Baltimore helicopter tour review: everyone liked it, and there are not many of them
Twenty-five reviews is a thin base
4.9 is the highest average on this site. It rests on 25 ratings. The cruise’s 4.8 rests on 251 — ten times the evidence for a tenth of a point less. Those two numbers are not comparable and it is worth saying so plainly, because “highest rated” is exactly the phrase that gets printed without its denominator. A handful of further ratings could move this one either way, and until they arrive the honest reading is: the small number of people who have flown liked it.
What the reviews say, in full, because they are short
These are not excerpts. Each of these is a complete review as published.
“Great energy staff was helpful wish it was longer but still a great experience”
— Oleo
“Awesome. Will do it again.”
— Nequia
“We loved every moment of it!”
— Sharon
“We really loved it I recommend it 100% and with all the security protocol I would do it many times with you.”
— José Gregorio
Nequia’s entire review is five words. Sharon’s is six. Two more of the write-ups the listing publishes carry no name at all, posted under GetYourGuide’s generic traveller label. José Gregorio is the only reviewer who mentions anything concrete — the safety briefing — and Oleo is the only one who registers a complaint, which is that it ended too soon.
Short reviews are not fake reviews. People come off a helicopter buzzing and type one line. But a page of one-liners tells you very little about whether the thing is worth $78, and it is the opposite of what the Fells Point food tour’s reviewers wrote — those run to paragraphs. Judge accordingly.
What works
- Every published review is positive, with no dissent at all
- The one activity here that puts you above the fort rather than beside it
- Puts the shape of the harbour and the Locust Point peninsula in one view
- The security briefing gets a specific mention from one reviewer
Worth knowing
- 25 reviews is a thin base for a 4.9 — never read it as “best rated”
- The reviews say almost nothing about what you see from the air
- The listing does not state a duration, and Oleo wished it were longer
- $78, more than twice the cruise, and it still does not include admission
If the fort is the point, the boat gets closer for less than half the money. If the aerial view is the point, this is the only thing here that provides one — just price it as a Baltimore flight rather than as a fort visit.
Who it suits
People who like flying, people marking an occasion, and people who have already done the park on foot and want the shape of it from above. It suits nobody trying to substitute a flight for the visit itself: the star fort is a walk-in site with a fence and a register, and the grounds outside that fence are open from 7:00 a.m. for nothing. Compare it against the cruise before you book.
The other two
Sees the fort from the waterBaltimore: Inner Harbor Sightseeing Cruise
Baltimore — not the fortDiscover Baltimore: Fells Point Culinary Food Tour
Frequently asked questions
Is the Baltimore helicopter tour the best rated?
It carries the highest average on this site, 4.9, but on only 25 reviews. The cruise rates 4.8 on 251. Those are not equivalent claims, and the helicopter’s score should never be quoted without its review count.
Does the helicopter land at Fort McHenry?
No. It flies over the fort. There is no landing and no National Park Service admission included — entry is $15 per adult aged 16 and over, bought at the gate.
How long is the helicopter tour?
The listing does not state a duration, so this site will not invent one. One reviewer, Oleo, wrote that he wished it had been longer, which is the only signal available.
How much is the Baltimore helicopter tour?
About $78 per person. That is more than double the $34 Inner Harbor cruise, and neither one includes admission to the fort.