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Helicopter Ride Over Tokyo

A helicopter ride over Tokyo puts the vastness of this city into perspective. Whether it's a view of Tokyo at night you fancy or a trip by day, this is an unforgettable experience.

If you're arriving at Tokyo International Airport and want to get into the city by the fastest and classiest route, you need the Narita Airport helicopter service.

Located by Tokyo Disneyland, Excel Air Tokyo is easy to access even though it is a little way out from central Tokyo.

They provide a free shuttle bus that will pick you up and return you to the local train station. If you are driving to the helipad, a car park is available.

Bookings in advance are required in order to ensure a smooth service.

There are a range of different courses available, over Yokohama as well as Tokyo, depending on the time of day. The flight lasts between 15 to 20 minutes.

Booking Your Tokyo Helicopter Rice

If you've decided to give this one a whirl, there are some basic facts you need to be aware of:

• You can use English to make your booking and to ask any questions either by telephone or email.
• You pay for your booking on arrival either by cash or credit card.
• You will need to check in at least 30 minutes prior to your flight. If you are using the shuttle bus service, the company will tell you the time of the bus you need to take. The bus ride takes about 15 minutes.
• On the day of your scheduled flight will need to call and confirm your booking. This is in case of bad weather and flying conditions, as well as the possibility of an emergency situation that requires the use of the helicopters. If the flight is cancelled you can either re-book or request a refund. This is the company policy as of June 2008.
• Discounts are available as follows: people over 60 years of age 20%; registered disabled 30%.

Here's the link to Excel Air. Check the courses that are available, the current prices and confirm the regulations.

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Our Helicopter Ride Over Tokyo

This was a surprise birthday gift for my boyfriend. Yes the romantic side of me took over for this one. He has always wanted to fly in a helicopter, so a helicopter ride over Tokyo seemed like the perfect present. The funny thing is I hate flying so was incredibly nervous beforehand.

How much did it cost? In June 2008 it was ¥13,000 per head. The exchange values at that time were approximately 65 GB pounds or 125 US dollars for 15 minutes. Well worth it in our opinion. See the bottom of our Tokyo Prices page to check the current exchange rate.

We watched the helicopter coming into land and then we made our way, heads ducked, to climb on board. The noise was not as loud as I expected and the take off was amazing. We just seemed to float into the air and within seconds we could see Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea with all their lights and illuminations spread out below us. Beautiful!

I shan't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it. Enjoy your helicopter ride over Tokyo!