North of Miami Beach, the barrier island carries on past Surfside and Bal Harbour to Haulover and then Sunny Isles Beach, a line of tall condominium towers right on the sand. From the coast road it is one building after another. From a helicopter offshore you see the whole run of beach at once, with the ocean on one side and the Intracoastal waterways behind. Only the longest flight on the Miami hub goes this far north.
That flight is the Miami Ultimate 50-Minute Helicopter Tour. It spends about 50 minutes in the air, about 60 minutes in total, from US$499 per person with a minimum of 2, or from US$998 for two. The route covers Downtown and Brickell, South Beach and Miami Beach north to Surfside, Bal Harbour, Haulover and Sunny Isles, then Fisher Island, Key Biscayne, Star, Palm, Hibiscus and the Venetian Islands, Indian Creek, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and the Port of Miami.
None of the shorter flights reaches Sunny Isles or Bal Harbour. The South Beach, Downtown and Islands tour covers South Beach, the islands and the skyline in about 30 minutes, from US$299 per person, minimum 2. The South Beach Sunset tour does a similar loop in the early evening, from US$349 per person, minimum 2. If the northern beaches do not matter to you, either of those still shows South Beach, Fisher Island and the islands of the bay.
What the extra 20 minutes buy is distance along the coast. You still get the core of Miami, the skyline, South Beach and the islands, but the 50-minute route adds the long stretch of beach to the north, which the other tours never see. There is no landing on the way, and the route does not promise a set time over any one town. This tour is not recommended for travellers with poor cardiovascular health. If bad weather cancels your flight, you can choose another date or a full refund.
The flight is private, for your group of 2 or 3 only, and everyone has a window seat. The price is per person with a minimum of 2, so three guests pay for three seats in the same helicopter. On the way back south, the route links Sunny Isles with the Downtown and Brickell skyline and the cruise terminals of the Port of Miami, so the flight becomes a full tour of the city’s coast. Flights run daily, all through the year.
Check in at CR Aviation, Miami Executive Airport (Kendall-Tamiami), 14359 SW 127th St, 30 minutes before departure. Every guest needs a valid photo ID, and the person who paid shows the card used. Parking is free; there is no hotel pickup. A US$19 per person airport fee, paid at check-in, is added to the tour price. Weight limits apply and differ by tour, from 250 lb (113 kg) per person on some tours. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund. For the whole coast from Sunny Isles to Key Biscayne, book the Miami Ultimate tour.
Sunny Isles Beach and Bal Harbour aus der Luft: Miami · Miami Ultimate 50-Minute Helicopter Tour.