Victoria Falls

You hear Victoria Falls before you see it, and you often feel the spray before you reach the edge. Here the Zambezi River, well over a kilometer and a half (about a mile) wide, drops into a narrow basalt gorge up to about 108 meters (354 feet) deep. The local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders," describes the column of spray that can rise hundreds of meters and be seen from far away. The falls, shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Seeing the falls

On the Zimbabwean side, a path through rainforest nourished by the constant spray leads to a series of viewpoints facing Devil's Cataract, the Main Falls and Rainbow Falls. On the Zambian side you can cross the Knife-Edge Bridge and, in low water, from roughly mid-August to January, swim with a guide in Devil's Pool, a natural rock pool at the very lip of the falls. A helicopter or microlight flight gives the best overview of the zigzag gorges below.

Adventures on the Zambezi

This is one of Africa's great adventure hubs. Below the falls, the Batoka Gorge offers some of the most thrilling commercial white-water rafting anywhere, usually best at lower water from about August to December. You can bungee jump or swing from the Victoria Falls Bridge, zip-line across the gorge, or take a gentle sunset cruise on the wide upper Zambezi, where hippos and elephants are often seen.

Wildlife nearby

Zambezi National Park, just upstream, offers game drives and river walks. Botswana's Chobe National Park, famous for its elephant herds, is an easy day trip, and Hwange National Park lies a few hours' drive to the south.

How we plan Victoria Falls

Two or three nights are ideal, whether as a hub between safaris or as an extension to a South Africa trip. We handle border crossings and activity bookings, and our Okavango & Victoria Falls journey combines the falls with Botswana's wilderness.