A day trip in this province is a question of road time. Use the list below to decide what fits, and treat anything over about three hours each way as an overnight. Quick comparison Zambezi National Park: about 5 km from Victoria Falls town, half a day. Livingstone, Zambia: across the bridge, half to full day, needs Zambian entry. Chobe National Park, Botswana: about 70 km to the Kazungula crossing, full day.

Couples come to Matabeleland North for safari lodges, river light and open skies. There are no beach resorts and no lake swimming here, because the rivers and dams hold crocodiles and hippos. Lodge pools are the only safe place for a swim. Three evening ideas Sunset on the river. Cruises above the falls run in the late afternoon, and a US$12 river levy is added to the operator price. Ra-Ikane is sold by several resellers, so compare before you book.

Walks here range from a paved rainforest path to wilderness trails among elephants, and each step up in wildness raises the risk. Read this page as a checklist, starting with the safest option. Safest: the Victoria Falls rainforest trail Admission is about US$58 for international visitors, US$35 for SADC residents and US$7 for Zimbabwe residents, for a single entry. If you leave, you pay again to return, so bring water and a snack.

These three plans use the A8 road as the spine. Choose the length that matches your time, and add Binga or Chizarira only if you have a spare night and a vehicle that can cope with rough tracks. Three nights: Victoria Falls only Base yourself in town and mix one river day with one wildlife day. A morning in the rainforest costs about US$58 for international visitors, and the ticket covers one entry.

Victoria Falls is the headline, but the province also offers a historic bridge, an old baobab and a museum on the shore of Lake Kariba. The way the falls look changes through the year. The falls through the year In the wet season the falls run at full flood, and spray makes the rainforest path wet. In the dry season the river is lower and more of the gorge shows. The rainforest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1989.

The best activity in Matabeleland North depends on the month. The Zambezi’s water level decides rafting, Devil’s Pool and how the falls look, and the dry season decides how good the wildlife is in Hwange National Park. January to March: high water The falls are at their most powerful and spray hangs over the rainforest path. Rafting uses the high-water route, starting around Rapid 11 and running to about Rapid 23, and the river closes to rafters at flood from about March to June, though dates move.

Attraction tours here are short, structured visits with an operator or a venue. The table lists the main ones, and the notes underneath explain what to check before you go. Attraction Where Cost note Painted Dog Conservation Dete, off the A8 at Cross Mabale Free, donations welcome Victoria Falls Crocodile Farm About 5 km from town One 2025 listing says about US$20 adult, US$10 child Bamba Tram Three Monkeys, near the railway station Ask the operator Afternoon tea, Victoria Falls Hotel Stanley’s Terrace No published walk-in price Elephant Express Dete Siding to Ngamo Siding Mostly for lodge guests Zambezi National Park drives Next to town About US$17 park entry, plus the tour Painted Dog Conservation Plan on up to about 2 hours at the centre, which stands opposite Hwange National Park Airport and outside the park, so there is no park fee.

Matabeleland North can work well for families, as long as you choose activities by age and keep a close eye on water, edges and wildlife. This page is organised by what each age group can do. Toddlers and young children Painted Dog Conservation at Dete is the easiest outing. Entry is free with donations welcome, it lies outside Hwange National Park so no park fee applies, and you should allow up to about 2 hours.