Must Do Things in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is home to one of the world’s Seven Natural Wonders, Victoria Falls. These impressive falls can be seen and heard from miles away, making it a top tourist destination. But there’s more to do here than just experiencing the falls, son in this guide I’ll cover everything you need to know to plan a perfect trip based on my experience.

Let’s get started!

Victoria Falls Basic Information

Victoria Falls is one of the main tourist destinations in Zimbabwe. A few key things to know before visiting are:

You can fly directly into Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) and from there, it’s only about a 15-minute transfer to get into the main town.
Cash is king in Victoria Falls with only a handful of places accepting credit cards. Come prepared with US dollars as most businesses use this for transactions and it’s not easy to find an ATM with cash you can withdraw from. Plan on bringing some small bills as many places will not be able to make change for you. Some credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are accepted at some businesses, but plan on making sure you have enough cash to cover all your expenses during your stay.
Visas are required for visitors arriving from the United States and most European countries. You can get your visa on arrival at the airport or other border ports of entry. Visas cost $30 for a 30-day single-entry visa, $45 for a 45-day double-entry visa, or $160 for a 12-month multiple-entry visa. If you’re planning on crossing the border to Zambia, Botswana, or Namibia for any sightseeing and are planning on returning to Zimbabwe after, make sure to request the double-entry visa as border patrol agents might default to giving you the single-entry visa otherwise.
In Zimbabwe, it’s customary to tip between 10-15% to waiters in restaurants and to tip ~$1 to porters or those who help carry your bags.
Be aware of scams! Don’t let someone try to give you your change back in Zimbabwean Dollars as they hold little to no value. People may try to get you to buy Zimbabwean Dollars so that they can have US dollars instead, but unless you want to take it home as a souvenir politely tell them that you are not interested.
At the local markets, it’s typical to negotiate the price of the items with the salesman. They will also try to make deals with you if you purchase more than one item. They can be pretty pushy for you to look at their items for sale and buy something, but in my experience, they were all really nice if you look and don’t purchase anything. Keep in mind when negotiating the price that the locals make very little money and are selling these items as a way to provide food and shelter for their families. So don’t try to haggle them down too far as if they’re desperate for money to buy food for their family that day they might sell their items at a loss. Pay whatever you feel comfortable with and take comfort that if something might be more expensive than you may get somewhere else, almost all the money goes back to these locals.
It is relatively safe to walk around the town of Victoria Falls by yourself during the day. At night take caution if you’re walking outside of the town for wildlife that might be in the area. As you’re walking around you will likely be approached by locals looking to sell things to you. They typically won’t take no for an answer the first time around and will try to strike up a conversation with you, but they will eventually take no as your answer after a few tries.
Besides walking, taxis are a popular way to get around Victoria Falls. If you do not have an international calling plan we found that shop owners would call a taxi for you if you bought something at their store. Some hotels also offer free shuttle service, but times and availability vary by hotel.
Zimbabwe typically uses a type D or type G outlet. Plan to bring an international adapter with you that has a variety of plug types.

Things To Do in Victoria Falls

Walk Along the Falls

The number one thing you must do in Victoria Falls is to walk around and see the falls! A tour guide is not required to visit the falls, but since it is a national park, entrance fees do apply.

Fees for the Zimbabwe side of the falls are:

Adults (12+): $50 per person for international visitors
Children (6-12): $25 per person for international visitors
Infants (0-6): Free

If you’re wishing to also visit the Zambia side of the falls, fees are:

Adults (15+): $20 per person for international visitors

Children (6-15): $10 per person for international visitors
Infants (0-6): Free

There is one main trail to view the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls. The trail starts right from the ticket entrance and is a 2.4-mi loop. As this is the main place to view the falls you will likely encounter other people along the trail. Take your time and enjoy the various viewpoints along the way as each provides a different perspective of the falls. If you are visiting during the wet season, the falls will be in full force and will have a lot of spray. Depending on the wind, different viewpoints could have very clear views of the falls while others might be completely engulfed in mist.

Even in the dry season, the falls will still be flowing large volumes of water so plan on getting wet. Bring a rain jacket or a poncho with you and shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Make sure any camera equipment you bring can also handle a bit of water getting splashed on it. At some points along the trail, we were completely dry, but in other areas, it seemed like it was pouring rain due to all the spray from the falls. I wore my hiking shoes along the trail which were great in the dry areas, but the sheer volume of water coming down in other areas seeped in through the top of my boots and soaked my feet. In hindsight, I should have worn comfortable sandals.

Plan on spending about an hour or two walking around the falls. Along the way, there are also some areas of rainforest you’ll pass by and we saw quite a few monkeys hanging out in the trees. After finishing the loop, you’ll find bathrooms and the Shearwater Rainforest Cafe. The cafe was a nice place to grab a bite to eat and dry off a bit after getting soaked by the falls.

Experience the Falls from the Sky

I was a little hesitant about taking a helicopter flight above Victoria Falls, but I am SO glad we decided to do it. We were waffling on whether we should walk around the falls, or splurge and also see the falls from the sky but we talked to a few tourists who took a helicopter tour and they encouraged us.

It is definitely not cheap to book a helicopter flight, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience you don’t want to miss! We booked this tour through Viator which cost around $130 per person. The tour company picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel and even let us take a quick detour in town to stop by the local market for a few minutes. When we arrived they had lockers for us to safely store our belongings. They then gave us a safety briefing before escorting us onto the helicopter. The flight time is pretty short, but we made a couple of loops above Victoria Falls to get views from multiple angles. We had headsets we could wear during the flight so we could hear each other over the sound of the helicopter. The experience really does give you a different perspective of Victoria Falls than you are able to get on the ground. From the air, you’re able to see truly how large the falls are and the power of the water rushing down the falls. After the flight, we safely returned back to where we started and picked up our belongings. From start to finish it only took about an hour to get from our hotel, enjoy the experience, and return back so you can easily pair this with doing other things in a single day.

Trekker Tip: I know it’s expensive, but if you’re heading all the way to Zimbabwe this is the top experience you must do!

Take a River Cruise

Taking a dinner cruise on the Zambezi River is a great way to enjoy a relaxing evening and take in the river’s natural beauty. We enjoyed a lovely all-inclusive dinner on Wild Horizon’s Malachite boat while we sailed around and watched the sunset. A driver picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the boat. Upon boarding, we were walked to a plush seating area that could seat up to four people that we were able to enjoy for just the two of us. Waiters then came around and took our drink order and they had an extensive list of cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks, coffee, and tea to choose from for no extra cost. They also brought by some snacks for us to enjoy as we cruised around the Zambezi as the sun started to go down. At one point we stopped where we could see a couple of hippos relaxing in the water.

After sunset, we headed to the second floor of the boat for the dinner service. The waiters brought out a four-course dinner consisting of soup, a starter, a main course, and a dessert. They also made sure we had plenty to drink and overall we were well taken care of. During dinner, we slowly cruised around and started heading back to the dock. We then had some additional time after dinner to relax before arriving at the dock. We were promptly met with a driver to take us back to our hotel.

Overall, the experience took about 4 hours from pickup at our hotel to drop off. It costs roughly $85 per person for this experience and children who join can do so for half of the adult rate. Considering that the price includes your river experience and your dinner and drinks, I felt like this was a great way to spend an evening in Victoria Falls.

Trekker Tip: Make sure to pack sunglasses so you can enjoy the sunset and also a light jacket as the weather got a bit colder after the sun went down.

Go Zip Lining

If you’re up for an adventure, you can zipline 120 meters above the roaring Zambezi River. We booked a zipline tour through Wild Horizons where they picked us up from our hotel and took us to the zipline. Once there, it was a short walk to get to the starting point of the zipline. Then you put on your harness and got ready for an adventure. The staff working there did not really explain anything about the zipline, so if you’ve never ziplined before this could be a bit intimidating. They just hook your harness onto the zipline and off you to fly above the river. You then swing back and forth on the pulley system across the river until you slow down and one of the staff comes out to retrieve you and pull you back to where you started. It’s slow going getting back, but that gives you more time to take in the views. It was a bit expensive at around $90 per person for a single zipline but the views were incredible. Once your back you have the option to purchase a video of your ziplining experience for an additional cost. And whenever you’re ready a driver will take you back to your hotel.

If you have a little extra time, stop by the Lookout Cafe for a bite to eat. The cafe has views overlooking the Zambezi River and you can watch others zipline, or go on the gorge swing as you relax.

Victoria Falls Bridge

If the adrenaline from ziplining is not enough for you you can go bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge. The bridge is right at the base of the falls and you can drop 365 feet. You can book this through Wild Horizons and they’ll pick you up at your hotel, take you to the bungee jump, and then return you back to your hotel. Alternatively, you could just walk up and pay the staff working there. We did not partake in bungee jumping, but this is a popular activity for adrenaline seekers.

But, there’s more to do on the bridge than just bungee jump. You can get a unique view of Victoria Falls from the bridge or cross the border into Zambia. To access the bridge you’ll likely have to walk past a line of semis waiting to be able to cross the bridge. You then have to pass through border patrol where you have two options:

If you just want to walk on the bridge you can request a free bridge pass from border patrol. Keep this pass as you’ll have to show it again to border patrol on your way back.
If you want to cross into Zambia border patrol will stamp your visa to show you are exiting the country. If your plan is to walk into Zambia and then walk back, ensure you have a double or multiple-entry visa.

When we visited, we were the only tourists on the bridge surrounded by a bunch of locals. I felt relatively safe, but it was a bit uncomfortable how many people try to sell you things the entire time you’re on the bridge. Halfway across the bridge, you’ll cross into Zambia and you can take a picture by the sign showing you’ve crossed into another country. However, you can use your bridge pass as long as you don’t exit the other side of the bridge and pass through Zambia’s border patrol. Unless you really want to go bungee jumping or want to check off another country on your list, I wouldn’t say walking across the bridge is a must-do activity. But if you have some extra time and are willing to deal with everyone constantly trying to sell you stuff it might be worth spending an hour or so checking it out. I probably would not go back to do it again but to each their own!

Explore a Local Market

While in Victoria Falls, leave some time to take a walk around town to the local markets. There are multiple markets around town, each with different things to offer:

The Elephant’s Walk Shopping Village is an indoor/outdoor market that features local artists. Here you can shop for souvenirs, view the local artwork, stroll past large sculptures, or grab a bite to eat.
The Sinathakawu Curio Market is located just to the east of Elephant’s Walk and features mostly hand-carved items from wood and stone. The majority of items for sale are animal figurines, bowls, small musical instruments, and jewelry. Each of the locals selling these items has carved them themselves and the price typically reflects the skill of that artist rather than the value of the material.

When shopping at the local markets the price is typically negotiable. But as the locals depend on your money to support their families don’t try to haggle them too low as if they’re in desperate need of money to buy food for their family they might accept an offer at a loss. Instead, take heart in knowing your dollars are going to support the locals. Most vendors at these markets only accept cash, so plan on bringing some smaller bills as they might not have much money to make change.

Trekker Tip: Watch out for scams. People at the local markets might try selling your Zimbabwean Dollars or try to give you change in Zimbabwean Dollars which has almost no value.

Where to Stay

When we visited we stayed at the Batonka Guest Lodge which is about a 5-minute drive to Victoria Falls National Park or a 35-minute walk. The lodge offers 27 guest rooms with air conditioning, a swimming pool, and indoor/outdoor dining. Breakfast was included each day and offered a made-to-order menu with multiple options to choose from. We also ate dinner at the hotel which was quite nice. The rooms were large and had electronic safes, a mini-fridge, and mosquito nets around the beds.

The hotel also provides a free shuttle service that will take you to Victoria Falls town or the national park at set times a couple of times a day. The hotel also partners with a local taxi service. The front desk gave us a card so that we could call for a taxi and the ride cost <$5. If you don’t have an international calling plan the hotel can also call the taxi for you or we found that locals working at the shops in town were also willing to call the taxi for us, but we only asked after we bought something from their shop.

Where to Eat

Below are the places we decided to eat at during our visit to Victoria Falls:

Shearwater Rainforest Cafe: Located within the national park, this is a great place to grab lunch after taking a walk through the national park to view the falls. It offers covered outdoor seating and a large menu with plenty of options to choose from.
Lookout Cafe: Situated above the Zambezi River, this cafe has expansive views looking out across the river and into Zambia. The cafe is right next to where you can zipline across the river, making it an ideal place to grab a bite to eat after enjoying the zipline. Even if you do not participate in the zipline, I’d definitely recommend going here just for the incredible views while you eat.
Batonka Guest Lodge: The dining area at the hotel offers both indoor and outdoor seating. They offer a rotating menu for dinner each day, and the food was delicious! It is a bit more pricey though than what you can find in town, so for those on a budget, you might want to look elsewhere.
Zambezi River Dinner Cruise: If you’re looking for an incredible dinner experience, you must take a river cruise on the Zambezi River. The price is pretty reasonable considering the cruise we took was an all-inclusive experience so you got to enjoy the boat ride while eating and drinking as much as you want.

What to Pack

Bring some US dollars in small increments to pay local vendors since a lot of places do not accept credit cards and don’t have much change.
Pack a universal power adapter so all your electronics remain charged.
Sunscreen is a must as you’ll spend a lot of time outside.
Make sure to pack a rain jacket or poncho and some shoes that can get wet as you might get soaked by the falls.
Always bring a water bottle so you stay hydrated.
Take a camera so you can capture every moment!