Victoria Falls With Kids: Zambia or Zimbabwe, and When to Go

After days of subtlety on safari, Victoria Falls is the opposite: pure scale, pure noise, a mile and a half of the Zambezi falling off the edge of the world. It is how many of my families finish a trip, and it rarely fails to move them. I have stood on both sides of it, at different times and in different seasons, swum at the lip on the Zambian side, flown over it, and walked its rainforest path soaked to the skin. So this is my guide to doing it well with a family: which side to base on, when to go, and what is worth your time once you are there.

Zambia or Zimbabwe?

The Falls sit on the border, and you can see them from either country. They are two quite different experiences, and the choice matters more than most people expect.

Zimbabwe holds around three-quarters of the frontage, and its side gives you the wide, front-on, postcard Falls. It keeps water year round, so whenever you come you will see a dramatic wall of falling water. The rainforest walk here runs past a string of viewpoints, each better than the last, and the town of Victoria Falls is the more polished of the two, with the grander old hotels.

Zambia, reached through Livingstone, puts you closer to the water than anywhere else. You cross the Knife Edge Bridge into the spray, and this is the side for Livingstone Island and Devil's Pool, the natural rock pool right on the lip. Livingstone is quieter and more low-key, and it sits an easy hop from Botswana's Chobe, which is why families combining the two almost always come in from this side.

My steer: if it is your first visit and you want a guaranteed, thundering, front-on view, base on the Zimbabwean side. If Devil's Pool is the dream, or you are already routing through Botswana, come in via Zambia. And if you have the time, cross the bridge and see both. It is a short, straightforward border crossing, and standing in the middle of it, a country at each end and the gorge falling away below, is a memory in itself.

The one thing families get wrong: water levels

From roughly February to May the river is in full flood. The Falls are at their most thunderous, but they throw up so much spray that on the Zambian side the view can vanish into a white cloud, and everyone gets thoroughly soaked. It is thrilling, but it is not the crisp photograph that most people want.

From around August to January the water drops. The spray settles, the views sharpen, and this is the only window when Devil's Pool and Livingstone Island are open. The trade-off is that the Zambian side thins out as the season goes on, while the Zimbabwean side keeps its water.

You cannot have the peak, full-flood roar and swim at Devil's Pool on the same trip. They happen in opposite seasons. Decide which matters more to your family, and plan the visit around that choice. If you want a strong view and you are travelling in the low-water months, weight your time to the Zimbabwean side.

What is worth doing, and the right age for each

I have done all of the following myself, and here is how I would think about each one for children.

The rainforest walk

The rainforest walk is the essential one, and it suits every age. You follow the path facing the Falls through rainforest kept permanently green by the spray, ponchos on, viewpoints opening one after another. Small children find being drenched by a waterfall hilarious.

The sunset cruise on the Zambezi

The sunset cruise on the Zambezi is my default for families. It asks nothing of a child but to sit with a drink and watch the banks, and you will usually see elephant, hippo and wonderful birdlife as the light goes. Gentle, all ages, and a lovely way to end a day.

A flight over the Falls

A flight over the Falls delivers the sheer scale you simply cannot grasp from the ground. A helicopter takes all ages and is the one I would book for a family. The microlight, an open two-seater, is unforgettable but suits an adult or an older, confident teenager rather than younger children.

Devil's Pool and Livingstone Island

Devil's Pool and Livingstone Island are the famous swim at the very edge, and having done it, I can tell you it is as remarkable as it sounds. But it is low-water season only, there is usually a minimum age of around twelve, and it asks for a confident swimmer and a steady nerve. It is not one for little ones, and I would never push a nervous child into it.

Rafting the Zambezi

Rafting the Zambezi, and the gorge and bridge adventures, are the serious adrenaline end: white water below the Falls, big swings into the gorge. These are for adventurous teenagers, generally fifteen and up. For a family with older children who want a thrill, they are the highlight of the trip; for a family with young ones, they are a lovely thing for one parent to slip away and do.

Ages and exact minimums shift with the operator and the water level, so I confirm every one of these against your children's ages before I build them in.

How long to stay, and where it fits in a trip

Two nights is almost always right. Victoria Falls is the exclamation mark at the end of a journey, not the journey itself, and a couple of nights lets you see the Falls, do a flight and a cruise, and still feel unhurried.

Where it sits depends on what else you'd like to do. From the Zambian side it bookends a Botswana trip perfectly, an easy hop from Chobe and Kasane, and it also pairs with a Zambia safari proper in South Luangwa or the Lower Zambezi, two of the best walking-safari regions in Africa. From the Zimbabwean side it flows naturally into Hwange and Mana Pools, so the Falls become the start or finish of a Zimbabwe circuit.

If you are weighing up the wider trip, my Botswana family guide and my safari-and-beach routes will both help.

The practical things to know

Getting there is simple: fly into Livingstone in Zambia or Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, both a short transfer from the lodges and both well connected to the safari airstrips.

Visas across the two countries can change from year to year, including the combined visa that covers hopping across the bridge, so check the current position for your passports rather than trusting last year's advice.

It is a malaria area, a low-risk one, but I will talk prophylaxis through for your family's ages, as I would for any safari.

Both towns are geared entirely to visitors and easy to be in with children. The lodges range from riverside camps with pools to grand old hotels, and which I put you in depends on your budget and the side you have chosen.

Frequently asked questions

Which side of Victoria Falls is better for families, Zambia or Zimbabwe?

For a first visit, I usually suggest Zimbabwe: it holds most of the frontage and keeps water year round, so you get the classic, thundering view. Zambia is better if Devil's Pool is a must, or if you are combining the Falls with Botswana's Chobe.

When is the best time to visit Victoria Falls with children?

February to May brings the full-flood roar and dramatic spray, but the view can be hidden by mist and everyone gets soaked. August to January gives clearer views and is the only window for Devil's Pool and Livingstone Island. You cannot have both on the same trip.

What is the minimum age for Devil's Pool?

Devil's Pool is generally open to children from around twelve years old, but the exact minimum depends on the operator and the water level. It also requires a confident swimmer and a steady nerve, so I would never push a nervous child into it.

How long should a family stay at Victoria Falls?

Two nights is almost always right. It is enough time to see the Falls, take a scenic flight and enjoy a sunset cruise without rushing, while keeping Victoria Falls as the exclamation mark at the end of a longer safari.

Is Victoria Falls safe for children?

Yes. The rainforest walk is safe for every age, the towns are set up for visitors, and lodges cater well to families. Adrenaline activities such as rafting and gorge swings are best for older teenagers, and I always match activities to the ages and confidence of your children.

Victoria Falls is one of the few places that lives up to the photographs, and with a little care over season and side, it is wonderful with a family. Tell me your children's ages, roughly when you would travel, and which safari you are thinking of combining it with, and I will tell you which side and which season is right for you. Then let's make a plan together.