Victoria Falls

The "Smoke That Thunders": the world's widest waterfall spans Zimbabwe and Zambia, with the Devil's Pool, bungee jumping and Chobe River elephant herds, an adventure hub of southern Africa.

Victoria Falls lies on the middle reaches of the Zambezi River, straddling the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and is called "Mosi-oa-Tunya" (the Smoke That Thunders) in the local language. The falls are about 1,708 m wide with a maximum drop of about 108 m, making them the world's widest single sheet of falling water. In the high-water season the spray can rise hundreds of meters and be seen from dozens of kilometers away, and the falls were inscribed as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1989. Each country has a gateway town: on the Zimbabwe side, the town of Victoria Falls sits right next to the falls, within walking distance of the park, with hotels, restaurants and adventure activities concentrated here; on the Zambia side, Livingstone is about 10 km from the falls and has more of a city feel, and both the Devil's Pool and Livingstone Island are on the Zambian side. The two sides are linked by the Victoria Falls Bridge, and you can cross the border on foot or by vehicle. The season determines what you see: February–May is the high-water season (especially March–April), with astonishing volume and spectacular rainbows, but the spray is so heavy that you can hardly see the whole falls, and you'll be soaked walking the trails; June–August is the southern hemisphere winter, cool and dry with moderate water levels, the best time for an overall view; September–December is the low-water season, when some rock faces on the Zambian side dry out, but you can visit the Devil's Pool and go white-water rafting, and October–November is the hottest. Getting there: Victoria Falls Airport (VFA, Zimbabwe) and Livingstone Airport (LVI, Zambia) both have flights from Johannesburg, taking about 1.5 hours; Chobe National Park (Kasane) in Botswana is about 1–1.5 hours by road from either country. Recommended stay: 3–4 days (half a day at the falls on each side, the Devil's Pool or a helicopter flight, a Zambezi sunset cruise, and a Chobe day trip). Costs and visas: park entry is about USD 50 on the Zimbabwe side and about USD 20 on the Zambia side; Chinese citizens can get a Zimbabwe visa on arrival or an e-visa, and where eligible can buy the KAZA UniVisa (about USD 50), which allows multiple crossings between Zimbabwe and Zambia and same-day return trips to Chobe; check the latest rules at the border. Notes: US dollar cash is accepted in both countries, so bring small bills; in the high-water season rent a raincoat and bring waterproof bags; wild elephants, baboons and hippos roam around the falls, so don't walk on roads outside town in the evening; choose reputable operators for bungee jumping, rafting and other activities.

Top sights

Victoria Falls Rainforest Walk (Zimbabwe side) – A rainforest trail along the clifftop opposite the falls passes 16 viewpoints, offering direct views of Devil's Cataract, the Main Falls an…
Victoria Falls Zambia side & Knife-Edge Bridge – From the Zambian side, walk onto the Knife-Edge Bridge suspended over the gorge to feel the roar and spray of the Eastern Falls up close, w…
Devil's Pool & Livingstone Island – Swim in a natural rock pool at the edge of the 108-metre falls, leaning over the cliff to look down into the gorge. It is one of the world'…
Upper Zambezi Sunset Cruise – A cruise on the wide, calm Zambezi above the falls to watch the sunset. Along the way you may see hippos, crocodiles and elephants coming t…
Victoria Falls Bridge – A steel arch bridge completed in 1905 that spans the Second Gorge of the Zambezi River and connects Zimbabwe and Zambia. A 111-meter bungee…
Livingstone – Zambia's 'tourism capital', with colonial-era street architecture preserved. It is home to the nation's oldest Livingstone Museum and is th…
The Victoria Falls Hotel – A historic Edwardian hotel that opened in 1904. Enjoy English afternoon tea on Stanley's Terrace, which faces the falls' spray and the brid…
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park – A small national park on the Zambian side where you can walk with an armed ranger to observe white rhinos up close.
Zambezi National Park – A Zimbabwean national park right upstream of the falls town, offering half-day game drives or self-drives along the riverbank.
Batoka Gorge – A basalt gorge downstream of the falls, the site of white-water rafting on the Zambezi River, gorge swings and ziplines.
Livingstone Museum – Zambia's largest and oldest museum, holding Livingstone's own letters and maps alongside exhibits on Zambian peoples and natural history.
Railway Museum, Livingstone – An open-air railway museum with colonial-era steam locomotives and carriages. It tells the story of the Zambezi railway and the building of…
The Big Tree (Baobab) – A baobab tree over a thousand years old on the outskirts of Victoria Falls town, with a trunk circumference of about 20 meters. It was once…
Mukuni Village – A traditional Toka Leya village about 15 km east of the falls, where you can tour the huts, the school and the chief's court with a village…
Flight of Angels Helicopter Flight – A helicopter flight that offers an aerial view of the full falls and their zigzag gorges. It is the best way to understand the falls' lands…
Victoria Falls Curio Market & Elephant's Walk – A market in the centre of the falls town selling wood carvings, stone sculptures and textiles. Next to it, the Elephant Walk shopping stree…
The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show – Victoria Falls’ best-known dinner show, with an African barbecue buffet, traditional dance and an audience drumming session, plus the chanc…

Where to eat

The Lookout Cafe – A scenic restaurant perched on the edge of the Batoka Gorge, about 120 meters above the Zambezi River, serving burgers…
The Boma - Dinner & Drum Show – The most famous dinner show in Victoria Falls, featuring a four-course game meat BBQ buffet paired with interactive Afr…
Dusty Road Township Experience – A traditional restaurant located in the Chinotimba residential area, cooking over open fires with cast-iron pots in a u…
GOAT Victoria Falls (formerly Mama Africa) – Renamed from the classic local restaurant Mama Africa in the town center, featuring oxtail with sadza and live township…

Itineraries

Victoria Falls Both Sides & Chobe – Based in Victoria Falls town, see the falls from both Zimbabwe and Zambia, then cross the border to Chobe in Botswana f…
Victoria Falls & Chobe Delta Fly-In Safari – Cross from Victoria Falls into Chobe, then fly by light aircraft into the Okavango Delta, departing from Maun.
Victoria Falls & Hwange Safari – Two nights at the Falls plus three nights in Hwange, walking from the main camp waterholes to the southeastern private…
Zimbabwe Heritage & Wildlife Grand Loop – Head south from Harare to Great Zimbabwe and Matobo, fly to Victoria Falls, and enter Hwange to see elephant herds.
Windhoek to Victoria Falls Overland Loop – Cross from Namibia along the Okavango River to the Delta and Chobe, ending at Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls, South Luangwa & Likoma Island – See Victoria Falls in Zambia, go walking safaris in South Luangwa, and end on an island in Lake Malawi
Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango Overland – An overland journey from Victoria Falls through Chobe and the salt pans to Maun, connecting rivers and the delta