Visiting Victoria Falls - big guide with tips

What is it like to visit Victoria Falls? Victoria Falls is one of the largest and most powerful waterfalls in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this impressive natural attraction is found on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia

The Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya ('the thundering smoke') as it is called in the Bantu language lozi, offers spectacular views. The falls are neither the tallest nor the widest in the world, but they are arguably the largest as their width (1708 metres) and height (108 metres) combine to create the world's largest falling body of water.

Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, at the towns of Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and Livingstone (Zambia).

Things to know about Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe

There are many waterfalls in the world that are higher than Victoria Falls - the highest is Angel Falls in Venezuela at an impressive 979 metres - but they are all considerably narrower. Only Iguazu Falls, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, beats Victoria Falls in width.

One of the most impressive features of the Victoria Falls is the sheer volume of water. During March/April, when the falls are at their peak, an estimated 500 million litres of water flow through the falls every minute. It's staggering and hard to imagine.

A cloud of water forms above the falls, often around 1.5 kilometres high and visible from as far as 20 kilometres away.

It is believed that David Livingstone, an explorer and missionary from Scotland, was the first European to view the falls, which he did on 16 November 1855. In honour of Queen Victoria, he named the falls 'Victoria Falls', and the falls have since been known by this name alongside the previous one. Mosi-oa-Tunya.

Victoria Falls was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1989 because of its geological and geomorphological features. You also sometimes see the falls on lists of the "7 natural wonders of the world", although you should be aware that there are several such lists, each including different wonders. But you don't need a list to realise that this is one of nature's great wonders!

Visiting the Victoria Falls

So, what is it like to visit the Victoria Falls? The falls can be visited both on the Zimbabwean side and the Zambian side, and they can be visited at different times of the year. We answer some of the questions you might have.

How do you get to Victoria Falls?

You fly either to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls Airport) or to Livingstone in Zambia (Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport). We flew from Cape Town in South Africa, and from Stockholm, for example, you can fly with Ethiopian Air via Addis Ababa.

On arrival, you pay for a visa for the country or countries you plan to visit. Keep in mind that you may want to bring cash in a stable currency, such as US dollars or euros, in case you need it. From the hotels in the area, you can then book an excursion or transport to the falls.

We started from Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, and from that hotel there were regular shuttle buses to the falls. When we arrived at the national park, we had to pay an entrance fee, and here you could also buy drinks and souvenirs. Then it was just to walk around on our own!

What is the best way to see the Victoria Falls?

In several places you can read that you see 75 per cent of the Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side. Therefore, if you are only going to see them from one country, it might be better to focus on Zimbabwe.

If you want to get the full effect, it is of course best to see the falls from both countries. In addition, you can add other ways to see and experience the falls, such as helicopter ride above the falls or speedboat down the falls. We only stayed on the Zimbabwe side, for time reasons, and were happy with it, although Zambia is certainly also exciting to experience.

Seeing the Victoria Falls is a powerful experience, and if you're lucky you can also see the rainbow here.

When is Victoria Falls at its highest water level?

You can visit Victoria Falls at any time of the year, but the experience can vary a lot. The period between February and May offers the highest water levels. This means that there is a lot of water in the falls (and in the air) and that you get really wet. We thought this time was cool because the amount of water is so impressive, while the visibility can of course be a bit limited due to the water vapour in the air.

Between July and September it is drier, and between October and November water levels in the Victoria Falls are at their lowest. At this time, visibility can be clearer, but towards the end of the period there may be more limited water in the falls, especially on the Zambia side.

What to wear when visiting Victoria Falls?

When visiting Victoria Falls, it is best to wear comfortable clothes for the weather. This often means casual summer clothes and sandals. Sunglasses, a sun hat and sunscreen can also be useful.

If you're planning to visit Victoria Falls during the wettest period, rainwear is almost an absolute necessity. must. There's a lot of water in the air and you'll be... totally soaked.

Speedboat at Victoria Falls

You can do many different activities around Victoria Falls, and we chose to do a speedboat tour. We did not regret this, really fun!

A van picked up participants at various hotels and then drove to the starting point, where we were equipped with helmets and life jackets. Here we were also given the option to leave mobile phones, credit cards and other valuables in sealed envelopes as it would all be sealed. very wet. I (Helena) left my mobile phone and Peter bravely took his because he wanted to film after all.

It was a steep hike down (and later an equally steep hike up!) where a speedboat was waiting for us. We did several laps in the neighbourhood of the drop and then almost into it. What if we got wet? We were totally drowned.

It was fun, and the atmosphere in the boat was high. Filming and photography was not easy, but at least we got a picture. The mobile phone became soakedbut new iPhones can withstand quite a lot, so it did well.

Other excursions at Victoria Falls

We chose the speedboat tour, but there are also many other excursions you can choose when visiting Victoria Falls. Here are some examples:

• Bungy jump from the bridge over the Zambezi River
• Devil's Pool with swimming and a view down the falls, for the brave.
• Rafting in Zambezi River
• Guided tour in the rainforest, at the Victoria Falls
• Helicopter rides over the Victoria Falls
• Safari in Zambezi National Park
• Safari in Botswana which is also relatively close to
• Sunset cruise above the waterfalls
• Zipline across the Zambezi River

Hotels and restaurants at Victoria Falls

There are many different hotels and other accommodations to choose from at Victoria Falls, both in Zimbabwe and Zambia, in different price ranges. We stayed at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, which is a complete fantastic place overlooking a waterhole, where the wild animals come to drink.

Right next to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is the restaurant The Boma, which offers a wonderful experience with drums and dancing. Two other restaurants that we read about, but didn't have time to visit, include Wild Horizons Lookout Cafe and Dusty Road Township Experience.

Return journey from Victoria Falls

We spent just over three days in the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which for us was the end of a fantastic seven-week journey in the country. South Africa. After this it was time for us to get to the airport in Victoria Falls, to head back to Sweden.

Have you been to Victoria Falls?

What amazing days we had in Victoria Falls! An incredibly beautiful place that definitely belongs on our list of natural wonders! Have you been to Victoria Falls? Would you like to visit Victoria Falls?