Zambezi National Park: game drives, hours and getting there

Zambezi National Park

Photo: Google Maps

Type

National park

Address

Victoria Falls

Area

Zambezi National Park

Google rating

4.6 (367 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026

On the map

Open in Google Maps

Opening hours on Google Maps, checked October 2026

Day	Hours
Monday	06:00–18:00
Tuesday	06:00–18:00
Wednesday	06:00–18:00
Thursday	06:00–18:00
Friday	06:00–18:00
Saturday	06:00–18:00
Sunday	06:00–18:00

What the park is like

The park is the bush and river country on the doorstep of Victoria Falls, covering 56,000 hectares² along the Zambezi River. The road to Kazungula divides it into a riverine side and a Chamabonda Vlei side².

What to expect before you go:

• Right next to town: Victoria Falls is surrounded by the Zambezi, Mosi-oa-Tunya and Victoria Falls national parks⁴, so the bush starts close to your hotel.
• Wildlife: on its Victoria Falls National Park page, ZimParks lists the main animals as baboons, warthogs and monkeys, with a leopard seen only very occasionally⁵. Come for the river and the bush, and count any big cat as a bonus.
• A short outing: Wikipedia calls the small, scenic park a great destination for a day trip² from Victoria Falls.

How do you get to Zambezi National Park?

The park is a five-minute drive³ from Victoria Falls town itself, so there’s no long transfer to plan. If you’re flying in, Victoria Falls Airport is 18 km south of the town⁴.

No car? You still have a few ways in:

• A Wild Horizons game drive: the price includes transfers from all Victoria Falls hotels within 5 km of the jetty³.
• The Bamba Tram: Wild Horizons’ tram travels through the park⁶.
• A River Wild Safaris game drive with hotel pickup (see the booking card further down).

Gate hours and the parks fee

Google Maps lists the park as open Mon–Sun 06:00–18:00⁷ (checked October 2026). Victoria Falls River Lodge, which sits inside the park, gives a later winter opening for the Upper Zambezi section:

Season	Upper Zambezi section hours	Source
Summer	06:00–18:008	Victoria Falls River Lodge (resort)
Winter	06:30–18:008	Victoria Falls River Lodge (resort)

Winter in Victoria Falls runs from May to August⁹, so an early winter start may mean a short wait at the gate.

Wild Horizons adds a parks fee to its game drive; the table below shows it. You can see how the other park fees around the falls compare.

Game drives: times and length

Wild Horizons runs a morning and an afternoon game drive in the park. The company says each drive lasts about three hours, though its summary box lists 2 hours³.

The early drive suits you if you want cooler air and the bush waking up; the afternoon one leaves your morning free for the falls.

Book a guided game drive

If you’d rather have someone else drive and spot, this tour’s own listing names the park. River Wild Safaris runs it, with hotel pickup and free cancellation.

Day tour · 3 hours

Game Drive -Victoria Falls, Zambezi National Park

4.3 (12 reviews) on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026

Free cancellation · Pickup included

FromUS$88

See dates on GetYourGuide

Lodges inside the park

You can also sleep in the park itself: there are several lodges inside the park overlooking the Zambezi River². A few names to know:

• Victoria Falls River Lodge says it was the first private game lodge within the park, established in 2012¹¹.
• Old Drift Lodge: guests can explore the park by road, by river or on foot¹², and Wild Horizons says the rate includes morning or afternoon game drives¹³.
• Upriver: Travel Butlers, a tour company, says there are some 5-star lodges upriver in the park¹⁴.

Rates and comparisons are on the page for safari lodge stays inside and near the park.

What’s nearby

The park pairs easily with the falls and the town’s adventure trips, all close together:

• Victoria Falls National Park: the main viewing area for the falls on the Zimbabwean side¹⁵. The town lies immediately next to the falls, and most places in town are no more than 3 km away¹⁵.
• Bungee jumping: one of the town’s adventure activities⁴; see the Victoria Falls bungee jump requirements and fees.
• White-water rafting: also on the Zambezi; check the rafting price and what’s included.

For the rest, browse all the other things to do in and around town.