Zimbabwe
Bucket List Experience
This 108-metre-high waterfall is one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. It’s impossible not to be awed and humbled by Mosi-Oa-Tunya, the ‘smoke that thunders’.
Good for age: 4+
Bucket list trip:
Victoria Falls 4-day Itinerary
Multiple countries
Last updated: 04 April, 2024
Where to go and what to see in Victoria Falls to get the most from your trip – a 4-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Richard Holmes.
Editor note – Richard has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Victoria Falls destination guide.
Day 1
Spend a morning marvelling at Mosi-oa-Tunya. The Zimbabwean side offers the best views, from stone pathways that meander through lush rainforest. It’s worth the extra walk to Danger Point, to see the thunderous Eastern Cataract.
Afterwards, learn more about wildlife conservation at the Victoria Falls Elephant Sanctuary, before relaxing at the historic Victoria Falls Hotel for lunch or afternoon tea.
Then take to the skies in a helicopter, for a quick flight to admire the cascades from above.
Enjoy dinner at your riverside lodge or, on the Zimbabwean side, the colourful ‘Boma Dinner & Drum Show’.
Victoria Falls Town, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe
Enjoy a close-up experience meeting Loxodonta africana in their natural environment, at this respected elephant sanctuary.
Adult price: 15
Good for age: 4+
Duration: 2-3 hours
Livingstone, Southern Province, South Africa
Bucket List Experience
Appreciate the true scale and majesty of the Falls from above, with helicopter and microlight flights.
Adult price: 150
Good for age: 10+
Duration: 1.5 hours
Victoria Falls Town, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe
Bucket List Experience
Vibrant outdoor restaurant steeped in African decor, with local entertainment and terrific barbecue buffet.
Adult price: 25
Good for age: 4+
Duration: 3 hours
When: Daily
Freq: daily
Victoria Falls Town, Matabeleland North, Central African Republic (CAR)
Official star rating:
A historic hotel – Victoria Falls’ grand dame – that combines classic charm with unrivalled location, steps from the Falls.
Average £520
Extra beds
Pool
2+ bedrooms
Beach
Kids menu
Fitness center
Kids club
Day 2
Step out for a walking safari in Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, tracking endangered white rhinoceros.
Next, head into Livingstone for souvenir shopping at the Dambwa Market, before lunch at the Zambezi Waterfront.
After lunch, brave a cliffside swim in the Devil’s Pool above the Falls. If water levels are too high (it’s safest August-December) head upstream for a canoe safari on the Zambezi River.
End the day with a trip on the Royal Livingstone Express, enjoying sundowners aboard a vintage steam train.
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Southern Province, Zambia
Bucket List Experience
Excellent guided bush walks that will get you up close and personal with the endangered white rhinoceros in Zambia’s Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park.
Adult price: 82
Min age 14
Good for age: 14+
Duration: 2 or 4 hours
Dambwa Market
Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia
Experience
Enjoy a taste of local living at the Dambwa market in Livingstone. This is where locals come to shop, and you’ll find everything from fresh produce to wooden carvings. Guided tours are available if you’re unsure about exploring on your own.
Good for age: 18+
Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia
Bucket List Experience
Take a dip in the small lagoon on Livingstone Island – right on the lip of the 103m-high Falls. Not for the faint hearted.
Adult price: 115
Min age 12
Good for age: 13+
Duration: 2 hours
Zimbabwe
Bucket List Experience
Paddle down the mighty Zambezi, spotting birds and big game including hippo, elephant and crocodile.
Adult price: 120
Min age 12
Good for age: 12+
Duration: 5 hours
Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia
Bucket List Experience
Fine-dining aboard a lovely colonial-era steam train as it chuffs for 15km through the game-rich Zambian bush.
Adult price: 150
Good for age: 13+
Duration: 4 hours
Day 3
Make this a day for adventure! The Zambezi River is home to some of the most extreme white-water rapids on the planet, and river rafting should be top of your list. Water levels will determine how many rapids you can tackle.
Alternatively book a jet-boat excursion, for a thrilling ride and a different perspective of the Falls from below.
If time (and courage) allows, bungee jump from the famous railway bridge across the Batoka Gorge. If that’s a step too far, try zip-lining across the gorge instead.
After a day of adrenalin, relax with a sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River.
Zimbabwe
Bucket List Experience
Take courage in both hands and raft the world-class white-water rapids of the mighty, crocodile-infested Zambezi River, funneling through the Batoka Gorge at Victoria Falls. And remember to look out for the crocs!
Adult price: 100
Min age 15
Good for age: 15+
Duration: 5-10 hours
Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia
Bucket List Experience
Exhilarating jetboat adventure that powers up the rapids of the Zambezi River for a few hours of adrenaline-fuelled fun.
Adult price: 80
Min age 12
Good for age: 13+
Duration: 2-2.5 hours
Zimbabwe
Bucket List Experience
A historic bridge over a famous gorge sets the scene for one of the most impressive and famous bungee jumps on the planet. Seriously white-knuckle aerial adventure.
Adult price: 130
Min age 18
Good for age: 18+
Duration: 2 hours
Victoria Falls Town, Matabeleland North, Central African Republic (CAR)
Bucket List Experience
One of the world’s greatest zip-lines – 425 metres across a scenic Gorge, over the churning Zambezi River, passing the dramatic spectacle of one of the world’s biggest waterfalls.
Adult price: 65
Min age 6
Good for age: 13+
Duration: 1-2 hours
Victoria Falls Town, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe
Bucket List Experience
Scenic cruises and game spotting on one of Africa’s greatest rivers, just made for sundowners.
Adult price: 35
Good for age: 4+
Duration: 1+ hours
Day 4
Leave early to make the most of a full day in Botswana’s Chobe National Park; an hour’s drive from Victoria Falls.
Chobe excursions include transport to the Park and safaris in open vehicles, with the chance to spot all of the ‘Big Five’.
A boat trip on the broad Chobe River delivers close-up encounters with elephant, rhino and buffalo.
Return for sundowners at The Royal Livingstone Hotel, followed by dinner in their restaurant, Kubu. The impressive Falls views and riverside setting make it worth the hefty price tag.
Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta, Central African Republic (CAR)
Bucket List Experience
Explore one of Africa’s most spectacular wilderness areas, famed for its huge herds of elephant and elephant-eating lions.
Adult price: 120
Good for age: 8+
Duration: Full day
Sundowners at the Royal Livingstone Hotel
Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia
Experience
With the spray rising downstream and the sun dipping below the Zambezi, enjoy the best sundowner G&T in Africa from the Kubu Bar at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. Non-residents are welcome, and the views are worth the price tag.
Adult price: 12
Min age 18
Good for age: 18+
Duration: 2-3 hours
Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia
Official star rating:
A five-star hotel with an unrivalled Falls location, luxury rooms and modern facilities… at a price.
Average £460
Extra beds
Pool
2+ bedrooms
Beach
Kids menu
Fitness center
Kids club
