National park
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
The Zambian side of Victoria Falls plus a small game park on the Zambezi above Livingstone, with Zambia's only white rhino.
69 km² · 1 gate · 1 campsite · Run by Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), Zambia
About the park
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park runs about 20 km along the Zambian bank of the Zambezi in two parts with separate entrances: the Victoria Falls section with the rainforest paths along the gorge, and a small game park upstream on the edge of Livingstone. At the falls you walk the gorge edge and cross the Knife-Edge Bridge facing the Eastern Cataract and Rainbow Falls, then take the steep path down to the Boiling Pot; in high water you will be soaked, so hire a raincoat at the entrance. The game park is a short drive with giraffe, zebra, buffalo, sable and impala, elephant that cross from Zimbabwe in the dry season, hippo and crocodile on the river, and a small herd of white rhino kept under round-the-clock guard. Both are easy day trips from Livingstone, and the whole area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The catch is timing: by October the Zambian side of the falls can shrink to a trickle.
Highlights
- The Knife-Edge Bridge facing the Eastern Cataract
- The steep footpath down to the Boiling Pot
- Full-moon night visits to see the lunar rainbow
- Guarded white rhino in the game park
- The Old Drift cemetery of Livingstone's first settlers
Good to know
- 66 km² along the Zambezi in two sections with separate entrances
- Victoria Falls entrance next to the Zambian border post; raincoats for hire
- Game park on the western edge of Livingstone
- UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989
Wildlife you may see
- White rhino
- Giraffe
- Burchell's zebra
- Buffalo
- Sable antelope
- Impala
- Elephant (dry season)
- Hippo
- Nile crocodile
- Klipspringer
- Raptors in the gorges
Sightings are never guaranteed.
When to go
Best time: November–March for higher water at the falls; by October the Zambian side can be almost dry
Gates
- Victoria Falls rainforest entranceOpen: 06:00–18:00 dailyTicket US$20 per foreign visitor (2025–26 listing), valid for re-entry the same day; pay in US dollars or kwacha. The heritage commission agreed in October 2025 to raise the foreign rate to US$30 from 1 January 2026 (Zambians K50, under-16s K25), so expect US$30. Full-moon night openings 20:00–22:00 cost extra. The game park section has its own entrance and fee.Ticket booth next to the Zambian border post at the Victoria Falls bridge, with parking, toilets and showers, a curio market and the field museum alongside. Raincoats for hire at the entrance (cheaper ponchos inside). Bring cash: the card machine is often said to be down.
Gate times change with the seasons: check with Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), Zambia before you travel.
Campsites
- Victoria Falls Waterfront CampsiteLodge camping4.9US$15 pp/night
Park fees
| international | US$20 per entry |
Victoria Falls entrance US$20 per foreign visitor (2026), valid for re-entry the same day; full-moon night visits 20:00–22:00 cost US$25. The game park has a separate fee.