A Folegandros helicopter tour is a private charter flight that lands on Folegandros, the small Cyclades island with no airport. More trips across the country are on our Greece Tours homepage.
Below you find the flights to book, the routes, the landing site, the aircraft, the luggage rules, the weather and booking steps, and answers to common questions.
What is a Folegandros helicopter tour?
It is a private, one-way charter flight that leaves Folegandros by helicopter. It lands on another Greek island or in Athens. Santorini Day Tours sells this Folegandros helicopter tour on GetYourGuide as a transfer for one small group.
The trip is a transfer, not a ride for one seat. Your party books the whole aircraft, so no strangers share the cabin. The seller lists it as a private group activity. A pilot flies you from the island and sets you down at the stop you chose.
Folegandros is one of the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea. Our guide to Folegandros covers the villages, beaches and life on the ground. This page stays in the air and deals only with the flights.
A Folegandros helicopter tour keeps the time in the air short, in what the seller calls limited airborne minutes. The listing pitches it as a way to skip the bother of a ferry or an airline. It also lets you pick a daytime departure that fits your own plans.
The flight doubles as a view of the sea from above. The seller promises views of the Aegean and of the Cyclades islands along the way. Think of it as a transfer that also works as a short scenic trip.
Which Folegandros helicopter tour can you book?
The main listing is GetYourGuide product 419421, “From Folegandros: Helicopter Transfer to Greek Islands”. Santorini Day Tours runs it. It lasts from 10 minutes to 1 hour, seats up to four travellers and departs from the Folegandros Heliport.
On the day, you meet the pilot at a private helicopter launch pad. The listing names the start as the Folegandros Heliport. You pass through a separate entrance, so there is no queue. The listing marks the group as private and a live guide speaks English.
This Folegandros helicopter tour comes in six options, each named for its end point:
- Folegandros to Athens
- Folegandros to Santorini
- Folegandros to Mykonos
- Folegandros to Milos
- Folegandros to Paros
- Folegandros to Naxos
The booking includes a professional pilot and a private helicopter. All fees and taxes are also part of the booking. Tips for the pilot are optional. Bring a passport or an ID card, as the listing asks for one.
Cancellation is free on this Folegandros helicopter tour. The English page allows a full refund up to 2 days before the flight. Another language version of the same listing shows 3 days, so check the terms at checkout. The seller states that the same helicopter also flies day trips between major Greek destinations.
Four sister listings from Santorini Day Tours start from other islands or from Athens:
- GYG 417931, “From Santorini: Private One-Way Helicopter Flight to Islands”, lasts 15 to 75 minutes and includes pickup from your hotel, villa, port or airport.
- GYG 418411, “From Athens: Greek Islands Private Helicopter Transfer”, lasts 20 to 110 minutes, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
- GYG 441156, “Naxos: Private Helicopter Ride to Greek Islands or Athens”, lasts 30 to 45 minutes and starts at Golden Sun Naxos.
- GYG 418813, “Helicopter Transfer from Paros to Greek Islands & Athens”, lasts 20 to 25 minutes and lists a Paros to Folegandros option.
Each of these flights is private and carries a maximum of four people, as the listings state. Does your Folegandros helicopter tour start elsewhere? Pick the listing for your departure island. Then check that Folegandros appears among its options. The Santorini listing allows a full refund up to 3 days before take-off.
The Paros listing allows free cancellation up to 2 days ahead. The Naxos listing allows a full refund up to 24 hours before the flight. Pick a Folegandros helicopter tour by the island you leave from, then match its terms to your trip.
Which routes does a Folegandros helicopter tour fly?
Direct private flights link Folegandros with Athens, Santorini, Milos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos. Hoper lists about 11 minutes from Milos and 14 from Santorini. Mykonos takes about 32 minutes and Athens about 47, all estimated.
Hoper flies each leg of a Folegandros helicopter tour direct and sets down on the island itself. Return flights to Athens are on offer. The same holds for the leg back to Santorini.
Santorini Day Tours gives its own times on each route page. Its Athens flight takes 60 airborne minutes. From Santorini, a Folegandros helicopter tour lasts 20 minutes. The Paros hop is also 20 minutes, and the Naxos leg takes 22 minutes.
The GetYourGuide listing that starts on the island is run by Santorini Day Tours. It offers six end points: Mykonos, Santorini, Milos, Athens, Paros and Naxos. Its stated duration runs from 10 minutes to one hour. The Milos option is the shortest, at 10 minutes in the air.
A Folegandros helicopter tour can also begin on Paros. The Paros transfer on GetYourGuide names a 20-minute private flight to Folegandros. The listing gives a duration of 20 to 25 minutes.
Flights to the capital land at different sites. Santorini Day Tours sets down at its private helipad near Athens airport. Ferryscanner lists a hoper route to Eleftherios Venizelos lasting about 57 minutes. It runs once a week, all year. From that heliport, central Athens is a 40-minute drive.
The Koropi heliport is a different story. Ferryscanner states that no helicopters fly between Folegandros and Koropi at the moment. Check the route before you plan a Folegandros helicopter tour to that side of Athens.
Short distances explain the short times. OurAirports puts Milos Airport 40 km west-north-west of the Folegandros heliport. Paros National Airport lies 47 km to the north-north-east. Santorini Airport is 55 km to the east-south-east. Naxos airport sits 64 km to the north-east.
On the way, Santorini Day Tours describes a low-altitude flight. Its listings promise views of the Aegean Sea and the Cyclades from the air. At the far end, its Naxos flights use the Golden Sun Naxos Hotel Helipad. On Paros, the helicopter lands at the Paros Helicopter Pad.
Where does a Folegandros helicopter tour land on the island?
Every flight touches down at Folegandros Heliport, a municipal pad in the Chora area. It serves emergency flights as well as private transfers. The pad sits close to Karavostasis, the main port, and a short drive from the town centre.
Hoper calls the landing site Folegandros Heliport. Santorini Day Tours names the same spot the Folegandros Helicopter Pad. Its GetYourGuide listing says the flight departs from the Folegandros Heliport. A hoper listing on Tripadvisor gives the Greek name, Ελικοδρόμιο Φολέγανδρου.
Fly G Aviation keeps a map of landing sites across the Cyclades. It lists Folegandros under islands with a heliport or helipad only. The table names the facility a municipal heliport. It places the pad in the Chora area and notes its use for emergency and private flights.
Ferryscanner places the heliport near the centre of the island. By its account, the landing pad of a Folegandros helicopter tour lies a short distance from Karavostasis. A second Ferryscanner page adds that the town centre is a short drive away. The Mar-Inn hotel in Chora also tells guests the island has a helipad.
Finding the pad is simple for each Folegandros helicopter tour. After booking, hoper emails the exact address and directions. A reseller of the Santorini Day Tours flight notes that onward transport from the pad can be arranged. The Paros-to-Folegandros listing on Tripadvisor names Folegandros Travel, in Chora, as its end point.
For a flight off the island, arrive early. Ferryscanner asks hoper passengers to reach the Folegandros heliport 20 minutes before take-off. Santorini Day Tours sets 30 minutes before departure on its Folegandros flights. Both firms use the heliport as the meeting point for flights off the island.
Which helicopters and seats does a Folegandros helicopter tour use?
Light helicopters with three to seven passenger seats fly these island hops. Airlift names the twin-engine Airbus H135, with up to six passengers and one or two pilots. hoper lists types from the Robinson R44 to the Airbus H145.
hoper sells every Folegandros helicopter tour as a private charter, so the whole aircraft belongs to your group. Its fleet page gives a seat count and payload for each type. The cabin you get depends on the size of your party and how much they carry.
- Robinson R44: 3 passenger seats
- Robinson R66: 4 passenger seats, 640 kg payload
- Bell 206: 4 passenger seats, 700 kg payload
- Airbus H125: 5 passenger seats, 1,075 kg payload
- Airbus H135: 6 passenger seats, 1,418 kg payload
- Agusta 109: 6 passenger seats, 1,250 kg payload
- Airbus H145: 7 passenger seats
Airlift built its fleet on the twin-engine Airbus H145 and EC135. Its EC135 takes up to six passengers in leather seats with air conditioning. The H135 page adds that the cabin holds four seats, or five on prior notice and availability.
Greek Air Taxi Network keeps an Airbus EC120B, also called the H120 Colibri, at its Koropi base near Athens. It seats four passengers plus the pilot. Large windows give wide views, and the cabin is air-conditioned. The firm also flies a refurbished A109K2 for up to six passengers.
The pilot count changes the seat count on a Folegandros helicopter tour. Airbus states that the H135 flies with one or two pilots. It calls the two-pilot, five-passenger layout well suited to passenger transport, with rear- and forward-facing seats. hoper notes that the AW109 seats up to six, or five when two pilots fly.
What luggage and weight rules apply on a Folegandros helicopter tour?
Soft bags and a weight check sit at the heart of the rules. Greek Air Taxi Network allows 15 kg of luggage per passenger as a rule of thumb. It also asks to know about any passenger whose weight exceeds 100 kg.
Plan for one medium suitcase for each person. Greek Air Taxi Network says hard cases, such as Samsonite cases, do not suit helicopters. Bags that ride with you must be soft, so they squash into the small luggage holds. Extra bags or oversized items need other arrangements.
The same firm’s terms state that oversize luggage is, as a rule, excluded from helicopter flights. Customers give full details of their bags and then follow the guidance they receive. When bag weight and size call for a larger aircraft, extra charges apply. The operator or captain can also scan passengers and bags with a metal detector.
Hold space differs by type on a Folegandros helicopter tour. hoper lists these allowances:
- Robinson R44: one carry-on soft bag up to 15 kg and one handbag per passenger
- Robinson R66 and Bell 206: four handbags, four 15 kg soft bags and two 25 kg large bags
On a Folegandros helicopter tour with Greek Air Taxi Network, the R66 holds six soft bags or three medium suitcases. The total limit is 80 kg. Its hold measures 64 cm high, 100 cm deep and 83 cm wide. The firm’s H120 takes up to three standard suitcases.
Body weight counts as well on this Folegandros helicopter tour. On hoper, a passenger and their luggage together cannot pass 100 kg, for aircraft safety. Certain hoper tickets add a 23 kg soft cabin bag, sized at 63 x 40 x 25 cm.
Airlift bans liquids on board unless each container holds 100 ml or less. All of them go inside one clear, resealable bag of up to one litre.
Families can bring young children on a Folegandros helicopter tour. hoper seats infants under two on a guardian’s lap with a special belt. Children aged two to twelve need a regular ticket. Greek Air Taxi Network accepts pets on any flight it books, if they travel in a special box or cage.
How do weather and booking shape a Folegandros helicopter tour?
Daylight and wind set the limits. Helicopter flights between Greek islands run by day only, and gusty days can delay or divert them. A Folegandros helicopter tour therefore needs an early booking and a backup plan.
Booking windows for a Folegandros helicopter tour differ by seller. On Ferryscanner, the hoper flight to Koropi opens about four months ahead. The last chance to book it is 24 hours before departure. Icarus Jet warns that the Cyclades helicopter fleet is small in July and August. For peak season, it advises planning in weeks, not days.
Confirmation is simple. After a hoper booking, the boarding pass arrives by email. On the day, passengers show it to the pilot at the Folegandros heliport. Ferryscanner asks travellers to arrive there 20 minutes before take-off.
Cancellation rules depend on where you book. The GetYourGuide listing for this Folegandros helicopter tour gives a full refund up to two days ahead.
Santorini Day Tours, booked on its own website, refunds in full when you cancel more than 72 hours ahead. Inside 72 hours, or after a no-show, the fee is the full amount. Date changes are also refused inside that window.
Weather is the other big factor for a Folegandros helicopter tour. Wind and visibility affect a helicopter more than a jet on the same day. Coastal wind and summer haze both count. When conditions turn, the aircraft waits or stays down. Icarus Jet moves a booked charter to another slot in your travel window.
Plan a fallback before you fly. Icarus Jet advises knowing your ferry or road option in advance, not sorting it out at the helipad. The time saved is large: hoper estimates about 47 minutes in the air from Athens. By sea, Piraeus to Folegandros takes about 4 to 9 hours, depending on the vessel.
Which questions do travellers ask about a Folegandros helicopter tour?
Travellers ask about connections in Athens, sharing the cabin, one-way or return trips, documents and winter flights. Here are short answers to each, taken from operator and booking pages.
Can I connect with an international flight in Athens?
Yes. hoper suggests flying into Athens or Santorini, then taking a private helicopter direct to Folegandros. Island helicopters fly by day only, so a late jet can cost you the connection. Leave a wide gap between landing and the Folegandros helicopter tour.
Will I share the helicopter with other groups?
No. hoper says every flight to and from Folegandros is a private charter. The whole helicopter belongs to your group for the trip.
Can I book one-way or return?
Both exist. The GetYourGuide listing from the island is a one-way transfer. hoper offers return flights to Athens and to Santorini. Santorini Day Tours lists one-way, round-trip, sightseeing and day-trip options. Our Santorini helicopter tour guide covers flights over the caldera.
Can I fly to Athens and back in one day?
Not on Ferryscanner right now. The site states that a helicopter day trip from Folegandros to Koropi cannot be booked at present.
Which documents do I bring?
The GetYourGuide listing asks for a passport or ID card. With hoper, show your emailed boarding pass to the pilot, along with a passport and a government-issued ID.
Do helicopters fly to Folegandros in winter?
Yes. Ferryscanner says the Folegandros to Koropi helicopter route runs all year. This Folegandros helicopter tour is not a summer-only trip.