Tour Los Angeles From the Sky

My husband recently celebrated a milestone birthday and I decided to surprise him with a tour of his own city, but with a twist. While he knows Los Angeles well, he knows it from the ground, like most Angelenos and visitors to the city. A helicopter tour gave us not only a thrilling experience, but a unique perspective on this amazing town.

The sites of Los Angeles are iconic — the Hollywood sign, the Griffith Park Observatory, the Santa Monica Pier — but seeing them all in one day can be nearly impossible thanks to the heavily congested traffic. One way to get all of your sightseeing in at one time is by seeing the city from the air. When you are soaring through the air at more than 100 mph with a bird’s eye view of an entire city, the ride itself is as much of an attraction as the incredible views.

Los Angeles Skyline. Photo: Eugenia Lazaris

Lite Flight Helicopter Tours offers a variety of itineraries that accommodate different budgets, time constraints and sightseeing agendas. If you want to experience the beautiful coastline, look for local marine life and see the luxury beach homes of the rich and famous, the Malibu Coast Tour is ideal. If you want a close-up shot of the Hollywood sign, the Playboy Mansion and Universal Studios, opt for the Hollywood Tour.

For a comprehensive tour that covers the whole area from the beach to the city skyline, check out the Premier Celebrity Tour, which combines the highlights of all the tours into one incredible experience.

Hollywood Sign. Photo: Eugenia Lazaris

In addition to the standard sites, Lite Flight’s well-informed pilots give you in-depth details about the city, its history and its inhabitants. Our pilot Rob was able to point out properties belonging to several celebrities like Will Smith, Halle Berry, Gwen Stefani and Johnny Depp. Local, lesser-known landmarks and their histories were also part of the tour, such as the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and the high school where the movie Grease filmed.

Flights are dependent on the weather and keep in mind the city of Los Angeles exists under a perpetual layer of smog so the clearer the day, the better your view from the sky will be. Tours range from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours and prices range $185–475 per person.

Insider Tip: If you want a good look at Dodger Stadium during your flight, be sure to book your tour on a day when there is no game scheduled. FAA regulations prevent helicopters from entering the stadium’s immediate air space during an event.

Dodger Stadium. Photo: Eugenia Lazaris