Sights of Matabeleland North

Here are the province’s best sights in the order most visitors rank them. Entry fees are in US dollars.

1. The Victoria Falls rainforest

The UNESCO-listed falls (inscribed 1989) are the reason most people come. The trail charges about US$58 for international adults, US$35 for SADC residents and US$7 for Zimbabwe residents, with VAT included. Entry is single. Children under 12 pay half price, and under 6s are free. During the flood season you will be drenched.

2. The Victoria Falls Bridge

Built in 1905, the bridge links Zimbabwe and Zambia. To stroll onto it, ask the border post what you need. Shearwater’s bungee jump here is 111 m. The Victoria Falls Hotel, from 1904, stands nearby.

3. Lunar Rainbow evenings

For three nights around the full moon, the rainforest opens at night. The ticket is about US$116 for international visitors. Check which nights fall in your travel month.

4. The Big Tree

A baobab on Zambezi Drive, about 2 km from town. National Museums and Monuments manage it, not ZimParks.

5. The BaTonga Community Museum, Binga

A serious and worthwhile visit. The museum opened in the early 2000s and covers the Tonga community, tens of thousands of whom lost their homes in the Gwembe Valley when Kariba Dam closed in 1958. Go quietly and give yourself time to read. Hours are about 09:00 to 16:30 on weekdays, so check before you set out.

Reaching Binga means a drive of 305 to 310 km from Victoria Falls, 4 to 5 hours on a poor road, leaving the A8 at Cross Dete. Plan a night there. Lake Kariba lies on the doorstep, but crocodiles and hippos make swimming unsafe.

6. Chibwatata hot springs

The springs, about 6 km from Binga, can reach about 90 C and hold cultural meaning for the Tonga. Their flow has declined and ZimParks has fenced the site. Look, but never bathe, and ask locally what access applies.

From the air

A helicopter flight called the Flight of Angels lasts 12 to 13 minutes. Prices from resellers run about US$150 to 190 plus a US$18 levy, and Zambezi Helicopter Company operates from the Zimbabwe side.

Sightseeing sense

  • Stay on the path near unfenced edges.
  • Keep out of the Zambezi and Kariba.
  • Be indoors in Victoria Falls town after dark.

Read more: Attraction tours and Activities overview .

For guided sightseeing, search GetYourGuide for Matabeleland North . Background reading: zimbabwetourism.net .