Discover Victoria Falls

To visit Victoria Falls is more than paying homage to a time gone by. It is to witness one of the most remarkable geological events taking place on the planet as the water carves its way through the ancient rock.

What to Do at Victoria Falls

Experience the thrill and excitement of seeing the Victoria Falls up close and in person. See the pounding force of one of the world's most unique waterfalls, which drops into the Zambezi River Gorge through its series of gorges. It is a sight you'll never forget.

Based on the concept devised by locals, we have divided the activity zones as follows (note that, for the first four zones, we ignore the divide between Zimbabwe and Zambia and treat the entire Falls as a holistic experience):

At the Falls - Rain forest walk, Bungee jumping
Over the Falls - Aerial experiences and microlighting over Victoria Falls
Above the Falls - Zambezi River cruises and Canoeing upstream from Victoria Falls
Below the Falls - Adrenalin and high wire activities in the gorges
Around the Falls - A guide to other activities and attractions divided into a Zambian section and a Zimbabwean section

Best Time to Visit Victoria Falls

©Eric Miller

The best time to visit Victoria Falls is during the high water season from January to early May, when the Zambezi River is at full flow. For the average holiday traveler, Victoria Falls provides an absolutely awesome experience, whilst for the adventure-seeker, this is the best time for white water rafting on the Zambezi.

The current curtain of water is actually the eighth waterfall in a geological march through time. At some point - in who knows how many years - the ninth Victoria Falls will form. The Zambezi River is carving its way through a series of fault lines in the underlying basalt. These cracks generally run from east to west, while the river flows from north to south and this is why the Falls and gorges are formed in a zig-zag pattern.

But the Victoria Falls will not go beyond its twelfth or fifteenth manifestation, because, by that time, it will have worked its way right back through the ancient fault lines into the Kalahari sands. At the point at which the basalt ends and the sands begin, the Victoria Falls will become a series of powerful rapids and the extent of the drama of what we witness today will be no more.

Victoria Falls Stats

Falls width - 1708m
Maximum height - 108m
Lowest height - 62m
Narrowest point of gorge - approx. 60m
Highest water flow (March/April) - approx. 500 million litres / minute
Lowest water flow (Late Nov/early Dec) approx. 10 million litres / minute
Greatest flow ever recorded - March 1958 > 700 million litres / minute
Distance from source - approx. 1 200 km
Distance from the Indian Ocean - approx. 1 500 km

Safari Near Victoria Falls

©Shem Compion

Zimbabwe's flagship national park is Hwange, renowned for its large populations of Elephant and Buffalo. See wildlife on a safari near Victoria Falls

Chizarira is a remote reserve where you can experience the untamed nature of the bush on a walking safari.
The nearby Matetsi Game Reserve is well worth a visit to see its population of rare Sable antelope.

Victoria Falls - A Shared Heritage

Sharing the Seventh Wonder of the World, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet along the mighty Zambezi River. The mile wide Victoria Falls and Batoka Gorge form an awesome focal point. The centre of this railway suspension bridge is 'no-mans land', and the site of magnificent views of the falls and gorge, from where Bungee jumpers launch themselves into the gorge.

Enjoy Local Culture

Marimba street musicians at Victoria falls Village. Get about and meet the locals. Wonderful craft markets, colorful cuisine and friendly people and a chequered history. Discover the local Victoria Falls culture and people

The Smoke That Thunders

©Shem Compion

The tumultuous plume of spray created by the half-a-million cubic metres of water dropping over the 100m basalt rock face each minute is a phenomenon that has given rise to its poetic African name, Mosi-oa-Tunya - "the smoke that thunders". There is significant seasonal variation in the flow - the river is at its fullest during the summer rainy season when the spray is at its most dense, and at its lowest at the end of the dry season.

The roar of Victoria Falls rushing over the edge and into the gorge below constantly beckons you to explore this magnificent wonder of nature. Be inspired to visit Victoria Falls and come face to face with the power and beauty of one of the Natural Wonders of the World.