Destinations · Zimbabwe & Zambia
Victoria Falls & the Zambezi
The best three-night add-on in Africa.
Victoria Falls is a mile-wide curtain of water on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, and it slots neatly between a safari and a city. Three nights is right: a day at the falls from both sides, a sunset cruise on the Zambezi above them, and something adventurous — white water below the gorge, a helicopter over the top, or the Devil's Pool at the very lip when the water is low enough to be allowed. Chobe in Botswana, which has the densest elephant population in Africa, is a comfortable day trip or a two-night extension.
What a week actually costs
Indicative shapes, not quotes — an advisor verifies real prices for your exact dates before anything is offered.
Under $1,800 for three nights, two people
A good hotel on the Zimbabwe side walking distance to the falls, park fees, a sunset cruise, and a Chobe day trip.
$7,000–16,000
A river lodge on the Zambezi, both sides of the falls with a private guide, a helicopter flight, a Devil's Pool morning in season, and two nights at Chobe.
$35,000+
A private villa or lodge buyout, charter flights linking safari and falls, private guides throughout, and a Botswana Delta leg.
What to watch for
- Which side to stay on depends on the month and on what you want to do, and the honest answer changes. We give you the reasoning rather than a preference.
- Crossing the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia for the day is routine but needs the right visa — a KAZA UniVisa covers both for most nationalities when it is being issued. We confirm current status before you travel.
- In peak flow you will be soaked and you will see less. In low water the eastern cataract can be nearly dry. Neither is wrong; both need to be said before you book.
- The Devil's Pool only opens when water levels permit, usually around August to January. No operator can promise it in April.