Zimbabwe side
The town sits immediately next to the falls.
- The national park here is the main viewing area on this side
- Rainforest moonlight viewing: US$116 for international visitors
- Zambezi National Park a five-minute drive away
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Plan your trip
The guide is split by what you’re planning: things to do, where to stay and the areas on each side of the falls.
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Zimbabwe side or Zambian side?
You can see the falls from either country: the Zimbabwean town sits in the far west of the country, across the border from Livingstone, Zambia2. Botswana and Namibia are only a few kilometres away3 too.
Zambian side
Livingstone, Zambia lies across the border from the Zimbabwean town.
- Devil's Pool, the infinity pool on the lip of the falls
- Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park next to the falls
- Flights usually cost less than to the Zimbabwean side
Read more on where the Vic Falls waterfall sits, or cross over with the Livingstone, Zambia town guide.
Where to stay
Base yourself in the Zimbabwean town for the shortest trip to the falls: it lies immediately next to them2. For a safari feel, one of the lodges below was the first private game lodge inside Zambezi National Park4.
Further out, Matetsi is around a 45-minute drive5 away, and the booking site Safari.com lists it from $7656 per person sharing in low season.
Victoria Falls town, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
The Victoria Falls Hotel
Details
- Stables Wing suits small families and tour groups
- Children of any age welcome
- About a 10-minute walk to the falls on a private path
- Breakfast included (agent rates)
- Stables Wing: free afternoon tea and a massage voucher
- Airport transfers on request, about 25 minutes
Single supplements may apply. The Livingstone Room is closed on Sundays and has a dress code.
The Victoria Falls Hotel (resort) · Travel Butlers (booking agent) · Go2Africa (booking agent)
From $664 (Classic Room) to $6,500 (Presidential Suite)
Own siteZambezi National Park, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls River Lodge
Details
- Tented suites for couples, groups or families
- Malachite tents for couples
- Villas for multi-generational families and small groups
- All meals and local drinks
- Two game activities a day
- Shared Victoria Falls Airport transfers
- VAT included
Park entrance, conservation and heritage fees are extra. Malachite and Treehouse suites take guests aged 12 and up only.
Victoria Falls River Lodge (resort)
US$910–1,120 per person per night sharing, tented suites (2026, green to high season)
Own siteVictoria Falls town, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Shearwater Explorers Village
Details
- Deluxe rooms for couples
- Dome tents for backpackers
- Campsites for overland groups
- Breakfast included in chalet rates; not included for tents
- Rates include 15.5% VAT
National park fees and meals other than breakfast cost extra. Pay in full on arrival. 100% charge if you cancel within 7 days.
Explorers Village (resort) · victoriafalls-guide.net (travel guide)
US$110–137 per person sharing in a chalet (2026); US$176–218 single; serviced tents US$34–46
Own siteCompare every option on where to stay near the falls.
Dinner with a view
Evenings here can come with a view or a show. You could book a dinner cruise on the Zambezi River or the Boma dinner and drum show.
On the Zambian bank, the Waterfront sits in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, 3 km upstream from the falls7. Its deck, bar and restaurant overlook the spray8.
Places to eat in town are in the Vic Falls food and drink guide.
Getting there
Flying is the quick way in: the drive from Harare is about 900 km and takes roughly 9 to 10 hours9. Once you’re there, international day visitors pay US$5810 (checked October 2026) at the Rainforest main gate.
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Fly in direct
British Airways and South African Airways fly daily from Johannesburg; Kenya Airways flies in from Nairobi and Cape Town.
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Or connect via Harare or Bulawayo
From those airports, allow a further domestic flight or a road transfer of 5 to 10 hours.
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Or take the train
The most direct overland route is from Bulawayo; as of 2026 the overnight train runs once a week.
See every route in, with travel times, and where the falls sit on a map.
When to go
Come in winter, May to August11, for mild, mostly dry and sunny days; the rainy season runs November to March2. Livingstone Island trips run 11 to 12 months of the year12 and stop when the Zambezi is too high13, but Devil’s Pool keeps a much shorter season.
- Pool usually open
- Start date varies
- River too high
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
For month-by-month detail, see the best months to see the falls.
Things to do
The town is a regional centre for adventure tourism: think whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, jet boating and mountain biking14. Rafting involves steep descents into and out of the Batoka Gorge15, and helicopter flights depart daily near the gorge for 12–13 to 30 minutes16.
For something calmer, the Victoria Falls Bridge, built in 1905 at Cecil Rhodes’s request17, is a steel arch with a view of the falls from its centre2: see the guide to visiting the falls bridge. Zambezi National Park is a five-minute drive18 from town, and many visitors add a day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana9.
Victoria Falls: Helicopter Tour with Hotel Pickup
Free cancellation · Pickup included
FromUS$180
See dates on GetYourGuide
From Victoria Falls: Livingstone Island Tour & Devils Pool
Free cancellation · Pickup included
FromUS$230
See dates on GetYourGuide
Victoria Falls: 2-Hour Luxury Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
Free cancellation · Pickup included
FromUS$69
See dates on GetYourGuideCompare Vic Falls tour options and prices, or browse all the things to do at Vic Falls.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits
Checked against 19 sources · last checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- We Are Victoria Falls · checked October 2026
- Victoria Falls River Lodge (resort) · checked October 2026
- Scott Dunn (booking agent) · checked October 2026
- Safari.com (booking agent) · checked October 2026
- Tourism Update (news) · checked October 2026
- Safpar (resort) · checked October 2026
- Wild Horizons (operator) · checked October 2026
- Tourism Update (news) · checked October 2026
- We Are Victoria Falls · checked October 2026
- Livingstone Island (operator) · checked October 2026
- devilspool.net (operator) · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- Wild Horizons (operator) · checked October 2026
- Wild Horizons (operator) · checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- Wild Horizons (operator) · checked October 2026
- Wild Horizons (operator) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 21 October 2026
- First written