Victoria Falls map: the falls, town, parks and Livingstone

The sections below go area by area, from the falls themselves out to the airport and the neighbouring borders.

Victoria Falls National Park and the rainforest

Victoria Falls National Park is the main viewing area for the falls on the Zimbabwean side³. It covers about 23.4 km² in north-western Zimbabwe⁴.

• The falls: 108 metres high and 1,708 metres⁴ across.
• The Rainforest gate: right next to the Zimbabwe border post³.
• The trail: a winding path through the rainforest gives several viewing angles of the falls³.

One naming quirk to know when you read signs and bookings: on the Zimbabwean shore, both the national park and the town are named Victoria Falls¹. For the wider background, there’s more about Victoria Falls on its own page.

Victoria Falls town

Victoria Falls town lies immediately next to the falls³, so you can reach the park easily from almost anywhere in it. Most places in town are no more than 3 km from the falls³.

• Where to sleep: most properties on the Zimbabwean side are in or near the town⁵.
• What’s around it: the town is surrounded by the Zambezi, Mosi-oa-Tunya and Victoria Falls national parks⁶.
• Where to eat local: Dusty Road is a traditional Zimbabwean restaurant in Chinotimba township⁷.

The town page covers what’s in Victoria Falls town in more detail.

Victoria Falls Bridge and the border crossing

The Victoria Falls Bridge is a steel arch with a view of the falls from its centre³. This bridge over the Zambezi is the border between Zimbabwe and Livingstone, Zambia⁸.

• Road and rail: the bridge carries both, and it is the only rail link between Zambia and Zimbabwe⁶.
• Coming from Zambia by bus: buses stop at the Livingstone border post, and you cross into Zimbabwe on foot or by taxi³.
• Onward in Zambia: the road from Victoria Falls connects to the T1 highway⁶.

Crossing back and forth is easy on a map, less so on paper, so read the foreign travel advice for Zimbabwe before you plan a day on both sides.

Livingstone and the Zambian side

Livingstone is to Zambia what Victoria Falls town is to Zimbabwe⁹. It sits about 10 km from the falls, too far to want to walk⁹.

• The park: the national park in Zambia next to the falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya¹.
• The Victoria Falls Waterfront: in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, 3 km¹⁰ upstream from the falls.
• Visitor numbers: historically, far more visitors have gone to the Zimbabwean side, because its facilities are more developed¹¹.

If you’re thinking of basing yourself across the river, see planning a stay in Livingstone. To see the falls from both banks in one go, a guided tour handles the crossing for you.

Day tour · 6 hours

Zimbabwe & Zambia: Guided Tour of the Falls from Both Sides

4.7 (516 reviews) on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026

Free cancellation · Pickup included

FromUS$63

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Upstream: Zambezi National Park

Zambezi National Park lies upstream from Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River¹². It was split off from Victoria Falls National Park in 1979 and covers 56,000 hectares¹².

• Two halves: the road to Kazungula divides the park into a riverine side and a Chamabonda Vlei side¹².
• Where to stay: there are some 5-star lodges upriver in the Zambezi National Park⁵.

Day tour · 3 hours

Game Drive -Victoria Falls, Zambezi National Park

4.3 (12 reviews) on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026

Free cancellation · Pickup included

FromUS$88

See dates on GetYourGuide

Botswana, Namibia and Chobe

Victoria Falls is a few km from Botswana and Namibia², which puts a second country within day-trip range. The Kazungula border post, the best road route from Kasane in Botswana, is about 70 km³ from Victoria Falls.

Many Victoria Falls visitors take a day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana¹³. A Chobe day trip with lunch leaves from Victoria Falls, and the tours and packages page compares the other options.

How far is the airport from the falls?

Victoria Falls Airport is 18 km south of the town⁶, and the road from the airport into Victoria Falls is the A8¹⁴. The table puts the main places around the falls side by side.

How the town links to the rest of Zimbabwe:

• Road and rail: the A8 road and the railway; the A8 is part of the Cairo–Cape Town Highway⁶.
• From Bulawayo: the most direct overland route³, and the A8 runs straight to Victoria Falls¹⁴.
• By train: as of 2026, the overnight train from Bulawayo runs once a week³ (checked October 2026).
• From the Bulawayo or Harare airports: a further domestic flight or a road transfer of 5 to 10 hours¹³.

Flights, transfers and the border routes are all in the getting there guide.