Best hotels in Victoria Falls

Enjoying prime riverfront real estate along the glimmering Zambezi, there are just eight Malachite Luxury Tented Suites. Nature's palette and clever design come together to form the perfect retreat, each opening onto a private deck with its own plunge pool, daybed and bathtub for starlit soaks. Inside the air-conditioned tent, you'll find a California king-sized bed and around 110-square-metres of space to recline in.

Albida - Victoria Falls is a boutique lodge of quiet authority. Intentionally intimate and beautifully considered, where architecture, nature and hospitality exist in balance.

It is all-inclusive by design. Butler service, a full programme of guided activities, every meal, every drink, every laundered shirt. Nothing to arrange. Nothing to pay for twice.

When "new beginnings" is both the meaning of your name and your daily reality, you're onto something special. Tucked on a pristine island in the mighty Zambezi, this intimate eight-tent camp offers that rarest of safari experiences: complete isolation but still with a good dose of luxury. Reached only by boat after a game drive through Zambezi National Park, the lodge is sheltered by centuries-old baobabs where elephants occasionally pop by for breakfast. Between sundowner cruises, guided canoeing adventures, and game drives teeming with elephant herds, you'll discover why it can boast about having David Attenborough-level guides...

At Kabakwe Lodge, your stay is defined by refined comfort, thoughtful design, and a genuine connection to Victoria Falls. Set within a tranquil garden setting, Kabakwe offers an elegant retreat just moments from one of the world’s most extraordinary natural wonders. The lodge reflects the rhythm of life in Victoria Falls, relaxed yet considered, welcoming yet discreet, and deeply rooted in place.

The elegantly appointed rooms combine contemporary African design with modern amenities, creating a sophisticated and restful space to relax and recharge. Each room opens onto the lodge’s peaceful garden surrounds, offering a calm haven after days spent at the Falls or on safari.

Just five kilometres from the thundering Victoria Falls, Insika Lodge is beautifully situated in a safari-style wilderness of mopane woodland where warthogs and antelope casually wander past the infinity pool. The lodge's elevated wooden walkways and expansive decks maximise the woodland views, whilst the on-site spa, fine dining, and complimentary shuttles to the Falls ensure you're never far from either relaxation or adventure. With its own waterhole viewing deck and prolific birdlife, plus easy access to Victoria Falls' famous adrenaline-fuelled activities, it's perfectly positioned for those who want their creature comforts without sacrificing an authentic African experience.

This ‘Grand Old Lady’ needs little introduction as one of the most famous hotels on the continent. Seamlessly blending colonial glamour with some serious style thanks to a recent refurb, the Victoria Falls Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1904 and is an icon of a bygone era. Nowadays, the hotel is famous for its tranquil location 10 minutes away from the awe-inspiring Falls, the utterly charming service and mesmerising view of the misty spray rising from the bridge… best enjoyed from the terrace alongside a pot of tea and a tower of scones of course.

Just thirty minutes upstream from the iconic Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side of the Zambezi, Matetsi River Lodge sits on a quiet stretch of river within an enormous private game reserve. It's an extraordinary setting for this newly refurbished lodge, which serves up tranquility and adventure in equal doses. From your riverfront cottage, enjoy watching the birdlife flittering around the water below, or head into the reserve for an excellent selection of game. And then of course, there's the star of the show, Victoria Falls, a sight that David Livingstone once said was, "a scene so lovely it must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." Sounds good to us!

Bayete Guest House is located just three kilometers from the heart of the historic town of Victoria Falls and the best vantage point from which to view the mighty Falls itself (locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya - "the smoke that thunders"). More than a mile wide, straddling the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the falls boasts several impressive statistics, though one needn't quantify its supreme beauty or the experience of watching the Zambezi River dive into the First Gorge. This relatively small, well-managed family-run guest house offers convenience and guidance to help travellers make the most of an area that can often feel overwhelming for its dizzying range of options. It's good to note that a visit here is best between May and October when the water flow isn't so heavy as to shroud the falls.

Channel your inner David Livingstone by exploring the dramatic natural beauty of Vic Falls and the Zambezi River – albeit in far more luxurious style. Hot off the starting blocks, Old Drift Lodge is already causing a stir with its luxurious canvas suites and exciting setting in Zimbabwe's Zambezi National Park. This is elephant, buffalo, sable, eland, zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck and impala country, and you're just seven kilometres upstream of "The Smoke that Thunders". Explore this dramatic paradise on game drives, river safaris, trips to the falls and some souvenir shopping in Victoria Falls town.

Victoria Falls is amongst one of the most dramatic and iconic scenes on Earth. Here, the Zambezi River rushes over a 1.2 kilometre wide gorge, deafening and stomach-stirring till it hits the bottom, 111 metres down. Mpala Jena Camp is just a short drive upstream from this spectacle, in a private concession in Zimbabwe's Zambezi National Park. The four exquisite tents are surrounded by wilderness and wildlife, offering a sophisticated base from which to explore the concession and all its four-legged creatures, as well as the Falls. And at 16 kilometres inside the park, it's a tranquil sort of place, where nothing will disturb your peace and quiet but the twitterings of the birds overhead..

Just over a mile away from Victoria Falls, the roaring 'Smoke That Thunders', Shongwe Lookout is a chic spot to escape worldly worries and reconnect with nature. Its piece de resistance is the double-storey Lookout, where you can spend a delicious hour or two admiring the sunset - or sunrise, for those morning people. Wake up to the twittering of birdsong (the verdant grounds are a haven) before heading off to see the one of the natural wonders of the world, from a boat cruising the waters at its base, or a heli flip in the mist-filled air.

A child-free retreat in the heart of Victoria Falls, Shongwe Oasis is all about R&R. Every space at the Oasis is made for ensuring the utmost relaxation, from loungers in the pool to baobab milk baths at the spa. Just 2 kilometres away from the enthralling Falls, there is also plenty to do whether it's a languid cruise on the Zambezi, a helicopter flight above the rising mist, or spotting wild dog, hyena and antelope in the national park. After a day like this, it's only right to raise a toast with a glass of Zimbabwe's own Kumusha wine.

This beautiful camp is situated on a private concession in the Victoria Falls National Park, just 15 minutes by road from the majestic falls themselves. Elephant Camp is a mid-sized tented camp with 12 rooms spread across a hilltop overlooking the park. The decor is simple, with strong African influences and a modest level of luxury that does not detract from the inspiring surrounds. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and expansive views of the surrounding bush, take a game drive in search of wildlife or head to the 'Smoke that Thunders' for a day of adrenaline-filled activities.

Matetsi River House is a safari on your own terms (we like it already!) Set on the private Matetsi Reserve next to its sister camp, Matetsi River Lodge, the 8-person house has the best of both worlds - a private butler, chef and guide, and access to all the facilities of the lodge, including the swimming pool, spa and wine cellar. A 30 minute drive will take you straight to the Falls and the plethora of heart-stopping activities that go with it, but if you fancy staying closer to home, there's lots to keep you busy on the reserve, from walks to boating trips to fishing. That's what we call a holiday.

The Victoria Falls Safari Suites are situated within the magnificent grounds of the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge resort, an award-winning lodge with exquisite views of the Adjacent Zambezi National Park. Set on a plateau and bordering the Zambezi National Park, they are a short drive away from the spectacular Victoria Falls and all the activities it offers. The two and three-bedroom sunset-facing Safari Suites are set in a natural bush environment and are ideal for families, and small groups who are looking for stylish comfort, flexibility, privacy and space.

Lokuthula (meaning, "place of peace") has large grounds and comfortable accommodation options, offering a restful mid-range retreat within easy walking distance of the world renowned Victoria Falls. The lodge is surrounded by indigenous bush, allowing you to enjoy some decent wildlife viewing and a wide variety of birds directly from your doorstep. Two and three-bedroom chalets, set amongst lush, treed gardens, can be booked on a self-catering or a bed and breakfast basis. There are some good in-house activities to keep you interested while you're not busy with the many other things to do in and around town, but the best feature of the lodge is without doubt its three-tiered palm-fringed swimming pool looking over a magnificent waterhole that attracts wildlife from far and wide.

The sweeping, double-story grass thatched structure of A'Zambezi River Lodge is surrounded by extensive lawns and set right on banks of the Zambezi River, above the magnificent Victoria Falls. More like a mid-sized hotel than an intimate lodge, it has eighty-seven rooms and a large central garden with a swimming pool. It is well-positioned to take advantage of the town of Victoria Falls and its multitude of activities; the fact that guests can embark on a river cruise directly from the lodge itself is a major benefit. A magnificent mile-wide waterfall straddling Zimbabwe and Zambia, Victoria Falls needs little introduction. There are several ways to experience it, offering guests varying degrees of adventure. A visit between May and October is optimal.