Getting around · Victoria Falls · Zimbabwe
Getting around Victoria Falls
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Victoria Falls town is small: the centre, the rainforest entrance, the Victoria Falls Hotel and the bridge are all within about 2 km. Activity operators collect guests from lodges, and taxis cover the rest. Crossing to Livingstone means passing both countries' border posts at the bridge. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- VFA, LVI
- Need a car?
- No
Ways to get around
Walking
Walking works between the town centre, the rainforest and the bridge in daylight along the main roads.
Avoid walking after dark or on quiet roads; elephants, buffalo and other animals move through town.
Taxi
Taxis wait in the town centre and at hotels for trips to riverside lodges, the airport and the Zambian border.
Car
Lodge shuttles and activity operators' transfers are included in most bookings, including for cruises, rafting and game drives.
Boat
Cruise boats and canoe trips operate on the upper Zambezi from jetties upstream of town.
From the airport
Victoria Falls International Airport is about 20 km south of town, roughly 20–25 minutes by taxi or lodge transfer. On the Zambian side, Livingstone's Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport is about 5 km from Livingstone town and about 30 minutes from Victoria Falls town, plus the border crossing.
Do you need a car?
No. Transfers are usually included with activities and lodges, and the town is walkable by day. A car only helps for self-drive trips to Hwange, and arranging tours is usually simpler.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Chobe National Park (Botswana) | About 1 hour 15 minutes by road, plus border formalities | Organised day tour via the Kazungula border |
| Livingstone and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Zambia) | About 20 minutes by taxi, plus border formalities | Taxi or tour across the Victoria Falls Bridge |
| Hwange National Park | About 2.5–3 hours by road | Organised safari or self-drive |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Victoria Falls?
No. Transfers are usually included with activities and lodges, and the town is walkable by day. A car only helps for self-drive trips to Hwange, and arranging tours is usually simpler.
+How do you get from the airport to Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls International Airport is about 20 km south of town, roughly 20–25 minutes by taxi or lodge transfer. On the Zambian side, Livingstone's Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport is about 5 km from Livingstone town and about 30 minutes from Victoria Falls town, plus the border crossing.
+What is the best way to get around Victoria Falls?
Walking: Walking works between the town centre, the rainforest and the bridge in daylight along the main roads.