Guide to Livingstone, Zambia and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The waterfall itself is about 1km wide and split between Zimbabwe and Zambia right down the middle. The locals call it “Mosi-oa-Tunya” which directly translates to “Smoke that Thunders”. The falls are part of the Great Rift slowly tearing apart East Africa from the rest of the continent and stretches from Djibouti all the way down to Mozambique.
While the views of falls vary drastically from wet season to dry season in terms of the volume of water down the falls, the area is worth visiting regardless of seasons because there is always things to do. In general, the Zambian side has more activities while the Zimbabwe side has better restaurants and views of the falls.
How Many Days to Stay?
It really depends how many activities you plan to do. There are two sides to the falls across an international border and different activities on each side of the border.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe vs. Livingstone, Zambia
For just seeing the falls, a full day on the Zimbabwe side is enough and Zambia might not even be necessary. For getting a good overview of the falls and the surrounding areas, 2 days in Victoria Falls first and then 2 days in Livingstone for the Devil’s Pool swim and a day trip to Chobe is a good start.
Many people stop here for a week or more to go rafting, fishing, and safaris, so it really depends on your own interests and budgets. Africa is expensive for activities and lodging, and this region is no exception.
Transportation
There are quite a few ways to get here because it is the adventure capital of Africa and the beginning or end of many tours. Many direct flights are available from regional hubs within Southern and Eastern Africa. It’s important to plan which side to stay and for how long because the border crossing is not only expensive but time consuming as well.
The best option is to enter into one country and out the other so you only cross the border once and pay for a single entry visa.
Flying into Livingstone, Zambia
Direct flights are available to and from Cape Town, Johannesburg, Mbombela (Kruger National Park), Nairobi, Windhoek, and Lusaka. Many flights alternate between Livingstone and Victoria Falls depending on the day of the week including Kenya Airways from Nairobi. If you are coming from within Zambia, this is your best option and there are multiple flights a day from Lusaka on Proflight Zambia and Zambia Airways. The road between Lusaka and Livingstone is terrible so avoid the buses if you can.
A taxi from the airport to town should cost no more than $5-10 USD or equivalent in Zambian Kwacha and around 15 minutes. The rideshare app Yango is available in Livingstone and Lusaka although payment is still in cash.
Flying into Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Direct flights are available to and from Cape Town, Johannesburg, Mbombela (Kruger National Park), Nairobi, Bulawayo, and Harare. Many flights alternate between Livingstone and Victoria Falls depending on the day of the week including Kenya Airways from Nairobi. If you are coming from within Zimbabwe, this is your best option and there are multiple flights a day from both Harare and Bulawayo.
A taxi from the airport to town also costs about $10 and takes around 30 minutes to town. The rideshare app InDrive is available in Livingstone, Bulawayo, and Harare but payment must be in cash.
By Bus
If you’re coming from Botswana, there are multiple buses to and from Kasane and this is the best option to Chobe and onward to the Okavango Delta.
There are regional buses that go to and from Harare and Lusaka as well, even from Windhoek and Johannesburg, but the savings are minimal compared to flying when you factor in an extra night of lodging. The roads in this region are not great in general.
Getting Around Town
Yango and InDrive are the two rideshare apps for Zambia and Zimbabwe respectively. Both apps require cash payments to the driver.
Rides within Livingstone should be less than $5 USD in general. Livingstone town to the border or falls entrance is about $10 USD and about 20 minutes of driving.
Rides within Victoria Falls and to the border or falls should be around $3-5 USD and no more than 10 minutes driving.
The border taxi between the Zambian border post and Zimbabwe border post is about $5-10 USD depending on your negotiation skills and time of day for a 2-3 minute drive over the bridge.
There are shared taxis and minibuses you can flag down for about $1 USD a ride within Livingstone or Victoria Falls, and within the border posts too. The locals usually pay $3 to get between Livingstone and Zimbabwe, $1 for Livingstone to border, $1 for border taxi, and $1 border to Victoria Falls and this option is available to you if you are more adventurous. You need to be persistent if they try to charge you more.
Visas and Border Crossings
For many nationalities, Zambia is visa-free while Zimbabwe requires a visa for almost everyone. Both countries offer e-visas online and visa on-arrival.
I highly suggest planning your trip so that you minimize border crossings because it takes anywhere between 30-90 minutes to cross and passports stamped. A return trip is 4 stamps and a full page of valuable real estate in your passport. Not only that, prearranged transfers cost about $50-70 USD one way while 3 separate taxis can cost $25-40 USD and a lot of bargaining. The border posts operate 24 hours a day.
Walking the Bridge vs. Border Taxi
While the bridge is somewhat interesting to walk across, it isn’t a must-do. If the weather is nice and you’re not carrying a ton of luggage, it’s a brisk 1km walk from one border post to the other. You’ll share the road with a bunch of large trucks carrying copper ore to Zimbabwe and onward towards the ports of Durban, South Africa or Maputo, Mozambique along the way. There isn’t much of a side walk on either ends of the bridge so you’ll be exposed to the traffic on the road. While there will be some locals walking the bridge, it is a quiet and peaceful walk for the most part. There are some vendors selling water and snacks along the bridge but your best bet is to bring enough water with you to the other side.
The border post is right next to the entrance of the falls on the Zambian side, but very far away from the town of Livingstone and most accommodations so you should take a taxi to or from the border.
The town of Victoria Falls is about a 30 minute walk from the Zimbabwe border post and the falls entrance is right next to the border post. If you do walk to town, there will be many vendors aggressively soliciting their goods with not a lot to see in between. A few firm “no thanks” will turn them away but be persistent.
Zimbabwe Visa and Border Post
The Zimbabwe border post always has a line and it takes anywhere from 15-45 minutes to get a stamp. If you need to pay for a visa, be prepared for a couple minutes of back and forth and sometimes some extra “fees” or “tips” for the officer. They do not seem to issue the double entry visas at the Victoria Falls border post because the KAZA multiple entry is only $5 more. I highly suggest the online e-visa to save yourself time.
Single entry 1 month - $30 USD
Double entry 1 month - $45 USD
Multiple entry 1 month (KAZA Univisa) - $50 USD (If you leave Zambia or Zimbabwe for a night or more, the KAZA Univisa becomes invalid and you need to pay for another visa. This includes going to Botswana and staying overnight)
Zambia Visa and Border Post
If you need a visa to enter Zambia, you should opt for the Zambia KAZA Univisa because it’s $50 USD and covers both Zambia and Zimbabwe. You only need to fill out one application and pay once. The e-visa application is online.
The Zambia border posts is relatively quick and takes only 5-10 minutes for the stamp. There is a currency exchange in the border post but they frequently run out of USD. The exchange rates are comparable to the banks in town.
Activities
Most activities seem to be monopolies where a single operator serves the whole region between two countries and there are no alternatives or competition. This means that activities are way more expensive than comparable ones in Southeast Asia even though cost of living is similar. Budget for at least $100 USD for each item. It is important to make sure you’re on the right side of the border when booking activities as well.
Many scheduled activities such as safaris, river rafting, Devil’s Pool, elephant cafe, etc. include pickup and drop-off, often with meals, and take roughly half a day pickup to drop-off. To make the most out of your time, you can reasonably plan to do 2 activities a day, 1 in the morning, and 1 in the afternoon or early evening.
The prices of these activities vary quite a bit depending on where you book. It is a bit more expensive to book through lodges or your tour company and a tiny bit cheaper booking through some of the tour agencies in town. I’ve found it very hard to find the actual service providers to book directly with online. I have used Safpar for activities in Zambia and Where To Africa for both Zambia and Zimbabwe and recommend both.
What to do in Victoria Falls, Zimbabawe?
A list of all activities in the Zimbabwe side can be found online from Where To Africa to reference prices and details. I do not get commission from this provider for bookings.
1 - See the Victoria Falls from Zimbabwe - $50
75% of Victoria Falls can be seen from Zimbabwe while the rest of the 25% from Zambia. During dry season, very little water flows on the Zambian side so the main viewing area is on the Zimbabwe side. The park is well organized with a few different viewpoints scattered along a main trail.
Tickets are $50 USD and available at the gate. The abseil down to the falls canyon floor is within the park grounds on this side. You must pay the entrance fee, even if it’s just to abseil.
2 - Visit the Elephant’s Walk Artist’s Village - Free
There are numerous art galleries as well as stands selling artisan crafts in Elephant’s Walk along with a small grocery store and cafe. If you’re looking for souvenirs, this is the place to find higher quality items without the bargaining.
3 - Dine at the Edge of the River - $20-30
The Lookout Cafe is downstream from the falls and the border bridge area overlooking the canyon. Food is mostly western or fusion options and generally pretty good. Prices are pretty reasonable as well. This is also the only place to zipline over the canyon in the area.
Baines Restaurant is another nice place upstream from the falls on the banks of the Zambezi river. It is a slightly smaller and more serene restaurant. Food is pretty good here as well.
4 - Sample Local Cuisine - $20-50
Zulu Bistro Bar and GOAT Restaurant both offer a wide range of African dishes including game meats such as crocodile, impala, and warthog.
A bit farther out of town are Dusty Road Township Experience and Nyota Zimbabwean Cuisine, both of which offer a buffet of Zimbabwean dishes during dinner time.
For a cultural drum and dance show, Bomba Dinner & Show offers a more exciting dinner experience with a wide array of African dishes.
5 - Visit or Dine on the Bushtrack Express Steam Train
The Bushtrack Express is an old steam train from 1924 that was carefully restored back in 2008 to be a fully working restaurant train serving sunset dinners on the border bridge Tuesdays and Fridays. Dinner roundtrip is $210 USD including drinks and food.
During the day, the train cars are open and free to tour, serving as a booking office for the dinner package. The staff are more than happy to show you around since they don’t seem to get many visitors.
A similar train, the Royal Livingstone Express, runs on the Zambian side Wednesdays and Saturdays but is unfortunately not open for free viewing.
What to do in Livingstone, Zambia?
A list of all activities in the Zambian side can be found online from Safpar and Where To Africa to reference prices and details. I do not get commission from these providers for bookings.
1 - Swim in Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island - $130-180
There is an island in the middle of the falls on the Zambian side called Livingstone Island where you can swim in the falls and take pictures near the edge. It is one of the few big waterfalls in the world where this is possible. While it is a bit expensive at $130 USD for breakfast and $180 USD for lunch, the experience is well worth it. I do recommend the cheaper morning one since the lighting is much better for photos but take a look at the weather forecast before booking so it’s not too cold.
You’re asked to arrive at the launch site 30 minutes before the scheduled time for a quick briefing and some paperwork. You’ll be given a towel to dry off after the swim, and the option to rent water shoes for the sharp and slippery rocks during the swim. The group is then divided up and shuttled to the island in the middle of the falls on separate small speedboats, making a few turns and crossing through a few rapids along the way. The groups will be swimming and taking photos separately.
After landing, it's a short walk to the tented restaurant area where there are bins to leave your bags, tents to change in, and the only toilets on the island. Around the corner on the east side of the island is Angel’s Pool, for swimming during the wet season when water levels are higher. The west side of the island is Devil’s Pool for the dry season when water levels are lower. There are some rocks next to the starting point of the swim where we leave our towels and walk over a bunch of slippery rocks to get in the water.
It’s a quick swim to Devil’s pool but there are areas with strong currents where we hold hands and walk together. The guide will take your phone before the swim in a waterproof bag and deliver it to the camera person standing in the middle on a small rock formation. The pool itself is created by this rock formation, another rock wall that doubles as a seat to sit on for the photo, and a few boulders that separate the pool from the main fall. In the pool area, there are a bunch of fish that will tickle you and eat your dead skin while you wait in line for the photos. The water is pretty clean and not cold, even in the early morning when I went on a cloudy, windy day.
Since the swims have time slots and only one way in or out, each group of up to 15 people only has about 15-20 minutes for photos and each time slot only accommodates 2 groups adding up to 30 people. After the swim back, breakfast or lunch is served, and the order is taken before you leave for the swim. Breakfast is either eggs and bacon or granola muesli with coffee or tea and juice. It will feel amazing to have some food after the swim.
2 - Rhino Walk and Safari in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park - $100
This is the best place in the world to see rhinos up close. The Mosi-oa-Tunya park game drive itself is pretty underwhelming but they have 10 of the 12 rhinos in all of Zambia. These rhinos were given by South Africa to repopulate Zambian national parks and a dedicated team of rangers stand guard 24 hours a day to ward off any poachers. During the dry season, all animals in the park including the rhinos depend on feed from rangers and water pumped from solar powered wells because the small park area limits migration. Because of the strict security detail and feeding schedule, the park knows where exactly the rhinos are and you can see all 10 of them during their morning feeding routine. There is also an afternoon drive that meets the rhinos for their early dinner.
The walk is only a few steps to enter their feeding zone. We stood a few meters away from the rhinos before one of them came a little too close and had to be warded off by the ranger. It’s silly to think people go above and beyond in Africa just to see rhinos in the wild and there are 10 of them standing right in front of us. The game drive and park fee should be about $100 USD total and 1-2 hours depending on how much of the park you want to see. We did a quick 1 hour drive through the park past the old cemetery for the Livingstone town back in the colonial days before it was relocated to its current location due to malaria next the waters of the Zambezi river.
3 - Elephant Cafe and Zambezi River Rapids Safari - $150-280
This cafe is much more than a place to eat, it’s one of few places where you can pet, feed, and see African elephants up close. Combine that with an optional 1 hour boat ride upstream to the cafe and you experience two amazing activities together. Dinner is the best time to go because the boat ride happens during sunset when the hippos and birds are more active.
The river rapids safari is on a small speedboat and takes you upstream see crocodiles and hippos in the water along the way. There are a few small rapids we went through where the boat thrashed up and down, but the captain was very professional and we felt safe the entire time. I contemplated doing a Zambezi river cruise but this was much more exciting.
When we arrive at Elephant Cafe, we were greeted with some welcome drinks and headed towards the elephants. The initial herd of elephants were rescued from Zimbabwe during their economic crisis in the late 2000s when the drought starved much of their wildlife. Since then, the herd has picked up some orphans along the way and joined by a few elephants from the wild as well. They are free to roam and leave the cafe grounds but something about those delicious treats we hand out keep them coming back.
The feeding part is very fun and easy. We were given bags of corn pellet treats and instructed to put it in the elephants’ trunks or directly in their mouths. Every elephant has its own preferred way of eating and one of them even rested its heavy trunk on my shoulder as I fed it. These eating machines devour handfuls of pellets in seconds.
Dinner was absolutely wonderful and the dining area overlooked the Zambezi river as the sun set. Everything was inclusive including wine, alcohol, a 3 course meal, and a coffee or tea at the end. We were served the same prix fixe menu since none of us had dietary restrictions. It was the best western style meal I’ve had in the area.
We were taken back by car back to our hotels. Within a few days, we received an email with a link to our photos and video taken by the photographer.
The whole experience costs around $150-200 USD depending on breakfast, afternoon tea, or dinner with transfers included. The optional river safari adds an additional $80 USD. I believe the price is reasonable given everything that is included and very well worth the time and effort.
4 - Day Safari Trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana - $180
Chobe is known for its large elephant population and the river cruise safari that takes you around the islands in the middle of the river.
While you can do the day safari departing from both Zambia and Zimbabwe, the border crossing on the Zambian side is much nicer and more efficient since Zambia enjoys great diplomatic relationships with Botswana. It takes about 1.5 hours to get from Livingstone to the riverbanks of Kasane with the border crossing, about 30 mins shorter than the same trip from Zimbabwe.
The first half is a boat safari where the cruise takes you through the waters of the Chobe park. There are usually large herds of elephants drinking water from the river during the dry season and many hippos and crocodiles in the water. The view here is very different than the Zambezi river since the islands in the middle are large expansive plains with grass shrubs and no trees.
The second half is an afternoon game drive along the river banks where you can see elephants from another angle. The boat safari is much more interesting than the game drive but it is better to get both perspectives.
There are options to stay 1-2 nights in Chobe for more game drives but the wildlife isn’t as diverse and easy to see as other parks I’ve been to. If you’re only going to the Livingstone and Victoria Falls region during your trip, it could be worth staying a night to see lions and cheetahs in the evening or early mornings. The better option would be to continue down to Okavango Delta for a better safari experience.
The Botswana Zambia border crossing closes at 6 PM so most day tours end around 4 PM. If you want to stay overnight and you have a KAZA Univisa, make sure to do the trip at the end so it doesn’t cancel your visa. You can also end this safari in Kasane and fly to South Africa or Namibia from there or continue down to Maun for the Okavango Delta.
5 - River Rafting and View the Falls from Zambia - $160
The Zambia side of the falls is not worth viewing by itself and many people including me walked out feeling scammed. That side is only 25% of the water and during the dry season it’s more like 0%. If you already pay the $25 USD conservation area fee to reach the rafting launch point, you might as well take a short walk to see the falls before rafting.
While I have not personally done the rafting, I have heard amazing things from people who have and highly recommend it. One of the trails in the Zambian conservation area leads down to the rafting launch point where the operator sets up the raft and set you on your way. You get picked up downstream at the other end.
6 - Helicopter or Microlight Flights - $200
This is another recommendation from many people I’ve met. My scheduled flight was cancelled due to the sudden rain and wind in the area so I did not get a chance to experience first hand. The microlight flight is more thrilling and adventurous with just you and the pilot in an open top plane. The helicopter is fully enclosed and has limited views because you share the flight with a few other people. The only vantage point to see the entire falls is up in the air and the 15 minute ride will take you from the airstrip to the falls and over the national park areas for some potential animal sightings.
The flights are the best early mornings or late afternoons when the animals are out and the sunlight is less harsh. Take a peek at the weather forecast before booking to minimize cancellations. During the dry season, only half the falls have water and you can see all of it from the ground so it may not be worth a flight. The flights start at around $200 for 15 minutes and costs more for longer flights.
If you don’t have the budget for this but you are flying into Livingstone Airport, you can catch a similar view on the right side of the plane while landing at LVI flying from Nairobi or Lusaka and left side of the plane flying from Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Where to Stay
Budget & Social
Livingstone
There are town main hostels on this side, Jollyboys Backpackers and Victoria Falls Backpackers.
I stayed at Jollyboys in the private rooms and it was very clean and comfortable. There were many activities that the hostel hosts in the evenings for socializing and meeting both travelers and locals around the bar area. The private rooms are farther in the back of the hostel where noise isn’t an issue. Wifi is also available everywhere and they have StarLink so it’s very fast. It is located on the street behind the Livingstone Museum and within a 10 minute walk of a few supermarkets, fast food shops, and ATMs.
The only downside of Jollyboys is that all payments are done in cash, even activities that cost hundreds of USD. I made quite a few ATM runs and paid more than my fair share of bank fees to withdraw cash. Jollyboys’ booking for the Chobe day tour was great although the rhino walk provider could use a cleaner and newer car. There aren’t many food options in town and the limited options at Jollyboys gets a bit repetitive as well.
Both Victoria Falls Backpackers were pretty dead when I passed by and I’ve heard horror stories from people who stayed at other places and checked out early.
Victoria Falls
The other location of Victoria Falls Backpackers and Shoestrings Backpackers are on the Zimbabwe side in the vicinity of the Victoria Falls town. Both are not within walking distance of anything so you will need a taxi to get in and out. I stopped by Shoestrings to check out the accommodation and it was quite empty and not too appealing.
If you need a budget place to stay on the Victoria Falls side, Shearwater Explorers Village has tents and chalets starting at $40-50 USD per night.
Comfortable Luxury
Livingstone
The Royal Livingstone Hotel and David Livingstone Safari Lodge are the two places for lodging that most group tours book into. Both are very from town along the river on the Zambia side but there isn’t much in Livingstone to see or do anyway.
Victoria Falls
On the Zimbabwe side, the Victoria Falls Hotel and Ilala Lodge Hotel are both centrally located within walking distance of many restaurants. Lodging is pretty expensive on this side because it is more popular with tourists and has more bars and restaurants. Ilala seems a bit more lively with the open air restaurant facing the street while Victoria Falls Hotel is very quaint and secluded.