Victoria Falls Tours

Both. The Falls sit on the Zambezi River, which forms the border between the two countries, and you can visit either side or both.

About three quarters of the Falls face the Zimbabwe side, which is where the classic full-width view comes from, while Zambia puts you closer to the water and includes Livingstone Island and Devil’s Pool. Most travellers base themselves in Victoria Falls town on the Zimbabwe side, since it’s walkable to the entrance and better set up for visitors, and nearly all our tours use it.

If you’re only seeing one side, make it Zimbabwe. If Devil’s Pool is on your list you’ll want Zambia too, and a KAZA UniVisa lets you cross freely between them.

February to May is when the Falls carry the most water, once the summer rains upstream have fed through into the Zambezi, though the resulting mist can block the view from several points and Devil’s Pool is shut.

June to September is the best all-rounder, with the spray eased but the full curtain still flowing, and it doubles as peak game viewing season in Chobe and Hwange, which matters if you’re combining the two.

October to January brings the river to its lowest, which opens Devil’s Pool and the full rafting run and clears the mist entirely, though October and November are punishingly hot and Zambia’s frontage can reduce to exposed cliff.

The awkward part is that the months suiting the Falls and the months suiting the surrounding game parks pull against each other, so tell us your dates and what matters most and we’ll tell you what to expect.

Mosi-oa-Tunya is the local name and translates as “the smoke that thunders”, a description of the spray and the noise, both of which reach you well before the Falls come into view.

David Livingstone renamed the site Victoria Falls after Queen Victoria in 1855, and both names remain in use today. The national park on the Zambian side is Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, and UNESCO lists the World Heritage Site under both names.

UK, US, Australian and German passport holders all need a visa for Zimbabwe, available on arrival or in advance through the official portal at evisa.gov.zw. US and German citizens pay approx. USD 30 for a 30-day single entry, while UK passport holders pay more, so budget around approx. USD 55 and confirm the rate when you apply.

Zambia is visa-free for tourism for all four nationalities, giving 90 days to UK, Australian and US passport holders and 30 days to German.

If you plan to see both sides, the KAZA UniVisa is usually the better option at approx. USD 50, valid for 30 days with multiple entry between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and it also covers day trips into Botswana via the Kazungula border. It’s open to nationals of 68 countries including all four above, and is issued at the Victoria Falls and Kazungula borders and at Livingstone and Lusaka airports.

Two practical points to be aware of: the UniVisa can’t be extended, and its availability has been suspended and reinstated before, so check it’s operating on your travel dates. Carry small US dollar notes for border fees, since card facilities aren’t reliable.

Visa rules and fees change without notice and differ depending on your passport. Please confirm with the official immigration authority for your nationality before booking flights, and ask us if you’re unsure.

International visitors pay approx. USD 58 for the Rainforest main gate on the Zimbabwe side (up from approx. USD 30 in February 2026 when VAT was applied to tourism services, so older figures online are out of date.)

A VIP gate ticket costs approx. USD 174 and the lunar viewing on full moon nights approx. USD 116.

On the Zambia side, entry to Mosi-oa-Tunya has been approx. USD 20 for international visitors.

Zimbabwe gate hours run 06:00 to 18:00 from September to April and 06:30 to 18:00 from May to August, while the Zambian side operates 06:00 to 18:00 year-round.

Prices and times can change without notice so please double check before travelling.

Most people spend two or three nights here, which is enough to see the Falls properly and fit in an activity or two. Beyond that there’s not a lot to hold you, so nearly every trip we run combines Victoria Falls with somewhere else.

Two nights covers the Falls and one activity comfortably, while three lets you do both sides or add rafting or a helicopter flight without rushing. Our shortest Victoria Falls trip pairs it with Chobe for exactly this reason, giving the Falls the time they deserve before moving you on to something different.

Yes, and most of our travellers do. Chobe National Park in Botswana is reached via Kasane, around 70 kilometres from Victoria Falls through the Kazungula border, which sits 10 to 15 minutes from Kasane.

Chobe holds one of the largest elephant populations in Africa and the boat cruises on the Chobe River are a very different experience from a vehicle-based game drive, which is what makes the pairing work so well. Our 3 Day Victoria Falls and Chobe Combo is a great way to experience Victoria Falls and a safari in a short amount of time.

Group departures offer better value and are what most of our travellers choose, sharing a vehicle with a small number of other people, which works particularly well for solo travellers and couples.

Private trips suit families, or anyone who’d rather set their own pace or shift the balance towards more time in the parks and less on the road. Both use the same guides and the same routes, so tell us who’s travelling and we’ll suggest which fits.

Helicopter flights operate year-round, weather permitting, from approx. USD 175 for a 15 minute flight, and it’s the most reliable way to see the Falls during the high-water months when spray blocks the ground viewpoints.

White-water rafting has two distinct seasons. From around August to December the river is low and you run the full stretch from the Boiling Pot through rapids 1 to 19, from approx. USD 173 for a day, which is the classic trip. From January to April the high-water run starts further downstream at rapid 11. Minimum age is 15.

Devil’s Pool, the natural rock pool on the lip of the Falls, opens roughly August to January and most reliably September to December, though it’s water-level dependent and closes when flow is too high. Access is via Livingstone Island on the Zambian side, which shuts entirely from mid-March to mid-June.

Sunset cruises on the Zambezi run year-round and are at their calmest from May onwards.

At full width the Falls measure 1,708 metres, with the drop varying along their length. UNESCO records Devil’s Cataract at 61 metres, Main Falls at 83 metres, Eastern Cataract at 98 metres and Rainbow Falls at 99 metres, its highest point. You’ll often see 108 metres quoted elsewhere, so treat around 100 metres as the accurate figure.

The Zambezi flows across a basalt plateau and has spent roughly two million years cutting back through a series of fault lines in the rock, which is what formed the zigzag gorges below the current Falls. Each gorge marks a former position of the waterfall.

Victoria Falls is neither the tallest waterfall in the world nor the widest. What makes it the largest is the combination of the two, giving the single greatest sheet of falling water anywhere on earth.

Yes. Victoria Falls town is small, tourism-focused and thoroughly used to international visitors, so common sense covers most of it: use arranged transport at night, and be friendly but firm with street vendors, who can be persistent.

Baboons and warthogs wander freely around the town and the lodges, so keep food out of sight, close hotel doors behind you and don’t feed them. In the rainforest, stay behind the barriers, since the gorge edges are unfenced in places and the rock gets slippery with spray.

Malaria is present in the region, so speak to your doctor about prophylactics, particularly if you’re travelling in the wet months from November to April.

A waterproof jacket, whatever the season. Even at low water you’ll get wet walking the rainforest, and in the flood months you’ll be drenched, so bring a dry bag or waterproof case for your phone and camera.

Beyond that, pack quick-dry clothing, shoes or sandals you don’t mind soaking, neutral colours for game drives if you’re on a combination trip, a warm fleece for early morning drives between May and August, sun protection and insect repellent containing DEET.

Raincoats can be hired at the gates, though they’re fairly basic, so bring your own if you’re travelling February to May.