Victoria Falls town, Zimbabwe: sights, stays and food

Which town is Victoria Falls in?

Victoria Falls is its own town, named after the waterfall: a resort town and city in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe⁴. It sits at the western tip of Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River⁵, with Livingstone, Zambia, on the far side of the border.

The town lies immediately next to the falls² and is surrounded by the Zambezi, Mosi-oa-Tunya and Victoria Falls national parks⁴. Botswana and Namibia are only a few kilometres⁵ away. If you plan to cross the river, read the guide to Livingstone on the Zambian bank.

Don’t expect a pretty old town centre. The tour company Adventure Life calls it functional rather than particularly charming⁷: you come for the falls and the river, and the town handles the beds, meals and bookings.

What to do in the town of Victoria Falls

The falls are the reason to be here, and almost everything else sits within a short walk or taxi ride of them. Victoria Falls is also a regional centre for adventure tourism⁴, so the town fills up with activity desks and operators.

• Victoria Falls National Park (the Rainforest): the main viewing area for the falls on the Zimbabwean side². Since February 2026, international day visitors pay US$58⁸ (checked October 2026) at the main gate. See the rainforest entrance fees and hours.
• Victoria Falls Bridge: a steel arch with a view of the falls from its centre², opened in April 1905⁴. More on the historic steel bridge over the gorge.
• The Big Tree: an ancient baobab estimated to be 2000 years old². Read up on the Big Tree baobab before you go.
• Jafuta Heritage Centre: a small museum on the cultural heritage of the Shona, Ndebele, Tonga and Lozi people⁹.
• David Livingstone statue: the bronze figure stands on the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls¹⁰. Livingstone viewed the falls on 16 November 1855¹¹ from what is now Livingstone Island.
• Adventure activities: jet boating, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping and mountain biking⁴.

The Rainforest fee is the biggest fixed cost of a day in town. For how it sits next to the other park charges, see the rainforest entrance fee comparison. If you’d rather see both banks in one go, the guided tour of the falls from both sides crosses into Zambia.

Markets, shops and supplies

Curio shopping in Victoria Falls town clusters around the post office and Elephant’s Walk, and self-caterers have supermarkets too:

• Curio markets: just behind the post office, with dozens of tourist shops².
• Elephant’s Walk: shops selling art, sculpture, jewellery, craft, curios, clothing, homewares, books and antiques, with its own open-air curio market for bargaining¹². It’s open every day from 8am to 5pm¹².
• Supermarkets: Pick n Pay and OK².

Many visitors also take a day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana⁶ from town; the Chobe day trip with lunch includes hotel pickup.

Places to stay in and near town

Victoria Falls town is the obvious base on this side of the river: most properties on the Zimbabwean side are in or near the small town¹³. You’ll find everything from campsites to the grand old hotel by the railway station.

Wikivoyage’s room bands put budget doubles under US$30, mid-range at US$30 to US$200 and splurges at more than US$200². For every option on both banks, browse all the places to stay around the falls.

Stays in the town itself

• The Victoria Falls Hotel: built in 1904⁹, it calls itself one of the world’s classic five-star hotels¹⁴. The falls are about a 10-minute walk¹⁵ along its private pathway.
• Ilala Lodge Hotel: in the heart of Victoria Falls town, and by its own count an 8-minute walk¹⁶ from the falls. Chalo Africa’s rate includes breakfast, the 2% tourism levy and 15% VAT¹⁷.
• Victoria Falls Rest Camp: 1.5 km from the main entrance and 0.5 km from the town’s restaurants³. Breakfast is included with every lodge and safari tent³.
• The Victoria Falls Deluxe Suites: a hotel in the heart of Victoria Falls town¹⁸.
• Shoestring Backpackers: a small pool, a restaurant and a bar that is also popular with locals².

Quieter suburbs and just outside town

• Boutique B&B: 528 Victoria Falls is an owner-run boutique B&B in a leafy suburb¹⁹.
• Amadeus Garden: owner-managed, B&B-style lodging two kilometres from the Falls².
• Pennywise Cottages: a family-run B&B/lodge in a quiet neighbourhood, a 20-minute walk or 5-minute taxi ride² from town.
• Elephant Hills Resort: on a bluff three kilometres upstream²⁰ from the falls.
• Victoria Falls Safari Lodge: its rates include a free shuttle to Victoria Falls town and the Rainforest²¹.

Staying out of town rarely strands you: most of the better properties outside town offer complimentary shuttles⁷. Compare the safari lodges near Victoria Falls if you want bush around you at night.

Places to eat and drink in Victoria Falls town

Eating out here mostly means hotel dining rooms: all the hotels have restaurants, and many visitors try a different one each night². The town centre adds a few coffee shops, sandwich shops and fast food options².

Places to eat and drink

Place	Area	Type	Hours and season	Google rating	Map
The Lookout Cafe - Wild HorizonsPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Restaurant	Mon–Sun 08:00–21:30	4.6 (2,447 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
The Social Kitchen Victoria FallsPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Eclectic restaurant	Mon–Sun 07:00–20:30	4.7 (167 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
The Three Monkeys Restaurant & Bar, Victoria FallsPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Restaurant	Mon–Sun 11:00–21:00	4.5 (2,303 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Nando's Victoria FallsPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Chicken restaurant	Mon–Wed 09:00–22:00; Thu–Sat 09:00–23:00; Sun 09:00–22:00	4 (273 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
The Boma - Dinner & Drum ShowPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Dinner theater	–	4.4 (1,776 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Baines RestaurantPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Fine dining restaurant	Mon–Fri 10:00–21:00; Sat–Sun 08:00–21:00	4.7 (405 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
The Victoria Falls Hotel	Victoria Falls town	Hotel	–	4.6 (2,157 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
The Cassia RestaurantPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Fine dining restaurant	Mon–Sun 06:30–21:30	4.7 (120 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Brooks Cafe & Deli Vic FallsPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Coffee shop	Mon–Sun 08:00–16:00	4.7 (139 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
The RiverPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Brewpub	–	4.8 (52 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Victoria Falls Coffee CompanyPhoto: Google Maps	Victoria Falls town	Cafe	Mon–Sun 07:00–14:00	5 (17 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Rail Junction sports bar & restaurant LivingstonePhoto: Google Maps	Livingstone	Restaurant	Mon closed; Tue–Sun 10:00–23:00	4.9 (36 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Kubu CafePhoto: Google Maps	Livingstone	Cafe	Mon–Sat 08:30–22:00; Sun 08:00–17:00	4.3 (495 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Zest Bar And Restaurant LivingstonePhoto: Google Maps	Livingstone	Restaurant	Mon–Sun 10:30–00:00	4 (890 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Sweet & Salty cafePhoto: Google Maps	Livingstone	Restaurant	Mon–Sun 08:00–22:00	4.2 (72 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Limpo's PUB & GrillPhoto: Google Maps	Livingstone	Bar	Mon–Thu 06:00–00:00; Fri–Sat 06:00–05:00; Sun 06:00–00:00	3.9 (1,440 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
S'lo Lounge LivingstonePhoto: Google Maps	Livingstone	Restaurant	Mon closed; Tue–Sun 10:00–22:00	4.2 (34 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
KubuPhoto: Google Maps	Royal Livingstone (Zambian side of the falls)	Fusion restaurant	Mon–Sun 11:00–22:00	4.2 (44 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map
Shearwater Bungee Cafe & RegistrationPhoto: Google Maps	Royal Livingstone (Zambian side of the falls)	Cafe	Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00	4.4 (109 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026	Map

Listings come from Google Maps (via DataForSEO), checked October 2026. They aren’t ordered or ranked by rating, and no place paid to appear here.

A few places worth planning an evening around:

• The Boma: on the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge estate, 3 km from the city centre, open 7pm to 10pm²². The four-course meal²² ends in a braai buffet; you can book the Boma dinner and drum show online.
• Stanley’s Terrace: high tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel, served daily from 15:00 to 17:00²³.
• Dusty Road: a traditional Zimbabwean restaurant in Chinotimba township²⁴.
• Lookout Café: overlooks the canyon below the falls, including the bridge².
• River Brewing Co: serves its own beer².

How do you get to Victoria Falls town?

Fly into Victoria Falls Airport, 18 km south of the town⁴, or come overland: the most direct overland route is from Bulawayo². The town is linked to the rest of Zimbabwe by the A8 road and by railway⁴.

Wild Horizons says it runs shared and private airport transfers⁶. Trains arrive at the station on Mallet Drive, next to the Victoria Falls Hotel², so you step off in the middle of town.

Getting around and staying safe

Victoria Falls town is small enough to walk between most sights, and taxis cover the rest. Sources differ on fares: Wild Horizons puts most town trips at USD 5 to 10⁶, while Wikivoyage says cabs are plentiful and a ride should cost no more than $6².

• Agree the fare before you get in.
• Use your lodge’s shuttle if it has one.
• Keep small US dollar notes for taxis and markets.

Questions people ask