Frequently asked questions

Two stages. The flight itself is paid online when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator, at the price shown on our comparison cards. The government fee — US$35–50 per person on the Zimbabwe side, around US$7–23 on the Zambia side depending on the flight — is collected locally at check-in, on the Zimbabwe side explicitly in cash. Photo and video packages are a third, optional cost of about US$25–50, offered after the flight.

Sellers ask for sunglasses and comfortable clothes. On helicopter flights a camera is welcome — one seller explicitly says to bring one — but luggage and large bags are not allowed on board. On microlights, cameras and phones stay on the ground entirely; the operator films the flight and sells the footage. And bring the fee in cash.

Yes, and they differ by operator. On the Zimbabwe side, the operators that publish a limit state 140 kg per passenger; MJair publishes none. On the Zambia side, Livingstone’s Adventure states 110 kg for helicopter flights — above that an additional seat can be booked — and a strict 100 kg for microlights. You are weighed at check-in either way, because seats are assigned by weight. If you are near a limit, ask the seller before booking.

Almost every flight on this site can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before, with a full refund — that is the sellers’ standard policy here. We found one non-refundable product in the region and chose not to list it. Weather cancellations by the operator are handled separately: travellers report flexible rebooking.

They are different sellers with different contracts, and sometimes they sell different flights of the same operator. Where we could verify that the same operator is behind both, the flight appears on our cards with both sellers next to each other. Watch the fee line too: one Viator product includes the government fee in its online price, which makes it look more expensive than it is in comparison.

Longer than the flight time suggests. Sellers state pickup 15–30 minutes before the flight and a 5–10 minute drive to the helipad; at the base you are weighed, briefed and assigned a seat, and travellers describe some waiting while several groups are flown in sequence. Plan for one to two hours door to door, even for a 12-minute flight.

Travellers consistently describe four to five passengers plus the pilot, with seats assigned by weight at check-in. Several operators guarantee a window seat for every passenger, and the aircraft on the Zimbabwe side fly with curved or bubble windows. On the short flights the helicopter circles the falls, so both sides of the cabin get the full view in turn.

Yes — from the air the border doesn’t matter. The flights circle the whole curtain, and one traveller sums it up: the flight gives “a really good perspective of the falls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia side”. Which side you take off from affects fees and logistics, not the view.

Almost always, within the operator’s home town: sellers on the Zimbabwe side include pickup from hotels and lodges in and around Victoria Falls Town, and Livingstone’s Adventure includes pickup from Livingstone accommodation. Outside those areas transfers cost extra — and cross-border pickups are the exception: one seller meets Livingstone guests at the border free of charge, or picks them up at their hotel for US$30 per person.

On the Zimbabwe side, travellers describe being photographed and filmed from the weighing station onwards; after landing, the material is offered for roughly US$25–50. On the microlight it is the other way round: your own camera is not allowed on board, and the operator’s photo package is the only way to take pictures home. Both are optional — budget for them or decline them, but expect the offer.

There is no published availability data, so an honest answer: the dry season from June to September is the main travel season, with August particularly busy — and since nearly every flight here can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before, booking ahead costs you nothing in flexibility. Outside the peak it can be easier: one traveller reports that a short-notice booking in January worked smoothly.