Things to do in Victoria Falls Town: activities and travel tips
- Jul 21
- 6 min read
It will probably not surprise you that the town next to the famous Victoria Falls is called Victoria Falls Town. But did you know that it is also a really enjoyable place to stay for a few days before continuing to your next destination? Most visitors only come to see the waterfall, but there is so much more to do from Victoria Falls Town!
See Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side
Of course, we will start with the main reason people travel to Victoria Falls Town: Victoria Falls itself! We have seen plenty of waterfalls during our travels, but this place is truly incredible. The entrance fee is a little expensive, but visiting the waterfall is definitely worth the money. You follow a walking route past several viewpoints, each offering an amazing view. Zimbabwe is generally a very dry country, but around the waterfall you walk through a beautiful rainforest created by the constant spray from Victoria Falls.
Besides visiting the waterfall on foot, you can also take a helicopter flight over it. This is a very popular activity, and you will notice helicopters flying over Victoria Falls throughout the day. Tours are also advertised almost everywhere in town. Real daredevils can even experience the waterfall from the water by swimming close to its edge while being supervised by guides. This was a little too frightening for us, but it is certainly an incredible activity!
Take a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River
The Zambezi River forms a natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and is, of course, best known for Victoria Falls. A cruise along this river is therefore almost impossible to skip when staying in Victoria Falls Town!
There are several types of cruises available. You can choose between a dinner cruise or a sunset cruise with snacks and drinks. With both options, you are often collected from your hotel in town before the cruise and dropped off there again afterwards.
Once on board, you can choose a comfortable place to sit. During a dinner cruise, you may be shown to your own table. The food is good, and many cruises include unlimited drinks. As you sail along the Zambezi River, you are treated to fantastic views. We saw plenty of hippos as well as elephants, and the sunset was absolutely incredible from the boat.
Take a day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana
Victoria Falls is located close to the Zambian border, but drive for around an hour to the west and you will reach Botswana. Victoria Falls Town is therefore the perfect base for a day trip to Chobe National Park, where you can take both a game drive and a boat safari.
Several tours are available from Victoria Falls, but we booked ours through GetYourGuide.
We were collected early in the morning by minibus and driven to the Botswana border. Here, you need to wait for a while and pass through several passport-control points.
Once inside Botswana, you transfer to a safari vehicle and are driven to a hotel nearby.
Depending on the tour schedule, you may first take a game drive through Chobe National Park. After lunch at the hotel, you then board a quiet boat for a cruise along the Chobe River. Just like the Zambezi River between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the Chobe River forms a natural border, in this case between Botswana and Namibia. The river is filled with wildlife. We saw enormous crocodiles, large herds of elephants, giraffes, hippos and buffaloes. There are also countless species of birds to see.
How many days do you need in Victoria Falls Town?
Around three days is usually more than enough time in Victoria Falls Town. This gives you one day to visit the famous Victoria Falls, one day to take a trip to Botswana and some additional time for souvenir shopping, a river cruise and exploring the town.
The best restaurants in Victoria Falls Town
There are several beautiful places to have lunch or dinner in Victoria Falls Town. These were our favourites.
The Lookout Café
The Lookout Café is probably the best-known café in Victoria Falls Town and is extremely popular. Located along a path behind Victoria Falls, the café sits on a cliff with an incredible view across the Batoka Gorge and the Zambezi River. It is a beautiful place, and the food is also very good. Make sure you reserve a table in advance, as the café is often fully booked—especially the seats with the best views of the gorge.
Baines Restaurant
Baines Restaurant is just as beautiful as The Lookout Café, but slightly less well known.
It is located farther away from the waterfall but also offers a wonderful view of the Zambezi River. It is a lovely place to sit in the sunshine with a glass of wine or beer, or to try a piece of malva pudding, a popular dessert in Southern Africa.
The Three Monkeys
The Three Monkeys was our regular dinner spot in town. It is conveniently located and has a trendy, covered dining area where you can enjoy a relaxed meal. The menu includes local dishes as well as delicious pizzas, burgers and good cuts of meat. The restaurant is still open seven days a week at the time of writing.
MaKuwa-Kuwa restaurant
If you are staying at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge or its more affordable sister property, Lokuthula Lodges, MaKuwa-Kuwa Restaurant is a lovely place for drinks or dinner. From the restaurant, you have a beautiful view of a waterhole where elephants and other animals may appear around sunset. Traditional singing or dance performances are also sometimes organised during dinner.
How do you get to Victoria Falls Town?
Victoria Falls Town has its own international airport, located around 20 minutes away by car. We flew there from Nelspruit in a small plane, but there are also regular regional flights from cities including Johannesburg and Harare. Direct flight schedules change, so it is best to check the current connections when planning your trip.
When travelling from Europe, you will normally need at least one connection. Depending on your airline, you may travel via cities such as Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Nairobi or Harare rather than always flying through Harare.
Did you know that Victoria Falls is easy to combine with a safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa? More information about South Africa can be found here!
What visa do you need for Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls?
Dutch travellers need permission to enter Zimbabwe. Visa rules, application procedures and eligible nationalities can change, so always check the official Zimbabwe immigration website before travelling. Depending on your itinerary, you may be able to apply for a regular Zimbabwe visa or use the KAZA UniVisa. The KAZA UniVisa is particularly useful if you plan to travel between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It allows eligible travellers to visit both countries for up to 30 days and also permits a day trip to Botswana through the Kazungula border. This can be ideal when you want to cross into Zambia near Victoria Falls and take a day trip to Chobe National Park. The visa is only issued at selected airports and border crossings, and availability cannot always be guaranteed. Check the latest rules, eligible nationalities, prices and participating entry points before departure.
Best time to visit Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls Town and the waterfall can be visited throughout the year, but the experience changes significantly depending on the water level. From January onwards, the water level of the Zambezi River usually starts to rise because of rainfall farther upstream. Victoria Falls often reaches its highest flow between March and May. During this period, the waterfall is at its most powerful and impressive. However, this is not always the best time for clear views. The enormous amount of water creates a lot of spray, which can make parts of the waterfall difficult to see. A few months later, between approximately June and September, the waterfall is still beautiful but the water level gradually becomes lower. This often means less spray and better visibility across the gorge. The precise water level varies every year, but April and May are commonly associated with peak flow, while the second half of the year generally offers clearer views.
