After the Victoria Falls Marathon: A Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi

The Route: Victoria Falls hotel → Zambezi river cruise → Hotel dinner Logistics: The operator collects and returns you. Book it for the afternoon after the race. Marathon Month: July Duration: Day trip

Victoria Falls hotel ──(operator pick-up)──> Zambezi cruise (about 2 hrs)
                                                     │
                      Hotel dinner <──(operator drop-off)──┘

Your quads will have opinions on the morning after. Leave it empty. Sleep late and find a long breakfast. The cruise only needs you in a seat.

July in Victoria Falls: this is the dry winter. Mornings are cool and nights can fall below 10 degrees, while the afternoon sun is warm. Once it sets on the water, the temperature drops quickly, so bring the layer you wore at the start line.

The Cruise

Shearwater runs a sunset cruise of about two hours on the water, roughly three hours once transfers are counted, with hotel pick-up included. In the winter months, from May to August, pick-ups start from 15:30. That timing fits a morning of nothing. Confirm the boarding arrangements when you book, because a boat means a gangway and a step or two, and ask for assistance if the stairs are a problem.

The water above the falls is slow and wide, and the gorge and the bridge lie downstream. Wildlife is never guaranteed, so treat any promise of a particular animal as marketing.

Lunch

Marula Café at Victoria Falls Centre advertises service from 08:00, with a cooked breakfast early and a casual lunch menu. Cassia Restaurant at Ilala Lodge serves lunch from 12:00 to 14:00. Confirm Sunday and Monday opening before you plan around either.

Getting Back

The operator returns you to your hotel. For dinner, book a table at your own hotel or one with a transfer, because FCDO reports poor lighting and crime risks after dark.