Victoria Falls is a vibrant resort city on the southern bank of the Zambezi River and the main gateway to the world-famous waterfall of the same name, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (“The Smoke That Thunders”). As Zimbabwe’s premier tourism destination, the city is compact, clean, and well-developed for visitors. Compared with Livingstone in Zambia, Victoria Falls offers a more polished tourist atmosphere. However, we found that visiting the waterfalls from the Zambian side provides a better overall experience at a lower cost, especially for photography.
The region has a long human history, with archaeological discoveries revealing ancient stone tools left by early hunter-gatherer communities. The Tonga people later settled it before European explorers arrived. The town grew rapidly in the early 20th century after the Cape-to-Cairo Railway reached the area. Cecil John Rhodes famously instructed engineers to build the Victoria Falls Bridge so close to the falls that passing trains would be showered by the spray. During the 1980s and 1990s, Victoria Falls became one of Africa’s leading adventure tourism destinations, earning a reputation as the continent’s adrenaline capital. On 9 December 2020, it was officially granted city status. Today, tourism remains the backbone of the local economy, with most residents employed in the hospitality and tourism industries.
Parking location – Victoria Falls: 17.9259126S 25.8398833E (🚻,🚿,🏊,💦,🔌,🍽️,🅿️15 USD/pax)