Victoria Falls Add-on Tour – Classic

Victoria Falls Add-on Tour – Classic Trip Notes

Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Destination: Zimbabwe
Programmes: Trip Extensions
Activity Level:
1 out of 7 - Easy
Ages: 16+
Trip Code: XTNVFALLS

Trip Overview

Experience the mighty Victoria Falls with a local guide and cruise the Zambezi

Witness the extraordinary power of Victoria Falls with a local expert who brings its geology, rainforest ecosystem and stories to life. Follow forest paths between viewpoints over the cataracts and gorge, use your free morning to enjoy an optional helicopter flight, then cruise the upper Zambezi at sunset while watching for wildlife along the banks. We stay at A’Zambezi River Lodge, the only hotel in Victoria Falls National Park with a position directly beside the Zambezi.

Is This Trip for You?

This Add-on Tour is rated Activity Level 1 (Easy). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Suitability: The tour of Victoria Falls can be slippery due to the water spray, we recommended that you wear appropriate footwear.

Group

There’s no main tour leader on this Add-On Tour. However, you are joined by a local guide for your tour of Victoria Falls.

Adult min age: 16

Min group size: 1

Max group size: 8

Itinerary

Land Only

Start City: Victoria Falls
End City: Victoria Falls

Land Only Itinerary

Begin your adventure in Victoria Falls, a town on the Zimbabwean bank of the Zambezi River and the base for visiting the world’s largest curtain of falling water.

Flights normally arrive around midday, followed by a transfer to your riverside accommodation.

At 3pm, join a local guide for a three-hour tour of Victoria Falls National Park, following rainforest paths between viewpoints over the cataracts and gorge.

Fed by the spray, the forest provides an unexpectedly green setting for our first sight of the Falls – and our guide helps us understand how the river, geology and changing water levels shape what we see.

You can remain in the park until sunset before returning to the lodge.

Accommodation: A'zambezi River Lodge

The morning is free to choose from the activities available around Victoria Falls. One option is the aptly named Flight of Angels, a helicopter ride above the Falls and the Zambezi gorges. Morning flights typically benefit from cooler air, smoother conditions and clearer light, though all flights remain subject to the weather.

You’re picked up from the hotel at 3.30pm in winter or 4pm in summer for a sunset cruise. Spending approximately two hours on the upper Zambezi, watch the changing light across the river and look for wildlife along the banks before returning to the lodge.

Please note: The cruise requires a US$12 per person national park entry fee, which cannot be prepaid and is payable locally.

Accommodation: A'zambezi River Lodge

Meals included: Breakfast

You’ve witnessed the power of Victoria Falls, chosen your own way to experience the area and cruised the Zambezi as the sun went down, but now it’s time to begin your return journey home.

We collect you approximately three hours before your flight for the transfer to Victoria Falls Airport.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation

A'zambezi River Lodge

Set on the banks of the Zambezi, this peaceful retreat offers beautiful river views and spacious gardens. Highlights include an outdoor swimming pool, a beauty spa, two bars and an open-air restaurant overlooking the river. Breakfast, lunch and dinner cruises depart from the lodge’s private jetty, while an activity desk can assist with arranging local experiences. A complimentary scheduled daily shuttle runs to Victoria Falls town and the Falls.

Food & Drink

Budget between US$20 and US$50 per person, per day for a mid-range dining experience in Victoria Falls.

Weather & Seasonality

Dry season (May to October)

May to August (winter/cool dry): Daytime temperatures typically range between 25C (77F) and 30C (86F), while nights and early mornings can fall to around 8C (46F). Water levels are generally high from May to July, when Victoria Falls carries some of its greatest volume.
September to October (hot dry): This is the hottest time of year, with temperatures regularly exceeding 35C (95F) before the rains arrive. The Zambezi reaches its lowest levels during this period, greatly reducing the flow on the Zambian side. Water continues to pass over the Zimbabwean side, while the lower spray levels reveal more of the gorge and rock formations.

Wet season (November to April)

From November to March or April, conditions are hot and humid, with frequent cloud cover and afternoon downpours. Temperatures generally range between 30C (86F) and 35C (95F). The rain steadily replenishes the Zambezi, increasing the volume of the Falls until it approaches its peak around April and May. The resulting spray can be remarkable, but expect to get wet on the rainforest trails and for mist to obscure some viewpoints and photographs.

Joining Instructions

Airport transfers (both arrival and departure) are on a shared shuttle service. You may travel with other guests arriving.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Victoria Falls
Location end: Victoria Falls

What To Take

Essential Equipment

There’s no specialist equipment you need for this trip. For more information on what you might need to pack, please see our packing guide.

Practical Info & Visa

Visa

Zimbabwe

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Zimbabwe. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

The current charge for a single-entry visa issued on arrival in Zimbabwe is US$55, although this is subject to change. You should bring enough cash with you to pay for your visa on arrival. You should ensure you have small notes as immigration officers may not be able to provide change.

Please note, if flying via South Africa you will probably have to pass immigration there. Children under 18 must have an unabridged birth certificate showing the names of both parents. If the child is travelling with only one parent, they will need to have an affidavit from the other parent, no more than three months old, confirming the child can travel with the other parent; a court order granting full legal guardianship of the child; or a death certificate of the deceased parent.

Vaccinations and Health

Zimbabwe

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you’re arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Malaria is also a known risk. Please seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic on the best course of action for all the above.

Local Time

Zimbabwe's time zone: Africa/Harare (UTC +02:00)

Electricity

Zimbabwe's electricity:

Plug types D (three round pins) and G (three rectangular pins) – 240V, 50Hz

Money

Zimbabwe's currency: Zimbabwe gold (ZiG), though US dollars are primarily what is needed in Victoria Falls. South African rand is also accepted to a lesser extent.

Tipping

For tipping, we recommend:

Day guides: US$5 per person per day
Drivers: US$3-5 per person per day
Safari/boat guides: US$3-5 per person per day
Restaurants: 10% of the bill

Tipping is voluntary and can be declined if service was unsatisfactory.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Important Information

Your Safe Participation
When booking this trip, you should be confident in your ability to participate in all activities described in these Trip Notes. If you have any doubt about your suitability, please call us and ask to speak to one of the experts on this itinerary.

Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely take part in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity.

By booking this trip you agree to our Booking Conditions which clearly state that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these rare instances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.

Seatbelts
All vehicles used by us should be equipped with working seatbelts, except where approved by us based on the vehicle type or journey. Wherever seatbelts are available, we require our customers to use them for their own safety, even where it may not be a legal requirement.

Travel Safety
For additional information please have a look at the travel safety advice page on our website.

How To Book

Speak to our friendly team of experts to plan your adventure:

Check availability: our website shows real-time availability of our guided group tours, or contact our team by phone, email or live chat.
Hold a space: You can provisionally hold a space on any guided group tour to give you time to finalise your travel plans.
Confirm your booking: Payment of a deposit will complete your booking and secure your place on the trip.

After booking
You will receive a confirmation document and invoice, which includes extra information and guidance about your travel arrangements. Our dedicated Customer Operations team will help you with any pre-travel questions or arrangements and can easily add extensions or extra accommodation to your booking. Final Joining Instructions will usually be sent out two to three weeks prior to departure.

Adding transfers to your booking
If you have arranged your own flights and would like to add transfers to your booking, please provide your arrival and departure details to our Customer Operations team around four to six weeks before departure.

Where complimentary transfers are included, they are available for any flight but can only be added to your booking once we have received your flight schedule.

Where group arrival and departure transfers are available, these operate at fixed times. You will need to arrive in time to meet the scheduled transfer. If the timings don’t align with your travel plans, our team can arrange private transfers once they receive your flight schedule.

Trip Note validity
Trip notes may be updated after booking; if any updates significantly impact the inclusions or itinerary you will be advised in writing. A link to the most up-to-date Trip Notes will be sent out with your Final Joining Instructions before departure.

The information in these Trip Notes is given in good faith. All holidays can be subject to unexpected changes, and occasionally it may not be possible to follow the itinerary as planned. In these circumstances we will make the best-possible alternative arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.

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