Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the landmark most visitors picture when they think of Abu Dhabi: a vast white mosque with clusters of domes, tall minarets and wide courtyards, surrounded by gardens and the highways that curve past it. On the ground its scale is hard to take in, even from the middle of the courtyard. From a helicopter you see the whole building at once, the domes laid out in rows and the city spreading around it. It is a named sight on all four flights on the Abu Dhabi hub.
The Abu Dhabi Corniche 17-Minute Shared Helicopter Tour is the natural place to start. It spends 17 minutes in the air and costs from US$192 per person, in a shared helicopter with up to 6 guests. The route runs along the Corniche skyline past Marina Mall and the Rixos hotel, Emirates Palace, the Presidential Palace, the Heritage Village and the flagpole, then turns towards Hudayriyat Island and Sheikh Zayed Sports City before it reaches the mosque.
The other three flights include the mosque too. The Abu Dhabi Corniche 17-Minute Private Helicopter Tour flies the same 17-minute route with only your group on board, from US$959 per helicopter for up to 6 guests. The Abu Dhabi 30-Minute Shared Helicopter Tour, from US$273 per person, and the Abu Dhabi 30-Minute Private Helicopter Tour, from US$1,362 per helicopter for up to 6, spend 30 minutes in the air. They follow the Corniche past the Rixos hotel, Marina Mall and the flagpole, the Presidential Palace and Emirates Palace, head out over the Arabian Gulf to Hudayriyat Island and pass Capital Gate before the mosque, Sheikh Zayed Sports City and the mangroves around Reem Island.
Every flight starts and finishes at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal heliport at Zayed Port (Mina Zayed). On all four routes the mosque comes near the end, after the coastal sights, before the helicopter returns to the port. Headsets are included so you can hear the pilot, who gives live commentary in English, and the cabin has large windows. Choose by how long you want in the air and whether you would rather share the cabin or keep it to your own group.
The mosque is a view from above, not a visit, and the route keeps moving, with no set time over any one landmark. On the shared flights the crew assigns seats. The private flights carry only your group, and the price covers the whole helicopter. Cancel up to 24 hours before your flight for a full refund. If the weather or visibility is poor, you can reschedule free of charge or take a full refund.
Arrive at the heliport 45 minutes before your flight, and bring an original, valid passport or Emirates ID for every guest. There is no hotel pickup, so make your own way to Zayed Port. Food, drinks, selfie sticks, smoking and vaping are not allowed on board. Shared flights allow up to 110 kg (242 lb) per passenger, and private flights up to 420 kg (920 lb) for the whole group. Children must be at least 2 years old. The flights are not suitable for wheelchair users or pregnant women. To see the mosque at the end of a flight along the Corniche, book the 17-minute shared tour.
Ver Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque desde el aire: Abu Dhabi · Abu Dhabi Corniche 17-Minute Shared Helicopter Tour.