Victoria Falls Add-on Tour – Premium

Overview

Stay at the historic Victoria Falls Hotel, visit the falls with a local guide and cruise the Zambezi

Experience Victoria Falls from a fitting base: the Victoria Falls Hotel, built in 1904 for workers on the Cape-to-Cairo railway. From here, join a local expert for a guided tour of the falls, following paths through the surrounding rainforest to viewpoints over the cataracts. There’s also time for an optional helicopter flight before we cruise the upper Zambezi at sunset, watching for wildlife along the riverbanks.

Key Information

Activity: Culture
Activity Level: Easy
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you.
Comfort Level: Premium
Trip Code: XTNVFP
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Zimbabwe

What's Included

All accommodation: 2 Premium nights (Victoria Falls Hotel)
Two breakfasts
Immersive itinerary with all transport and listed activities
Expert local guide at Victoria Falls
Arrival and departure transfers (shared shuttle bus)

Positive Impact

We donate to our Foundation and rewild 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller. Find out more about how our adventures support nature and people to thrive.

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.

Highlights

Witness Victoria Falls with a local expert who reveals the stories and geology behind the spectacle

Cruise the upper Zambezi at sunset, watching for wildlife along the riverbanks

Stay at a historic hotel with views over the billowing spray of Victoria Falls

Itinerary

First Destination: Victoria Falls
Next Destination: Victoria Falls

Accommodation:Victoria Falls Hotel
Meals included:None

Accommodation:Victoria Falls Hotel
Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Victoria Falls
Next Destination: Victoria Falls

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:Victoria Falls Hotel

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:Victoria Falls Hotel
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

Dates & Prices

Accommodation

Victoria Falls Hotel

Built by the British in 1904, this historic property exudes Edwardian elegance and is generally considered the oldest luxury hotel in the country. Look out from the gardens and you’ll see the billowing spray of Victoria Falls itself, while the property has plenty to keep you entertained when you’re not out exploring. Highlights include a pool area with an open-air bar, a gallery showcasing the works of Zimbabwean wildlife artist Larry Norton, and fine dining in the Livingstone Room.

Essential Information

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.