Victoria Falls: How Do I Get There?

The quickest, most common, and most convient way to get to

In Zambia, you're most likely going to be flying into Johannesburg, South Africa, and then take a connecting flight (typically 2 hours) to Livingstone, Zambia. From there, you either catch a taxi into town or to your hotel unless the hotel you've booked with has complementary shuttles (which they usually do). Another possibility (if you've been exploring Zambia or you're from the region) is to take a bus, taxi, or escorted tour from Lusaka to Livingstone. This isn't as common as option as most visitors just see Victoria Falls, but sometimes tourists may also visit South Luangwa or Lower Zambezi National Parks (both of which involve connections or stays in Lusaka) before leaving.

If you're not staying in the resorts closer to the falls (like Zambezi Sun or Royal Livingstone), chances are you'll to hire a taxi to go the 11km from Livingstone to the park's entrance. This will probably involve some bartering and a degree of patience (though there are several taxis that go back and forth). We did see a few brave souls ride bikes from Livingstone to the falls, but this isn't common (and muggings have occurred in the past). We didn't see anyone besides locals walking though.

One caution about baggage requirements (we got burned by this). There is typically 20kg limit (at least with South African Airways) for checked baggage so you may want to keep that in mind and pack accordingly to avoid the excess fees and extra time/hassle waiting in line.

In Zimbabwe, they do have flights that go from Johannesburg, South Africa to the town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (roughly 2-2.5 hours). We can't say a whole lot more beyond that since we didn't exercise this option. However, the town of Victoria Falls was built with tourism in mind and it's only a 2km walk to the park entrance on the Zim side. Thus, transport will be less of a headache than for the Zam side.

I'm sure if you're in Zimbabwe, there are ground transport options to get to Victoria Falls town. But given the political situation and shortages there, we were in no position to explore this option so we can't comment any further on this.

Finally, if you want to explore the falls from both sides (Zim and Zam sides), then perhaps the most hassle-free way is by foot from border to border across the Livingstone Memorial Bridge. If you're based in Zambia, you'll need a pricey multiple-entry Visa for Zambia (so you can leave and come back). But if you're based in Zimbabwe, you'll need a multiple-entry Visa for Zimbabwe (again, so you can leave and come back). The big headache with this option is the possibility of muggings and the constant peddling of locals selling wares or beggars who can't afford to even buy bread with their nearly useless Zimbabwean Dollars.

Naturally, getting to Johannesburg is nontrivial (especially for people like us who come from nearly the exact opposite side of the world). You'll have to check with your travel agent, tour operator, or on-line to see what you have to do to get from home to the Johannesburg hub. If you're from Africa, there maybe other places besides Johannesburg that can fly directly to either Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Another major headache when visiting the falls (especially in Zambia as of 2008; and we were burned by this) has to do with Visa costs. It used to be free with some pre-arrangement with the hotel your staying at, but not anymore! For more on that, see the Planning and Preparing for Your Trip section.

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