22 Best things to see & do in Victoria Falls

Widely regarded as some of the best white-water rafting in the world, running the rapids formed by the Zambezi funnelling through the Batoka Gorge, is far and away the most popular adventure activity at Victoria Falls.

These are among the largest commercially rafted rapids in the world, and not for the faint-hearted. However, rafting companies take safety incredibly seriously and guides are trained in swift-water rescue and accredited by the International Rafting Federation.

Straddling the border of Zambia & Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is the world’s largest sheet of falling water – an incredible spectacle that sees the entire 1.7km span of the great Zambezi River tumble off a vertical ridge, sending clouds of mist into the surrounding forest.

First ‘discovered’ by David Livingstone in 1855, Victoria Falls – at a whopping 108m high – it is one of the largest waterfalls on the planet.

From the raw power of summer floods to the delicate cataracts of the dry season, it’s impossible not to be awed and humbled by Mosi-Oa-Tunya, the ‘smoke that thunders’.

Livingstone Island, a small island in the centre of the flow, was opened in 1995 to offer a unique, and truly mind-blowing picnic spot – right on the edge of the Falls.

Yet increasingly the real draw for many to the island has become the Devil’s Pool, a small lagoon, enclosed by rock, right on the lip of the 103m-high Falls, where a lucky (crazy) few, at the right time of year, can go for a dip. The pool is chest-deep and calm, so you don’t need to be a strong swimmer, but you’ll want a good head for heights.

If rafting the Grade V white-water rapids of the Batoka Gorge are too intimidating, a sedate canoe safari on the Zambezi River above the Falls is a good fallback option.

Using stable inflatable canoes, you’ll paddle through a selection of small rapids, viewing both the Zambian and Zimbabwean side of the river. Big game sightings – including hippo, elephant and crocodile – are commonplace, ensuring your fair share of adrenalin.

A J Hackett invented the craze of jumping off bridges attached to a stretchable ‘bungee’ at Kawarau Bridge, New Zealand. Today, bungee jumping is fairly ubiquitous, but it’s the setting that makes it an extra special bucket list experience.

It may not be the highest or the oldest, but Victoria Falls’ 111m historic railway bridge spans a spectacular gorge over the churning, crocodile-infested Zambezi. Jump to the thunderous soundtrack of the mega-waterfall behind. It’s unquestionably one of the world’s greatest bunjee jumps – if not the greatest?

If you can’t face the prospect of bungee jumping from the famous Victoria Falls Bridge, the adrenalin-pumping zip-line is a fine way to get your thrills above the Batoka Gorge. The zip-line stretches for 425 metres across the gorge, and stepping free of terra firma will see you hurtling along at more than 100km/h.

If you have the presence of mind, look upstream and you’ll be rewarded with dramatic views of the Falls and the iconic iron railway bridge. Afterwards, catch your breath with a drink at the scenic Lookout Café.

While the waterfall is the main attraction, the game reserves around Victoria Falls offer some decent sightings, and are a bucket list inclusion if you have not yet been on safari.

You might not see the ‘Big Five’ (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) but to experience the African bush – in vehicles or on foot – is unforgettable and unmissable. The best reserves for sightings are Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve, and Zambia’s Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park – home to the protected white rhino.

Make sure you book a night drive. They cost more, but are tremendously exciting (especially for kids) and offer the chance to spot lesser-seen nocturnals like porcupines and aardvarks.

David Livingstone wrote of the Victoria Falls that ‘scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in flight’… so perhaps it’s no surprise that flying over the falls is one of the best way to appreciate the great spectacle.

Short flips have you over the Falls and back in under 15 minutes, while longer chopper excursions drop into the gorge to skim above the rapids. Choose between helicopters, or, for the truly daring, microlights.

While most of your Victoria Falls trip will be spent on adventure and adrenalin, a cruise on the upper Zambezi is all about relaxing with a few drinks.

Cruises take place throughout the day, but the sundowner trip is hard to beat: while the sun burnishes the waters of the Zambezi, keep an eye open for elephant swimming between the banks, and an ear alert for the ‘ho-ho-ho’ of a grumpy hippo.

Why go down the surging Zambezi when you can go up? Where the white-water rafting ends is where the Jet Boat Extreme begins, powering up the rapids courtesy of a 700-horsepower engine that makes short work of the raging river.

It’ll shake your fillings loose and leave you soaked, but this white-knuckle ride is ideal for visitors who can’t ­– or won’t – brave the rapids by raft.

Rampant poaching has had a devastating impact on Africa’s rhinoceros populations, which makes these guided bush walks in Zambia’s Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park all the more memorable.

Led by a professional guide and park rangers, you’ll enjoy close-up encounters with the endangered white rhinoceros, as well as the opportunity to spot other impressive beasts, including hippo, buffalo, kudu, impala, warthog and more. The lush summer months also offer fantastic birding.

Cecil John Rhodes dreamt of a railway from Cape to Cairo, crossing Victoria Falls’ famous bridge. His tracks never made it that far, but you can still relive the glamour of colonial train travel as this historic steam train runs through the Zambian bush.

Carriages are decorated in a plush colonial style, and as the locomotive chuffs through the game-rich Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and across the Sinde River, you’ll have the chance to spot antelope on the hoof. After toasting the sunset on the iconic Victoria Falls bridge, a five-course set-menu dinner is served.

One of Africa’s most spectacular wilderness areas, Botswana’s Chobe National Park is an easy day-trip from Victoria Falls. Guided tours include a game drive in the Park, but the highlight is a game-spotting cruise on the Chobe River, with its profusion of hippo, crocodile and birdlife.

Chobe is famed for its thousands of elephants – so if you want to get up close to wild herds of elephant, this is the place to visit – as well as the prides of elephant-hunting lions that prey on them. (The kills invariably happen though at night, so you’re unlikely to see one).

The Park is home to more than 400 species of bird, making it one the top birding spots in Africa, as well as the only place in Botswana where you can spot the threatened Puku antelope.

This vibrant restaurant ticks all the right tourist boxes, from colourful African décor and crackling fires to beaming waiters and cold beers. The menu is focused on meaty barbecue fare; brace yourself to taste your way through Zambezi bream, crocodile tail, guinea fowl, warthog and impala.

But people really come for the entertainment – with singers and dancers ensuring a drum-banging, foot-stomping good time. It’s bright, brash and ridiculously popular.

Gone are the days when elephant-back rides were a popular outing at Victoria Falls. Today, savvy travellers choose to get up close to Loxodonta africana at the Victoria Falls Elephant Sanctuary, where visitors have the opportunity to hear about the plight of the African elephant in the wild, as well as the work being done around conservation and education at this respected elephant sanctuary.

Chat to the guides and keepers, and enjoy the opportunity for a close-up experience in a natural setting with these giants of the bush. The experience ends with refreshments at the Wild Horizons Elephant Wallow.

With the spray rising downstream and the sun dipping below the Zambezi, enjoy the best sundowner G&T in Africa from the Kubu Bar at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. Non-residents are welcome, and the views are worth the price tag.

Dating back to 1904, The Victoria Falls Hotel occupies a dramatic promontory above the Batoka Gorge. It’s a view best enjoyed over the decadent platters served for afternoon tea, a much-loved tradition.

The tiger fish is regarded as the finest freshwater fighting fish in the world, and the Zambezi is arguably the best place to catch them.

Daily fishing safaris set off into the calm waters above the Falls (or amid the rapids of the Batoka Gorge), and expert local guides induct you into the wily ways of hooking this fearsome predator. Even if you’re not a fisherperson, it’s a pleasure being out on the water.

Enjoy a taste of local living at the Dambwa market in Livingstone. This is where locals come to shop, and you’ll find everything from fresh produce to wooden carvings. Guided tours are available if you’re unsure about exploring on your own.

This popular cafe, running by the reliable Wild Horizons, has a unrivalled location on the edge of Batoka Gorge. The outdoor terrace has stunning views. They serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner often with local specialities on the menu, like game meats and crocodile.

Designed by golfing legend Gary Player, the 18-hole Elephant Hills course upstream from the Falls is one of the wildest golf courses in Africa, and players will have to mind the antelope and crocodiles as carefully as the water hazards.

There’s not much to recommend the town of Livingstone, but Zambia’s largest and oldest museum is certainly worth a visit for its collection of original David Livingstone artefacts, including tools, journals and maps.