Is It Better To View Victoria Falls From Zambia Or Zimbabwe?
You decided to visit Victoria Falls, but wondering whether it is better to go to Zambia or Zimbabwe. Which side of the Victoria Falls is better? I will compare these two and help you with the decision.
Victoria Falls, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World lies in both countries, Zambia and Zimbabwe. If this is your first time visiting Victoria Falls, you are probably asking which side of Victoria Falls is better. It was not different with us.
Therefore, after visiting Victoria Falls from both, Zambia and Zimbabwe side, I can provide you with the differences between these two and provide all the information you need to decide.
Is It Better To View Victoria Falls From Zambia Or Zimbabwe?
If you are standing in front of a decision whether to visit Victoria Falls from Zambia or Zimbabwe, I can tell you that it depends on what is your main purpose of the visit.
However, I would recommend visiting both, Zambia and Zimbabwe if you can, as they are close to each other connected by Victoria Falls Bridge, and it takes a short walk or 2 minutes drive.
View Of The Victoria Falls
If your main purpose for the visit is to see Victoria Falls, you will do better on the Zimbabwe side.
Zimbabwe side
About 75% of the falls can be seen from the Zimbabwe side. Therefore if you only looking to see the Falls, the Zimbabwe side could be the better option for you. Bear in mind that the view of the Falls is different during the low and high water seasons.
We visited Victoria Falls during the dry season in October and the view was still spectacular. There were some points where we got a little shower from the falls as the power of the water was so strong.
Some parts were completely dry, so we saw only the rocky wall, which also has its magic. During the high water season, you need to take a raincoat as you will get completely wet.
The dry season is between May and October/November and the rainy season is from November to April.
The peak of the high water season is from March to June when the power of the water is very strong. The path could be slippery and it may be even not possible to see the falls themselves. So the best time to view the falls is July and August.
Zambia Side
To see the Falls from the Zambia side, you will need to come during the wet season, however, during the peak high-water season the power of the water is very strong and you may lose visibility of the falls. Also, the paths are slippery.
During the dry season, there is no water and all you see is a rocky wall. So if you are coming during the dry season, you should not come to Zambia as you will be disappointed.
Activities In Victoria Falls
When you come to see Victoria Falls, you want to do more than see the Falls, even if this is your main point of interest. There are many more activities to be done on both Zimbabwe and Zambian sides.
Zimbabwe side
Even though Victoria Falls is not the best country for safari, if you want to see some wildlife, Zimbabwe is the side you want to be.
You can choose from horseback safaris, Zambezi National Park safari, or you can take a day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana. The best time for safaris is from May to September.
For the beautiful views you can take a helicopter flight, lunar rainbow tour, steam train tour, or Zambezi river tour (we took this one and it was amazing with some food, drinks, and sunset).
If you love adrenaline, you can go for White Water Rafting, High-Speed Jetboat, Zambezi Canoeing, Gorge Swing, Flying Fox, Zip Line, and Bungee jumping. Remember that water activities can’t be done during the high water season.
Zambia side
Most of the activities that can be done on the Zimbabwe side can be also done on the Zambian side except the safari. Also, adrenaline activities like bungee jumping, zipline, flying fox, gorge swing, and high-speed jetboat can be done only on the Zimbabwe side.
However, there are activities that you can do only on the Zambian side. The most popular is visiting Livingstone Island, which is the island where David Livingstone first time saw Victoria Falls, and you will be gifted with a breathtaking view of the Falls.
We were lucky to see it during lovely sunshine with a rainbow above it. You can choose a tour with breakfast or lunch on the island.
For the more courageous there is a possibility to go to Devil’s Pool where you can sit or lie down at the edge of the Falls where the water is falling. This can be done only during the low-water season.
For more information about this activity, read my article here.
More activities on the Zambian side are the Lunar Rainbow tour and Microlight flights. From water activities, White Water Rafting and Zambezi Canoeing.
If you want to see wildlife I recommend a Rhino Walk. It was fascinating to be so close to such wild and giant animals.
One of the best activities we did was walking with cheetahs and lions. You can choose both or just one of them.
When it comes to booking activities on either the Zimbabwe or Zambia side of Victoria Falls, I recommend Victoria Falls Guide a trusted local agency that left us absolutely delighted with their services.
From the moment we reached out to Stacey, our contact at Victoria Falls Guide, the communication was exceptional. Her assistance and guidance before our arrival were invaluable.
You can also use GetYourGuide company, which is my recommended company for tours all over the world.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls Town is a small touristic town in Zimbabwe. It is located close to the Victoria Falls National Park, where the Victoria Falls is.
So if your main reason is to see the falls, stay on the Zimbabwe side in one of the hotels close to the park, you will save time and money for commuting.
Also, the accommodation on the Zimbabwe side is cheaper than on the Zambian side. We stayed in N1 Hotel and it took us about 10 minutes to walk to the falls.
?Where to stay on the Zimbabwe side
The Victoria Falls Hotel – 5* luxury hotel close to Victoria Falls National Park
Ilala Lodge -Lovely 4* hotel with a pool, close to Victoria Falls National Park
Shearwater Explorers Village -is 3* more budget-friendly hotel close to restaurants and Victoria Falls National Park
Victoria Falls town is small enough to walk around, there are many nice restaurants and cafes. I recommend 3 Monkeys Restaurant where we enjoyed our lunch.
For shopping, you can visit Elephant’s Walk Shopping and Artist Village where you can find clothes, sculptures, jewelry, and much more for fixed prices.
Next to it is a big market where you buy many souvenirs from fridge magnets to large wooden sculptures.
Accommodation in Zambia
Accommodation in Zambia could be a little bit more expensive but there is an extensive choice of beautiful luxury lodges.
Livingstone Town on the Zambian side is a little bit larger town than Victoria Falls Town. There is a museum, church, supermarket, restaurants and cafes. You can easily walk through the town.
However, the distance from Livingstone Town, or any accommodation you will stay in, to Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park where Victoria Falls is located, is longer and you will need to take a taxi.
The only hotels that are located inside the park, within walking distance of the falls are Royal Livingstone Hotel and Avani Victoria Falls Resort. Guests have free entry to the park to see the Falls whenever they want.
We stayed in Maramba River Lodge which is a nice African lodge with close distance to the town by taxi.
?Where to stay on the Zambia side
The Royal Livingstone Hotel – 5* luxury hotel inside National Park next to Zambezi River with an outside pool
Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort – 4* hotel with outside pool next to Zambezi River
The Victoria Falls Waterfront – 3* budget hotel next to Zambezi River
Good to know
When you are considering which side of the Falls you will visit, you need to know that there are visas to be bought for Zambia and Zimbabwe each time you enter.
Therefore the best thing is to get a KAZA Visa which lets you enter both countries multiple times in one month.
Zambia and Zimbabwe are connected by a bridge called Victoria Falls Bridge. You can take a taxi to the border on each side and then walk across the bridge if the weather is good or take another taxi.
However, I do recommend this little walk which will take you approximately 20 minutes and reward you with breathtaking views of the surrounding natural wonders.
Conclusion: Is It Better To View Victoria Falls From Zambia Or Zimbabwe?
Whether you decide to go for the Zimbabwe side to see 75 percent of the falls, stay in Victoria Falls Town within walking distance from the falls and restaurants, or you will choose the Zambia side with Livingstone Island and Devil’s Pool, interacting with cheetahs and lions, you can’t get wrong.
In any case, always check the season for the activities you are planning to do.
If your time and budget allow you, I recommend visiting both sides when you are there as they are so close to each other and both sides can provide you with different experiences.
