4-Day Victoria Falls Luxury Trip Itinerary
We are BIG waterfall fans around here, so of course a visit to Victoria Falls was high on our bucket list. It is the largest waterfall in the world after all and one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World! It wasn’t until I started doing some research that I realized that there’s plenty more to do in the area than just get soaked by the falls. Even better, it was possible for us to visit Victoria Falls from London over the 4-day Easter Weekend without using any vacation days! Here’s how we did it:
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How to get to Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is located in southern Africa at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. There are 2 airports that serve the Victoria Falls region: Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) in Zimbabwe and the Livingstone Airport (LVI) in Zambia. In an ideal world, you’d just fly into the airport in whichever country your hotel is in. However, flight deals and timings may mean it’s better to fly into the “wrong country” and cross the border once you get there (which is what we did).
From London, we took a red eye flight on Ethiopian Airlines after work Thursday night from Heathrow to Addis Ababa and then went from Addis Ababa to Victoria Falls Airport the next day. (Easter weekend is a 4-day weekend in the UK, so we had Friday and Monday as holidays).
Coming home we flew South African Airways from Victoria Falls Airport to Johannesburg and then a red eye on Virgin Atlantic from Johannesburg to London, landing Tuesday morning at 6:30AM – early enough to be at the office on time!
Do Americans & Brits need a visa to visit Victoria Falls?
Yes! Given there are multiple countries in this region and you’ll likely be crossing multiple borders, go ahead and save yourself the hassle and buy the KAZA Univisa. It costs $50 USD and allows you to cross back and forth between Zambia and Zimbabwe as many times as you like in 30 days. You can apply for the visa online before you arrive (which I recommend) or you can purchase it on arrival at the airport.
We did also have to show our yellow fever vaccine documents at airport immigration in Zimbabwe. That’s because we transited through Ethiopia, a country with a a risk of yellow fever transmission. If you fly from another country, you may not need this.
When is the best time to visit Victoria Falls?
This comes down to personal opinion and what you want to do when you’re here. Like many parts of Africa, this region has a wet and dry season. This impacts how much water is flowing over the falls and your experience of them.
High water season is ~February-July and low water season is ~August-January (with water levels at their most extreme in the middle of the season). We went in April and the falls were flowing at full force. This meant that the mist was so intense we often couldn’t see the falls until the wind briefly blew the spray out of the way for a few seconds. In the low season, there’d be minimal mist and you’d see more of a trickle coming over the falls.
Our trip timing was built around Easter weekend and not the water levels, but in the end we were glad we went at high season when the falls are their most impressive.
Should you stay in Zambia or Zimbabwe?
For the most part, it doesn’t matter. I’d focus on picking the right hotel for you instead, regardless of which side it’s on. Locking in your hotel first can then allow you to ideally book flights and activities on the right side of the river.
Regardless, crossing the border is always an option, but know it can take an hour or more depending on the crowds.
Picking Your Hotel (Zambia Recommendations)
There are several great hotels in the area, but you’ll want to consider their proximity to the falls and whether you can book your activities through the hotel. This makes logistics much easier.
Royal Livingstone
This is the most iconic hotel on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. We saw the photos of zebras and giraffes grazing the riverfront property and decided to book a stay here. No regrets! We absolutely loved our experience. The food on the property was amazing (especially the goat curry at the Kubu restaurant) and we were able to book all of our activities through the hotel – from airport transfers to our helicopter ride and safari. The Royal Livingstone is also walking distance to the falls and has its own private entrance for guests to enter for free.
Overall I do have to give this hotel 4/5 stars. I am docking a star because there were multiple instances of miscommunication and mis-management. We had made a dinner reservation and when we showed up, they had no record of it. The hotel bill had hundreds of dollars of fees that were actually meant for another room (glad I checked!). Our safari pickup time was 30 min later than we were told, so we had to wait in the lobby at 6AM when we could have had extra sleep. None of these ruined our trip, but when added together, they made me see that the hotel has room for improvement.
Avani Victoria Falls Resort
This is actually the closest hotel to the falls on the Zambian side. Avani is the sister property of The Royal Livingstone and they’re both managed by Anantara. Avani is less luxurious but still offers a fantastic location.
Radisson Blu Mosi-Oa-Tunya
We got a glimpse of this hotel as we dropped off our fellow safari guests. It’s sleek and new and definitely gives off party energy. This would probably be great for those looking for a high energy environment, rather than a place to quietly unwind. It is also located right on the Zambezi river, though further from the falls.
Malaria Risk & How to Protect Yourself
Unfortunately malaria is present in the Victoria Falls area year round, but with a little preparation it shouldn’t ruin your trip. I am a mosquito magnet and managed to come away with zero bites (and my husband only got one). These are the precautions we took:
- slept under a mosquito net (provided by our hotel)
- used the air conditioning in our hotel room
- used bug spray religiously from the moment we landed in Zimbabwe (we use these Off wipes to avoid liquid limits). Even after we showered we immediately put more on.
- wore long pants
- sprayed our clothes with permethrin before we left for our trip
- took an anti-malarial as a precautionary measure in case we did get bit. We took Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone) starting 2 days before we left and for a week after we got home. Our only side effect was vivid dreams.
The mosquitos were definitely present in the area. We found a giant one lurking right outside our mosquito net one night!
4 Day Victoria Falls Itinerary
Day 1
We were only in the Victoria Falls region for ~72 hours but that was technically spread across 4 days. On our first day we landed just after noon and spent a couple few hours navigating immigration, border crossings, and hotel check in before our first activity of the trip.
Zambezi River Cruise
After a red eye flight, a sunset river cruise on the Zambezi river was a beautiful and relaxing way to start off the trip. We were picked up directly from our hotel and boarded the African Queen, a 70’ catamaran and the largest boat above the falls. There were probably around 100 guests on board, spread out throughout the decks. We were among the last to board and they struggled for a couple minutes to find us a table before arranging us at the very back of the boat. We ended up with a fantastic view!
As we cruised they told us some of the history of the falls and other fun facts. We were also served dinner and drinks. In total, the cruise lasted around 2 hours before we disembarked and were taken back to our hotel.
Day 2
Guided Tour of Victoria Falls
You can absolutely visit the falls on your own (entry is included for those staying at the Royal Livingstone with a private entrance to the falls on site). However, if you’re looking to learn more about the history of the falls, a guided tour is perfect. We were glad our guide explained everything from the history of the falls, from it’s geological creation to its discovery by David Livingstone.
We brought waterproof pants and jackets but the guide gave us a poncho to put on top. Even with all that protection, we still got wet. Our shoes were particularly soaked, especially after we crossed a bridge that was covered in several inches of water.
Helicopter Tour over Victoria Falls
I do not like flying in small aircraft. It gives me a lot of anxiety. However this is one of those times where it’s 100% worth facing the fear and taking a helicopter tour. We had the option between a 15 and 22 minute ride – the main difference being the longer one dips down into the canyon. We went with the 15-minute option and were very happy with that choice.
Note: we had pre-booked this at a set price of $211/person but when we arrived there was a $7 USD fuel surcharge per person due to fuel prices impacted by the Iran war.
Royal Gin Experience
Included with our stay at The Royal Livingstone was the “Royal Gin Experience.” We didn’t know what to expect and thought maybe we’d get a free gin & tonic. Turns out we severely underestimated them.
Rather than 1 gin & tonic, they gave us 3 (and they were doubles by default unless you asked for a single shot). Each G&T was crafted with a different local gin & a paired tonic. They also served us bar snacks. We don’t drink much to begin with so 6 shots of gin would have had us under the table. We opted for singles and didn’t finish all of them.
Gin & tonic is my go-to drink so I did love getting to try local varieties, even if I’m no expert on flavor profiles.
Boma Dinner
My best way to describe a Boma dinner is to liken it to a luau in Hawaii. There’s a big buffet of local foods, lot of people, and a series of performances. It’s a fun evening and good way to get a glimpse at traditional music, dance, and food.
We were able to walk from our hotel to the Boma dinner, which only takes place a couple nights each week. We showed up early and thought we must be in the wrong place as there was no one else around (turns out staff had told us the wrong start time). Right outside the venue is a market with many local crafts if you’re keen to purchase any souvenirs.
The highlights for me were eating crocodile (it was seriously delicious!) and watching my husband get pulled up onstage to join the xylophone show. Even thought we didn’t stay until the end, it was a fun evening worth our time.
Day 3
Full Day Safari Tour in Chobe National Park, Botswana
This day starts with an early morning pickup from your hotel and a drive to the Botswana border. Be sure to pack your passport because you will need to go through border control. From there, you’ll meet your safari guide and hop into a safari vehicle on your way to Chobe National Park. The drive takes a couple hours in total but is worth the wait.
No two days on safari are the same. Go in with no expectations on what you’ll see and everything will be a pleasant surprise. We were fortunate saw impala, elephants, guinea fowl, kudu, hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, mongoose, monkeys, and giraffes.
After your land safari, you’ll stop for lunch and then hop in a boat for a river safari. The Chobe River was flooded when we visited, but the water levels are much lower at other times of year, changing the scenery. From the water we saw hippos, crocs, a water monitor lizard, and more elephants.
A couple tips for safari:
- a nice camera with a good zoom lens is definitely nice to have, but even if you only have your cell phone you’ll get some great shots
- try to limit your liquid intake. There’s minimal opportunities for bathroom breaks throughout the day.
- do not feed any wildlife. We witnessed tourists from another vehicle feeding monkeys, which is not only illegal but dangerous to both the monkey and humans.
Day 4
On our last day, our flight was around 2:30PM (and we had to cross the border again to get to the airport), so we only had a short morning. We got up, enjoyed a quick workout at the hotel gym, ate breakfast, and capped off our stay with a complimentary foot massage that was included with our hotel package.
Foot Massages
We wouldn’t have booked a foot massage if it wasn’t free, but it was a lovely way to finish our stay. At the Royal Livingstone, the spa is right by the river, so we sat in lounge chairs overlooking the mighty Zambezi and the mist of the falls and listing to the roar of the falls as we got massaged.
A Note on Angel’s/Devil’s Pool…
To start off, these spots are usually closed during high water season regardless (which is when we were there), but regardless of the time of year, I wouldn’t do this or in good faith recommend it to you.
We are pretty adventurous people – from canyon swings to bungee jumping, I enjoy pushing myself outside my comfort zone and feeling some adrenaline. However, Angel’s Pool and Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls are where I draw the line. I have seen so many people online who have dangled off the edge saying they wouldn’t do it again and wouldn’t really recommend it because it’s pretty unsafe. You’re being held by you ankles over the edge of the falls by a couple of guys who are not even secured themselves. The risk-reward ratio simply isn’t there for me.
Final Thoughts
Coming from London, there was only a 1 hour time change, so despite the long flights, it was easy to adjust when we reached our destination. Many people tack on Victoria Falls to longer itineraries in southern Africa, but we really thought it was a perfect little trip on its own. This is definitely one of my favorite weekend trips we’ve ever taken!
Be sure to save this post for future trip planning!
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