An independent backpacker’s guide to visiting the Zambia side of Victoria Falls (Mosi-Oa-Tunya), the largest waterfall in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from Livingstone.
I complete the Victoria Falls Double – Zim Zam Wet n Dry.
I had seen Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side in the wet season back in 2016, and now, seven years later, I get to see Victoria Falls from the Zambian side in the dry season.
Yesterday, I saw White Rhinos at the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park with Livingstone Walking Safaris. Today, after another great breakfast at Fawlty Towers Backpackers in Livingstone, Zambia, I backpacked to Victoria Falls.
A classic, action-filled textbook backpacking weekend
At over 1,700 m in length and 108 m at the highest point, Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world.
How to get from Livingstone to Victoria Falls
I took the local minivan from opposite the local market in Livingstone, 10 Kw to the last stop opposite the Victoria Falls entrance. Just follow the locals who are crossing to Zimbabwe. There is a shortcut.
Ticket Office:
Entrance fees for international visitors to Victoria Falls (2026) taken from the Chobe National Park website:
Adult (12+ years): US$20
Child (under 12): US$10
Payment in US dollars or Zambian kwacha is accepted at the main entrance at Mosi-oa-Tunya. The park gate is open 06:00–18:00.
My ticket for Victoria Falls (2023):
Opening Times at Victoria Falls:
8 Reasons to Visit Victoria Falls
- Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 15, 1989
- 1.7 km long and 108 m at its deepest point
- One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, the only one in Africa
- The largest curtain of naturally falling water in the World
- Spray visible from 30-50 km away
- Offers the rare lunar rainbow views
- 6,860 ha trans-boundary site with 3,810 ha on the Zambian side, 770 ha water body and 380 ha of islands
- Declared a National Monument in 1959 based on its cultural properties which provide evidence of human interaction with the Falls since the Stone Age.
David Livingstone, Scottish missionary, the first known white man to have sighted the falls on 16th November, 1855.
He named the falls, Victoria Falls, after Queen Victoria of England.
This statue was erected in 2005 to commemorate 150 years of his sighting of the waterfalls:
What is the best time of year to visit Victoria Falls
As mentioned above, I visited Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side in the wet season. This post details my visit in the dry season (September).
Both times were absolutely amazing. The dry season makes for better photos, and the wet season (February to May) lets you experience nature at its best.
Photos from Victoria Falls, Mosi-Oa-Tunya, The Smoke That Thunders:
Victoria Falls Bridge:
The Victoria Falls Bridge: It was John Cecil Rhodes’s dream to construct a railway line from Cape Town to Cairo. Designed and assembled in Darlington, England, the 198 m long bridge was then shipped to Africa.
It was constructed between June 1904 and 1905.
Officially opened on September 12, 1905, by George Darwin, grandson of Sir Charles Darwin.
Follow the steep trail to see the Boiling Pot and the Victoria Falls Bridge from below:
Read my dedicated blog post on How to Cross the Victoria Falls Bridge border, from Zambia to Zimbabwe:
