Guide to Victoria Falls

One of the main reasons for visiting Livingstone, Zambia is to relish and experience the stunning views of Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls was described as the “Mosi-oa-Tunya” which translates to “The Smoke that Thunders” by the indigenous people. Victoria Falls is shared by both Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is a guide on how to view Victoria Falls from both borders.

Most of the accommodation establishments in the Livingstone area offer a free shuttle to the Victoria Falls. The accommodation which we stayed at, Jollyboys Backpackers, offered a free shuttle for a single trip to the falls. They had daily departures taking you to the park at 8:00am every morning. All we had to do was enter our details on a list at their reception area the day before.

Livingstone, Zambia

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park

Victoria Falls is located in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park which was approximately eight kilometers away from our accommodation. The park is fairly large and offers a lot of ground to cover. If you want a guide, the park offers these services at an additional fee.

The entry tickets to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park cost 260 kawcha per person. After you have purchased your entry ticket and you enter the park, you will be approached by various men also offering guide services. I would caution against this as they initially offer their services at no cost however later on they request payment leaving you in a precarious position as no fee was agreed upon. And in order to prevent any misunderstanding, clarify any pricing prior to engaging their service.

The park homes a large number of baboons who are not intimidated by human interaction. Please be careful as the baboons will snatch any food or drink, cameras and sunglasses you have in your possession. The baboons are also known to open the zips on your backpacks so its best to ensure that all your valuables are not easily accessible.

We visited during September when the country was experiencing a severe drought and from the pictures you will notice how dry the falls were on the Zambia side.

Park: Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
Entry Fee: 260 kwacha per person
Times: 07:00 am – 19:00 pm
Address: 212 Mosi-oa-Tunya, Livingstone, Zambia
Contact number: +260969719898
Website: http://www.zambiatourism.com
Please check the website for updated prices

Crossing the Border

After you have seen all that you can see on the Zambian side of the falls, you need to go over to the Zimbabwe side. The process involves going through the immigration offices for both countries as you are crossing national borders. However, it sounds tougher than it is really is and as it is only for a day visit, it is simple. There are noticeably lots of other people doing the same so it gets very busy.

There are various options available to get across to the Zimbabwean border which include hiring a taxi or walking. We chose the walking option. The distance between the two immigration offices is approximately 1,5 kilometres. It was an easy walk with lots of other tourists also walking around. Be cautious when walking as there are lots of cars and trucks on this stretch of road. So I would suggest that it’s best to walk on the paved sidewalk. During this entire walk from Zambia to Zimbabwe, we did not feel unsafe. As with any other country in the world you should remain conscious of yourself and your whereabouts. However that being said, our walk was very pleasant and refreshing.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls Park

Upon arrival at the Zimbabwe Park, the process is similar which involves purchasing of tickets and going through security. Tickets to the Victoria Falls National Park cost 20 US dollars per person. The Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls definitely made up the entire experience for us. The falls were overflowing which resulted in us getting soaked most of the time. It was an awe inspiring moment. And definitely a tick of my bucket list. We were also lucky enough to witness two rainbows simultaneously. If that isn’t a lucky omen, I’m not sure what is. It’s a picturesque place with nature simply showing off.

Park: Victoria Falls National Park
Entry Fee: 20 US dollars per person
Times: 07:00 am – 18:00 pm
Address: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Website: https://www.zimparks.org.zw/victoria-falls-national-park/
Please check the website for updated prices

Once we concluded our visit of the Zimbabwe side, we were too exhausted to walk. We chose to hire a taxi to take us back to our accommodation. The taxi driver however was only able to take us to the Zambia border post. The trip cost from the one boarder post to the next cost 5 US dollars which is rather expensive for the short distance. However considering it is a tourist spot that price was the norm. At the Zambian border we hailed another taxi which took us from the border post to our accommodation. This taxi trip cost us 80 kwacha.

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Bonus Tip: Cruise on the Zambezi River

If you leave for Victoria Falls early in the morning, you will have enough time to view both sides of the falls and still have time for a cruise down the Zambezi River.

While in the vicinity, a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River is a must try. There are numerous boats that do the cruise along the Zambezi River.

The cruise we booked cost 65 US dollars per person. The cruise included transportation from and to our accommodation, return boat cruise, drinks on boat and supper.

During the sunset cruise you can see hippos, crocodile, zebra, buffalo and various birds. Overall the cruise is a great choice as you watch the sunset whilst cruising on the Zambezi river is something you would not want to miss.

If you enjoyed this Victoria Falls Guide, check out my previous post which contains all the things you need to do in 3 Days in Livingstone, Zambia.

* Please note that all prices and contact information are correct at time of publication. Please check the venues websites as prices may change without notice. *