Helicopter Over Victoria Falls: 12, 15 or 30 Minutes?
3 min read
Short answer: for a first flight, book the helicopter tour with hotel pickup. It is the most reviewed flight here, picks you up in Victoria Falls and offers 12 or 25 minutes. Budget for the fee on top: USD 37 for 12 minutes, paid in cash at check-in. Want 30 minutes? The 15-, 22- or 30-minute flights give you that, but they leave from Livingstone, on the Zambian side.
The flights side by side
| Flight | Price | Rating | What the listing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helicopter tour with hotel pickup | €160.30 | 4.7 (666) | The falls, the upper Zambezi, the Batoka Gorge and towards the Zambezi National Park; 12 or 25 minutes; hotel pickup in Victoria Falls; park fee and fuel surcharge of USD 37 (12 minutes) or USD 50 (25 minutes) in cash |
| Scenic helicopter flight | €169.21 | 4.6 (113) | 13 to 15 minutes over the falls, the Batoka Gorge and the Victoria Falls Bridge; hotel pickup; up to 5 passengers; extra fare if you stay in Zambia or Botswana; names a park fee of USD 35 |
| Flight of Angels, window seat | €154.07 | 4.6 (70) | 12 minutes, four circuits over the falls, the Zambezi and the Zambezi National Park; every seat is a window seat; pickup in Victoria Falls town; USD 37 government fee at check-in |
| 15-, 22- or 30-minute flights | €182.56 | 4.8 (69) | From Maramba Airfield in Livingstone, Zambia; pickup from accommodation in Livingstone; names an aviation fee of USD 6 and a fuel surcharge of USD 9 to 16.55 depending on length |
| Helicopter flight with bird’s-eye views | €178.11 | 4.4 (25) | 12 to 15 minutes over the falls, the Batoka Gorge, the Victoria Falls Bridge and the Zambezi National Park; hotel pickup in Victoria Falls; helipad about 5 minutes from town |
The price shown for the flexible listing is the starting price, so it may refer to its shortest option; the booking page shows the price for each length.
What the length buys you
The falls are about 1,700 m wide, and the Flight of Angels listing says so. Twelve to 15 minutes is enough to circle the curtain, and the short flights also name the Batoka Gorge, the bridge or the Zambezi National Park. The flexible listing spells out what extra minutes add: the 15-minute flight circles the falls and the islands, the 22-minute flight swoops into the Batoka Gorge, and the 30-minute flight follows the Zambezi past local villages to rapid 26 before it circles back over the falls. The 25-minute option of the most reviewed flight is called a game flight.
Zimbabwe or Zambia. Four of the five flights take off on the Zimbabwean side and pick up in Victoria Falls town. The flexible flight takes off from Maramba Airfield in Livingstone and picks up only there. If you sleep in Victoria Falls, its 30 minutes come with a border crossing; the 25-minute option above stays on your side.
Children, weight, weather. The Flight of Angels page says there are no age restrictions: children fly with an adult, and those under 3 fly free on a lap. The flexible listing is not suitable for people over 100 kg and only flies in fair weather, not in thunderstorms or heavy rain. For the other three, ask the operator about age and weight limits before you book.
The water level changes what you see: the falls look different at high and low water. Combine the flight with a walk at the falls on the same day if you can; our guide to the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides helps you plan it.
Our recommendation
For most visitors: the helicopter tour with hotel pickup. It is the most reviewed, the pickup is part of the listing, and you can choose 12 or 25 minutes. Take the flexible flight if you stay in Livingstone or want the full 30 minutes to rapid 26. More flights are on our helicopter flights page.
See dates and prices for the helicopter tour with hotel pickup
