Best Vic Falls activities: 3. Do the gorge swing or highwire in Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is known as the adrenalin capital of Africa – for good reason. All jump enthusiasts should do the gorge swing. It’s higher than the bungee jump and offers a better chance to see the beauty of the gorge when you’ve reached the bottom (mainly because you’re not upside down).

The gorge swing and highwire is our Number 3 of Things to do in Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls gorge swing 3

  • The gorge swing and zipline are suspended from a highwire 316 metres above the swirling Zambezi river, in a gorge where Victoria Falls was situated in years gone by.
  • The gorge swing is 120 metres high and 90 metres long. The freefall distance is 70 metres, after which you are caught gently by the rope and swung at the bottom of the gorge.
  • Jumpers can choose to do the gorge swing from standing, or backwards, or for the most daring, upside down from handstand.
  • An alternative to the gorge swing is the zipline, a giant foofie slide propelling you 425 metres across the gorge at 106 kilometres an hour. This was my option of choice. Although not as terrifying as the gorge swing, the zipline drives you further into the middle of the gorge, offering a heart-stopping 360-degree view.
  • A third option is the flying fox, which propels you slowly across the gorge without any change in gradient. This is the least scary of the highwire options and is marketed as an ‘appetiser’ to the other options. If you’re nervous of doing the full-on gorge swing like I was, I’d recommend the zipline rather than the flying fox. If I’m gonna do something scary, it better be worth it!
  • Another highwire activity is the canopy tour which consists of a series of cable slides above the rapids.

Useful information:

Next: Do a bungee jump: Number 4 of things to do in Victoria Falls.

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Beth is the founder and chief writer of Great Zimbabwe Guide Travel Blog. Practical Zimbabwe travel advice since 2010.