Whether you're in town for the weekend or a New England native, a helicopter tour will give you a view of the Boston area like you've never seen before.

Boston Helicopter Tours begin at Hanscom Field in Bedford. Once airborne you'll see sights such as the battlefields of Lexington, the Charles River, Harvard, MIT, Beacon Hill, the State House, Boston Common, Fenway Park, the Hancock building, the Prudential Center, Quincy Market, the USS Constitution, the Bunker Hill Monument, and the Zakim Bridge. Those however are just a few examples and you can request a custom route as well.

The helicopters are weight limited so your party (up to 3 people) should weigh less than 500 lbs. The tour lasts approximately 30 minutes. Note that you won't be able to book tours during Red Sox games due to security restrictions around Fenway.

If you're looking for a tour near Lawrence or Andover you can try Patriot Helicopter, which operates a very similar aircraft. If you have a party larger than three or if you exceed the weight restrictions mentioned above you might try Helicopter Services Boston which operates a larger, jet-powered helicopter based in Beverly.