Combinations
Dubai helicopter tour combinations: the flight plus a whole day
A helicopter tour is over in under half an hour, which leaves a lot of day behind it. Two trips here solve that by building the flight into something longer — one into the old city, one into the desert. Both are good ideas, and both have different terms from the flights.
Quick answer
Two combination trips here put a helicopter flight inside a longer day: the old town with an abra crossing at $268, and a desert safari with camels at $283. Both include transport. Neither carries the free 24-hour cancellation the standalone flights do, which is the single most important thing to know before booking one.
The two combinations, at a glance
- Old town day
- $268five hours, flight plus the old quarter
- Desert day
- $283six hours, flight plus a desert safari
- Transport
- Included on bothwhich in Dubai traffic is not trivial
- Food
- Included on the old town daysnacks along the way
- Camels and refreshments
- On the desert day
- ⚠ Cancellation
- NOT freeunlike the six standalone flights
- Reviews
- 14 and 28far less evidence than the flights
- Ratings
- 4.5 and 4.7both good on small samples
- Flight length inside them
- Shorterthe flight is one part of the day
- Who they suit
- One-day visitorsand cruise passengers with a port day
What each one actually is
Two very different days with the same component inside them
One shows you Dubai from both ends. The other pairs the towers with the sand they stand on.
The old town day is the more interesting of the two, because it does something the flights alone cannot: it shows you Dubai from both ends. You see the new city from the air — the Palm, the coast, the towers — and then you walk the old one. The souks, an abra across the Creek for a fraction of a dirham, wind towers on the Bastakiya houses, and snacks along the way. Five hours.
The desert day is the classic Dubai pairing: towers in the morning, dunes in the afternoon. Camels, refreshments and transport included, six hours in total. Dubai is a city built on sand and this is the trip that makes that literal rather than rhetorical.
What both share is that the flight is a component rather than the point. If the helicopter is the reason you are booking, one of the standalone flights gives you more minutes in the air for less money. If you want a full day with a flight in it, these are the two.
Before you book either
Six things to check
Especially the first one, which is different from every other listing on this site.
- ⚠ The cancellation terms
Neither of these carries the free 24-hour cancellation that six of the eight standalone flights do. That is normal for a full-day product with transport and guides attached, and it is the thing to read before you book rather than after.
- How long the flight inside it actually is
The helicopter is one component of a five or six-hour day. If you want maximum time in the air, a standalone flight buys more of it.
- The review count
Fourteen and twenty-eight respectively. Both rated well, and both resting on far less evidence than the flights above them on this page, which carry thousands.
- What transport is included
Both include transfers, which in a city forty kilometres end to end is a genuine part of the value. Check the pick-up arrangements on the listing.
- What food is included
The old town day includes snacks; the desert day includes refreshments. Neither is a full meal plan, so read the detail if that matters.
- The time of year
The desert day in July is a very different proposition from the desert day in January. Dubai summer heat is serious and several hours of it is not for everyone.
If the flight is the reason you are booking, the standalone flights give you more minutes in the air and free cancellation.
Which flight is best→Common questions
Combination tours, answered
What is included in a Dubai helicopter combination tour?
The old town day at $268 includes the flight, a guided walk through the old quarter, an abra crossing and snacks, over about five hours. The desert day at $283 includes the flight, a desert safari, camels and refreshments over about six hours. Both include transport.
Do combination tours have free cancellation?
No. This is the important difference: neither of the two combination days carries the free 24-hour cancellation that six of the eight standalone flights do. Read the terms on the listing before booking.
Is the helicopter flight shorter on a combination tour?
The flight is one component of a long day rather than the whole product. If time in the air is what you want, a standalone flight gives you more of it for less money.
Which combination is better?
The old town day if you want to understand Dubai, because it shows you the new city from the air and the old one on foot. The desert day if you want the classic pairing of towers and dunes.
Are they good for a cruise port day?
They are built for exactly that kind of day: transport included, a fixed length, and a flight plus something substantial. Check the timings carefully against your all-aboard, and note the cancellation terms.
Is the desert day bearable in summer?
Dubai summer heat is serious and these are several hours partly outdoors. If you are here between June and August, consider the old town day or a standalone flight instead.
Go deeper
More on helicopter tours in Dubai
What a Dubai helicopter tour costs
Eight flights priced per person and per minute, from $184 to $911.
The PalmThe Palm Jumeirah flight
The one landmark in Dubai that does not exist as a shape from the ground.
VerdictThe best helicopter tour in Dubai
Eight flights ranked for one decision, with a straight answer at the end.
How longTwelve minutes or thirty
What each extra minute buys you down the coast, and why twelve is not a compromise.
AtlantisAtlantis from the air
The outer crescent, the two resorts on it, and which flights reach them.
PrivatePrivate helicopter tours
One flight is private by default and four more can be chartered on request.
