Victoria Falls

• Victoria Falls Rainforest

  The Zimbabwe side of the falls, run by ZimParks as Victoria Falls National Park. It is only 23.4 square kilometres, but it holds the Zimbabwe bank of a curtain of water 1,708 m wide and 108 m high, and the spray keeps alive a strip of real rainforest, ferns, palms, lianas and mahogany not seen elsewhere in the region. It was listed as a Ramsar wetland in 2013 on top of the World Heritage listing of 1989.

  ZimParks, Victoria Falls National Park (with Wikipedia, Victoria Falls National Park)
• Livingstone statue

  A statue by Sir William Reid Dick on the western bank, facing the Devil's Cataract. The inscription says Livingstone visited the falls in 1855 and named them after Queen Victoria. Work on it began in 1934 and it was unveiled in 1954. War veterans wanted it taken down in 2001 and Zambia asked for it to be moved across the river in 2004; it is still there.

  Wikipedia, Statue of David Livingstone, Victoria Falls
• Victoria Falls Bridge

  The 1905 arch 128 m above the river carries the railway, the road, pedestrians and a 111 m bungee jump, with a border post at each end. The historic bridge tour is the better way to see it: a talk on the bridge and its builders, the visitor centre and a walk on the catwalks under the deck that were used to build it.

  The Herald, Victoria Falls bridge turns 106 (20 September 2011), with Wikipedia, Victoria Falls Bridge
• Victoria Falls Hotel

  Opened in 1904 for the railway's passengers and still owned by National Railways of Zimbabwe. King George VI and his family stayed in April 1947, BOAC used it as a stop on its flying boat route from Southampton, and it hosted the conferences that set up the Central African Federation in 1949 and wound it up in 1963. The terrace looks straight down the Second Gorge to the bridge.

  Wikipedia, Victoria Falls Hotel
• The Big Tree

  A baobab about 2 km from the Zambezi, 22.4 m round and 24 m high, that may be three trunks grown together. Name carvers have left their mark on it, and it is now fenced and protected by National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, not ZimParks.

  Wikipedia, Big Tree at Victoria Falls
• Victoria Falls station and the steam train

  The station opposite the hotel is where the Bushtracks Express starts: a 1952 Class 14A steam locomotive, No. 512, pulling carriages restored by Rovos Rail out onto the bridge and on to the Jafuta siding. Rhodes wanted the bridge placed so that train passengers would feel the spray, and this trip stops out on it.

  Victoria Falls Guide, steam train trips

• The town counted 35,199 people in the 2022 census, and in 2018 its employment growth of 10.3 percent was the highest of anywhere in Zimbabwe. source
• The spray usually climbs more than 400 m above the gorge, sometimes twice that, and can be seen from up to 50 km away. On full moon nights it throws a moonbow. source
• The falls are still moving. They have cut back through the basalt to make the zigzag of gorges below the bridge, and the lowest point of the lip, a dip at the Devil's Cataract on the Zimbabwe side, may already be where the next gorge is starting. source
• The bridge was built out from both sides of the gorge as anchored cantilevers, with the steel carried across on a cableway, and took about 14 months. In 1929 the deck was widened by roughly 4 m and raised almost 1.5 m to fit road lanes and footpaths beside the railway. source
• The bridge cost £72,000 in 1905, which The Herald describes as the highest figure of its time for such a structure. source

Checked 19 October 2026.

• very likelyChacma baboonIn the rainforest and in town, where troops go through the rubbish bins by day. All yearsource
• very likelyWarthogIn the rainforest and on the banks of the river walk upstream of the falls. All yearsource
• very likelyMonkeysThe rainforest paths and the café at the park entrance, where they will take food off your table if you look away. All yearsource
• likelyBushbuckIn the shade of the rainforest between the viewpoints. All yearsource
• likelyElephantOn the edges of town and right through it at night, coming out of the bush near Inyathi Safaris, along the road past the Rainbow Hotel and into Low Density and Rainbow Flats, where residents go indoors by 7pm. All year. In town mostly after darksource
• likelyHippoThe Zambezi above the falls, where pods are usually in the water along the river walk upstream of the park. All yearsource
• likelyNile crocodileThe river above the falls, which holds a large population. All yearsource
• likelyVultures (white-backed, hooded, lappet-faced and white-headed) and marabou storksAt the daily feeding in front of Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, watched from a hide with a guide. Hyenas sometimes come in for the bones. All yearsource
• likelyAfrican fish eagle and waterbirdsAlong the river above the falls and its islands, with herons and plenty of other waterfowl. All yearsource
• possibleCape buffaloAt the waterhole at Buffalo Bar, where they come to drink at sunset with elephants. At sunsetsource
• rareTaita falcon and Verreaux's eagleThe gorges below the falls, where both nest. You need binoculars and patiencesource
• rareKlipspringerOn the rock faces of the gorges, glimpsed now and thensource
• rareLeopardThe rainforest and the bush around it. ZimParks says you may see one on the very odd occasionsource

Likelihood is for a normal visit of two or three days, from the sources linked. Nothing is guaranteed in the wild.

• Rainforest walk along the 16 viewpoints3 KM · ABOUT 2 HOURS · EASY

  The path runs along the lip from the Livingstone statue and Devil's Cataract to Danger Point, with the Zambian bank straight across the gorge. VoiceMap's self-guided route starts outside Ilala Lodge and covers 3 km in about two hours including the walk to the gate. Most lookouts have only a pile of branches between you and the drop, so stay behind them: the rock beyond is wet and slopes towards the edge. Wear shoes with grip.

  Permit: Victoria Falls National Park entry ticket (not included in the VoiceMap tour)

  VoiceMap, Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls: a self-guided rainforest walk (3 km, about 120 minutes, starts outside Ilala Lodge, Livingstone statue above Devil's Cataract, park entry not included, do not feed the animals). Also Victoria Falls Guide, tour of Victoria Falls (16 viewpoints, Danger Point at the far end, piled branches at most lookouts, wet rock sloping towards the edge)
• Zambezi River Walk to the Big Tree1 KM · EASY

  Starts at the corner of Zambezi Drive just outside the park fence above Devil's Cataract and follows the bank upstream for a little over a kilometre to the Big Tree, a baobab about 16 m round. It is unguided, but hippo, elephant and buffalo use this bank and the river is full of crocodiles, so I would take a guide (operators in town will send one), keep well back from the water and never walk it near dusk. Zambezi Drive is a few dozen metres away if you want to get off the path.

  Permit: None, it is outside the park fence

  Siyabona Africa, Zambezi River Walk (just over 1 km from the park fence at the corner of Zambezi Drive near Devil's Cataract to the Big Tree, 16 m round, unguided but most operators provide a guide, hippos, elephants and buffalo on land, crocodiles in the river, Zambezi Drive a few dozen metres away)
• Batoka Gorge guided hike5 KM · ABOUT 3 HOURS WALKING, 5 HOURS WITH TRANSFERS · MODERATE

  Two routes depending on the group: an easy 4 km along the top of the gorge, or 5 km down in the gorge with about 100 m of climbing. Expect views down the canyon to the river, with a chance of baboons, dassies, chameleons and birds. You need reasonable fitness for the gorge route.

  Permit: Guided only, booked through the operator with pick-up in town

  Manawa, Batoka Gorge guided hike from Victoria Falls (run by Try Rafting: 4 km easy route on top or 5 km moderate route in the gorge with about 100 m of ascent, about 3 hours walking, local guide)

Malaria

UK travel health advice rates Zimbabwe below 1,200 m as high risk from November to June and low risk from July to October, and puts the Zambezi valley at risk all year. For the high-risk months it names atovaquone with proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine (doxycycline not for children under 12). In the low months bite avoidance is the advice: long sleeves after sunset, repellent, a net. If Mana Pools or Kariba are on the same trip, plan for the all-year Zambezi valley risk there. source

Walking after dark

Elephants walk through the town at night, past the Rainbow Hotel and into the suburbs, and residents walking home in the dark have been killed: two in one week in May 2022, in Mkhosana and in Mfelandawonye. Wikivoyage also says the riverside path to the Victoria Falls Hotel is not safe after dark. Take a taxi or your hotel transfer once the sun is down, even for a short dinner trip. source

The edge of the falls

There are no railings along most of the rainforest path, only branches piled at the lookouts. ZimParks' own advice is to keep away from the cliff edge and watch for slippery rock. Stay on the path, and do not climb past the barrier for a photo at Danger Point. source

Hippos and crocodiles on the river

The upper Zambezi has big populations of both, and canoe trips near the town have been hit: on 30 April 2018 a crocodile came out of the water, bit into the side of a canoe and took a woman's arm before her fiancé and the guides got her out. Go with a licensed operator, do exactly what the guide says, and do not swim or wade anywhere in the Zambezi. source

Money changers and petty theft

Changing money anywhere but a licensed bank or bureau is illegal in Zimbabwe, so ignore the street changers. The UK Foreign Office also warns that mugging and bag snatching are common in city centres after dark, and tells you to refuse torn notes in change because shops may refuse them from you. source

Driving out of town

If you drive on to Hwange or Bulawayo, the UK advice is not to drive outside the main towns at night, when stray livestock and trucks without lights are on the road. Stop at every roadblock and toll gate, ask for a receipt for any fine, and carry spare fuel and US dollar cash, because fuel is sometimes unavailable and cards are sometimes declined. source

• From about December to May you will be soaked on the rainforest path, from below as much as from above. Bring a proper rain jacket and a dry bag for your phone, or hire a raincoat from the sellers in the car park. several sources
• Carry US dollars in small notes. Most places in Victoria Falls take cards, a few still do not, foreign cards are rarely taken outside the town, and the ATMs are not something to depend on. Singles are scarce, though shops and restaurants will break a hundred from the ATM. Prepay big activities when you book and keep cash for tips and curios. several sources
• The street vendors and touts in town are persistent. A firm no and walking on works; they are a nuisance, not a threat. The Tourism Police in yellow bibs patrol the centre and will walk with you if someone will not leave you alone. several sources
• Book Devil's Pool and anything else with limited places before you fly, because they can be full months ahead. Devil's Pool also closes at peak flow, roughly March to June, so do not plan a trip around it in those months. one source
• You can walk onto the Victoria Falls Bridge from the Zimbabwe side without using up your visa. Ask for a bridge pass and do not go through Zambian immigration on the far side, or you have left Zimbabwe and will need a new visa to come back. one source
• Give the town four nights if you can, before any safari days. International flights are often late and connections into Victoria Falls get missed, and two or three nights leaves no slack for that. one source

Checked 19 October 2026. Conditions change, so confirm with the park or venue before you go.