WHICH SIDE TO CHOOSE WHEN VISITING THE FAMOUS VICTORIA FALLS WATERFALLS

The infamous Victoria Falls are one of the largest waterfalls in the world and definitely worth  a visit if you have the time. Since the Victoria Falls are located on the Zambezi river between the borders of Zimbabwe and Zambia, it can be confusing trying to figure out which country you should enter and which border to cross in order to get the most out of your visit to the Victoria Falls waterfalls.

The Victoria Falls waterfalls are within walking distance from Victoria Falls town. So if you landed there or are in town anyway, you can set off on foot from there.

The Zimbabwe side offers the best view onto the largest part of the waterfalls. The waterfalls from this side are almost always a win, regardless of the season, even in the dryer months where water levels are lower. Walking amidst the rain forest-like National Park along the falls to the various viewpoints like the Main Falls, Devil’s Cataract or Danger Point, or strolling over the bridge across the Zambezi, will give you great vistas onto the falls from various angles. For a spectacular finale you can hop onto one of the boat tours and do a sunset cruise that will take you right up to the edge of the waterfalls.

If you continue on over the bridge that leads across the Zambezi you can even cross the border into Zambia if you like as well (whether on foot or by car, just have your passport and border crossing fees ready).

We recommend you visit the Victoria Falls waterfalls from the Zimbabwe side to get the best view onto the falls.

You can also visit the Zambia side of the Victoria Falls. The Zambian side is more immersive and, particularly during the wet season where water levels are higher, the waterfall’s spray at Knife’s Edge Bridge will leave you drenched – so be sure to take along a rain jacket or buy one of the rain capes available nearby. In the dry season, the Eastern Cataract may be dry and the view from Knife’s Edge Bridge onto the waterfalls less spectacular, but the view down into the gorge is impressive nonetheless. If you are keen to take a dip in the infamous Devil’s Pool, be sure to visit Livingstone Island which is located on the Zambian side.

You can either walk over from the Zimbabwe side across the big bridge leading over the Zambezi and cross the border on foot, take a taxi or drive your rental car across the border. If you do it by rental car please remember: if you want to drive into Zambia with your rental car we need to know this well before your rental start, since vehicles crossing into Zambia need a special police clearance document which takes a couple of days to get. See further details about border crossing regulations for Zambia here. 

In order to avoid disappointment, find out about the current water levels before heading all the way to the north towards Vic Falls. Usually water levels are impressive enough on the Zimbabwe side year-round, but in years of extreme drought the falls may dry up considerably, and leave at least the Zambia side awkardly dry and perhaps even leave the Zimbabwe side quite limited in comparison to the usual thundering water masses. If you want to enjoy the adrenaline rush of the Devil’s Pool, find out if it is currently “open”, since this infinity rock pool is only open to swimmers at lower water levels roughly around August to January.

We recommend definitely visiting the Victoria Falls waterfalls from the Zimbabwe side, and additionally, if time and your holiday budget allows for the additional border crossing fees and park fees, also carry on to the Zambian side for the more immersive experience. If you can only do one of the two, go to the Zimbabwe side.