Best Victoria Falls Hotels 2026: Both Sides, 10 Picks

Stay on the Zimbabwe side for the panoramic falls views and the colonial heritage hotels — The Victoria Falls Hotel, the 1904 Edwardian landmark, is the standout; stay Zambia-side for closer-water access, Devil's Pool and Royal Livingstone by Anantara, the only luxury hotel inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Best of all, the KAZA UniVisa lets you do both. Victoria Falls is one waterfall straddling two countries on the Zambezi River — Zimbabwe to the south, Zambia to the north — and the single most common UK-traveller mistake is treating the choice between sides as a binary. It isn't. The Falls themselves are the widest curtain of falling water on Earth — 1,708 metres across at peak flow, taller than Niagara, the centrepiece of Southern Africa's most concentrated wilderness corridor. The KAZA UniVisa makes crossing trivial, both sides have genuinely different strengths, and the best Vic Falls trip in 2026 visits both. Zimbabwe gives you the panoramic falls views and the colonial heritage hotels. Zambia gives you closer-water access, Devil's Pool, and the only luxury hotels inside an active national park. For 2026 — with the Royal Livingstone now firmly under Anantara management and Matetsi consolidating as the safari-meets-falls flagship — both sides have their best hotels in years.

We've scouted ten properties balanced across both sides. This is JetMeAway's shortlist. Compare live Victoria Falls hotel prices before you fall in love with one — or search Victoria Falls flights via Johannesburg (VFA) to lock in dates first. Pairing flights and hotel? Browse Victoria Falls package deals for combined savings.

At a glance — here's how the stays below compare on location, ideal traveller and signature feature, before the full reviews:

The Scout's Take: Colonial Heritage or Riverside Wilderness?

Every Vic Falls hotel pitches itself on the falls. The question is whether you want colonial heritage with the falls in earshot or wildlife immersion with the falls as soundtrack.

If you're the kind of traveller who values the layered history of the place — Cecil Rhodes envisioning his Cape-to-Cairo railway from the terrace, Livingstone-era exploration, the sheer 121-year continuity of guests sitting in the same wicker chairs watching the same spray rise across the gorge — The Victoria Falls Hotel is the answer. Built in 1904 in full Edwardian style on the Zimbabwe side, it's a Leading Hotel of the World, walking distance to the falls entrance, and famous for an afternoon high-tea on the Stanley Terrace where the spray of the falls is visible in the distance. Mornings here are slow, formal, and steeped in colonial-era continuity that no newer property can fake.

Compare that to Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara — same falls, completely different experience. Royal Livingstone is the only luxury hotel literally inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambia side: 173 colonial-style suites along the Zambezi River, with resident giraffes, zebras, and impalas wandering across the property line. Breakfast on the terrace genuinely involves sharing the lawn with giraffes; the sunset deck looks straight at the falls drop, the spray rising hundreds of feet into the dusk light. It's wildlife-immersion luxury, and the closest experience to a private national-park stay you can get at this price point.

For colonial heritage and the iconic terrace, Victoria Falls Hotel wins. For wildlife on the lawn and the closest sunset-spray view in the world, Royal Livingstone is the smarter call.

Whichever side you sleep on, remember what you're actually next to. Victoria Falls has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989, jointly listed by Zimbabwe and Zambia, and the local Lozi name — Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders" — long predates the name David Livingstone gave it when he first sighted the falls from Livingstone Island in 1855. Below the curtain, the Zambezi carves through the zigzagging Batoka Gorge, a basalt canyon over 100 metres deep that the river has cut backwards over half a million years — which is why the rafting put-ins sit directly beneath the hotels rather than miles downstream. One more booking-window tip the brochures rarely mention: on full-moon nights in high water, both national parks open after dark for the lunar rainbow (moonbow) — a rainbow cast by moonlight in the spray, and one of very few places on Earth you can reliably see one. Hotels on either side will arrange the late park entry; ask when you book if your dates straddle a full moon.

Our 10 for 2026 (Both Sides)

Zimbabwe-Side Luxury

1. The Victoria Falls Hotel — Zimbabwe side. The legendary 1904 Edwardian colonial-era hotel, Leading Hotels of the World, walking distance to the falls entrance. Afternoon high tea on the Stanley Terrace is the regional benchmark.

Zambia-Side Lodges

2. Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara — Zambia side. The only luxury hotel inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (the Zambian name "Mosi-oa-Tunya" translates as "the Smoke That Thunders"). Resident giraffes and zebras on property, sunset deck overlooks the falls drop.

3. Matetsi Victoria Falls — Zimbabwe side. 50,000 hectares of private game reserve along the Zambezi, 18 suites, the safari-meets-falls flagship of the region. Best fit for travellers combining a Vic Falls trip with proper game-driving.

4. Tongabezi Lodge — Zambia side. Riverfront treehouse-style luxury 12km upstream from the falls. Twelve unique suites — the Honeymoon House, the Tree House, the Bird House — each with private decks over the Zambezi. The romantic-luxury choice.

5. Stanley & Livingstone Boutique Hotel — Zimbabwe side. Private game reserve setting with colonial-era styling, just 16 suites. Smaller scale than Matetsi, more intimate, with reliable resident wildlife on the property.

6. Ilala Lodge Hotel — Zimbabwe side. The closest hotel to the falls — the spray is genuinely visible from the lawn. Mid-luxury value pick, walking distance to everything, the smart-money Zimbabwe-side choice.

7. Avani Victoria Falls Resort — Zambia side. Riverfront, walking distance to the falls, family-friendly mid-luxury with a clutch of restaurants and the strongest swimming pool of the Zambia-side hotels. Best fit for travellers with kids.

8. Tsowa Safari Island — Zimbabwe side. A private island in the Zambezi with just six tented suites, off-grid in the truest sense — solar power, no road access, boat-only arrival. The disappear-from-the-world luxury choice.

9. The Elephant Camp — Zimbabwe side. 16 luxury tented suites on a private concession, with the property's signature elephant interaction programme (controversial but well-managed: the elephants here are rescued from culling operations). Closest equivalent to a Botswana-Delta-style camp at Vic Falls prices.

10. Toka Leya Camp Wilderness Safaris — Zambia side. 12 tented suites inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, run by Wilderness Safaris (the best safari operator in southern Africa). The proper safari-camp luxury option, with morning game drives included as standard.

Honorable Mention

Sussi & Chuma by Sanctuary Retreats — Zambia side, inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Twelve thatched-roof treehouse suites raised on stilts along the Zambezi riverbank, 12km upstream from the falls, run by Sanctuary Retreats (the safari-luxury sister brand to A&K). The defining feature: every suite has a private deck that overhangs the river, with hippos audible from below most nights and elephants on the opposite bank at sunset. Smaller than Royal Livingstone, more wilderness-immersive than Tongabezi, and the closest you can get to a Botswana-Delta-style camp at Vic Falls prices. For travellers who want the in-park location of Royal Livingstone but at boutique scale and with a stronger safari-camp feel.

Best Victoria Falls Hotels for Specific Trips

The Victoria Falls decision is really two: which side, and what kind of stay. Here's how the 10 hotels above sort by traveller type, whether the priority is wildlife on the lawn, the closest spray to the falls, a riverside honeymoon treehouse, or a value lodge within walking distance of the entrance.

Best Victoria Falls Hotels for Value

Ilala Lodge on the Zimbabwe side is the smart-money pick — the closest hotel to the falls, with the spray visible from the lawn, at mid-luxury rates and walking distance to everything. Avani Victoria Falls Resort on the Zambia side is the riverside value choice, with the strongest pool of the Zambia-side hotels. Both undercut the heritage and in-park lodges while keeping you minutes from the falls.

Best Victoria Falls Hotels for Families With Kids

Avani Victoria Falls Resort is the family winner — riverfront, walking distance to the falls, with a clutch of restaurants and the best swimming pool on the Zambia side. The Victoria Falls Hotel offers heritage grandeur and space for families who want the colonial experience. Vic Falls suits older children who can do the cruises and game drives; the activities, not the pool, are the draw.

Best Victoria Falls Hotels for Couples and Honeymoons

Tongabezi Lodge on the Zambezi is the romantic headline — twelve unique suites including the Honeymoon House and the Tree House, each with a private deck over the river. Tsowa Safari Island is the disappear-from-the-world choice, six tented suites on a private island with boat-only access. Royal Livingstone adds giraffes on the lawn and the closest sunset-spray view in the world.

Best Victoria Falls Safari and Wildlife Lodges

This is what Vic Falls does that Iguazu and Niagara can't. Matetsi Victoria Falls sits on 50,000 hectares of private Zambezi game reserve, the safari-meets-falls flagship. Toka Leya Camp inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is run by Wilderness Safaris with morning game drives included, and The Elephant Camp and Stanley & Livingstone both pair tented-camp luxury with reliable resident wildlife. For a Botswana-Delta feel at Vic Falls prices, these are the lodges.

Best Victoria Falls Hotels Closest to the Falls

For the spray in earshot, proximity is everything. Ilala Lodge (Zimbabwe) is the closest hotel — the spray rises visibly from the lawn. The Victoria Falls Hotel has the spray across the gorge from the Stanley Terrace, and on the Zambia side Royal Livingstone's sunset deck looks straight at the falls drop with the spray rising hundreds of feet into the dusk. All three put "the smoke that thunders" within sight of your table.

Best Victoria Falls Colonial Heritage and 5-Star Hotels

The Victoria Falls Hotel is the heritage benchmark — the 1904 Edwardian Leading Hotel of the World where Cecil Rhodes pictured his Cape-to-Cairo railway, famous for high tea on the Stanley Terrace. Royal Livingstone by Anantara is the in-park five-star, the only luxury hotel inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Matetsi completes the top tier with private-reserve exclusivity.

Zimbabwe Side or Zambia Side — How to Choose

The KAZA UniVisa makes day-crossing trivial, so the best trip does both — two nights each side. If you must choose: Zimbabwe holds about 75% of the falls' frontage and the iconic panoramic rainforest views, plus the colonial heritage hotels (Victoria Falls Hotel, Ilala Lodge). Zambia has the closer-water side, Devil's Pool, and the only hotels inside an active national park (Royal Livingstone, Toka Leya) where giraffes wander past breakfast. Zimbabwe for views and heritage; Zambia for activities and wildlife intimacy.

How Victoria Falls Compares to Iguazu and Niagara

UK travellers planning the bucket-list waterfall trip almost always compare Vic Falls with Brazil-Argentina's Iguazu Falls and the US-Canada Niagara — the three great waterfall destinations of the Western tourist imagination. Victoria Falls is the widest at 1,708 metres and the second-tallest at 108 metres; the spray cloud rises 400 metres in high water (February-May) and is visible from 30km away. Iguazu is the widest in terms of cascade count (275 individual falls across 2.7km), set in a UNESCO-listed rainforest with the Brazilian and Argentinian sides offering radically different experiences — Argentina puts you walking on top of the falls, Brazil puts you across the gorge looking back. Niagara is the most-visited but materially smaller — 51 metres tall, 1,200 metres wide — and the most urbanised experience of the three. For luxury hotels, Victoria Falls wins on heritage (the 1904 Vic Falls Hotel, the Royal Livingstone, Matetsi); Iguazu offers the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas as the only in-park property on either side; Niagara is dominated by chain hotels in the surrounding tourism towns. For pure wildlife integration — giraffes wandering past your terrace, elephants crossing the Zambezi at dusk — Vic Falls is in a category neither of the other two can match.

Beyond the Hotel: 10 Things to Do at Victoria Falls (2026)

Vic Falls rewards travellers who book activities ahead — most fill up days in advance in peak season. Here's the prioritised list:

1. Walk the Victoria Falls Bridge — Free, the KAZA UniVisa makes the crossing easy. The 1905 bridge spans the Batoka Gorge between the two countries — commissioned as part of Cecil Rhodes' Cape-to-Cairo railway dream, and still carrying road, rail and foot traffic 111 metres above the Zambezi — with views of the falls and the rapids below. Best at midday when the spray catches the sun. On the Zambian side, pair the crossing with the Knife-Edge Bridge, the footbridge through the densest spray opposite the Eastern Cataract — at high water you will be soaked to the skin within a minute, so rent a poncho at the gate.

2. Devil's Pool Swim — Zambia side only, August-January only. Swim to the literal edge of the falls and lean over a 108-metre drop. Book through Tongabezi Lodge or Royal Livingstone — independent operators are unreliable. $130-180 including the boat to Livingstone Island.

3. Zambezi Sunset Cruise — The iconic safari-meets-G&T experience. 2-2.5 hours on the flat upper Zambezi above the falls, hippos and elephants on the banks, sundowners served on board. The Zimbabwe-side stretch borders Zambezi National Park, whose elephant herds come down to drink at dusk — the cruise is effectively a water-borne game drive. Both sides offer cruises; Zimbabwe-side cruises depart from the A'Zambezi River Lodge jetty. $80-100.

4. White-Water Rafting — The Zambezi rapids through the Batoka Gorge below the falls are graded among the world's top one-day white-water trips: a run of Grade III-V rapids (Grade V is the highest commercially raftable class) through sheer basalt walls. Full-day trips run July to February, with the best low-water rafting from around August onwards as the river drops. Not for nervous swimmers. $170-200.

5. Helicopter "Flight of Angels" — Livingstone himself wrote that "scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight" — the helicopter flight that bears his quote is the most-photographed Vic Falls activity. From the air you finally grasp the geography: the full 1,708-metre curtain, the spray cloud, and the Zambezi switchbacking away through the zigzag bends of the Batoka Gorge. Longer flights add a circuit over Zambezi National Park for elephants from the air. 12-25 minutes, $180-350. Worth every dollar.

6. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park Game Drive — Zambia side. Smaller park than the Zimbabwe side reserves, but reliable elephants, the southern white rhino tracking on foot is the highlight (always with armed rangers). Half-day, $80-120.

7. Chobe National Park Day Trip — Botswana, 80km from Vic Falls (via the Kazungula border, where Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia famously converge on the Zambezi). The largest elephant population in Africa — 120,000+ elephants concentrate along the Chobe River in dry season. The KAZA UniVisa covers the same-day Botswana crossing, which is exactly the cross-border circuit the visa was designed for. Full-day trip, river cruise + game drive, $200-280.

8. Livingstone Island Picnic — Stand on the island where David Livingstone first saw the falls in 1855. Half-day trips from the Zambia side, including breakfast or lunch on the island. Often combined with Devil's Pool. $130-220.

9. Bungee Jump from Victoria Falls Bridge — 111 metres, the third-highest bungee in the world, into the Zambezi gorge. $160. Photo-package extra. Insurance-document the jump if your travel insurance has adventure-activity exclusions.

10. Boma Dinner with Drumming — Touristy but genuinely fun. Traditional southern-African buffet at the Boma restaurant near Victoria Falls Hotel — game meats, mopane worm tasting, marimba band, gourd-drum drumming circle that has the entire dining room on its feet by 9pm. $50-65.

11. The Devil's Pool Swim (September-December Only) — More than just an activity tick: this is the defining once-in-a-lifetime Vic Falls ritual. Devil's Pool is a natural rock-rim basin at the very lip of the Zambian side of the falls, accessible only when water levels drop low enough between September and December. You boat to Livingstone Island, walk across the seasonal-dry rocks, slip into a shallow pool, and the guide holds your ankles as you lean head-and-shoulders over the 108-metre drop. The world's most extreme natural infinity pool — there is genuinely nothing comparable anywhere else on Earth. Book through Tongabezi Lodge or Royal Livingstone (independent operators are unreliable and the safety briefing matters here), $130-180 including the boat and lunch on Livingstone Island.

12. High Tea on the Royal Livingstone Deck — The Zambia-side equivalent of the Victoria Falls Hotel's Stanley Terrace tea, and arguably the better setting: 3-5pm on the Royal Livingstone's open river-front deck, with the Zambezi flowing past at your feet, the spray of the falls rising visibly downstream, and resident giraffes and zebras typically grazing within sight of the table. Earl Grey, biltong sandwiches (a south-African substitute for cucumber), scones, and a marimba duo. Even non-guests can book — around $35 per person, smart-casual dress, 90 minutes minimum because you'll want to watch the wildlife.

Where to Stay: Victoria Falls Sides 2026

The geography is simple once you see it as two towns and one river. On the Zimbabwe side, Victoria Falls town is a compact, walkable tourism town a kilometre from the park entrance, served by Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) about 18km south — this is where the heritage hotels and the restaurant scene sit. On the Zambia side, Livingstone — the former capital of Northern Rhodesia, named after the explorer — lies about 10km from the falls, served by Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Airport (LVI), with the in-park lodges strung along the Zambezi between town and the lip. The KAZA UniVisa stitches the two together: fly into one airport, out of the other, and split your nights across both sides.

One timing note that shapes which side to weight your nights towards: the falls behave like two different waterfalls across the year. In the high-water peak (February to May) the full 1,708-metre curtain runs at around 500 million litres per minute and both sides thunder; in the low-water months (September to December) the Zambian side's Eastern Cataract can slow to a trickle while the Zimbabwean side — holding roughly 75% of the frontage — keeps falling year-round. If you're travelling in low water and can only afford nights on one side, weight them to Zimbabwe for the views and cross to Zambia for Devil's Pool and Livingstone Island; in high water, the Zambia-side lodges inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park earn their premium with the spray at full height.

Privacy Shield: Why Book Victoria Falls Through JetMeAway

Southern African luxury and safari hotels are aggressive on email retargeting — book the Royal Livingstone direct and your inbox starts surfacing offers from Anantara and Wilderness Safaris properties across Africa for months afterwards. The Anantara network, Leading Hotels of the World, and the major safari operators all run cross-property mailing lists.

When you book via JetMeAway, your personal data never touches the hotel's marketing systems until check-in. We hand off the booking through our partner Nuitee, which acts as a merchant of record. The hotel receives the reservation, not your Facebook pixel, your inbox, or your credit-card-company's marketing arm.

For Vic Falls in particular — where high-water-season pricing and once-in-a-lifetime-trip demand makes hotels especially keen to retarget early-shoppers — this matters. Research freely, book confidently, skip the six months of "we miss you" emails.

Pair Victoria Falls with the Rest of Africa

Vic Falls works as a stop on a longer Africa itinerary, not a destination on its own. The two strongest pairings: a Botswana safari extension via Kasane (90 minutes by road from the falls) or a north-to-south flight to Cape Town for the city-and-winelands week. For travellers who want a completely different Africa, our Egypt travel guide for 2026 covers the five distinct holidays one country offers — pyramids, Nile cruise, Red Sea liveaboard, Sinai trekking, Western Desert oases.

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