What to Bring!

A list of a few things you might want to consider packing for your trip in addition to your basic toiletries and clothes.

• Comfortable hiking boots in the event you're on a safari; encounters with snakes and insects are possible so boots will help protect your feet. However, if you're only exploring the falls and its vicinity then water proof shoes are the way to go as you may get wet from the spray from the falls. It is possible to wear sandals or slippers around town and the areas local to the falls.

• Hat - given the intense sub-tropical heat and sun, preferably a broad-rimmed hiking hat that will help protect your neck, ears, and face.

• Sunscreen – A must, to protect the exposed parts of your skin from sunburn.

• Insect Repellent (preferably with DEET) - Mosquitoes

• Poncho or Raincoat - very useful for shielding yourself and/or your equipment getting drenched in the falls rainforest, you could hire or buy ponchos from local stores.

• Quick-drying Clothing - chances are, you're going to get wet from either sweat or spray from the falls or both! These clothes will at least help keep you relatively comfortable and even re-usable later on in the trip after initial use. Light Long sleeve and long pants for evenings to serve as an additional protection against both sunburn and mosquito bites.

• Sunglasses – for protection from prolonged exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Some other items worth bringing to enhance your experience include...

• Lots of Memory or Film or Portable Hard Drive – you certainly will be taking loads of photos.

• Wide Angle Lens - useful for expansive landscape photos, especially for a waterfall as wide as Victoria Falls

• Telephoto Lens - if you're a wildlife buff, you'll want these to take photos of wild animals (big game, monkeys, baboons, snakes etc) in their natural habitat.

Visa requirements, Currencies & Security

Money:

Credit cards can be used in Victoria Falls, most lodges and hotels will accept Visa & MasterCard. ATM’s are also available at a number of locations.

Currency:

The official Zimbabwean currency is $US. 

Banks -- In Zimbabwe, you will need foreign currency. On the Zambian side, you can buy kwacha (Zambian currency) at hotels, or use the ATM at The Falls casino and entertainment center, near the border. Most prices are quoted in U.S. dollars, but getting change on large notes is hard, so it's useful to have some local currency or to carry small dollar denominations which will be useful for drinks, tips and curios, the South Africa Rand can also be used but not always at a great exchange rate. NB Always check before you spend. DO NOT be tempted to change money with people on the street however charming or persistent. It’s against the law. Rather go to a reputable bureau de change.

If you plan on buying some of the stunning curios on offer in Victoria Falls you may want take along a ‘sweetener’ to clinch your deal in the form of old clothes (T-shirts are popular), sunglasses, batteries even pens.

General Information

Business Hours -- Shops are generally open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 5pm. Activity centers and markets are open daily 6am to 6pm; many close only when the last traveler leaves.

Electricity -- Electricity in southern Africa runs on 220/230V, 50Hz AC, and sockets in Zimbabwe and Zambia take flat-pinned plugs. Bring an adapter/voltage converter; note that some bush camps have no electricity.

Embassies & Consulates -- All offices are in the capital cities of Harare (Zimbabwe) and Lusaka (Zambia); if you have diplomatic problems, speak to your hotel manager and ask him to contact your country's local representative.

Language -- English is spoken in the tourist regions of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Time Zone -- Both Zimbabwe and Zambia are 5 hours ahead of GMT and 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Wildlife -- Keep your eye out for elephants and hippos when you're out walking, cycling, or canoeing. Do not block their routes -- it's best not to turn around, but back away slowly. When driving on highways that are part of national parkland, never speed, and keep a watchful eye out for animals emerging from the bush to cross the road. Baboons are a nuisance on both sides of the falls. Keep food out of sight and remember that -- like all wild animals -- they are unpredictable and potentially dangerous.

Find a Hotel

 Use our Hotel Booking System to Book and manage your hotel reservations to Victoria Falls and the rest of the World. Our system has trip advisor ratings and reviews so you can make a truley informed reservation for your accomodation.

Several of the prices are qouted with a lowest price guarantee.

Find a Restaurant

As an alternative to your hotel dinning you can sample the local cuisine from a vast array of restaurants dotted around the town; most of which offer a truly world class service and are fully complementary to the Victoria Falls experience. It is easy enough to catch a taxi from where you are staying to the other restaurants.

For the more adventurous; other options include a sunset and dinner cruise, which is very popular, you have the wonderful opportunity to enjoy a Zambezi sunset cruise and get treated to a 3 course dinner. There is also the option of going on what is called a night drive and bush dinner where you go on an evening game drive and then enjoy a specially prepared meal under the stars.

Click on the button below for more details, including reviews and ratings.

Find an Attraction - Point of Interest

Victoria Falls has serveral points of interest to look out for as you embark on your excapade, like "The Big Tree" Baobab tree estimated to be over 1500 years old, with an 18m+ girth, and 23m+ in height. It is widely considered the oldest tree in the town. Dr. David Livingstone signed his name in the bark, of the old Baobab tree.

Apart from spending time at the Falls, there are plenty of others activities to keep you entertained during your stay at Victoria Falls Town. Curio shops and open air craft markets, offers beautiful hand-crafted items from around the country and its neighbours.

There is aslo the great oportunity to also spot the "Big Five"- the lion, African elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinocerosin their natural habit.

As you tour the mighty Victoria Fall - Mosi-Oa- Tunya and surrounding areas you certainly will not run out of interesting things to discover.

For many more exciting attractions click on the button below.

Things to Do

Go on horse back safari around the trails close to the Zambezi River, or walk with lions, or elephant back riding. Spot a relaxing round of golf on the Elephant Hills golf course, which offers beautiful scenery and unique water hazards like the Zambezi Crocodile, or on the fairway, with warthogs and baboons as spectators. Visit The Zambezi Nature Sanctuary and Crocodile Ranch, which are ideal for education on Crocodiles, a truly hands on experience.

Go on an aerial view of the Victoria Falls, a must and there are several ways of doing this. Helicopter, small aircrafts, micro-lights and ultra-lights, all provide unique and varied ways of viewing the Falls from the air. 

Bungee Jumping is truly for the bravest, a jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge at 111 meters, which is one of the highest in the world. Water sports includes rafting, river-boarding, kayaking through the gorge below the Falls, and boating, fishing and canoeing on the Zambezi River above the Falls. You then can wind down and relax in preparation for the rest of your evening with a cruise on the might Zambezi river with a spectacular sunset drink.

Click on the button below for more details, including activity providers, costs, reviews and ratings.

The Best Time to Visit

Victoria Falls Is a year around destination.

September - November:  Hot and Dry ; Average 15°C – 30°C  Easy to spot animals.

November - April: Warm and wet, high humidity  Animals might not turn up on the usual places for water.

May - August: Cool and dry ; Average 10°C – 30°C  Easy to spot animals.

In January the water level in Zambezi begins to raise. And the peak performance of the falls, takes place in mid April. We recommended you bring something light and warm for the evenings, after a sunny and hot day. We also advise you bring some wet protection for your self and your camera when you enter the tropical area. Spray starts building up from January and continues up to May. 
 

Getting Here

Victoria Falls is accesible via Air, Rail or Road. With quickest and most convinenint way to get here is via Air. Victoria Falls Airport  Victoria Falls Airport is approximately twenty kilometres out of town, car hire is available, and you can pick up a vehicle from the airport. Most of the hotels and lodges in Victoria Falls offer a pickup service for their clients.  Alternatively you can hire a taxi which costs US$30.00 and can take a maximum of 4 people. There are also meet and greet bus services, that cost around US$12.00 one way per person from the Victoria Falls Airport to the town itself.

Direct Flights to Victoria Falls (VFA)

From Johannesburg International (JNB) South Africa

• by South African Airways (SA)

• British Airways operated by Comair (BA) ba.com

From Windhoek (WDH) Namibia

• Air Namibia (SW)

Victoria Falls via Zambia - Flights to Livingstone airport / Zambia (LVI)

Johannesburg International (JNB) South Africa

• by South African Airways (SA)

• British Airways operated by Comair (BA)

Victoria Falls via Botswana - Flights via Kasane airport / Botswana (BBK)

From/To Johannesburg International (JNB) South Africa and Maun (Okavango Delta) Botswana

• by Air Botswana (BP)

• plus small charter aircraft service Kasane

For detailed information, reviews and ratings on alternate ways to get here Click on the button below.

Getting Around

• Walking - Once you are in the town then the option of walking always seems like the best. This is really very safe and although at mid day in the summer it can get very hot – certainly it is how most tourists – get around. As locals we do walk around at night – but would suggest that you do take care if you do decide to walk and that you don’t go alone where ever possible. As with any place in the world crime does exist. Please be aware of the wild life that you might encounter. Elephants frequent the town centre regularly.

• Car Rental in Victoria Falls is available and vehicles may be picked up from the airport.

• Shuttle Service - There is a free shuttle service that runs hourly from most hotels and lodges to the town centre, the other hotels and the Falls themselves so getting around Victoria Falls is really very easy.

• Victoria Falls Tram - there is an authentically styled 19th Century Tram that runs daily scheduled trips from the Victoria Falls Hotel along the railway line to the Rainforest (entrance gate to the Falls) and the Victoria falls bridge. This is a hop on hop off service.

• Victoria Falls Tours - Another idea for getting around Victoria Falls is to take some of the usual tours that are available from day trips across to Zambia to guided tours to the Curio Market etc.

Health Risks & Advice.

 Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and Livingstone (Zambia) are Malaria high risk areas. (You will need to be vaccinated for this)

Zambia is a yellow fever risk area  (You will have to be vaccinated for this)

For detailed advice click on the button below.

Weather - Climate

Latitude/longitude: 17°55′24″S25°50′34″E
Decimal coordinates: -17.9235 25.8430

Altitude: 897 m.

Category: City
Region: Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe.
Time Zone: Africa/Harare.
Population: 35 761
Geonames-ID: 879431

For detailed climate and weather information please click the button below.

Emergency Services & Information

Drugstores -- Drugstores are called chemists or pharmacies. In Livingstone: LF Moore Chemist is the establishment store on Akapelwa Street (tel. 260/213/32-1640). In Victoria Falls: Victoria Falls Pharmacy is located in Phumula Centre, Park Way (tel. 263/13/44403; Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat-Sun 8am-noon). A drugstore in the Kingdom Hotel is open daily.

Electricity -- Electricity in southern Africa runs on 220/230V, 50Hz AC, and sockets in Zimbabwe and Zambia take flat-pinned plugs. Bring an adapter/voltage converter; note that some bush camps have no electricity.

Embassies & Consulates -- All offices are in the capital cities of Harare (Zimbabwe) and Lusaka (Zambia); if you have diplomatic problems, speak to your hotel manager and ask him to contact your country's local representative.

Emergencies -- Your hotel or lodge is your best bet for the safest medical and emergency care. Alternatively, contact Medical Air Rescue Service, a 24-hour emergency evacuation service (tel. 263/13/44764). For an ambulance, call tel. 44210; for the police, call tel. 44206; to report a fire, call tel. 44400; for general emergencies, call tel. 112 or 44206.

-- Electricity in southern Africa runs on 220/230V, 50Hz AC, and sockets in Zimbabwe and Zambia take flat-pinned plugs. Bring an adapter/voltage converter; note that some bush camps have no electricity.

Embassies & Consulates -- All offices are in the capital cities of Harare (Zimbabwe) and Lusaka (Zambia); if you have diplomatic problems, speak to your hotel manager and ask him to contact your country's local representative.

Emergencies -- Your hotel or lodge is your best bet for the safest medical and emergency care. Alternatively, contact Medical Air Rescue Service, a 24-hour emergency evacuation service (tel. 263/13/44764). For an ambulance, call tel. 44210; for the police, call tel. 44206; to report a fire, call tel. 44400; for general emergencies, call tel. 112 or 44206.

MARS (West Dr., opposite Shoestring, Victoria Falls. 013/4-4646. www.mars.co.zw.)

Police (013/4-4206 or 013/4-4681.)