The helicopter experience comes in two forms – a 15-minute excursion over the Falls and a 30-minute trip down over the gorge and back up and over the Falls. Each one is surprisingly different, but both give you an excellent perspective of the wonder of the Victoria Falls.
The 15-minute flight departs from a location near the river and rises swiftly into the air over the Falls themselves. Once over the Falls, the pilot circles several times in both directions, giving everyone on board a terrific view of the water below.
The experience is dramatic as the Falls are instantly “in your face” from the moment of takeoff. The 30-minute helicopter experience takes off from the same locations as the 15-minute experience, but first travels down river, dropping into the gorge itself, skimming low above the churning water.
After leaving the gorge, the pilot rises swiftly in altitude and turns back up river towards the Falls.
With the gorge below, the Falls ahead and the mopane savanna stretching away on either side, you get a real sense of the formation and layout of the gorge and the Falls. The chopper then circles over the waterfall and heads further up river, approaching the borders of the National Parks. The 30-minute ride actually spends slightly less time circling over the top of the Falls than the 15-minute flight, but the adrenalin-filled ride down the gorge, and the overall perspective this flight gives makes the longer flight well worth it.
