Victoria Falls: Zambia vs Zimbabwe, and What Nobody Tells You

The falls straddle the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Most visitors enter from one side only; the better strategy, if your schedule allows, is to cross both borders and experience both perspectives. The falls are 1.7 kilometres wide; no single viewpoint captures the full picture.

The Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls (the town, as opposed to the falls) is the more developed tourist base, with a wider range of accommodation, better restaurants, and the main activity operators. Livingstone on the Zambian side is rougher around the edges, somewhat cheaper, and has better access to the Zambian national park and the Devil’s Pool.

What You Are Looking At

The Zambezi River drops 108 metres into a narrow gorge. At peak flow (April through June), the spray plume rises several hundred metres and can be seen from 50 kilometres away. The local Tonga name is Mosi-oa-Tunya: the Smoke That Thunders. At maximum flow, the volume of water (up to 500,000 cubic metres per minute) generates spray that soaks visitors at all viewpoints; bring a waterproof bag for cameras and phones in April and May.

At low water (September through November), the flow reduces dramatically and sections of the falls dry up. This sounds disappointing and isn’t entirely: you can access viewpoints otherwise buried in spray, walk across rocks mid-falls, and see the geology of the gorge clearly. The Devil’s Pool is accessible only at low water, and that alone makes the dry season worth considering.

The Devil’s Pool

On the Zambian side at Livingstone Island, there is a natural rock pool at the very lip of the falls. From roughly mid-August through mid-January, the pool has a rock lip that prevents swimmers from going over the edge, and licensed operators take groups of a maximum 16 swimmers per session to experience it. You are sitting in a pool of water with a 108-metre drop a metre away. That sentence does not fully convey it.

The cost runs around $100-180 per person including the guided walk to Livingstone Island and varies by season. Book directly through the official Livingstone Island operators well in advance during September through November, when the peak window coincides with peak demand. Availability during this window fills 2-4 weeks out. Minimum age is 12.

Operators must hold an official Zambian permit. There have been copycat unlicensed operations in the past; book through the established Livingstone Island management company to avoid them.

The Victoria Falls Bridge

The bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe was completed in 1905, before either country existed under those names. Both bungee jumping (111 metres, among the highest bungee drops in the world) and the bridge tour (a walk along the external arc of the bridge structure) are available from the Zimbabwean side. The bungee costs around $150-180 and takes approximately two seconds of actual free fall followed by several bounces. Views of the gorge from the bridge arc are excellent.

White-water rafting on the Zambezi below the falls is among the best river rafting in the world. Grades 4 and 5 rapids in the gorge below the falls run for about 23 kilometres. Full-day trips run around $150-180 per person. Not available in peak flood season (February through June), when the water volume makes the gorge unrunnable.

Zimbabwe Side Practicalities

The Zimbabwe park entrance is near Victoria Falls Town on the Zimbabwean side. Daily admission is $30 per person. The rainforest walk through the mist gives views of the falls from 16 dedicated viewpoints; allow 2-3 hours. Pack a poncho for April to June visits, and expect it to be completely soaked through within ten minutes regardless of its quality. That is not a criticism of the poncho.

Zambia Side Practicalities

The Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambian side also has a white rhino conservation area where guided walks bring you close to southern white rhinos, reintroduced successfully to the area. The rhino walks are genuinely good and less crowded than most large wildlife experiences in southern Africa. Worth adding to the day.

Zambian entry requires a KAZA UniVisa ($50, valid for 30 days in both Zambia and Zimbabwe) if you are entering both countries, which you should be. A single-entry Zambian visa is $25 at the border.

Where to Stay

The Victoria Falls Hotel on the Zimbabwean side has been open since 1904 and retains its colonial-era grandeur. Rates run $300-500+ per night in peak season and the setting is genuinely beautiful, with a terrace overlooking the spray cloud from the falls.

The Royal Livingstone on the Zambian side is positioned directly on the Zambezi bank 500 metres upstream from the falls. Zebras and impalas wander the grounds. You can hear the roar of the falls from your room. It charges accordingly.

Mid-range options in Victoria Falls Town (Zimbabwe) run $80-200 per night and are plentiful. Livingstone (Zambia) has similar options at slightly lower prices.

The Kazungula border crossing into Botswana is nearby if you are extending into the Chobe National Park. Chobe is 1.5 hours by road and has one of the highest concentrations of elephants in Africa. Well worth adding if you have three or more days in the area and you’re willing to accept that game viewing after seeing a 108-metre waterfall still somehow competes for the highlight.