Tips for Visiting Victoria Falls - THOUGHTFUL TRAVELING

Kevin and I are suckers for good waterfalls and after having seen Victoria Falls in Africa in person, I can honestly say that there may never be another waterfall that inspires me as much as this one (although, ask me again once I’ve visited Iguazu Falls in South America…that’s still on my bucket list). One of the seven natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls is the world’s largest sheet of falling water, and is almost twice the height of Niagara Falls in North America. It’s located between the two countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and called “Mosi-oa-tunya” or the “smoke that thunders” by the native people. It’s a destination that I never thought I’d be able to visit (it always seemed too far, too hard to get to), and now that I’ve been, I’m so grateful that Kevin persuaded me to book that plane ticket to Zambia! If you’re thinking of making a trip out to Victoria Falls, don’t hesitate to click that plane ticket “buy” button for a trip of a lifetime, and check out my tips for visiting Victoria Falls below.

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How to get to Victoria Falls?

The first thing you have to decide is whether you want to stay in Zambia or Zimbabwe when visiting Victoria Falls. There are more viewpoints of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side (around 2/3 of the falls lie in Zimbabwe), but the Zambia side gets you closer to the falls. Being able to access the nearby Devil’s and Angel’s Pool (see ‘What to do in Victoria Falls’ for more detail on this) was important to us, and these can only be accessed by the Zambia side which is why we chose to fly into the Livingstone Airport and stay in Zambia. If you’re flying into Zimbabwe, you’ll want to fly into Robert Gabriel Mugabe Airport. I’d also recommend booking transport to/from your hotel in advance if possible for the ultimate convenience.

Regardless of where you choose to make your base, I’d recommend visiting the falls from both sides while you’re there. Crossing the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe is fairly simple – you need to first purchase the KAZA UniVisa which allows you to cross freely between borders to see both sides of the falls, and it’s a short 15-20 minute walk across Victoria Falls bridge where you can clear customs.

TIP: You can purchase the KAZA UniVisa upon arrival in either Zambia or Zimbabwe for $50 USD. Check out the immigration website here for more details.

Where to stay in Victoria Falls?

We stayed at the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort in Zambia and could not recommend this place enough! The AVANI is located within Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the banks of the Zambezi River, and is really in a ‘prime’ location for visiting the falls – when you stay at the AVANI resort, the entrance to Victoria Falls is free from the Zambia side, and is only a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Staying at the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort also grants you access to the viewing decks at the Royal Livingstone hotel (sister hotel). Plus, the hotel has a variety of restaurants to choose from and nightly entertainment….and there are zebras everywhere on the property!

When to visit?

It’s important to take into account the time of the year when planning a trip to Victoria Falls. If you’re interested in seeing the falls at peak water volumes like we were, then it’s best to visit Victoria Falls during the months of March and April. However, note that the spray can get extremely heavy during this time of the year so expect to get soaked, and be sure to pack some protective covers for any valuables you bring along with you (e.g., camera, passport, etc.).

We visited Victoria Falls in early April and found the weather to be generally pleasant (think short sleeves weather with a sweater during the evenings); even though the water levels were high, we were still able to get some decent photos, and we were still able to visit Angel’s Pool on Livingstone Island (see ‘What to do in Victoria Falls’ for more detail).

September is considered to be the best game-viewing month if you want to check out some wildlife while you’re in the area. Finally, I’d recommend not visiting during the months of November and December as the water levels in the Zambezi River is quite low during these months, particularly from the Zambian side.

How long to stay?

I would budget at least 2 days to visit Victoria Falls. We stayed there for 2 days and found it to be the perfect amount of time to be able to see both sides of the falls, and also fit in a visit to Livingstone Island and Angel’s Pool.

What to do in Victoria Falls?

There’s not a lot to do in the area that doesn’t revolve around Victoria Falls itself, but there are still plenty of activities that suit a variety of needs and interests. The 3 things I’ve listed below are what we spent our time doing in Victoria Falls but a lot of tourists also go there for the helicopter tours, or to go white river rafting down the Zambezi River.

Victoria Falls National Park

Although we made our base in Zambia, we first visited Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side by crossing over the Victoria Falls bridge by foot, and clearing customs. The cost of entry into Victoria Falls National Park is $30USD. Victoria Falls is comprised of 5 separate waterfalls, and you can visit 4 of them in Victoria Falls National Park: Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Horseshoe Falls. We followed the paved concrete pathway to the 13 different marked viewports in the park, which took us around 3 hours (including time for photos).

I was blown away by the multiple rainbows we saw while touring the park – it seemed like there was a rainbow from every angle, and it was absolutely breathtaking.

The Main Falls section is the widest curtain of water where most of the water passes through, and you can literally feel the vibrations in the air from the power of the water falling down and hitting the rocks below. The spray was so strong that we got absolutely soaked from head-to-toe in this section.

Mosi Oa Tunya National Park

After our time in Zimbabwe, we crossed back over the bridge to visit the falls from Mosi Oa Tunya National Park, which is where you can access the falls from the Zambia side. There are several trails you can walk while in Mosi Oa Tunya National Park, most of them take you towards the falls and give you a glimpse into the surrounding wildlife (we saw lots and lots of monkeys to Kevin’s delight!).

My favorite part about Mosi Oa Tunya National Park was being able to walk across the Knife’s Edge Bridge, which is one of the best vantage points for appreciating the huge plume of spray from Victoria Falls. This heart-stopping bridge takes you over the gorge, offering you a great view of the Eastern Cataract waterfall (the 5th waterfall at Victoria Falls). We got soaked (again) visiting Knife’s Edge Bridge, and the volume of water that was coming down on us as we crossed was so heavy that my knees were shaking!

Needless to say, by the end of the trip, my sun hat was absolutely ruined by the water spray and was lost forever (despite me trying to punch it back into shape).

Although we didn’t partake in a safari while we were in Zambia, there are several safaris that take you around this protected wildlife reserve – you might even be able to spot a rare white rhino while you are there!

Livingstone Island and Angel’s Pool

Livingstone Island is an island in Zambia that sits in the Zambezi River, perched near the heart of Victoria Falls. This is an absolute must-do when you are visiting Victoria Falls…while there is not much to do on the island itself, the island tour grants you access to both Devil’s Pool and Angel’s Pool, which are rock pools adjacent to the island where you can bathe at the edge of Victoria Falls. David Livingstone discovered the island in 1855 (hence the name Livingstone Island), and he went on to name the falls after Queen Victoria.

The seasonal boat tours to Devil’s Pool only operate 7 months in the year (June to December), and are dependent on safe water levels from the Zambezi River. Devil’s Pool was unfortunately closed due to high water levels while we visited, but we were still able to visit the nearby Angel’s Pool for a similar experience (a bit further away from the edge, but still extremely close). Both require a guided tour in order to visit.

Honestly, visiting Angel’s Pool was one of the coolest yet most terrifying experiences of my life. To reach Angel’s Pool, we had to cross the Zambezi River – wading through the strong current to get to the rock pool was extremely nerve-wracking, and I felt like I could slip at any time. Plus, no one told me that along the way, there would be tiny little fish biting at my heels (the guides reassured us that they were not life threatening fish and that they would only give us a little ‘foot tickle’, but it was still jarring!). Thankfully, the guides were great at instructing us on where to go, and provided a firm grip of support. They helped us walk slowly along the edge of a 350-foot cliff (yes, you read that right!) to the shallow rock pool, and then helped us take photos while we were there. I hung onto Kevin, and my guide, for dear life.

I remember hearing the sound of my heart pounding in my ears over the thundering roar of rushing water, and thinking to myself: “How on earth did I think this was a good idea?!”. Apparently, there have been no reported deaths of visitors to Angel’s Pool (or Devil’s Pool), but I definitely felt like a bit of a bad a** sitting at the edge of one of the world’s largest waterfalls. I mean…what?! (I’m no adrenaline junkie).

Watching our guide prance around the edge of the falls was unbelievable – at one point, he took Kevin’s phone to help take a video overlooking the edge of the falls, and I was seriously amazed that he didn’t trip or drop the phone while doing so. Talk about the ultimate adrenaline rush!

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After the tour, we were taken to a small dining tent on Livingstone Island where we changed out of our swimsuits and were served a local maize drink and some snacks. I can honestly say that the experience at Angel’s Pool was unforgettable, worth every penny (around $165 per person), and was the highlight of our trip to Victoria Falls.