Devil's Pool Victoria Falls: Season, Cost, Safety & Tips (2026)

Devil's Pool is the place in those famous photos: a swimmer leaning over the lip of Victoria Falls while the Zambezi drops more than 100 metres into the gorge beside them. It looks impossible — and at most times of year it is. But for a few months each year, when the river is low, a natural rock barrier just under the surface turns this spot into a calm pool where you can swim right to the edge.

We book Devil's Pool for our guests every season. This guide covers everything we explain to them before they go: exactly when it is open, what each tour option includes and costs, what happens step by step, how safe it really is, who should skip it, and what to do if the pool is closed on your dates.

What Exactly Is Devil's Pool?

The pool sits beside Livingstone Island, a small island in the middle of the Falls, right on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was from this island that David Livingstone became the first European to see the Falls, in November 1855 — and today you can stand where he stood.

At low water, a lip of basalt rock under the surface stops the current right at the edge of the drop. The water in the pool is relatively still, and that rock wall holds swimmers back while the river flows over the edge a few metres away. When the river rises, the water flows straight over that lip and the pool becomes far too dangerous, which is why it only opens for part of the year.

Access to Livingstone Island and Devil's Pool is controlled: only the licensed island operator may take visitors there, so all bookings go through the official Livingstone Island tours, whichever agent you book with.

When Is Devil's Pool Open?

Devil's Pool only opens when the Zambezi is low enough for safe swimming. In most years that means from about mid-August to late December, but the exact dates move with the rainy season upstream. A wet year can delay opening into September; an early rainy season can close it in early December.

From September to late December you can also do a guided walking trip across the dry riverbed rocks, when water levels allow, which is a great extra for keen photographers.

For the full seasonal picture of the Falls, read our guide to the best time to visit Victoria Falls.

Devil's Pool vs Angel's Pool

Both are reached on the same island tours, so you book the tour and the guides take you to whichever pool is safe on the day.

Tour Options and Prices

There is no separate "Devil's Pool ticket". You book one of the Livingstone Island tours, and the swim is included when conditions allow. The tours differ mainly in timing and the meal served on the island.

The lower rate applies in the green season and the higher rate in peak season. Children who join the tour pay the full adult price. On top of the tour, budget for:

• Transfers — from Livingstone hotels or across the border from Victoria Falls town
• Visas — a KAZA UniVisa or Zambian visa if you are coming from Zimbabwe (see our Victoria Falls visa guide)
• Tips for your guides and boat crew

We quote everything as one price, including transfers. For overall trip budgets see our Victoria Falls package cost guide.

Which tour should you choose?

• Breezer — the best value, cooler temperatures and softer morning light for photos. The first departure of the day is usually the quietest.
• Lunch — the most relaxed option, with a long meal on the island after your swim. Good for couples and honeymooners.
• High Tea — warm late-afternoon light and a great choice in hot October and November mornings. Can be combined with a sunset cruise the same evening.

What Happens on the Day

1. Pick-up. From your Livingstone hotel, or a border transfer from Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe (about 30–45 minutes including formalities).
2. Boat ride. A short speedboat crossing of the upper Zambezi to Livingstone Island, just above the Falls.
3. Briefing and island walk. Your guide explains the rules and the history of the island, then walks you to viewpoints looking straight down the main gorge.
4. The swim. You leave your bags on the island and swim — or wade and swim — a short stretch of river with the guides to the pool. There is some current, and guides choose the safest line each day.
5. The edge. In small groups, you slide into the pool and, holding on to the rock while a guide holds your legs, lean over the lip of the Falls. A second guide takes photos and video on your phone.
6. Meal. Back on the island you dry off and enjoy breakfast, lunch or high tea with views across the Falls.
7. Return. Boat back to the mainland and transfer to your hotel.

Allow about 2 to 3 hours in total, plus your transfer time.

Is Devil's Pool Safe?

When it runs at the right water level, with the licensed operator, Devil's Pool has a good safety record. The safety comes from three things: the natural rock lip that holds back the current, strict daily decisions on whether swimming goes ahead, and guides who are in the water with you the whole time.

The rules you must follow

• Minimum age: 8 years to join the tour, 12 years to swim.
• Swimming ability: you must be a confident swimmer in moving water.
• Follow every instruction from your guides — where to swim, where to hold, when to move.
• Never try to reach the pool on your own or on an unofficial trip.
• The guides can stop the swim at any time if conditions change, and that decision is final.

Who Should Skip the Swim

Devil's Pool is not for everyone, and that is fine — the island tour alone is one of the best views of the Falls. We suggest skipping the swim if you:

• are not a confident swimmer, or are uneasy in moving water;
• have heart, back or neck conditions, or are pregnant;
• have a real fear of heights — the view over the edge is intense;
• have limited mobility, as the island walk and rocks are uneven. Our accessible Africa safaris team can suggest gentler ways to experience the Falls, such as a helicopter flight or the Zimbabwe rainforest walk.

How to Get the Best Devil's Pool Photo

• Let the guide take it. One guide is the official photographer. Hand over your phone, unlocked, with the camera ready.
• Ask for video and burst mode. The best shots often come from a short video or a burst of photos.
• Choose your light. The morning Breezer gives softer light and fewer people; the afternoon High Tea gives warm, golden light.
• Look up, not just down. Some of the best images are taken from the island looking back at you in the pool, with the spray behind.
• Want the full picture? A helicopter flight shows Devil's Pool and Livingstone Island from above — the perfect pair to your swim.

What to Bring and What to Wear

• Swimwear, worn under your clothes
• A quick-dry towel
• Water shoes or sport sandals
• Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat
• Sunglasses with a strap
• Your phone (for the guide to use)
• A dry change of clothes
• Passport if crossing from Zimbabwe
• US dollars for tips
• Any medication you may need

Leave jewellery and anything you would hate to lose in the river at your hotel.

Getting There: Zambia or Zimbabwe

Staying on the Zambian side makes Devil's Pool easier, especially for the early Breezer. If you prefer the town atmosphere and wider Falls views of Zimbabwe, it is still simple — we arrange the transfer and border formalities. See Explore Victoria Falls from Livingstone for Zambian-side stays.

Booking Tips From Our Team

• Book early for September to November. These are the busiest months and departures are limited.
• Plan it early in your stay. If the swim is cancelled on the day, you have time to try again.
• Confirm the pool, not just the tour. Ask whether Devil's Pool or Angel's Pool is expected to be running for your dates.
• Match the slot to the heat. October and November are very hot — the first Breezer or the High Tea is more comfortable than midday.
• Keep the rest of the day light. Pair it with a relaxed afternoon and a sunset cruise, not a full day of rafting.

What to Do If Devil's Pool Is Closed

Visiting between February and July? You will not be able to swim at Devil's Pool, but you will see the Falls at their most powerful. Great alternatives:

• Helicopter "Flight of Angels" — the best way to see high water, including Livingstone Island from above.
• Guided Falls tour on the Zimbabwe side — 16 viewpoints along the rainforest path.
• Livingstone Island tour when it reopens around June, or Angel's Pool in the shoulder months.
• Gorge swing, zip line or bridge bungee for adrenaline all year.
• White-water rafting from about August, when the low-water run opens.

Read more in the best Victoria Falls tours and activities.

How to Fit Devil's Pool Into Your Trip

The Devil's Pool season lines up perfectly with peak dry-season safari, which makes September to November ideal for combining it with Chobe's elephant herds and the Okavango Delta. A typical 3-night stay looks like this:

See the full plans in our 3 Nights in Victoria Falls itinerary and Victoria Falls, Chobe and Okavango itinerary, or let us add Devil's Pool to one of our Victoria Falls tours.

Bookable Victoria Falls Tours

Add Devil's Pool to one of our ready-made Victoria Falls trips — we handle the island booking, transfers and border crossing.

4 Days Victoria Falls PackageFalls tour, sunset cruise and Chobe day trip — we add Devil's Pool in season.View tour →

Explore Victoria Falls from LivingstoneStay on the Zambian side, minutes from the Livingstone Island jetty.View tour →

Victoria Falls Helicopter RideSee Devil's Pool and the whole Falls from the air in 12–25 minutes.View tour →

5 Days Victoria Falls PackageMore time for Devil's Pool, rafting and the gorge activities.View tour →

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