BRASIL : HELICOPTER TOUR OVER RIO DE JANEIRO

Ecstatic! The feeling or expression of overwhelming happiness or cheerful excitement. That’s exactly how I felt the first time I step inside a chopper, to tour one of the most stunning and awe-inspiring cities I’ve ever been to.

Rio de Janeiro.

Embraced by mountains and tropical rainforests and bounded by gorgeous beaches, the city whose name means, January River that was coined out of the first encounter of Portuguese explorers, who sailed on expedition in January 1500, and thought Guanabara Bay was a river; Rio de Janeiro has been continuously charming countless tourists and travelers from that day on. Rio is undoubtedly beautiful on land, but her most spectacular view is seen from above! From a privileged seat inside a helicopter, I decided to feast visually on Rio’s incredibly picturesque topography, consisting of lush green forests, world famous sandy stretches of Copacabana, Leblon and Ipanema, and to fly around one of the two New Wonders of the World in South America – Cristo Redentor or Christ the Redeemer!

After reading reviews on travel forum online, I opted to take my Rio de Janeiro Helicopter tour via Helisight. I coordinated with them through emails a few months before my August 2015 trip to Brasil, Peru and Bolivia, and they were clear to state their no-advance-reservation-policy. Needless to say, I simply took their office address in Lagoa where one of their helipad is located, googled the weather in Rio on my preferred date of flight, and just walked in as per advice.

Here’s the photoessay of my probably once-in-a-lifetime-flight over Rio de Janeiro!

The waiting area outside the office of Helisight in Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro.


The chopper arrives in the helipad from a completed flight.
The staff greet and escort the passenger(s) before and after the flight.
An obligatory photo-op before riding the chopper.
And off we went over the adjacent lake.
Can you guess how many passengers I was with? Tee hee!

Leblon Beach!

Ipanema Beach!

Copacabana Beach!


Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.
Then there He was! On top of Corcovado mountain. Cristo Redentor!


Christ the Redeemer at Corcovado mountain and Pão de Açúcar or SugarLoaf mountain.

(In order for the flight with Helisight to push through, there must be at least 3 out of 4 passengers per flight, otherwise, one may pay for the three seats particularly if he/she prefers to do so, or when one doesn’t want to wait for other passengers. For further information regarding Helisight Helicopter tours, kindly check their website for flight details and offered rates. THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED BLOG POST).

Massive thanks to Matador Network for sharing my photos on Instagram!

This South American Travel Blog Series includes :

• Brasil : My Lovely Home in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
• Brasil : Helicopter Tour Over Rio de Janeiro
• Brasil : Cristo Redentor and Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro
• Itinerary of Must Visit Places in Rio de Janeiro
• Brasil : 36 hours in Sao Paulo
• Brasil : Chasing Waterfalls at Iguazu
• and so much more to follow. Please stay tuned for stories and photos from Peru and Bolivia!

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