Your Victoria Falls itinerary, crafted by those who call this place home.
Most people who come to Victoria Falls want to see the Falls. That is the easy part – we will get you there. What takes a little more thought is what happens between the viewpoints, the sundowners and the transfer back to the airport. That is the part we at Wild Horizons have spent 25 years getting right.
The Wallow Lodge sits inside the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary, a private 4,500-acre concession that adjoins the Victoria Falls National Park. It is a small lodge – intimate by design, with a conservation focus that runs through everything from the game drives to the community programmes on your doorstep. Guests who stay here tend to be people who want Africa to feel real rather than packaged, and who would rather watch elephant on a morning drive than sit by a hotel pool.
This is the third installment in the Wild Horizons Victoria Falls Itinerary Series. Installment 1 covers a 3-night town-based stay at Waterfalls Lodge, Installment 2 follows a luxury ridge-top stay at The Elephant Camp. This variant is built for guests who want to be inside the wilderness from the moment they arrive… a different kind of immersion. The full series and Victoria Falls itinerary pillar guide covers every travel style and trip length we plan.
How to use this guide
This itinerary is built for 3 nights at The Wallow Lodge, with a focus on wildlife, conservation, and the kind of unhurried pace that a small sanctuary lodge makes possible. It suits solo travellers, couples, and small groups who want genuine bush immersion without the distance from the Falls that most game lodges require. If you are looking for a luxury ridge-top experience with gorge views, Installment 2 covers The Elephant Camp. For a riverside setting in Zambezi National Park, Installment 4 will cover Old Drift Lodge. For a 4-night Signature Special combining two properties, see Installment 5.
Before You Arrive
Zimbabwe Visa
Most nationalities can purchase a visa on arrival at Victoria Falls International Airport. If you plan to take the Chobe Day Trip into Botswana – which we recommend as one of your bonus activity options – the KAZA Univisa covers Zimbabwe and Zambia and simplifies border crossings. Complete the Zimbabwe online immigration form before you travel; it makes the airport faster, and faster airports mean more time in the bush.
Complete the Zimbabwe immigration form online before you fly. For regional visa guidance, Africa’s Eden has a practical summary.
What to Pack
Neutral colours – olive, khaki, buff – for game drives. The Wallow Lodge is a bush property and the dress code is relaxed, but guests tend to dress up slightly for evening meals around the fire. Walking shoes for the Falls, a light layer for early-morning drives, and a rain jacket in the Green Season. In peak spray season, the rainforest path at Victoria Falls is genuinely wet; our guides carry spare ponchos, but your own is better.
Day 1 — Arrival, Game Drive, Sundowners at the Batoka Gorge
Seasonal note: what you find on arrival depends significantly on the time of year — from high, dramatic spray in February through to the clear geological reveal of low water in October. Our Best Time to Visit Victoria Falls guide covers what each month brings.
Arrival
Your Wild Horizons guide will meet you in the arrivals hall at Victoria Falls International Airport, name board in hand. The drive to The Wallow Lodge takes around 20 minutes and passes through the edge of the national park – keep your eyes open on the road in; elephant are a regular feature of that stretch and first sightings before you have even checked in are not unusual.
On arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you, walk you through your itinerary and activity timings for the next three days, and help you settle into your suite. The Wallow Lodge has a small number of suites positioned among ancient riverine trees above the Masuwe River. There is no grand lobby. The experience starts the moment you step out of the vehicle.
Afternoon — Game Drive and Gorge Sundowner
Your first afternoon begins with a private game drive through the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary. Our guides have been working this concession for years and read the landscape rather than following a fixed circuit – the route adjusts to what the animals are doing, which means no two drives are alike. The sanctuary supports elephant, giraffe, zebra, sable, warthog, and a wide range of resident birdlife. Game drives at The Wallow Lodge run in the early mornings and late afternoons, when wildlife is most active.
The drive ends on the rim of the Batoka Gorge, where cocktails and canapés are laid out against one of the most quietly arresting backdrops in Africa. The Zambezi surges 120 metres below; the gorge walls catch the last light; and the sounds of the evening bush take over. It is not a performance – it is just where we live, and we like sharing it.
Evening — Dinner at The Wallow Lodge
Dinner is served in the main lodge area, open to the bush on three sides with views across the Masuwe River. Meals at the lodge are hearty and considered – locally sourced where possible, and built around the kind of food that makes sense after a long day outside. On still evenings, the firepit comes into its own and dinner moves outside. Your first night at the lodge tends to go late; that is usually a good sign.
Where to stay tonight
The Wallow Lodge – nestled among ancient riverine trees in the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary, Victoria Falls National Park. Solar-powered, conservation-focused, and twenty minutes from the Falls.
Day 2 — Victoria Falls, The Lookout Café, Wildlife Trust, Village Tour, Sundowner Cruise
Seasonal note: the volume and drama of Victoria Falls shifts month to month. Our seasonal guide helps you calibrate what to expect – and which viewpoints to prioritise for your time of year.
Morning — Game Drive and Guided Tour of Victoria Falls
Day 2 begins before sunrise. An early game drive through the sanctuary in the first light of morning is one of the most reliably good wildlife experiences the Victoria Falls area offers – predators are still moving, elephant are active near water, and the birdlife in the riverine forest is at its most vocal. Our guides carry a flask of coffee on cold-morning drives; ask when you book if that matters to you.
From the sanctuary, you continue directly to a guided walking tour of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side. The Zimbabwean viewpoint corridor is 1,708 metres long and takes in 16 numbered viewpoints – the most comprehensive viewing angle of the Falls available from either bank. Our guides walk this path regularly and know which viewpoints work best in which conditions, which matters more than it sounds when peak spray season reduces visibility to a few metres. The tour excludes the Rainforest Entry Fee, which is US$58 per person for international visitors and payable on invoice. The Rainforest Raincoat Project – a Wild Horizons community initiative that provides rain ponchos to local school children visiting the Falls – was born from this exact walk.
Midday — Breakfast at The Lookout Café
After the Falls tour, your guide takes you to The Lookout Café for breakfast, included in your Wallow Lodge stay. The Lookout sits directly on the gorge rim above Rapid 1 – one of the most dramatic positions of any café in southern Africa. On rafting days, you may find yourself eating while a group runs the rapid 100 metres below, which is either exhilarating or mildly distracting depending on your constitution. Table 4, the corner table on the outer deck, is the one to request.
Afternoon — Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust
Back at the lodge after lunch, the afternoon is built around a visit to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, a non-profit conservation and rehabilitation organisation that operates from within the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary – effectively on your doorstep.
The Trust runs a High-Care Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and conducts active research into the species that share this landscape. A guided visit takes you through the facilities with members of the Trust team, who explain current rehabilitation cases and the broader conservation picture for wildlife in the Victoria Falls area. It is one of the most substantive conservation experiences available to guests staying in the region – and because it is right next to the lodge, it does not feel like a scheduled excursion. It feels like meeting the neighbours.
This activity is included in your stay but needs to be scheduled with lodge management on arrival, as it is subject to availability.
Late Afternoon — Village Tour
The Meet the People village tour is an optional late-afternoon addition that takes guests into a nearby rural community to meet the Village Chief and learn about local customs, traditions, and ways of life. Wild Horizons has maintained this community relationship for many years – the tour is designed and led by community members themselves, which means the experience is genuine rather than curated. It is one of the most straightforward ways to understand the human context of the landscape you have been moving through.
Evening — Zambezi Sundowner Cruise
Your guide collects you from the lodge in the late afternoon for the transfer to the Wild Horizons jetty, where you will board the Zambezi Sundowner Cruise. The cruise runs from 16:00 to 18:30, moving upriver into Zambezi National Park with drinks and finger snacks served on deck. Hippo, crocodile, and elephant are regular sightings; the birdlife on the Zambezi at dusk – fish eagles, herons, cormorants – is excellent. The sunset on the open river is the one Victoria Falls experience that photographs roughly as well as it looks in person.
Plan this itinerary with us
Our reservations team is based in Victoria Falls and has been planning trips like this one for 25 years. Reach out directly and we will tailor the details to your travel dates, group, and interests.
Where to stay tonight
The Wallow Lodge — back to the sanctuary, the Masuwe River, and a dinner that will have been adjusted based on what you told the team you enjoyed last night.
Day 3 — Your Bonus Activity, Final Game Drive, Farewell
Seasonal note: your bonus activity experience varies by season — conditions on the Zambezi, at the Falls, and in Chobe shift considerably across the year. Our Best Time to Visit guide covers what to expect and how to choose.
Morning — Bonus Activity
Day 3 is built around your bonus activity — one complimentary experience included in the 3-Night Wallow Lodge Package. There are four options, and they are genuinely different from each other. Here is how we think about the choice:
The Helicopter Flight of Angels is a 12-to-13-minute scenic flight over the Falls and the Batoka Gorge. Our pilots fly a figure-of-eight pattern over the main face rather than a single pass, which means two approaches from different angles and a window seat for everyone on board. It is the fastest way to understand the geography of the Falls. Additional fees apply: US$36 in park fees per person, not included in the package rate.
White Water Rafting on the Zambezi below the Falls is consistently rated among the best single-day rafting experiences in the world. The Batoka Gorge section — Rapid 1 through to Rapid 23, depending on water levels — is a full-day commitment. It is not suitable for guests with back or neck conditions, and it is not available in the high-water months when certain rapids are closed for safety. River usage fees apply.
The Chobe Day Trip crosses into Botswana for a full day of land- and river-based game viewing in Chobe National Park, one of the highest elephant densities on the continent. It is a longer day — departing early, returning around 18:30 — but for wildlife enthusiasts it is one of the most productive single days of game viewing in southern Africa. Chobe National Park fees of US$25 per person apply, payable on invoice.
The Malachite Dinner Cruise is a 3-hour evening experience on the Zambezi, with a three-course dinner served on the water and the Falls visible from the upper deck on clear nights. It is the most relaxed of the four options — good for guests who want one last unhurried evening on the river. River usage fees apply.
Afternoon — Final Game Drive
If your activity ends in time, your last afternoon includes one more game drive through the sanctuary — a chance to revisit an area the guide wants to show you, or simply to sit in the vehicle and watch whatever is moving. Late-afternoon drives in the dry season, when animals concentrate around water sources, are often the best of the stay. There is no pressure to tick anything off the list at this point.
Evening — Final Dinner
Dinner on your last evening at The Wallow Lodge tends to feel different from the first two. The lodge team will know your preferences by now. The sounds of the sanctuary are familiar. The adjustment back to the pace of travel has not quite happened yet. That liminal feeling — between the bush and the world — is something our guests describe more often than any specific activity. We think of it as the real product.
Where to stay tonight
Your final night at The Wallow Lodge. Checkout is at 10:00 on Day 4; airport transfers are arranged to connect with your departure flight.
Final Thoughts From Those Who Call It Home
The 3-Night Wallow Lodge Package (3NWL) includes all accommodation, all meals and local drinks, return airport transfers, all activities listed in this itinerary — game drives, guided Falls tour, Wildlife Trust visit, village tour, Zambezi Sundowner Cruise — and one bonus activity of your choice: Helicopter Flight of Angels, White Water Rafting, Chobe Day Trip, or Malachite Dinner Cruise.
The Sustainability and Conservation Levy of US$50 per person per night is payable on invoice and is not included in the package rate. It applies to all guests regardless of age — there is no child discount on the levy. The Rainforest Entry Fee (US$58 per person for international visitors) is also payable on invoice when the Falls tour is included.
If you are interested in combining a Wallow Lodge stay with time at The Elephant Camp or Old Drift Lodge, ask our reservations team about the Signature Special packages — they are designed for exactly that combination. Browse current offers at wildhorizons.co.za/2026-specials-and-packages/.
Final thoughts from the locals
The Wallow Lodge is not the obvious choice for every traveller who comes to Victoria Falls, and we are comfortable with that. It is the choice for guests who want the wildlife to be the main event rather than the backdrop — who want to wake up inside the sanctuary rather than drive to it, and who find meaning in a conservation visit rather than treating it as a box to tick.
Three nights here moves at a different pace from a town-based stay. You will spend more time outside and less time thinking about where to have dinner. That is the point. Wild Horizons has been operating in this landscape for over 25 years, and The Wallow Lodge is the property that most directly reflects what we think a Victoria Falls safari should feel like.
To start planning, reach out to our reservations team at wildhorizons.co.za/contact-us/?subject=Itinerary%20enquiry. We are based in Victoria Falls and plan every itinerary personally.
Coming Next in the Series
The Wild Horizons Victoria Falls Itinerary Series covers every major travel style and trip length:
· Installment 1 — 3 Nights, Town-Based: Waterfalls Lodge
· Installment 2 — 3 Nights, Luxury Ridge-Top: The Elephant Camp
· Installment 3 — 3 Nights, Sanctuary & Wildlife: The Wallow Lodge (you are here)
· Installment 4 — 4 Nights, Signature Special: The Elephant Camp + Old Drift Lodge (coming soon)
· Installment 6 — 6 Nights, Signature Special: The Elephant Camp + Old Drift Lodge (coming soon)
· Installment 7 — 8 Nights, Signature Special: The Elephant Camp + Old Drift Lodge (coming soon)
The full series pillar guide lives at wildhorizons.co.za/victoria-falls-itinerary/.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Wallow Lodge is the only lodge in the Victoria Falls area situated inside a private wildlife sanctuary adjacent to the national park, operated by the same company — Wild Horizons — that runs the game drives, the activities, and the Zambezi cruises. There is no hand-off between your accommodation provider and your activity operator; it is all one team, which changes how the experience feels. The lodge is also home base for the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust partnership, a conservation rehabilitation programme that guests can visit during their stay.
The package includes all accommodation, all meals, local drinks, return airport transfers, game drives in the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary, a guided tour of Victoria Falls, a visit to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, a village tour, the Zambezi Sundowner Cruise, and one bonus activity of your choice: Helicopter Flight of Angels, White Water Rafting, Chobe Day Trip, or Malachite Dinner Cruise. The Sustainability and Conservation Levy (US$50 per person per night) and Rainforest Entry Fee (US$58 per person) are payable on invoice and excluded from the package rate. Certain bonus activity fees — helicopter park fees, river usage fees, Chobe park fees — are also additional and itemised on invoice.
Children aged 7 and above are welcome at The Wallow Lodge. Children aged 7–16 are charged at 50% of the adult sharing rate. Note that the Wallow Lodge does not have dedicated family rooms — two standard suites can accommodate a roll-away bed for one child sharing with two adults. The Sustainability and Conservation Levy of US$50 per person per night applies to children at the full adult rate; there is no child discount on the levy.
It depends on what you have not done yet and what matters most to you. If this is your first time at the Falls, the Helicopter Flight of Angels gives you the most complete geographical overview in the shortest time. If you are a wildlife enthusiast and this is your only chance to visit Botswana, the Chobe Day Trip is the strongest game-viewing day in the region. If you are here for adventure, White Water Rafting on the Zambezi is world-class. If you want one final unhurried evening on the river, the Malachite Dinner Cruise is the most relaxed choice. Our reservations team is happy to talk through the options based on your travel dates and group.
The Wallow Lodge operates within the Victoria Falls National Park on a private concession and uses solar-powered water heating and locally sourced, sustainable materials throughout. Wild Horizons is a Travelife Partner and Fair Trade Tourism approved operator — these are independently verified certifications covering our operations across all properties. Every guest stay contributes to the Sustainability and Conservation Levy, which funds anti-poaching operations, elephant welfare, and the Wildlife Trust rehabilitation programme at the sanctuary. We avoid the word ‘eco-friendly’ because it is imprecise — what we can say is that conservation is not a marketing line for Wild Horizons. It is the reason the sanctuary exists.
About Wild Horizons
Wild Horizons has been operating in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe since 1993. We own and operate The Elephant Camp, Old Drift Lodge, The Wallow Lodge, and Waterfalls Lodge, along with the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary — a 4,500-acre private concession that underpins our conservation work and the Wallow Lodge guest experience. We operate a full portfolio of activities across the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides of the Falls.
Wild Horizons is a Travelife Partner and Fair Trade Tourism approved operator. Every guest stay contributes to the Sustainability and Conservation Levy, which funds anti-poaching operations, elephant welfare, and community programmes across the region. We are proud partners of UNICEF Zimbabwe under a formal MOU signed by our CEO, Gary Archer.
Plan your Victoria Falls trip with our team at wildhorizons.co.za.
