Outdoors · Victoria Falls · Zimbabwe
8 best outdoor things to do in Victoria Falls
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: SpringbokSam, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Victoria Falls rainforest (Zimbabwe side), Zambezi sunset cruise and White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 18–26 hours across 4 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 18–26 hours
- Areas
- Victoria Falls Hotel and the bridge, Upper Zambezi riverfront and Batoka Gorge
Outdoors in Victoria Falls
Nature · Victoria Falls Hotel and the bridge
1.Victoria Falls rainforest (Zimbabwe side)
At high water from about February to May you will be soaked by spray: wear quick-dry clothes and protect cameras; in the low-water months the views are clearer but the falls are thinner.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Nature
- Views
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Experience · Upper Zambezi riverfront
2.Zambezi sunset cruise
Choose a smaller boat for better wildlife viewing and a quieter experience than the large party cruises.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Couples
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Experience · Batoka Gorge
3.White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge
Expect a strenuous climb out of the gorge; the experience suits fit adults rather than casual swimmers.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Active
- Outdoors
- Iconic
Nature · Upper Zambezi riverfront
4.The Big Tree
Stop on the way to a sunset cruise jetty; keep alert for elephants and buffalo nearby.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Kids
.jpg){kind=link}
Nature · Upper Zambezi riverfront
5.Zambezi National Park
Book an early-morning drive, when animals are most active and the light is soft.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Livingstone riverfront (Zambia)
6.Knife-Edge Bridge (Zambia side)
At high water, bring a rain poncho; in the dry months, the Eastern Cataract can dwindle to a trickle.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
Experience · Victoria Falls Hotel and the bridge
7.Lunar rainbow visits
The effect is strongest from about April to July, when the river is high and the skies are clear.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Nature
Experience · Upper Zambezi riverfront
8.Upper Zambezi canoeing
Go in the morning, when the river is calm and wildlife is active, and follow the guide's line around hippos.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Active
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Falls Hotel and the bridge | Victoria Falls rainforest (Zimbabwe side) and Lunar rainbow visits | 2–3 hours + 1–2 hours |
| Upper Zambezi riverfront | Zambezi sunset cruise, The Big Tree, Zambezi National Park and Upper Zambezi canoeing | 2–3 hours + 20 minutes + 3–4 hours + Half a day |
| Batoka Gorge | White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge | Full day |
| Livingstone riverfront (Zambia) | Knife-Edge Bridge (Zambia side) | 1–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 1 free, 5 mid-priced, 2 expensive. Book ahead for White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge. The longest visit is White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge: Book a day or two ahead in the low-water season, and confirm which sections are running with the operator.
How to fit them into 6 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Victoria Falls Hotel and the bridge): Victoria Falls rainforest (Zimbabwe side) → Lunar rainbow visits, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Upper Zambezi riverfront): Zambezi sunset cruise → The Big Tree, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Upper Zambezi riverfront): Zambezi National Park, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Upper Zambezi riverfront): Upper Zambezi canoeing, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Batoka Gorge): White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Livingstone riverfront (Zambia)): Knife-Edge Bridge (Zambia side), at least 1 hour.
The best months to be outside
- June: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 0 rainy days, busy crowds. Cool mornings, sunny days and falls still in full flow with less spray; good wildlife viewing begins as the bush dries.
- July: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 0 rainy days, very busy crowds. Cool and dry, with clear views of the falls and peak-season crowds from northern-hemisphere holidays.
- May: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 0 rainy days, busy crowds. Dry, clear days and still huge volumes of water; one of the best months to see the falls at full power.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Victoria Falls Hotel and the bridge — Edwardian grandeur on the edge of the gorge, steps from the bridge
- Upper Zambezi riverfront — Riverside lodges among trees upstream of the falls along Zambezi Drive
- Victoria Falls Safari Lodge area — Lodges on a ridge overlooking a busy waterhole on the edge of the national park
- Livingstone riverfront (Zambia) — Upmarket lodges on the Zambian bank upstream of the falls
More of Victoria Falls
All things to do in Victoria Falls · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls rainforest (Zimbabwe side). Inside Victoria Falls National Park, a path runs along the edge of the gorge through a rainforest kept green by the spray, past about 16 viewpoints from Devil's Cataract and the statue of David Livingstone to Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Danger Point.
+Which of these are free in Victoria Falls?
The Big Tree.