Victoria Falls is one of the most majestic waterfalls on our planet. Towering over almost twice the height and 1.5 times the width of Niagara Falls, this natural marvel deserves its spot as Africa’s sole representative on the ‘Seven Natural Wonders of the World’ list.
Stretching for 1,708 metres (5,603 ft) across the mighty Zambezi River and dropping 108 metres (360 ft) over a narrow and sheer knife-edge cliff, visitors can hear its incredible roar up to 40 km (25 miles) away. During the peak rainy season, columns of spray and mist rise high above the gorge, earning it its local name, ‘Mosi-oa Tunya' which means ‘the smoke that thunders'.
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To complete the picture of what you can expect when visiting Victoria Falls, throw in a few rainbows and lush green rainforests teeming with wildlife. If you time your visit during a full moon period, you’ll also witness another one of nature’s many phenomena: moonlight bounces off the falls on clear nights, creating colourful lunar rainbows. What could be more magical than that?
In this comprehensive guide we’re going to dive into everything you need to know about visiting the spectacular Victoria Falls.
Note: This guide is written by guest author Ella McKendrick from the Ella McKendrick travel blog. With a strong passion for wildlife and nature, Ella has travelled extensively in Africa and has been on countless safari tours. With this travel guide, she shares her best tips and recommendations to make the most of your visit to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe as well as a brief visit from the Zambian side.
Where is Victoria Falls located?
The town of Victoria Falls is located in Southern Africa on the Zambezi River, which acts as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Thus, the waterfall can be viewed from both countries.
How to Get to Victoria Falls
Most visitors arrive at Victoria Falls through the Victoria Falls Airport, roughly 24 km (15 miles) south of Victoria Falls Town in western Zimbabwe. From the airport, it is a short 30-minute drive to the falls.
Alternatively, you can access the falls from the Zambian side by travelling to the Livingstone Airport, which is located on the outskirts of the town.
Those travelling in neighbouring Botswana can also easily add the falls to their trip, as the town of Kasane is less than an hour’s drive away. For this reason, Victoria Falls is a popular day-trip destination and a brilliant way to finish a Botswana safari itinerary.
Best Time to Visit Victoria Falls
Most people want to witness the falls in all their glory, so they plan their visit between February and July when the water levels are at their highest. This is a brilliant time to hear the roar of water and feel the true force of nature.
However, the downside of visiting during these months is that the immense power of the falls creates a lot of spray and thick mist, which can potentially obscure the views of the actual falls. The strong water flow also prevents swimming in the famous Devil’s Pool and restricts white-water rafting to experts only. To make the best of everything, the best time to visit the falls is around June and July, at the end of the rainy season. During these months, the water is still flowing strongly, temperatures are lower, and the weather is stable. This is also one of the best times to go on safari in the nearby parks.
The low-water season runs from August to January, but visiting during these months certainly has its advantages too. This is the best time to see the entire gorge and waterfalls without heavy mist. It’s also a brilliant time for boat cruises, visiting Livingstone Island, swimming in Devil’s Pool, and rafting along the Zambezi. Except during extreme drought conditions, there is usually enough water flowing over the falls on the Zimbabwean side, but the Zambian side may dry up completely.
How Much Does It Cost to Visit?
The entry fee to the falls is US$50 from the Zimbabwean side and $20 from the Zambian side. If you’re visiting from Botswana, you’ll also need to pay $30-$50 for a single entry visa to Zimbabwe depending on your nationality.
Whilst both Zambia and Zimbabwe border Botswana, it’s far easier to cross the border into Zimbabwe than Zambia. You can purchase a combined Zimbabwe and Zambia visa (known as the KAZA Univisa) on the Zimbabwe border for $50 per person.
The KAZA Univisa will allow you to enter Zambia and Zimbabwe multiple times for up to 30 days. It may be wise to carry cash, as the card machines here do not always work.
Which Is Best: The Zimbabwe or Zambia Side?
With roughly three-quarters of the falls being on the Zimbabwean side, the most iconic views are from Zimbabwe. Once you’ve entered the park, various cobblestone tracks lead to 16 different viewing points along the gorge, each more spectacular than the last. The early mornings provide not only stunning scenery but are less busy, letting you enjoy the splendour of the falls all on your own.
If you can be inside the park at sunrise, you can catch the sun rising across the entire gorge. Mid-afternoons provide the most spectacular rainbows. Middays are not a good time for rainbows, but the sun shining directly above allows you to look down deep into the gorge.
Once you cross the bridge into Zambia and pass through the immigration post, several paths lead to various viewpoints. As mentioned earlier, the dry rock face may not have much water in Zambia during the low-water season, but in the high-water season, it’s as spectacular as from the Zimbabwean side.
Looking east to west from the Zambian side also provides magical sunsets, with the sun setting across the entire gorge—breathtaking scenery. Livingstone Island and the famous Devil’s Pool are also reached from the Zambian side, with the ferry launch site a short distance upstream.
To conclude, Zimbabwe provides the best views of the falls but Zambia has the benefit of housing the Devil’s Pool.
How to Make the Most of Your Visit
Assuming that seeing the falls is your primary purpose for visiting the area, allow yourself at least three hours to walk the length of the roughly one-kilometre trail on the Zimbabweanside and view the falls from as many viewpoints as possible. You can allow a similar amount of time to walk round the falls on the Zambian side. Each viewpoint provides a spectacle all on its own.
A good place to start is at the David Livingstone statue on the westernmost corner of the falls. Then, work your way eastwards through the rainforest along the gorge edge. You will view all the different gorges that make up Victoria Falls.
The first spectacle is the Devil’s Cataract. Then, you move on to the Main Falls, Livingstone Island, and Horseshoe Falls. Finally, you end at Danger Point, where you get a dramatic view of Rainbow Falls, the highest of all the falls. From there, you also get stunning views of the deep and narrow ravine through which the water thunders towards what is known as the Boiling Pot to your right.
Don’t forget to bring your waterproofs, especially between February and July, when the falls are at their fullest! At Danger Point especially, things got extremely wet and it felt like I was beneath a shower.
To view the entire Eastern Cataract, you’ll have to cross the main bridge into Zambia. From there, you can take a steep path leading down into the Boiling Point, providing you with a different perspective of Victoria Falls and a genuine sense of the scale of the place. Another path along the precipice offers magnificent river views before it plummets 101 metres into the canyon below. While you’re there, a walk on the Knife Edge Bridge is a must-do. Allow another 3 hours on this side, too.
The trails on both sides will be exhilarating, noisy, and slippery, and you will get drenched to the bone no matter what. A good pair of hiking shoes, a quality poncho and a waterproof bag for your camera, phone, passport and other items are essential. You can hire or buy ponchos and umbrellas from the park shops, or if you’re on a guided tour, your tour operator will provide them. Bringing a towel with you would be a great idea too.
Best things to do in Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls has so much more to offer than just magnificent scenery. Here’s a brief list of other activities you can partake in:
Please note that most of these activities need to be pre-booked.
Visit Livingstone Island and Swim in Devil’s Pool
If you’re a little crazy and water conditions allow, a boat trip to Livingstone Island will allow you to swim in the world’s best infinity pool. Under a guide's watchful supervision, you can lie in the water a few inches from the edge and get a view not many people get to see. Make sure someone photographs you; otherwise, nobody will believe you!
White-Water Rafting
Depending on the conditions, the Zambezi River offers some of the best white-water rafting in Africa. The best time for average rafters is August-September when the water level is low, while the high-water season, January-July, is restricted to experienced rafters.
Bungee Jumping
If leaping from the Victoria Falls Bridge 111 metres (364 ft) in the air sounds like a good time, you will have a blast. Beginners do it the easy way, plunging headfirst towards the Zambezi River, while the more experienced are allowed to try a few back flips, fancy somersaults, or even on a bicycle or kayak.
Scenic Helicopter Rides
There’s nowhere better to appreciate the full grandeur of this place and capture the entire falls in one frame than from the air. You can do this by taking a scenic flight known as ‘the flight of angels’ in a helicopter or on a tandem micro-light.
Zip-Line across the Zambezi River
A few miles below the falls, you can zip-line 425 metres (1,395 ft) across the Zambezi River at 100 kph (62 mph). Being 120 metres (328 ft) above the ground provides breathtaking views of the snaking river and jungle surroundings, not to mention a rush of adrenaline.
Gorge Swing
Also, at Batoka Gorge, a few miles downstream of the falls, you can make your heart skip a beat while swinging across the gorge and screaming your head off. You first free-fall for 70 metres (230 ft) before you swing across the gorge 120 metres (394 ft) above the Zambezi River.
Have High Tea at Victoria Falls Hotel
For a more peaceful activity, you can have high tea or lunch at Zimbabwe’s oldest and grandest hotel, which offers a full view of the Victoria Falls Bridge and the rising spray of the falls.
Book your stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel.
Take a Sunset Boat Cruise
There is no better way to end the day than by taking a sunset boat cruise on the Zambezi River. Cruises depart from both sides of the river, taking you to a safe distance from the edge of the falls. You may not see the falls, but you’ll undoubtedly hear its thunder and see the mist rising from below. You’ll also see some of Africa’s wildlife, including hippos, crocs, elephants and a wide array of birds.
Combine your visit to Victoria Falls with a Safari
Victoria Falls is surrounded by some of the best safari parks in Africa. These include the famous Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, the Kafue National Park in Zambia, and the world-renowned Chobe National Park, which is less than an hour’s drive away in neighbouring Botswana.
As you may already have figured out by now, you would need to spend a good few days in the area to appreciate the beauty of Victoria Falls and its stunning surroundings. In fact, the entirety of the Victoria Falls National Park is magnificent, providing a home to a wide variety of wildlife that can be seen on game drives or guided walking safaris. Animals include elephants, rhinos, hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, various antelope and many bird species.
So, sublime natural beauty and the excitement of Africa’s wilderness, including the iconic Big Five, are all found in and around Victoria Falls, one of the world’s most famous waterfalls which are a simply stunning tourist destination all on their own.
