight Cape Town at twelve airborne minutes is also useful for guests testing whether helicopter travel suits them before a longer route.

• Visitors with one afternoon. Twelve minutes airborne plus the briefing and check-in fits comfortably between a morning at Table Mountain and an evening on Long Street.
• First-timers. Short enough to test whether helicopter flight suits you (most guests are fine; some find they're more sensitive to motion than expected).
• Photographers. The Atlantic Seaboard has the cleanest light early morning and around sunset. The twelve-minute window forces you to lock in the best frames quickly.
• Small private celebrations. Engagement, milestone birthday, anniversary. The flight is short enough to feel intimate rather than logistically heavy.

In our booking team's experience, the Hopper sells out fastest on Saturday mornings during the December-to-February peak; midweek slots usually open up inside three days, and a 10:00 slot on a calm winter weekday is often the cleanest flying window of the year.

What's included with the complimentary Day Cruise?

Every Hopper booking includes a complimentary scheduled Day Cruise on Cape Town Cruises (the operator's sister company), departing the V&A at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 or 14:00. The cruise is a sixty-minute relaxed harbour-and-Table-Bay run on a catamaran, passing Robben Island in the distance. Guests doing the helicopter at 10:00 can step off the heliport, walk across the precinct and board the cruise an hour later.

Total time at the V&A is around three hours including the cruise. Guests who'd rather skip the cruise can do so without affecting the tour booking. For yacht-led private cruises (rather than the scheduled product) see the sunset cruise page or the yacht charter page.

How does the Hopper helicopter tour booking work?

The Hopper runs as both a shared scenic flight (set departure times, four to six passengers per aircraft drawn from whoever booked the slot) and as private hire of the whole aircraft. Shared booking sits at the entry-level tier; private hire moves up to mid-tier and gives full control over the time slot. Both formats use the same aircraft and pilots. Check-in is twenty to thirty minutes before take-off at the V&A Waterfront Heliport.

• Check-in: 20 to 30 minutes before take-off at the V&A Waterfront Heliport.
• Safety briefing and weight: every passenger weighs in for the load-balance calculation; mandatory.
• Headsets: noise-cancelling, one per passenger, with live pilot commentary.
• Children: under-twos free on a parent's lap; over-twos need their own seat.
• Weather: pilot's call. If the flight cancels for safety reasons, you reschedule or refund in full.

For pricing, scroll up to the booking form on this page; for the wider tour catalogue see the helicopter tour packages category or the editorial overview on the helicopter tour page.

Terms and Conditions

• The availability of all charters is subject to weather conditions and the charter operator's discretion.
• Booking and payment currency is in South African Rands.
• All charter bookings are subject to our Charter Terms and Conditions.
• You may be required to accept terms and conditions specific to the Charter Operator.
• The Charter Operator reserves the right to return the helicopter to base if operationally required and will collect from the wine estate at the appointed time.

How to Book

• Fill in the booking form for the charter you're interested in, and select whether you'd like us to quote for additional options.
• Once we've confirmed the booking date and time, we'll email you the charter quote, including additional options and our Charter Terms and Conditions.
• We'll send you your invoice and a secure payment link once we receive your acceptance of the quote and the signed booking terms and conditions.
• To secure your charter, simply make payment in full by bank transfer or a secure payment link.
• To avoid disappointment, it's best to reserve your charter early, especially during high season.
• Once we receive your payment, we'll send you a confirmation email for your charter with all the essential details.