What does an underwater waterfall tour cost?
What drives the price
Four things, and once you separate them the comparison gets easy.
Minutes in the air. Helicopter time is what you are buying. The three flights here are 35, 40 and 45 minutes, and the difference between them is not the pass over Le Morne, which is one or two orbits on all of them, but how much of the island crossing you get either side of it. Seaplane time is counted from engine start to engine stop, so taxi, take-off and landing on the water come out of a 15-minute booking. That is worth knowing before you compare a 15-minute seaplane with a 35-minute helicopter as if the numbers meant the same thing.
Per seat or per aircraft. The airport flight and the flight with transfers sell seats. The private charter sells the whole aircraft for up to five people. Divide the charter price by the number of you actually flying and compare that with one seat. With five, the charter usually comes out at less per head. With two, it does not come close, and you are paying for three empty seats and privacy.
Transfers. The 35-minute flight is a three-hour product because a driver collects you at the hotel and brings you back; the flight is 35 minutes of that. The 40-minute airport flight includes no transfer, so add the taxi to Plaine Magnien in both directions. From Le Morne that is 60 to 75 minutes each way. From the north coast it is more. The private charter includes pickup. Which of those is cheaper for you depends on where you are staying, and I cannot know that.
Shared or private. The scenic flight needs a minimum of two to book and four to operate, so a couple booking alone may be moved to a slot where others have booked. Weight balancing can also split a party across two aircraft. The charter removes both problems, which is part of what its price is for.
How to compare like with like
| Mauritius: Underwater Waterfall by Helicopter Tour | Most bookedMauritius: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Hotel Transfers | Mauritius: Private Underwater Waterfall Helicopter Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price basis | Per seat | Per seat | Per aircraft (up to 5) |
| Flight time | 40 min | 35 min | 45 min |
| Door to door | Flight only | About 3 h | Pickup + flight |
| Transfers | Not included | Hotel pickup and drop-off | Hotel pickup and drop-off |
| Seats | Max 5 | Max 6 per booking; 4- or 6-seat aircraft | Whole aircraft |
| Sees the waterfall | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 reviews) | 4.6 (98 reviews) | New, no reviews yet |
| View → | Book this → | View → |
Work out your all-in cost per person for each: seat price plus your taxi for the airport flight, seat price alone for the transfer flight, charter price divided by your party for the private one. Then look at the minutes. That is the whole exercise. The live numbers are in the widgets below and on the all-tours page.
Is the private charter cheaper for five?
Per head, usually yes, and it also gives you five extra minutes and a driver. For four it is closer. For two or three the shared airport flight is the sensible buy unless privacy or a special occasion is the point. It has no reviews yet, which I say plainly on the private charter review; the route is the same loop the airport flight has been flying with a perfect, tiny review sample.
The budget way to Le Morne
The guided hike up Le Morne Brabant is a fraction of any flight, includes hotel pickup in the Le Morne area, breakfast, water and a guide born in the village, and gives you four hours on a UNESCO mountain and a rough view of the sandfall from 556 m. It does not give you the aerial picture. If money is the constraint, hike, and be honest with yourself about what you saw. If the picture is the point, fly. The verdict by budget is on is it worth it.
Cancellation and weather
Included in the price
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on all seven products here
- Weather holds are the operator’s call; flights are rescheduled or refunded, not flown in cloud
- Pilot, headsets and commentary on every helicopter flight
- Hotel transfers on the 35-minute flight and the private charter
Not in the price
- Transfers on the 40-minute airport flight
- Meals on any flight
- A guaranteed pass if the weather closes in mid-flight
- Entry fees at Chamarel and the rum distillery on the road tour
The scenic flight is a three-hour product with a 35-minute flight inside it. Milena from Poland called it “worth the price”; a few reviewers wanted more air time. Both are fair. If minutes in the air are what you value, the airport flight and the charter give you more of them for the same drive to the coast.
Live prices
The airport flight first, then the flight with transfers. Both per seat.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the underwater waterfall helicopter tour cost?
It is sold per seat and the operator sets the rate, so the current price is in the widget above rather than on this page. What to compare is minutes in the air (35, 40 or 45), whether transfers are included, and per seat versus per aircraft. See the helicopter tours page.
Is the private helicopter cheaper than booking seats?
Only if you fill it. The charter is priced per aircraft for up to five; divide by five and it usually beats five seats. Divide by two and it does not. Detail on private helicopter tours.
Is the seaplane cheaper than the helicopter?
Per person, usually, and its duration is counted engine start to stop, so a 15-minute booking is less flying than it sounds. It also flies the north-east coast and does not see the waterfall. See helicopter versus seaplane.
What is the cheapest way to see the underwater waterfall?
There is no cheap way to see the illusion properly, because it needs an aircraft. The cheapest way to Le Morne is the guided hike, which shows you its rough shape from the summit and costs a fraction of a flight.
Do I get a refund if the weather cancels the flight?
Flights held for weather are rescheduled or refunded by the operator. Your own cancellation is free up to 24 hours before on every product on this site.