Best skydiving experiences in the UK in 2024
Whether it's something you've always wanted to do but you've just got up the courage, or you're a thrill seeker looking for the best way to get an adrenaline rush, here is our guide to the best skydiving experiences from across the UK.
What image comes to mind when you think of skydiving? Tom Cruise cool as a cucumber while plummeting towards the earth? James Bond and the late Queen jumping out of a helicopter for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics? Or perhaps it's Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones trying to do a news report having landed in a field of pigs after a skydive.
Whichever it is, there's no denying that most of us fall into two camps when it comes to this adrenaline fuelled activity. For some it's been something they've always wanted to do – an exciting and unique experience to make you feel alive. For others, the prospect of voluntarily jumping out of an aeroplane with only a parachute (and a skydiving instructor) between you and almost certain death is indeed the stuff of nightmares.
If you fall (no pun intended) into the first category, or you know someone who does, we've got all you need to know about skydiving in the UK, plus a list of the top experiences across the country.
Even if the idea of jumping out of an aeroplane is terrifying, don't worry. There are still ways you can experience the weightless feeling of free fall without having to worry about if the parachute is working.
Indoor skydiving is growing in popularity with facilities popping up across the UK including in London and Manchester. It's open to children as young as three years old, and lets you experience the feeling of flying in a safe indoor environment — what's not to like?
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Here are the best skydiving experiences to do across the UK in 2024.
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Jump to:
- Best skydiving experiences to do in the UK for 2024
- What is tandem skydiving?
- How much does skydiving cost?
- How old do you have to be to go skydiving?
- What to wear for skydiving
Best skydiving experiences at a glance:
- iFly Manchester indoor skydiving, £71.12
- iFly indoor skydiving at the O2, £99.99
- Indoor skydiving with VR headset, £119.99
- Hangloose at Bluewater skydive for two, £130
- iFly junior indoor skydiving for two, £139.98
- iFly family indoor skydiving experience, £249.99
- 13,000 foot tandem skydive in Peterborough,
£285£259 (save £26 or 9%) - 15,000 foot tandem skydive in Cumbria, from
£285£270 (save £15 or 5%) - Tandem skydive from locations across the UK, £279
- 12,000 tandem skydive, £299
- 15,000 foot ultimate tandem skydive in Wiltshire, £339
- 15,000 foot tandem skydive with souvenir photos in Devon, £385
Best skydiving experiences to do in the UK for 2024
iFly Manchester indoor skydiving
Whether you're Manchester based or visiting the city on a trip, this is a great activity to do to experience the thrill of skydiving. Based at an indoor centre, you'll get two flights which feel like the equivalent of falling from 12,000ft three times. It's a way to get the thrill of skydiving but in a much safer environment – handy if you've got a fear of heights.
Book iFly Manchester indoor skydiving from £71.12 at Fever
Looking for even more activities to do in Manchester? Then check out the best Manchester theatre shows — and here's how to get cheap theatre tickets.
iFly indoor skydiving at the O2
When you think of the O2 the things that spring to mind might be Harry Styles running round in a glittery jumpsuit and singing his heart out. It might surprise you to know that you can also do indoor skydiving at the O2, admittedly wearing a slightly less glittery jumpsuit. On this iFly experience you are suspended in a wind tunnel by an air stream moving at 120mph.
Book iFly indoor skydiving at the O2 from £99.99 at Virgin Experience Days
Looking for other things to do in the capital? We've got guides on everything from the best immersive experiences in London to the best London escape rooms.
Indoor skydiving with VR headset
On this indoor skydiving experience you'll don a set of VR goggles which can transport you across the world. Similar to other iFly experiences, here you'll float on an air stream in a specially designed wind tunnel to experience the sensation of falling without ever stepping foot on an airplane.
With the VR headset you will be able to choose to see the skydiving views from across the world. Always wanted to see Hawaii from above? Dreamed of seeing California's rolling hills from the sky? This experience has got you covered and all for much less than the cost of some flights to the United States, that's for sure!
Book indoor skydiving with VR headset for £119.99 at BuyaGift
Interested in the world of VR? Check out our guide to the best VR experiences in London.
Hangloose at Bluewater skydive for two
If you're looking for a truly unique skydiving experience, then you have to check out Hangloose at Bluewater. This is the only outdoor skydiving machine in the UK, bringing the magic of a wind tunnel out into the open air.
On arrival, you'll receive a comprehensive security briefing before stepping into Aerodium's specialised skydiving machine. This pioneering tunnel has been tested and approved by some of the biggest names in action movies including Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan, so you know you'll be in safe hands.
Book Hangloose at Bluewater skydive for two for £130 at BuyaGift
iFly junior indoor skydiving for two
Since indoor skydiving is a lot safer than traditional skydiving, much younger people can get involved in the fun. This experience is open to children aged between three and 16 years old, although they must be accompanied by an adult on the day to the skydive.
A great experience for any thrill-seeking little ones or teens. This package is for two which would be perfect for siblings or a pair of friends.
Book iFly junior indoor skydiving for two for £139.98 at Virgin Experience Days
iFly family indoor skydiving experience
The great thing about indoor skydiving is that the whole family can get involved. This package from Red Letter Days is for up to five people with two adults and up to three children aged three to 18 able to get involved. Perfect for adventure-seeking kids (and grown-ups who are afraid of heights!), this would be a great activity for the school holidays. Coming out at £50 per person, this is one of the best value skydiving experiences we've seen.
Book the iFly family indoor skydiving experience from £249.99 at Red Letter Days
Want to save on family days out? Take a look at our how to get cheap Alton Towers tickets guide and Virgin Experience Days discount article.
13,000 foot tandem skydive in Peterborough
If you're based near Peterborough this is your opportunity to see the landscape from above. In this tandem skydive you'll be taken up to 13,000ft in a plane before jumping out while strapped to an instructor. Reach speeds of up to 120mph in an adrenaline-filled free fall, before the instructor pulls the parachute at around 5,000ft, where you'll get a chance to enjoy the views as you glide back down to earth.
This experience is currently on sale with 10 per cent off.
Book a 13,000 foot tandem skydive in Peterborough from £285 £259 at Buyagift (save £26 or 9%)
15,000 foot tandem skydive in Cumbria
Cumbria is well known for its beautiful landscape, but few except the birds get to see it from above. With this experience you can join them and see the rolling landscape unfold as you fall through the sky. This is a 15,000ft tandem skydive, where you'll get a full safety briefing and be kitted out with the (undeniably flattering) skydiving jumpsuit before heading up in an aeroplane.
This experience is also now on sale from Buyagift so you can save £26.
Book a 15,000 foot tandem skydive in Cumbria for £285 £270 (save £15 or 5%)
Tandem skydive from locations across the UK
If you're buying a skydive as a gift for the adrenaline junky in your life, we think this would be a great option, with a choice of locations across the UK including Suffolk, Nottingham and Lancashire.
The minimum age for this skydive is 16 but anyone under 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult. You can also pay an extra £60 to extend you skydive to 15,000 which we think is a pretty good deal, especially considering that this is part of Buyagift's sale right now at 10 per cent off.
Book a tandem skydive from locations across the UK for £279 at Buyagift
12,000 tandem skydive in Kent or Lincolnshire
On this 12,000ft skydive you'll get to experience the unique combination of the fear-fuelled thrill of falling from the sky and then the quiet serenity of gliding with a parachute looking at the scenery.
There is a choice of locations with this experience – you can choose from Lincolnshire and Kent. There are slightly different safety criteria depending on which location you choose, so make sure you meet these before you book. If there's anyone who wants to come to watch your dive (or provide a bit of moral support) spectators are welcome!
Book a 12,000 tandem skydive for £299 at Virgin Experience Days
15,000 foot ultimate tandem skydive in Wiltshire
On this 15,000ft skydive in Wiltshire you'll be diving from the highest possible height for a tandem skydive in the UK – that's nearly three miles! This means you'll have as long as you can to enjoy the thrill of the free fall, which lasts nearly a full minute, before pulling the parachute so you can enjoy the view of the landscape surrounding you.
Buy a 15,000 foot ultimate tandem skydive in Wiltshire for £339at Virgin Experience Days
15,000 foot tandem skydive with souvenir photos in Devon
15,000ft is the maximum height for tandem skydiving in the UK, which means you'll have the maximum time to experience your skydive.
You'll get a bird's eye view of the stunning Devon coastline, and you'll also get up to 50 pictures to remember every part of the experience – or just to prove to your friends that you were actually brave enough to jump out of a plane at 15,000ft!
Buy a 15,000 foot tandem skydive with souvenir photos in Devon for £385 at Virgin Experience Days
What is tandem skydiving?
If you're going skydiving for the first time, you won't be able to do a solo flight so it'll be a tandem jump. Tandem means you'll be jumping while strapped to another person who is a qualified skydiving instructor.
If you want to solo dive it requires a lot of further training on the ground and in the air, which is a large financial commitment, as well as taking a lot of time. If you want to get a taste of solo flight, we'd recommend indoor skydiving, where you float in a large circular wind tunnel in an indoor facility.
How much does skydiving cost?
The cost of your skydiving experience is going to range a fair bit depending on what type of skydiving you'd like to do and where. Indoor skydiving usually costs less than outdoor skydiving with prices starting at the £70 mark for one person. If you're planning indoor skydiving for a group it might be cheaper to buy a number of tickets at once.
Traditional outdoor skydiving comes at a higher cost. There is obviously an important safety element involved in jumping out of a plane, and we would urge you to check the safety credentials of any skydiving facility before booking, especially if it's significantly lower cost than its competitors.
Skydiving usually costs between £200 and £400 for an individual session but if you want to spend more, the sky's the limit. This might seems quite expensive, but this accounts for the cost of the plane and the fact that every person skydiving needs an instructor for tandem flight.
How old do you have to be to go skydiving?
The minimum age for skydiving depends on what type of skydiving you want to do. You can do some indoor skydiving experiences from as young as three years old as long as there is an accompanying adult.
For most outdoor skydiving experiences the minimum age is 16 years old, although anyone under the age of 18 needs the signed consent of a parent, guardian or otherwise responsible adult.
There is no upper age limit on sky diving, but be aware that there many be medical conditions that limit your ability to go skydiving and we would always recommend talking to a medical professional if you have any concerns. Individual sky diving companies may also have restrictions, for example on weight, so make sure you check before booking.
What to wear for skydiving
Ahh the eternal question – what to wear? While we don't necessarily claim to be a fashion publication (although the RadioTimes.com team are a fashionable bunch) we think we can safely answer this one. For skydiving you will be given a jumpsuit to wear over your clothes for most experiences so we'd recommend avoiding any skirts or dresses. You'll need comfortable lace up shoes (don't want those coming off in the air!) and anyone with long hair should bring something to tie it back with.
You'll probably be asked to remove any loose items like jewellery and you'll likely be given goggles plus a helmet or head gear.
If you're looking for the latest updates on experiences, concerts, activities and more check out our Going Out section. We've got everything from sporty days out, including the best F1 experience days and golf gift experiences, to luxury with the best London spa experiences.
Plus, if you're looking to skydive with a loved one, you can find some extra couples activities in our list of best couples experiences.
