Victoria Falls Helicopter Tour Prices

The flight we’d compare first

The MJ Air flight is $7 dearer than the cheapest well-reviewed short flight, and for that you get a review history nearly ten times longer, with more than 650 reviews at 4.8/5. It also lists a 25-minute option on the same booking calendar, so you can see the price of the longer route on your date before you decide. The government park fee and fuel surcharge, $37 for 12 minutes or $50 for 25 minutes, is paid in cash during check-in, which its listing states in the exclusions.

Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Victoria Falls town are included, and so are headsets for the pilot’s commentary. Our full review of the MJ Air flight covers what the lower-rated reviews say about the check-in and the fee.

Other flights by budget and side

The alternatives below suit a smaller budget, a hotel in Livingstone, a longer flight or a day that combines the flight with the Falls on foot.

Other things to book at Victoria Falls

Beyond the flight: Zambezi River sunset cruises, the rainforest in Victoria Falls National Park, the Victoria Falls Bridge and, from Livingstone in Zambia, Devil’s Pool and Batoka Gorge rafting.

What does a short helicopter flight cost?

Short flights from Victoria Falls town run 12 to 15 minutes and start from $173 to $280 per person. The cheaper ones are shared flights with hotel pickup, and most of the dearer ones are private-cabin or photography versions of the same short loop over the Falls and the gorge.

Prices checked 24 October 2026. Operators use dynamic pricing, so these figures are a guide; check the booking page for the current price. Every flight here is linked, with its rating and review count beside it; a low count is a reason for caution, not a verdict.

From $173 to $190 the flights are hard to tell apart on paper: the same 12 to 15 minutes, hotel pickup on most of them and the same fee. Inside that range the review record is the better guide, and it runs from 7 reviews to more than 650.

Paying more for a short flight does not get you a longer one. Above $200 the listings add a private cabin, a guaranteed window seat, a photography brief or a video, and nearly all of them are new to GetYourGuide with no reviews yet. One of them, the gorge flight and wildlife tour, is sold as 50 minutes, but its listing includes a 12- to 15-minute flight, so the rest of the time is the transfer and briefing.

The cash fee at the helipad

On the Zimbabwe side every helicopter flight adds a government fee and fuel surcharge, collected at check-in. Shearwater’s own rate card puts it at US$37 on the Flight of Angels and US$50 on its 22- and 25-minute flights, and MJ Air’s listing gives the same $37 and $50. A few resellers quote it lower, at $23 to $35, so read the exclusions on the listing you book and take the figure it gives.

Bring it in US dollar notes. MJ Air’s listing says the fee is paid in cash before the flight, and Shearwater’s packing list includes “cash for park fees & photos/videos”. Small, clean notes are easiest, and it is safer to carry them from home than to rely on a cash machine in Victoria Falls town.

Only one listing says the fee is already in the fare: Victoria Falls from Above, a thrilling helicopter tour, which includes the government fee in a price from $470, with a single 5.0 review so far. Several other listings don’t state an amount at all and just say park fees are extra; on those, expect $37 for a short flight.

Is it cheaper to fly from the Zambian side?

Not once the fees are added. The Zambian aviation fee is $6 a person, against $37 to $50 in Zimbabwe, but the fares start higher and a fuel surcharge is added on top, so a short flight from Livingstone costs about the same or a little more.

United Air Charter, which flies from Livingstone, lists its own short flight of 12 to 15 minutes at $209, with the $6 aviation fee and a temporary $15 fuel surcharge on top, about $230. The Livingstone flights above are rated 4.8/5 from 69 reviews and include pickup from your accommodation in Livingstone. The private flight has no reviews yet and leaves you to get to the Maramba aerodrome yourself.

The choice of side comes down to where you are staying. Crossing the border for a flight adds a transfer and, for many nationalities, visa costs. The Zimbabwe or Zambia comparison covers the views from each side.

What do longer flights cost?

Flights of 22 to 30 minutes start from about $270 and carry the higher $50 fee in Zimbabwe, so most land between about $320 and $420 per person in total. The extra time is spent downstream over the Batoka Gorge and, on 25-minute routes, over the Zambezi National Park looking for game.

The step from a short flight to 22 or 25 minutes costs about $110 to $170 more per person, fee included, for 10 to 13 extra minutes. The MJ Air reviews are split on it: some saw plenty of game over the park, others found little to see in the dry months. Our 12 or 25 minutes comparison and the gorge flight guide go through the routes. The 23–25 minute scenic flight costs more than either Shearwater flight and has a single review, so we’d book one of those instead.

What do helicopter combos cost?

Combos pair a short flight with a guided walk at the Falls, lunch or a sunset cruise. Their park fees are listed separately: $58 for the rainforest, $37 for the helicopter and $12 for the cruise, as the Shearwater listings put them.

The two lunch tours are the ones with a real review record. The scenic day tour costs $75 more than the same operator’s standalone scenic flight, and that covers the guide for the rainforest walk, lunch and transport for the day. You would pay the $58 rainforest entry anyway if you planned to walk the Falls. Other combos, such as a guided tour with helicopter flight from $300 and a guided tour with helicopter ride and cruise from $480, are new listings with no reviews. Our combo deals guide covers rafting lift-outs and the operators’ own packages.

Private flights, lounges and videos

Private and window-seat flights. Shearwater takes no seat reservations on shared flights, because seats are assigned for weight balance. The private short flights on GetYourGuide start from $210, and none has reviews yet. A whole-helicopter charter is quoted separately by the operators; our private charter guide covers how that works.

Lounge access. Shearwater sells its Premier Lounge as a $58 add-on to any scheduled flight, which puts a lounge and a Flight of Angels at about $231 before the fee. The helicopter flight with lounge access is from $250, with park fees extra and no reviews yet.

Video and photos. Most operators film the flight and sell the footage after landing; it is listed as an extra on nearly every listing. Decide before you fly whether you want it, and bring cash for it along with the fee.

What a couple or family pays

Every price here is per person, and children pay the full fare from age 3. Shearwater’s rate card lets children under 3 fly free on an adult’s lap, with a weight limit of 120 kg per passenger.

At the starting price, two people on the MJ Air flight pay $360 online and $74 in cash at the helipad, $434 in all. Four people pay $720 and $148, $868 in all. On the 22-minute Shearwater flight, two people pay $542 online and $100 in cash, $642 in all.

Booking direct or through GetYourGuide

Shearwater lists the Flight of Angels at US$173 and the 22-minute flight at US$271 on its own site, the same as on GetYourGuide. Bonisair, another Zimbabwe operator, lists a 15-minute flight at US$150 on its own site, without giving its fee. Booking through GetYourGuide gets you free cancellation, up to 24 hours before on the MJ Air flight, and the option to reserve now and pay later. Our booking guide covers cancellations and weather.

Should you pay more?

For most people the short flight is enough: every route covers the Falls, and the cheapest well-reviewed flights cost about $210 to $217 in all. Pay for 22 or 25 minutes if you want the Batoka Gorge and the chance of game from the air and have no game drive booked. A private cabin makes most sense for a proposal or for serious photography, and the new private listings have no reviews yet.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls cost?

A short flight of 12 to 15 minutes costs from $173 to $190 per person, plus a $37 cash fee on the Zimbabwe side, about $210 to $225 in all. Flights of 22 to 30 minutes start at about $270 plus a $50 fee.

Is the park fee included in the price?

Usually not. On the Zimbabwe side the government fee and fuel surcharge, $37 for a short flight and $50 for 22 minutes or more, is paid in US dollar cash at check-in. Victoria Falls from Above is the one listing that says it includes it.

Is it cheaper to fly from Livingstone?

Not by much, if at all. The Zambian fees are lower, a $6 aviation fee plus a fuel surcharge of $9 to $17, but the fares are higher, so a 15-minute flight from Livingstone comes to about $220.

Is the longer flight worth it?

It costs about $110 to $170 more per person, fee included, for 10 to 13 extra minutes over the Batoka Gorge and the Zambezi National Park. Take it if the gorge and wildlife matter to you; the short flight already covers the Falls.

Do children pay full price?

On Shearwater’s flights children under 3 fly free on an adult’s lap, and from age 3 they pay the full fare and take a seat. The weight limit is 120 kg per passenger.

How much is the flight video?

Operators sell the footage after landing, and the price is given at the helipad, not on the listings. Bring cash if you think you’ll want it.

Is booking direct with the operator cheaper?

For Shearwater, no: its own site lists the same fares as GetYourGuide. Booking through GetYourGuide adds free cancellation and the option to reserve now and pay later.

Related reading:

• MJ Air Victoria Falls helicopter flight review
• Which Victoria Falls helicopter flight should you book?
• 12 or 25 minutes: comparing the flight lengths
• Best time of year to fly over Victoria Falls