Most people come to Victoria Falls for the Falls. Fewer realise that a national park begins just upstream of town, running along the Zimbabwean bank of the Zambezi River towards the border with Botswana. Zambezi National Park is where elephant wade between the islands in the late afternoon, where hippo call through the night and where a game drive can begin a few minutes after your first coffee.
This guide covers what the park is, what you are likely to see, when to go and how to explore it. It also explains why staying inside the park, rather than visiting for a morning from town, changes the shape of a Victoria Falls trip.
Zambezi National Park in short
- Where it is: on the Zimbabwean bank of the Zambezi River, starting just upstream of Victoria Falls town and running west towards Kazungula.
- Two sections: a riverine side, explored along the Zambezi River Drive, and the open grassland of Chamabonda Vlei to the south.
- Wildlife: elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, sable, kudu, waterbuck, hippo and crocodile, with lion and leopard seen on occasion and more than 400 bird species recorded in the Victoria Falls area.
- Best time for game viewing: the dry season, from June to October, when wildlife gathers along the river.
- How to explore it: game drives, river safaris on the Zambezi and guided walks.
- Where to stay inside the park: Old Drift Lodge, an all-inclusive luxury tented lodge on the riverbank, 4.5 kilometres from the Falls.
Where is Zambezi National Park?
Zambezi National Park lies on the Zimbabwean side of the Zambezi River, immediately upstream of Victoria Falls. The river forms its northern boundary and, for much of its length, the border with Zambia. The road from Victoria Falls to Kazungula runs through the park and divides it in two.
North of the road is the riverine side. Here the Zambezi River Drive follows the bank for around 50 kilometres through riverine forest of figs, ebony and baobab, with small islands scattered across the water. This is where elephant are most often found. South of the road lies Chamabonda Vlei, a broad grassy floodplain fringed by mopane and miombo woodland, with waterholes that draw wildlife through the dry months.
Because the park sits on the road to Kazungula and the Botswana border, it also lies on the natural route to Chobe National Park. That makes it easy to build into a longer safari through the region.
Wildlife in Zambezi National Park
The park is small by Zimbabwean standards, and that works in its favour. It is quiet, uncrowded and a short distance from town, yet it holds a good range of big game. Elephant are the constant. In the dry season, herds come down to the Zambezi each afternoon to drink, feed on the riverbanks and cross to the islands. Buffalo, giraffe and zebra move through the woodland, along with kudu, waterbuck, impala and sable antelope, one of the park’s more sought-after sightings.
Lion and leopard live in the park. Sightings happen, though they are never guaranteed, and the guides are honest about that. Spotted hyenas are often heard after dark. On the water, hippo and crocodile are everywhere, and the river holds around 75 species of fish, including the tiger fish that anglers travel a long way to catch.
For birders, this stretch of the Zambezi is a pleasure in any season. More than 400 species have been recorded in the Victoria Falls area. The call of the African fish eagle carries along the river, and kingfishers and herons work the edges of the reeds and islands.
The best time to visit Zambezi National Park
The dry season (June to October). This is the classic time for game viewing. As the bush thins and the inland pans dry up, wildlife concentrates along the river and game drives become more rewarding by the week. June to August brings cool, clear days and chilly early mornings, so pack a warm layer. September and October grow steadily hotter, and the elephant gatherings on the river are at their most impressive. By October and November, the Falls are at their lowest, which shows off the rock faces of the gorge in a way high water never does. Our guide to Victoria Falls in low water season explains what to expect.
The green season (November to March). The first rains turn the park green almost overnight. Migrant birds arrive, many antelope give birth and the light is soft and clear after the storms. Wildlife spreads out away from the river, so sightings take a little more patience, but the landscape is at its most beautiful and the park is at its quietest. The green season is also when lodge rates are at their most accessible.
High water (March to May). This is when the Falls are at full power, with the spray visible for kilometres. The bush is thick after the rains, so game viewing in the park is quieter, but a river safari is wonderful as the Zambezi runs high and full.
For a month-by-month view of weather, water levels and wildlife, see our best time to visit Victoria Falls guide.
Ways to explore the park
Game drives
Morning and afternoon game drives in open vehicles are the backbone of a stay in the park. Early drives catch the bush waking up and are the best chance of predators still on the move. Afternoon drives tend to follow the elephant down to the water and finish as the light turns gold. Drives from Old Drift Lodge cover both sections of the park, the riverine side along the Zambezi River Drive and the open grassland of Chamabonda Vlei.
River safaris on the Zambezi
This is what sets Zambezi National Park apart from most safari areas. From a boat you sit at eye level with hippo, pass crocodile basking on the sandbanks and watch elephant feeding on the islands a few metres away. It is gentle, unhurried game viewing, and the sunset over the water is reason enough to go out every afternoon.
Walking safaris
A guided walk is the most intimate way to experience the park. On foot you notice the tracks, the dung, the birdsong and the smell of the bush, details that are easy to miss from a vehicle. Walks are led by qualified guides and are open to guests aged 12 and over.
Visiting for the day versus staying inside
Guests staying in town can join a three-hour game drive into the park and be back for lunch. It is a good introduction. Staying inside the park is a different experience altogether. The wildlife is around you from the moment you wake, the early and late hours belong to you, and the river is part of everyday rather than an excursion.
Staying inside Zambezi National Park: Old Drift Lodge
Old Drift Lodge is a Wild Horizons luxury tented lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River, inside Zambezi National Park and 4.5 kilometres from the Falls. It takes its name from the Old Drift, the historic river crossing used by early travellers and traders before the Victoria Falls Bridge was built. The story of the Old Drift is well worth a read before you arrive.
There are 14 suites, each facing the river with a private plunge pool, an open-air shower, air conditioning and a deck that looks straight onto the water. Standard Suites suit couples. Family Suites add an interleading room for children aged seven and over. The Star Suites have a raised star bed for a night under the open sky, with the sound of hippo below.
Old Drift Lodge is all-inclusive, and the inclusions are generous:
- all meals and drinks, including alcoholic beverages, with a stocked minibar in your suite
- morning and afternoon game drives in Zambezi National Park
- river safaris on the Zambezi
- guided walking safaris
- a guided tour of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side (the Rainforest entry fee is paid separately)
- breakfast, brunch or lunch at The Lookout Café, on the edge of the Batoka Gorge
- return transfers from Victoria Falls Airport, and shuttle transfers to Victoria Falls town
Beyond the inclusions, the lodge team can arrange anything else the area offers, from helicopter flights over the Falls and white water rafting to a Chobe day trip. Tiger fishing can also be booked at the lodge at an additional charge. See the full list of Old Drift Lodge activities.
A day on the river at Old Drift Lodge
No two days are quite the same, but a typical one goes something like this. You wake before sunrise to the sound of the river, take coffee on your deck as the mist lifts off the water, and head out on a morning game drive while the air is still cool. You return to a late breakfast or brunch overlooking the Zambezi.
The middle of the day is slow, as it should be. Some guests read on the deck or cool off in the plunge pool. Others watch elephant browsing on the far bank. In the afternoon you set off on a river safari, drifting past hippo and crocodile as the sun drops behind the islands, and come back to dinner on the deck under the stars. In a Star Suite, you might choose to sleep out on the star bed.
Another day might take you into town for a guided tour of the Falls and lunch at The Lookout Café, looking down the Batoka Gorge. Then it is back to the river before the afternoon boat goes out.
Combining Zambezi National Park with Chobe and The Elephant Camp
Many guests pair a stay on the river with a few nights on the ridge at The Elephant Camp, above the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary, with views across the Batoka Gorge to the spray of the Falls. The river and the gorge make a natural pair, and because both lodges are ours, transfers and activities between them are handled from start to finish. Our Signature Specials combine nights at Old Drift Lodge and The Elephant Camp with a choice of signature activities.
Chobe National Park in Botswana is an easy day trip, with a morning game drive and an afternoon cruise on the Chobe River. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest, is about three hours away by road and best visited with an overnight stay. Still choosing between lodges? Our guide to which Wild Horizons lodge is right for you compares all four.
Frequently asked questions about Zambezi National Park
Zambezi National Park is in Zimbabwe, on the southern bank of the Zambezi River just upstream of Victoria Falls. It runs west from Victoria Falls town towards Kazungula and the Botswana border.
The park begins just outside Victoria Falls town. Old Drift Lodge, inside the park on the riverbank, is 4.5 kilometres from the Falls and around 30 minutes by road from Victoria Falls Airport.
Yes. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, sable, kudu, waterbuck, hippo and crocodile are all regularly seen, and the river adds a dimension most parks lack. Game viewing is best in the dry season, from June to October, when wildlife gathers along the Zambezi.
Lion and leopard both live in the park. Sightings are possible on game drives, but they are never guaranteed.
June to October is the best time for game viewing. November to March, the green season, brings lush scenery, migrant birds and young animals. March to May is when the Falls are at full flow.
Yes. Old Drift Lodge is an all-inclusive luxury tented lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River inside Zambezi National Park, with 14 suites, each with a private plunge pool and river views.
All meals and drinks, game drives, river safaris, walking safaris, a guided tour of Victoria Falls, breakfast, brunch or lunch at The Lookout Café, return airport transfers and shuttle transfers to town. The Victoria Falls Rainforest entry fee is paid separately.
It is an excellent first safari. The park is close to Victoria Falls, so there is no long journey in, and the river makes game viewing easy and relaxed. Staying inside the park lets you combine a full safari with the Falls in one trip.
Old Drift Lodge welcomes children aged seven and over, and its Family Suites have an interleading room for children. Game drives, river safaris and the Falls tour are open to children, and walking safaris are for guests aged 12 and over.
Yes. The park lies on the road to Kazungula and the Botswana border, and a Chobe day trip from Victoria Falls is easy to add. Hwange National Park is also within reach for an overnight stay.
Plan your stay on the river
Zambezi National Park offers something rare at Victoria Falls: a full safari, on the river, a few kilometres from the Falls. Browse the Old Drift Lodge suites, check rates and availability, or send us your dates and our reservations team will help you plan your time on the river.
