Victoria Falls Safari
Where the Zambezi thunders over the edge of the world.
Victoria Falls: Africa’s Greatest Natural Wonder
There is a moment, standing at the first viewpoint above the gorge, when the scale of Victoria Falls stops you completely. The Zambezi River, wide and unhurried across the plateau above, suddenly pitches over a sheer cliff face more than a kilometre wide, dropping 108 metres into the churning gorge below. The mist rises in columns you can see from the town. The roar is constant, low, and felt as much as heard. The local Kololo people named it Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders, and no description has ever improved on it.
Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is shared between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the Zambezi River forming the border between the two countries before it takes its dramatic plunge. Both sides offer distinct and complementary experiences: Zimbabwe has the lion’s share of the viewpoints and the best overview of the main falls, while Zambia gives you the closer perspective and, in low water, access to one of Africa’s most extraordinary activities. Most visitors with time on their side cross both borders during their stay.
What makes Victoria Falls unlike any other destination is that it functions as both a natural spectacle and a gateway. Within a short distance you have some of the finest safari destinations in Africa. Botswana’s Chobe National Park is less than an hour’s drive from the falls. Hwange National Park is a short charter flight into Zimbabwe. South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi are easily reached from Livingstone in Zambia. Few places on the continent let you combine raw natural drama with exceptional wildlife viewing so efficiently.
Zimbabwe or Zambia: Which Side to Stay?
Zimbabwe consistently offers one of the most authentic and immersive safari experiences in Africa. Visitor numbers remain refreshingly low in comparison to other key destinations, which means you will rarely share a game drive or a walking safari with more than a handful of other guests. The parks and reserves feel genuinely wild.
The country is also home to some of the finest safari guides on the continent. Zimbabwe’s professional guide training is among the most rigorous in Africa, requiring candidates to pass a demanding series of written and practical exams before they are permitted to lead guests on foot. The guides who emerge from this process combine deep ecological knowledge with a warmth, wit and passion for the bush that leave a lasting impression. Many guests return to Zimbabwe time and again because of the relationships they have formed with the guides who showed them the country.
Zimbabwe also offers remarkable diversity in its safari activities. Walking safaris in Mana Pools are unparalleled anywhere in Africa. Canoeing on the Zambezi at Mana Pools or at Victoria Falls gives a completely different perspective on the wildlife. Boat-based game viewing on Lake Kariba, rhino tracking on foot in the Matobo Hills, and traditional game drives in Hwange’s immense open landscapes each offer a distinct experience. A well-designed Zimbabwe safari can weave several of these together into a trip that feels varied, memorable and deeply satisfying.
Walking Tour of the Falls
There are 19 viewpoints in total across the two sides of the falls, and you need to set aside at least two to three hours to walk them properly. The first 15 are on the Zimbabwe side, within Victoria Falls National Park, starting at the statue of David Livingstone and moving east along the cliff edge. A local guide is worth every penny here; the history and geology add real depth to what you are seeing, and the best guides know exactly which viewpoints reward the most time.
The walk takes you through the national park’s spray forest, an improbable strip of dense, dripping rainforest that exists entirely because of the mist thrown up by the falls. At high water from April to July, the experience is elemental: the spray soaks you within minutes, visibility across the gorge comes and goes in billowing white curtains, and the noise is extraordinary. At low water from August onwards, you can see the full face of the cliff and appreciate the architecture of the falls far more clearly. Neither season is wrong; they are simply different spectacles.
At the final viewpoint on the Zimbabwe side, the Victoria Falls Bridge comes into view, a 1905 steel structure strung above the gorge that continues to carry road and rail traffic between the two countries. It is worth pausing here. The views down into the Batoka Gorge from the bridge itself are stunning, and if you have the nerve for it, bungee jumping from the centre of the bridge remains one of the more committed ways to experience the gorge.
The remaining four viewpoints are on the Zambia side within Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a walk you can comfortably do on your own. The path crosses the Knife’s Edge Bridge, a narrow walkway above a deep gorge that offers one of the most dramatic close-up views of the Eastern Cataract.
Activities at Victoria Falls
Beyond the walking tour, Victoria Falls offers a range of activities that few other destinations can match for variety or excitement. The Zambezi River itself drives much of what is on offer, from gentle sunset cruises on the upper river to white-water rafting through the gorges below the falls.
A sunset cruise on the upper Zambezi is one of the great understated pleasures of a Victoria Falls visit. The river is wide, calm and full of wildlife above the falls, with elephant coming down to drink, hippo surfacing mid-channel, and extraordinary bird life. There are several operators and a noticeable difference in the experiences on offer. The larger booze cruises are sociable and well-priced. For something quieter and more personal, the smaller Ra-Ikane boats, carrying a maximum of 16 guests, offer a more intimate experience with knowledgeable guides and genuinely good food and service. We always recommend these to our clients and consistently hear back that the price difference is worth it.
The zip line from the Lookout Café above the Batoka Gorge is an experience in its own right. The café, rebuilt after a fire, sits directly above the gorge with views of the bridge and the churning river far below. The zip line sends you out from the cliff edge across the gorge, the longest in the world at this location, and the views on the way across are extraordinary. It is considerably less terrifying than it sounds.
Helicopter flights over the falls are exceptional. Seeing the full width of the falls from above, the gorges zigzagging away below you and the spray rising in columns, puts the geography into a perspective that no viewpoint on the ground can match. Even a short 12-minute flight over the falls is a worthwhile investment.
At low water, from late August through to early January, access to Livingstone Island on the Zambia side opens up one of Africa’s most memorable experiences: swimming to the edge of Victoria Falls in the Devil’s Pool. A natural rock lip at the very brink of the falls holds swimmers safely in place while the river slides past on either side and drops away below. The experience is difficult to describe to anyone who has not done it. The rock lip looks terrifyingly insufficient until you are in the water and feel how solid it actually is.
Game drives in the surrounding national parks offer wildlife viewing that many visitors underestimate. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambia side has a resident population of white rhino and makes for a pleasant half-day activity. For serious wildlife watching, however, the day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana, just an hour’s drive away, gives you some of the best elephant viewing on the continent.
ZIMBABWE Safari Ideas
From the thunder of Victoria Falls to the walking safaris of Mana Pools, Zimbabwe delivers Africa at its wildest and most authentic
Plan Your Victoria Falls Safari
Let’s design your Zimbabwe safari. Share your travel dates and interests, and we’ll craft an itinerary that combines the Falls, Hwange’s elephant herds, and Mana Pools’ wild beauty.
When to Visit Victoria Falls
The falls change character significantly through the year, and the right time to visit depends on what you most want to see and do.
High water runs from around April through to July. This is when the Zambezi is at full flood following the summer rains, and the falls are at their most powerful and dramatic. The volume of water creates so much spray that the viewpoints can become difficult to photograph, and at peak flood you will be thoroughly soaked within the first few minutes of the walk. It is an overwhelming and extraordinary experience, but visibility across the gorge is often limited.
From August onwards the water levels begin to drop, and by October and November the falls are at their most photogenic. You can see the full face of the cliff clearly, rainbows appear in the spray most afternoons, and the famous moonbow (a rainbow created by the light of the full moon) is visible on clear nights. This is also when the Devil’s Pool opens on the Zambia side. The trade-off is that a smaller section of the cliff face has water running over it, though the falls have never fully dried up despite occasional misleading photography.
December through to March is the build-up to high water. The falls are growing in volume and the landscape around Victoria Falls is green and beautiful, though some of the surrounding game areas are harder to navigate during the rains.
For most of our clients combining Victoria Falls with a broader safari itinerary, the shoulder periods of August to October and March to April offer the best balance: the falls are impressive, the surrounding game areas are productive, and the weather is pleasant.
Combining Victoria Falls with a Wider Safari
Victoria Falls sits at the centre of one of Africa’s finest safari circuits. It works as a beginning, an end, or a mid-point, and the connections in all directions are excellent.
Botswana is the most natural pairing. Kasane and the Chobe River are less than an hour’s drive, and from there you have access to the Chobe floodplains, the Savuti Channel and the Okavango Delta. We design many itineraries that begin in the Delta, move through Savuti and Chobe, and end with two nights at Victoria Falls before the flight home.
For clients travelling through Zambia, Victoria Falls connects naturally to South Luangwa National Park, one of Africa’s finest wildlife destinations and the home of the walking safari, and to the Lower Zambezi, where canoe safaris on the river are one of the continent’s most distinctive experiences.
Zimbabwe’s own national parks are seriously underrated and offer remarkable value. Hwange National Park, a short charter flight from Victoria Falls, has one of the largest elephant populations in Africa and exceptional lion and wild dog watching. Mana Pools, on the Zambezi River to the northeast, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most atmospheric wilderness areas we know.
South Africa connections are easy, with daily flights between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Kruger Mpumalanga Airport and both Victoria Falls and Livingstone. We have many clients who do a classic triangle of Cape Town, Kruger Park and Victoria Falls.
Planning Your Visit
Two nights at Victoria Falls is the minimum we recommend for a comfortable visit. This gives you time to walk the falls on both sides, take a sunset cruise, try one or two activities, and not feel rushed. Three nights allows for a day trip to Chobe or a more relaxed pace, and is our preferred recommendation for most itineraries.
Hotel choice matters more here than in many destinations, partly because the town is spread out and location affects how easily you can access the falls and the river. We know the properties on both sides well and can match you to the right option based on your priorities, whether that is proximity to the falls, access to the river, or a particular style of experience.
Victoria Falls pairs beautifully with almost any Southern or East African safari, and we have been designing these combinations for many years. If you would like to discuss how Victoria Falls might fit into your itinerary, or simply want to know more about the best time of year for your specific interests, we would be glad to help.
Contact us to chat about a visit to Victoria FAlls
Frequently Asked Questions about Victoria FAlls
How wide and high are Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls is 1,708 metres wide and drops 108 metres into the gorge below, making it the largest waterfall in the world by total volume of water, surpassing both Niagara Falls and Iguazu Falls in overall scale. At full flood it is capable of pushing more than 500 million litres of water per minute over the edge. The full cliff face, however, only carries water from one end to the other at high water; at low water the various sections are separated by dry rock, and only the Devil’s Cataract on the Zimbabwe side carries water throughout the year.
Do I need a guide to walk the falls?
On the Zimbabwe side, hiring a local guide from one of the accredited operators at the park entrance is strongly recommended. The 15 viewpoints span several kilometres of path and there is a great deal of geological and historical detail that guides here are excellent at explaining. The Zambia side, with its four viewpoints, is an easy self-guided walk and many visitors do it independently. A good guide on the Zimbabwe side will typically cost very little relative to the value they add to the experience.
Do I need a visa?
Visa requirements differ between the two countries. Zambia admits most nationalities without a visa, while Zimbabwe requires one for the majority of passport holders. Zimbabwe has introduced an online application platform, eVisa, which allows you to apply and pay before you travel rather than on arrival. Visa rules change, and we always recommend checking your specific requirements with the relevant consulates or embassies before travel. We are happy to help with this as part of the planning process.
When can you swim in the Devil’s Pool?
The Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island is accessible from approximately late August through to early January, when the Zambezi is at its lowest levels. Access depends on water conditions and the island operator, Tongabezi, monitors levels carefully and will confirm availability closer to your travel dates. At high water the activity is not available, as the volume of the river makes it unsafe. We can check availability and book Livingstone Island access as part of your Victoria Falls arrangements.
Can I visit Victoria Falls as a day trip from somewhere else?
The only realistic day trip to Victoria Falls is from Kasane in Botswana, which is less than an hour’s drive away and makes for a very manageable excursion. From anywhere else, the distances and flight connections involved mean a day trip is not practical. Victoria Falls rewards a proper stay and two nights is a comfortable minimum, with three nights our preferred recommendation for most itineraries. Given the journey involved in reaching this part of the world, spending adequate time here is always worth it.
How do I get to Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls has two international airports: Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe, and Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone, Zambia. Both are well served from Johannesburg. Kenya Airways from Nairobi comes in to both airports a few times a week, while Ethiopian Airlines flies to Victoria Falls a few times a week . Kruger Mpumalanga Airport has a direct connection to Victoria Falls, making it straightforward to combine a Kruger safari with a Victoria Falls visit. Cape Town connects to Victoria Falls directly, while a few times a week you can fly from CApe Town to Livingstone. We handle all flight arrangements as part of our safari planning and will advise on the best routing for your specific itinerary.
