Atlantico Helicopter Tour

Atlantico Helicopter Tour

The Atlantico helicopter tour is the twenty-minute Atlantic Seaboard scenic flight from the V&A Waterfront Heliport, looping past the Twelve Apostles range, Llandudno, Hout Bay, the BOS400 shipwreck and Duiker Island before returning along the seaboard. Aircraft is the Airbus H120 or H130, both SACAA-maintained (the South African Civil Aviation Authority that licenses commercial flight operations). A complimentary scheduled Harbour Cruise on Cape Town Cruises is included with the booking.

What does the Atlantico helicopter tour include?

The Atlantico is a twenty-minute scenic flight from the V&A Waterfront Heliport that runs the full Atlantic Seaboard past the Twelve Apostles to Hout Bay, then loops around the Karbonkelburg hill via the BOS400 shipwreck and Duiker Island before returning. Total experience is around fifty to sixty minutes including the complimentary scheduled Harbour Cruise on Cape Town Cruises. Aircraft is the Airbus H120 or H130 with noise-cancelling headsets and live pilot commentary.

Where does the Atlantico helicopter tour fly?

The Atlantico route runs south-west from the V&A Waterfront Heliport along the full Atlantic Seaboard, past the Twelve Apostles range, over Llandudno, and around Hout Bay. The route loops Karbonkelburg hill on the south side of Hout Bay, passes the BOS400 shipwreck and Duiker Island (the Cape fur seal colony), then returns along the seaboard with the Apostles on your left. It is the most-flown atlantic seaboard helicopter tour from Cape Town's V&A.

The order of sights from the V&A:

• Atlantic Seaboard. Mouille Point, Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay in the opening four minutes.
• Twelve Apostles range. The eighteen seaward-facing peaks of Table Mountain National Park, running from Camps Bay to Llandudno.
• Llandudno. The single white beach tucked between Karbonkelburg and Suikerbossie, distinct from the air.
• BOS400 shipwreck. The 1994 derrick barge run aground at Maori Bay; the most-photographed shipwreck in the Western Cape.
• Duiker Island. The Cape fur seal colony off the Sentinel Mountain.
• Hout Bay return. Past the harbour and the small fishing village, back along the seaboard.

Live pilot commentary on every flight through noise-cancelling headsets.

Who is the Atlantico helicopter tour for?

The Atlantico suits guests who want more than the Hopper's twelve airborne minutes without committing to the Two Oceans circuit. It is the mid-length scenic flight that adds Hout Bay and the BOS400 shipwreck to the Atlantic Seaboard. The route is most popular with photographers (the wreck and Duiker Island are unusual aerial subjects), couples on a longer-form proposal, and small groups who want the included Harbour Cruise as part of the package.

• Photographers. The BOS400 wreck and the seal colony at Duiker Island are the unusual subjects on this route.
• Couples upgrading from the Hopper. Same heliport, twice the airborne time, an extra region.
• Small groups of three to six. Comfortable on a single H120 aircraft.
• Guests wanting the Harbour Cruise. The inclusion makes the total V&A morning around three hours.

In our booking team's experience, the Atlantico is the most-photographed of the entry-and-mid-tier flights, and the BOS400 wreck is the single image that comes back from most clients on this route.

What's included with the complimentary Harbour Cruise?

Every Atlantico booking includes a complimentary scheduled Harbour Cruise on Cape Town Cruises (the operator's sister company), a forty-five-minute relaxed run from the V&A out into Table Bay and back. Guests doing the helicopter in the morning typically board the cruise an hour later, with departures at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00. The combined experience is around fifty to sixty minutes total at the V&A.

Guests who'd rather skip the cruise can do so without affecting the helicopter booking. For private yacht-led cruises see the sunset cruise page or the catamaran charter page.

How does the Atlantico helicopter tour booking work?

The Atlantico 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 mid-tier; private hire moves up and gives full control over the 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.

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.