Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

What and Where

Victoria Falls is where the Zambezi drops about 108 meters into a narrow gorge along a front roughly 1,700 meters wide. The falls form the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. On the Zimbabwe side they are protected by Victoria Falls National Park, a strip of about 23 km² along the river, with the larger Zambezi National Park upstream.

This page covers the Zimbabwe side and the town of Victoria Falls. For the Zambian side, the town of Livingstone and the lodges upriver from it, see our Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls) page.

Viewpoints, Wildlife and Activities

A path runs along the edge of the gorge opposite the falls with 16 numbered viewpoints. It starts at the statue of David Livingstone above Devil's Cataract, passes the Main Falls and a stretch of rainforest kept wet by the spray, and ends at Danger Point and a view of the Victoria Falls Bridge. From the Zambian side you see only about a quarter of the falls, so most people find the Zimbabwe side the better walk.

Beyond the falls, there are helicopter flights over the gorge, sunset cruises on the Zambezi above the falls, ziplining across the Batoka Gorge, and game drives. Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve, a fenced reserve outside town, runs a black rhino conservation experience, and a lunar rainbow can sometimes be seen over the falls at full moon.

Best Time to Go

The river floods from about February to May and peaks around April, when the falls are at their loudest but the spray can hide much of the view and soak you on the path. Flow is lowest around November, when parts of the rock face are dry. The Zimbabwe side keeps water for longer than the Zambian side, which can dry up almost completely from October to early December. June to August is a good middle ground with strong flow and clearer views.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Victoria Falls Airport is a short drive from town and has regional and international flights. Light aircraft fly on to Hwange in about an hour, and Livingstone is across the bridge in Zambia. Two nights is enough for the falls and one or two other activities, and three suits a slower pace.

Where to Stay

You can stay in town within walking distance of the falls, or a short drive out in a private reserve.

The Victoria Falls Hotel

The town's grand hotel, open since 1904, with a terrace looking over the Second Gorge and the bridge. The falls are about a ten-minute walk away.

Anantara Stanley & Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel

A 16-suite hotel in a private game reserve about 15 minutes' drive from the falls, with a waterhole view and black rhino on the reserve.

If you prefer to stay on the Zambian river, see Royal Chundu, Tongabezi or Thorntree River Lodge.

Pairing Victoria Falls

The falls are the easiest start or finish for a Zimbabwe trip, an hour's flight from Hwange and with connections to Mana Pools and Lake Kariba. They also link well with Chobe in Botswana and with Zambia's parks.