A lot of people think they can add a 2 day trip to Victoria Falls into their itinerary to Southern African, which is doable, however you’re missing out on seeing and experiencing what Victoria Falls and the surrounding area has to offer!

I went to Victoria Falls, initially booked to stay for 4 nights, however due to flight delays and cancellations the trip ended up being 3 nights and we were able to just about squeeze everything we wanted to see and do in, albeit slightly rushed.

Below are 5 of the top things you can do when visiting Victoria Falls:

Both Zimbabwe and Zambia have entrance fees to view their side of the falls. 75% of the falls lays in Zimbabwe with the remaining 25% being in Zambia. If you are pushed for time I would recommend visiting the Zimbabwe side, however seeing both sides should be a priority.

Visiting Victoria Falls from Zimbabwe

To visit and get up close to Victoria falls from the Zimbabwe side, this will cost $50USD for international visitors. From this side of the falls you’re able to see panaromic views of the falls, as well as Devils Cataract, Cataract Island, the Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, Livingstone Island, Armchair Falls, Eastern Cataracts, Danger Point and finally, The Victoria Falls Railway Bridge, this is the bridge that connects Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Please note: You’re unable to exit across the railway bridge from this point.

Visiting Victoria Falls from Zambia

To visit the Zambia side of the falls it costs $25USD for international visitors. On this side of the falls, you’re able to get closer than on the Zimbabwe side. You’re also able to cross the Knife Edge Bridge on this side and maybe even spot some wild baboons!

If you like adventure and are a bit of a thrill seeker you can also swim to the edge of Devil’s Pool (or Angel’s Pool, depending on the water level) on the Zambian side.

BOMA dinner

BOMA dinner is a traditional outdoor communal meal which is held in a circular enclosure with a fire burning in the centre.

We went to the BOMA dinner and drum show and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It started at 7pm and finished promptly at 10pm. There are lots of different foods to choose from in a buffet style, including lots of traditionally eaten meats from Southern Africa, including Impala, Kudu and Crocodile. This is served alongside salad, traditional stews, variety of carbohydrates and vegetables. There is then a selection of deserts and fruit to have.

If you’re feeling brave enough you can even try and eat Mopane Worm which has been fried. If you succeed in eating one you even receive a certificate!

Please note: drinks are not included in the price when booking, they’re an additional cost.

Before and during dinner there is a drumming and dancing show.

The BOMA dinner and drum show costs $60USD per international visitor. You can book a return transfer if staying locally when you reserve a space on the website. The transfer is an extra $5USD per person each way.

Devils Pool and Angels Pool

If you like adventure and are a bit of a thrill seeker, visiting Devils Pool or Angels Pool should be at the top of your list of things to do in Victoria Falls!

Devil’s Pool and Angel’s Pool are both located on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. The water level depends on which Pool you’re allowed to swim in. Devils Pool is usually open from mid August to mid January, this is during the dry season when the water level is low. If you visit at a different time of the year (like we did), you’ll be able to visit Angels Pool but check with the company before you visit.

The Speedboat that takes you along the river to Livingstone Island

There is only one company that runs trips to Devil’s/Angel’s Pool and we booked via get your guide.

The price is £156pp which includes a return boat trip to Livingstone Island (where the Pools are and the dining area), Breakfast and the guided swimming to the edge of the pool with qualified guides who take many videos and photos for you. The only thing not included in the price in a return transfer to/from your accommodation. This is an extra $20pp.

Please note: You’re responsible for having a visa if crossing over from Zimbabwe into Zambia. You can get a KAZA visa which allows unlimited entry into Zambia and Zimbabwe for 30 days and 1 entry into Botswana - very helpful for visiting Chobe national park for the day.

Once you arrive, you’re given a safety briefing, a towel and a pair of water shoes. You’re then asked to sign a waiver. When all of this is complete, you’re taken by boat to Livingstone island, this is where Devils and Angels Pools are. All your belongings are put into a locked container and kept safe throughout your experience.

Our guide then walked us to the edge of the falls, we were able to sit on a rock near the edge and have photos and videos taken by the guide while we waited for the previous group at Angels Pool to finish. We then walked over to Angels Pool, all holding hands and keeping together in a line.

The current of the water appears quite strong when watching videos online. However, in reality the current isn’t very strong and you feel in control and very safe.

**Your life is in the hands of the 2 men holding your ankles!**

We all then took turns going to the edge of the falls. Two guides hold your hands to walk to the edge and help lower you down onto your stomach, while each guide holds one ankle each! Another guide uses your phone to take many photos and videos. I volunteered to go first and was guided over to the edge and laid down on the rock, the guides then encouraged me to go closer to the edge! The water was quite cold but I didn’t really notice because of all the adrenaline! You lay on your front first and then they get you to lay on your side (best part) and then onto your back. As soon as I turned onto my back, you can really feel the strength of the current here, it really took my breath away! The guides then help you back up and guide to over to the side where you can sit in the shallow water and watch everyone else have their turn. It lasted for just under two minutes and the whole experience felt very safe!

After everyone in the group had had their go, we all walked in a line, hand in hand back across the water and over to the dining area.

We were then able to get our belonging out of the locked containers and change out of our swimwear in the changing cubicles.

After this we were taken to the dining area to have a late breakfast. There was a vegetarian option and a meat option and drinks to choose from, everything was very tasty.

Once we had finished our breakfast, we took the boat back to the main entrance and got into a transfer van to head back to the hotel. We asked our driver to drop us off at the Zambia entrance to the Falls, which he happily did and even guided us through the entrance.

Day trip to Chobe National Park, Botswana

Chobe National Park in Botswana is just over an hour away from Victoria Falls and taking a day trip there is popular to do when in Victoria Falls. It’s also an excuse to tick off another country!

Chobe is famous for having the largest elephant population in the whole of Africa along with many other animals including leopard, hippo, giraffe, lion and more. Half of the day was on a river cruise before lunch and after lunch we had a jeep safari.

We booked this day trip through GetYourGuide and we were collected from our hotel and driven all the way to the border. From here we went through the border crossing and were given another driver who took us to a hotel on the river. This was where we picked up the boat for our river cruise, this lasted around 2.5 hours and we were able to see crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, impala, baboons, buffalo and more.

After the river cruise we had a buffet lunch back at the hotel, the food was delicious! After lunch we then had our jeep safari, which I actually preferred over the river cruise. On our jeep safari we were able to get closer to the animals than on the river cruise which made the experience even more exciting. Just 30 minutes into the jeep safari our guide told us all to hold on and get our cameras ready because a leopard had been spotted nearby! After a couple of minutes we slowed down, turned a corner and in the middle of the sandy road a leopard was crouched down stalking a herd of impala! There was also only one other jeep present. To see an animal hunting in the wild and the natural behaviour of the impala was incredible. The leopard didn’t manage to catch any as one of the impala was on the look out and communicating with the rest of the herd using its ears! On the rest of the jeep safari we saw elephant, giraffe, buffalo and some other animals too.

After the jeep safari, which was about 2.5 hours, we made our way back to the hotel and began the journey back across the border in Zimbabwe and to our accommodation.

This all cost £125pp which includes the hotel transfer, river cruise, jeep safari and the buffet lunch.

Zambezi dinner cruise

On our final night in Victoria Falls we booked onto a dinner cruise on the Zambezi river. This was also booked through GetYourGuide. We were picked up from our hotel and driven Pure Africa Riverfront where we checked in for our dinner and were led onto our boat for the evening.

The meal is 4 courses and includes a sharing board starter for your table, a starter of your choice, main course (a meat option, fish option or vegetarian option) and a dessert to finish. All the drinks are also included in the price of the ticket. The food was all very tasty.

During the dinner service we were able to watch the beautiful sunset over the Zambezi river.

If you want to see lots of wildlife, don’t expect to see a lot on this river cruise. The guides onboard said they would be on the lookout for wildlife and let us know if any was spotted. We saw two hippos on the riverbank, however no announcement was made to let everyone onboard know.

The cost for this was £68pp, which included the transfer to and from accommodation, the river cruise, dinner on board and all drinks.

There are many other activities you can do in and around Victoria Falls, including a helicopter flight over the falls. However, this was what we were able to squeeze into our time there.

Top 5 things to do in Victoria Falls