Victoria Falls presents a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Livingstone is located on the Zambia side, and it’s a great place to spend 3 days at Victoria Falls!
This itinerary will help you see some of the best that Vicotria Falls has to offer. It is AMAZING! If it’s not on your bucket list, add it now because this part of the world is incredibly beautiful, unique, and adventurous. Take my advice and GO!
Table of Contents
About Victoria Falls
I spent three days in Livingstone, Zambia, right at the foot of Victoria Falls, and I just cannot recommend it enough. I’m so excited to share how I spent time here. I sadly only had the budget and time to spend three days there. I visited after spending a week volunteering my time coaching and mentoring teachers in a Zambian school.
Here is my other biggest piece of advice—save, save, save. This was not a cheap trip. I don’t just mean the hotel either. Every activity cost over $100 and every meal over $10. On many of my trips, I am able to find good deals, and a good deal on a safari in this area is less than $200 for the day. Seriously! So, take my advice and save up, suck it up, and spend some money because you will not regret it.
Here’s what you need to know about Victoria Falls for your trip:
Location: Victoria Falls is situated on the border between Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the south in southern Africa. The falls are part of the Zambezi River, which is the fourth-longest river in Africa.
Name: The falls were first encountered by Europeans in the 19th century. Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone is widely credited with being the first European to see the falls in 1855, and he named them after Queen Victoria. Locally, Victoria Falls is known as “Mosi-oa-Tunya,” which means “The Smoke that Thunders” in the Lozi or Kololo language.
Size and Characteristics: Victoria Falls is classified as the world’s largest sheet of falling water. It is nearly 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) wide and has a maximum height of 108 meters (354 feet). The falls form the natural boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the two countries share the stunning views of this natural wonder.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Victoria Falls was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989 due to its exceptional geological and geomorphological features.
Zambezi River Gorge: The falls are located within the Zambezi River Gorge, a deep chasm that the Zambezi River has carved through the basalt plateau.
Flora and Fauna: The area around Victoria Falls is rich in biodiversity, supporting a variety of plant and animal species. The surrounding national parks provide opportunities for wildlife viewing.
Accessibility: The falls are easily accessible, with airports in both Livingstone, Zambia, and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, catering to tourists. The town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Livingstone in Zambia are the primary gateways to the falls.
Here’s how I spent three days in Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Zambia.
Where to Stay
There are many places to stay in Livingstone that are reasonably close to the falls. Many of these are very cheap, and it’s possible to stay there for less than $50 a day without a problem. However, these places do not have access to the falls, include food, or include transportation.
We stayed at the Avani Victoria Falls, and it was AMAZING! I loved it there. Seriously an awesome hotel. When we arrived, there were zebras, giraffes, monkeys, and other animals all around. We had an excellent buffet breakfast each morning. They have a huge pool, great service, and unlimited access to the falls. I mean seriously, what more could you want! Such a great place to stay.
Safety
Livingstone is a tourist town, so the dress is less conservative, and people are used to seeing tourists. With this come some added safety tips: make sure you are always aware of your surroundings and carrying things with you carefully. I was also advised to make sure I was never out alone after dark.
Livingstone
I did not explore Livingstone itself; however, my cousin who lives there has. There are many Western-style restaurants and shops within walking distance for you to try. Stay in town or at a resort for options. It is not a place I recommend exploring by yourself after dark. Stay aware and be careful.
Victoria Falls
If you don’t stay at the Avani, then you will need to buy a pass to get into the falls each time you enter. A pass is $20 and will last you the day. Each time you enter, you need to pay again. This is part of why staying at the Avani was so great—unlimited access to the falls!
Arrival
Hike around Victoria Falls — free
There are tons of trails to take, and all of them offer a different view. The first thing we did when we arrived was just walking around the falls and taking in all the different views because there are so many! I definitely recommend devoting a few hours to this so you can find your favorite view
Sunset on the Zambezi — $12-$15 for drinks
The Royal Livingstone has a deck on their hotel with a perfect view of the sunset. We sat down with drinks and watched the sun go down while listening to the hippos, and watching the sun hangs colors. It was a wonderful and relaxing end to a great day.
Day 1
Hike to the Boiling Pot
This hike leads to a gorgeous view that will not disappoint! We thought it would be a long hike, but it really only took us about 45 minutes, so it was a great start to the day. You are hiking down to the bottom of Victoria Falls, so be prepared for lots of stairs. The Boiling Pot is a great place to see the falls and how gorgeous they really are. The hike also has a great view of Victoria Bridge.
Pro-tip: The day after we visited, someone went off the trail here and got swept into the falls. They were never found. This is not a place to play around and go off the designated path onto the rocks. Signs clearly mark where the trail ends. Be careful!
Relax by the pool — free
Even in the winter (our summer here in the States), it’s warm enough to relax by the pool and take in the view. Again, staying at the Avani, there was an incredible pool where you would just be relaxing and suddenly see a zebra or a monkey! It was so cool and seriously an amazing experience!
Angel’s Pool — $100
So, if this isn’t on your bucket list, put it there now! It was incredible to go right to the edge of Victoria Falls. Many people think that Devil’s Pool is the only place to get to the edge of Victoria Falls, but in the winter when the falls are too high to get to Devil’s Pool, Angel’s Pool is a great second option. It was still a huge rush and offered incredible views.
Pro-tip: Breakfast is $40 cheaper and offers the exact same things as the other two meals. Plus, breakfast starts at 11 am, so it ‘s late enough that you can actually count it as lunch, and it was delicious!
Livingstone Curio Market — about $20 for souvenirs
Right next to the falls is a market that has lots of souvenirs for travelers. I will warn you that they are very pushy in the market and may try to manipulate you. We had people tell us they had sisters to support back in the village, and they would be willing to trade goods for things, but then you would offer to trade, and they would ask for money. I also had someone tell me anything on this shelf is $20, I would pick something up, and they would say $30.
Also, things were overpriced here—we had to bargain hard to get a fair price. Go for half of what they say in this market.
Pro-tip: My cousin lives in Lusaka and said things are much much cheaper there. If you can wait until you are there, do it!
Zambezi Sunset Cruise — $80
This was a three-hour river cruise that we took along the Zambezi. They picked us up right from the hotel. The service was excellent, and drinks were served the whole cruise. The food was really hit or miss and just small plates.
We saw elephants, hippos, crocodiles, tons of birds, and an awesome sunset. They also did a great job keeping us entertained with commentary and music. We met some really fun people on the cruise and spent the last half hour dancing and singing along to songs. It was so much fun!
Day 2
Safari in Chobe National Park in Botswana — $195
Pro-tip: Buy a double-entry visa if you plan on leaving Zambia when you first arrive. Getting back in after a day or two is much more time-consuming without a double entry visa, and you will have to purchase another visa to get back in.
Day 3
If you have the time before your flight, check out the sunrise from the falls, too. We had an awesome time walking across the bridge and seeing the Victoria Falls Bridge when no one was there. Again, it pays to wake up early!
Pro-tip: We went right when the falls opened, and NO ONE was there. Seriously—we were the only ones that led to gorgeous views we got to enjoy on our own. It pays to wake up early!
Visit the Zimbabwe Side of the Falls
The Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls provides some of the most iconic views of Victoria Falls, offering panoramic vistas of the entire waterfall. You can witness the full breadth of the falls, which stretch over 1.7 kilometers (1.1 miles) wide, and marvel at the immense volume of water cascading into the gorge below.
The most spectacular views can be seen at Devil’s Cataract, Danger Point, and the show-stopping Main Falls, which is the largest single sheet of water in the world.
Consider taking a tour to organize everything for you!
Choose an Adventure
After your morning on the two sides of Victoria Falls, it’s time to choose an adventure! Around Victoria Falls there are so many different amazing and adrenaline pumping activities you can do. Below are a few different options to choose from (some of them start on the Zimbabwe side of the falls which is why it’s perfect after visiting!
Boma Dinner and Drum Show
End your trip with a feast of fun at a Boma dinner and drum show. Originating from the Swahili word for enclosure, a Boma is an event where the tribesmen protect and provide for their community. Savor a 4-course meal featuring local dishes, all the while enjoying non-stop entertainment culminating in an interactive drumming show.
This is the perfect way to end your three days at Victoria Falls!
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Victoria Falls was just amazing, and I know that if you go, you won’t be disappointed. There’s so much to do, so three days there meant we were packing in tons of fun things. Have you been to Livingstone?
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