Victoria Falls Hotel

in direct view of the famous falls

Victoria Falls Hotel is located in the Victoria Falls area of eastern Zimbabwe.

This prestigious establishment is one of the most famous properties in Africa that date from the European colonial period.

The original construction here dates back to 1904, when a camp was founded to house the engineers in charge of the construction of the railway, notably the famous bridge which crosses the Batoka Gorge immediately downstream from the falls and within sight of the grounds of the hotel.

The hotel may have been extended and remodelled many times since then, but it very much retains its original Edwardian atmosphere.

Like all institutions of this stature and renown, the hotel is rather busy and touristy, whilst also being relatively impressive and worthy of a visit.

The hotel has a substantial spa and swimming pool.

Rooms

The Victoria Falls Hotel has a range of 161 rooms and suites of various descriptions …

Standard Room : x154 : Located in the Central Wing, these rooms date back to the earliest days of the hotel. They may be a little small by modern standards, but they are original, are well decorated and have views onto the gardens.

Deluxe Central Room : x2 : Also in the Central Wing, these rooms are the same as the standard rooms in terms of style and facilities, but are slightly larger.

Deluxe Stable Room : x2 : Set in the more modern Stable Wing, these rooms are much less authentic, but they are almost twice the size and have views out onto the stable courtyard or the gorge.

Honeymoon Central Suite : x2 : These two larger suites in the old building have king-size beds and views down towards the gorge and the bridge.

Honeymoon Stable Suite : x2 : These two suites are again slightly larger and are less authentic, but do have a four-poster king-size bed and a private balcony overlooking the gardens.

Junior Suite : x1 : This large suite has a separate reception room and elegant decor.

Executive Suite : x1 : This large suite is on the first floor and has a lovely private balcony above the garden.

Royal Suite : x1 : This lovely and stylish suite has a separate reception room and views out over the gardens.

Activities

Activities at Victoria Falls Hotel are centred on vehicle safari, motorboat safari, canoe safari, visits to the Victoria Falls, scenic flights and white-water rafting.

Victoria Falls is a very popular location and is, from a transport perspective, the central hub for safari in the southern part of the continent. The area therefore tends to feature in a lot of trips.

The usual stay duration at Victoria Falls is 2-4 nights, usually at the front end of a trip, since this is such an easy place to slide gently into Africa.

Seasonality

The best time to visit Victoria Falls is generally considered to be during the May-Oct dry season, when safari in the reserves of Zambia and Zimbabwe is strongest.

During the early part of this season, the flow rate over the falls should be high, possibly with the spray obscuring the views.

Towards the end of this season, the flow rate over the falls can reduce to not much more than a trickle, which can significantly reduce the majesty of the experiences.

Generally, we tend to recommend that you focus your trip on the best time for safari, rather than worry too much about the falls.

Getting there

Victoria Falls Hotel is usually accessed by private vehicle transfer from Victoria Falls International Airport, a drive of around 30 minutes.

Another option is to arrive into Livingstone Airport, across the border in Zambia, in which case the journey is likely to be around 60 minutes.

It is also possible to connect by road down to Kasane, in order to continue by road into Namibia or by air into Botswana.

can be combined with a very wide range of safari areas