Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe Side): Travel Guide to the Smoke That Thunders

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe Side): Travel Guide to the Smoke That Thunders: History & Culture

Discover Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe Side): Travel Guide to the Smoke That Thunders

Victoria Falls is one of the great waterfalls of Southern Africa. The Zimbabwe side puts you closest to the town of Victoria Falls, the main base for visiting the falls from this bank of the Zambezi. This guide covers how to get there, when to go, what to see and a little of the history behind the name.

Victoria Falls at a glance

• Country: Zimbabwe
• Province: Matabeleland North
• Nearest airport: Victoria Falls Airport (VFA), 18 km south of Victoria Falls town
• Height and width of the falls: 108 m high and 1,708 m wide
• Best time to visit: May to October for cooler, drier weather. Flood season runs February to May and peaks in April.
• Status: UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989

Getting to Victoria Falls

By air

Victoria Falls Airport (IATA code VFA) lies 18 km south of the town. Published route lists include Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Harare, among others. Routes change, so check current schedules with the airlines before you plan around a particular connection. Livingstone International Airport, on the Zambian side, also serves the region. For a trip based in Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls Airport is the nearest.

From Zambia

The Victoria Falls Bridge links Zimbabwe and Zambia. On the Zambian side the neighbouring town is Livingstone, so many visitors see the falls from both banks. Plan the crossing with the border requirements for your nationality in mind.

Best time to visit Victoria Falls

The falls change dramatically through the year, so the right season depends on what you want to see and do.

• February to May, the flood season: the river is at its fullest, and the flow peaks in April.
• September to January, the dry months: up to half of the rock face can be exposed.
• May to October: the cooler, drier window that suits outdoor activities.

The climate is semi-arid. September and October are the hottest months, at 33 to 34°C. July is the coolest, with an average high of 25°C. Rain peaks in January and February.

Top things to see and do

Victoria Falls and the national park

The falls are 108 m high and 1,708 m wide. Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwe side covers 23 km². The Zambian side, Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, covers 66 km².

Victoria Falls Bridge

The bridge is a steel arch over the Second Gorge. It opened in April 1905 and connected Southern Rhodesia with Northern Rhodesia. It is worth seeing for its engineering and its setting as much as for its role as a border crossing.

Devil’s Pool

Devil’s Pool is an infinity pool on Livingstone Island, set at the edge of the falls. Swimming is typically possible from September to December. The pool is reached from the Zambian side, so a visit means crossing into Zambia.

Adventure activities

The town of Victoria Falls is described as offering over 200 adventure activities. Activities named include:

• Helicopter tours
• Jet boating
• Whitewater rafting on the Zambezi
• Bungee jumping
• Mountain biking
• Paragliding

The Zambezi is also the setting for boat trips. Operators, prices and safety requirements vary, so check these directly with each provider before booking.

Hwange National Park

The town is also a base for access to Hwange National Park, which makes it possible to combine the falls with a wildlife visit in the same trip.

A short history of the falls

The Lozi name for the falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning ‘the smoke that thunders’. David Livingstone first saw the falls on 16 November 1855 from what is now Livingstone Island. He named them after Queen Victoria.

The settlement of Victoria Falls began in 1901, when the falls were explored as a possible source of hydro-electric power. The bridge followed in April 1905. The town became a city on 9 December 2020. UNESCO listed the falls as a World Heritage Site in 1989.

Planning your visit

• Choose your season first. Go in the flood season, from February to May, for the greatest volume of water. Go in the dry months if you want to see more of the rock face or swim at Devil’s Pool.
• Fly into Victoria Falls Airport, 18 km from town, for the shortest transfer on the Zimbabwe side.
• Allow time for the Zambian side, whether for Livingstone, Livingstone Island or Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park.
• Combine the falls with Hwange National Park if you want wildlife as well as water.

Places to stay, restaurants and local events for Victoria Falls are still being researched. We will add them once we can verify them.

Photo: Ninara from Helsinki, Finland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.