The Zambezi flows for a distance of about 180 miles through an area of cracked basalt to the waterfall. The thickness of the basalt later at Victoria Falls measures over 1,000 feet. Additional gorges developed from cracks in the basalt and expanded the waterfall.
The first white man to see the waterfall was David Livingstone in 1855. He first viewed it from a site that is now called Livingstone Island, located along the lip of the waterfall. Visitors can see about 80 percent of the water from the Zimbabwe side of the river and no more than 30 percent from Zambia, according to SevenNaturalWonders.org.
Guided land tours, helicopter tours, and car rentals are available to visitors at Victoria Falls. Visitors on foot can also take a trail and footbridge to view a rainbow in the gorge and see the waterfall from 200 feet awayg. Raft trips are also available.
