Victoria Falls from Pakistan 2026–2027: Why Pakistanis Can't Buy the KAZA UniVisa — and the Two-Visa Play Instead
There is a photograph every African bucket list chases: a mile-wide curtain of the Zambezi dropping more than a hundred metres into a basalt gorge. Most guides then tell you to grab the KAZA UniVisa — fifty dollars, both countries, done. For a Pakistani passport, that advice quietly fails at the border of the eligible-countries list.
The quick answer: The KAZA UniVisa (USD 50) — the one stamp covering Zambia, Zimbabwe and day trips into Botswana — is not available to Pakistani passports; Pakistan is absent from the eligible-nationalities list. So you file two separate visas instead: Zimbabwe classes Pakistanis under Category C, meaning the e-visa at evisa.gov.zw must be approved before you fly — USD 30 single entry, about seven working days. Zambia doubled its fees on 1 January 2026: USD 50 single entry. Falls entry itself costs USD 50 on the Zimbabwe side, USD 20 on the Zambian side, and the bridge border between the two towns now runs 24 hours.
The visa math, plainly
Zimbabwe runs three categories: A needs no visa, B pays at the border, and C — where Pakistan sits — must be approved before travel. The e-visa asks roughly seven working days; the single entry is USD 30, the double USD 45, the multiple USD 55. Unused approvals are not refunded.
The entering declaration can be pre-filled online, so the airport counter becomes a stamp rather than an interview.
Zambia's January 2026 revision stung: the single entry doubled from USD 25 to USD 50, the double from USD 40 to USD 80. Two numbers did not move — the KAZA itself (still USD 50, still not ours to buy) and the USD 10 day-tripper stamp designed for same-day crossings.
The bridge border post between Victoria Falls town and Livingstone now stays open around the clock, which turns "sleep one side, tour the other" from a border-office gamble into a legitimate daily pattern. That 24-hour opening is newer than most guidebooks.
| Line item | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe e-visa, single | USD 30 | Category C: approved before flying, ~7 working days |
| Zimbabwe e-visa, double | USD 45 | Needed if you cross the bridge and come back |
| Zambia e-visa, single | USD 50 | Doubled from USD 25 on 1 January 2026 |
| Zambia day-tripper stamp | USD 10 | Same-day return crossings |
| Falls entry, Zimbabwe side | USD 50 | International adults, includes the rainforest walkway |
| Falls entry, Zambia side | USD 20 | National Heritage fee |
| Devil's Pool / Livingstone Island | From ~USD 165 | Season runs mid-August to mid-January |
Choosing a side — or doing both
The Zimbabwe side owns the postcard: a rainforest walkway pressed against most of the curtain, drenching spray, and a walkable little town on the far side of the falls. You will arrive dry and leave soaked and grinning, and the hotels sit minutes from the gate.
The Zambia side charges less at the gate and holds the two experiences Zimbabwe cannot offer: Livingstone Island at the very lip, and Devil's Pool — a guided swim in a rock-edged pool at the top of the gorge in the low-water months. It is the most photogenic act of faith in African travel.
Tours run from about USD 165, and the season runs roughly mid-August to mid-January, water levels permitting — book the falls week to match the window, not the other way around.
Water seasons decide everything. From February into May the Zambezi peaks — the fullest curtain, towering spray, occasional misted-out viewpoints. From August to December the river drops — cleaner photography, the Devil's Pool window open, and the white-water rafting below the gorge at its screaming best. Above the falls, sunset cruises on the Zambezi come complete with hippos doing absolutely nothing.
The flight plan — and the 2027 bonus
No nonstop exists from Pakistan, so the one-stop map does the work: Qatar Airways or Emirates from Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad to Johannesburg, then the short hop north to Victoria Falls — or Kenya Airways through Nairobi. A multi-city ticket that exits from Livingstone often prices identically to the return loop.
Here is the kicker for 2027: Victoria Falls town is an official Cricket World Cup venue. The tournament runs 2 October to 21 November 2027 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and the Falls hosts fixtures on 24, 28 and 30 October and 1 November — Zimbabwe v India among them.
Waterfall by morning, ODI by evening — the rarest two-for-one in cricket travel.
Pro tip: Base on the Zimbabwe side with a double-entry e-visa (USD 45) and cross the bridge on Zambia's USD 10 day-tripper stamp when the mood strikes. Two countries, one hotel room to unpack in — and the re-entry is already paid for.
The two-visa sequence, the side-choosing math and the Johannesburg-or-Nairobi routing are precisely what HTG Travels files for Pakistani travellers — including the Category C e-visa that cannot wait for the airport. One WhatsApp to +92 317 5054959 brings the visa plan, the Devil's Pool calendar and a priced itinerary. Tell HTG Travels your month — the Zambezi sets the rest.
