Victoria Falls

A waterfall on a vast scale

Victoria Falls forms where the Zambezi River, more than a kilometre wide at this point, drops abruptly into a narrow gorge on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or the smoke that thunders, the falls produce a spray visible for miles during high water, and the sound alone signals their scale before they come into view.

Viewing from both sides

Most visitors base themselves in Victoria Falls town on the Zimbabwean side, where rainforest trails lead to a series of viewpoints along the gorge, though the Zambian side offers its own vantage points and is a straightforward border crossing for a day trip. The town has grown into an adventure travel hub, with white-water rafting below the falls, bungee jumping from the bridge spanning the gorge, and helicopter flights over the falls among the activities on offer; our Victoria Falls Adventure itinerary is built around this side of a visit. Chobe National Park, just across the border in Botswana, is a common half-day or overnight add-on for travellers wanting wildlife alongside the falls.

Water levels through the year

The Zambezi's flow changes dramatically over the year: water levels are highest, and the spray most dramatic, roughly February to May after the rainy season, sometimes obscuring the falls themselves in mist. Levels drop through the middle of the year, and by around August to December the rock face becomes more visible, exposing features such as Devil's Pool, a natural pool at the edge of the falls accessible only when water levels allow. Travellers combining the falls with wider Southern Africa often continue on to Cape Town for a coastal and city finish to the trip.