3 Day Itinerary, Livingstone Zambia

Zambia is most famous for being the part hometown of Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is one of the UNESCO World heritage site so its definitely on most individuals bucket lists. But there are other things to do in Livingstone apart from the falls. I have created a three day itinerary for Livingstone, Zambia to help you make the most of your time there.

Livingstone, Zambia

Livingstone is a town in Zambia named after David Livingstone who was a Scottish explorer. The town is situated in the south west of Zambia close to the Zambezi river and the border of Zimbabwe.

Day One:

Victoria Falls

One of the main reasons for visiting Zambia is to relish and experience the stunning views of Victoria Falls. So why not start off with doing just that, weather dependent of course. Victoria Falls was described as the “Mosi-oa-Tunya” which translates to “The Smoke that Thunders” by the local tribe. Victoria Falls is shared by both Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Most of the accommodation establishments in the Livingstone area offer a free shuttle to the Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls is located in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. And the park is fairly large and offers a lot of ground to cover. If you want a guide, the park offers these services at an additional fee.

We visited during September when the country was experiencing a severe drought.

Mosi-oa-Tunya Park, Zambia

Park: Mosi-oa-Tunya, Zambia
Entry Fee: 260K per person (please check site for updated pricing)
Times: 07:00am – 19:00pm
Address: 212 Mosi-oa-Tunya, Livingstone, Zambia
Contact number: +260969719898
Website: http://www.zambiatourism.com

After you have seen all that you can see on the Zambian side of the falls, you need to go over to the Zimbabwe side. The process involves going through the immigration offices for both countries as you are crossing national borders. However, it sounds tougher than it is really is and as it is only for a day visit, it is simple There are noticeably lots of other people doing the same so it gets very busy.

There are various options available to get to the Zimbabwean border which include hiring a taxi or walking. We chose the walking option. The distance between the two immigration offices is approximately 1,5 kilometres. It was an easy walk with lots of other tourists also walking around.

The Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls definitely made up the entire experience for us. The falls were overflowing which resulted in us getting soaked most of the time. It was an awe inspiring moment. And definitely a tick of my bucket list.

Victoria Falls National Park, Zimbabwe

Park: Victoria Falls National Park
Entry Fee: 20 US dollars per person
Times: 07:00 am – 18:00 pm
Address: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Website: https://www.zimparks.org.zw/victoria-falls-national-park/

Zambezi River

If you leave for Victoria Falls early in the morning, you will have enough time to view both sides of the falls and still have time for another activity.

While in the vicinity, a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River is a must try. There are numerous boats that do the cruise along the Zambezi River. There are various packages available depending on what you would like to do.

We booked the sunset cruise through our accommodation which cost 65 US dollars per person. The cruise included transportation from and to our accommodation, return boat cruise, drinks on boat and supper. There are various cruise operators available to choose from.

During the cruise we saw hippos, crocodile, zebra, buffalo and some birds. As a result of the Zambezi River being next to a National Park, you are not deprived of animals to see. The driver of the boat was quite skilled as well and was easily able to spot animals and stop for your viewing pleasure.

Overall the cruise is a great choice as watching the sunset whilst cruising on the Zambezi river is something you would not want to miss.

Day Two:

Chobe National Park, Botswana

Chobe National Park is approximately 11 700 squared kilometres. The closest town to the park is Kasane in Botswana. Therefore one of the easiest access points to the park is from Livingstone, Zambia. Since it is only 98 kilometres away from Kasane, we booked a day trip to Chobe National Park.

The day trip included, return transportation to and from our accommodation in Zambia, a boat cruise on the Chobe River, a game drive through the Chobe National Park, entry fees, breakfast and lunch. For a full break down of this day trip together with the costs and everything else you will need to know before you go, you can check out my full post here.

This Chobe Park trip will take up the entire day and you won’t have time to do much else. So take yourself out for supper.

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Day Three:

On your last day take things easier and take the opportunity to collect any souvenirs you want. The streets of Livingstone are safe to walk around so take a stroll into the town and look out for any stores which peak your interest.

A definite must visit is the Mukuni craft market which is located in the city centre. It was an easy five minute walk from our accommodation. There are various stalls located in a row offering various souvenirs. This market caters for mainly tourists so you are bound to find what you are looking for. Items on offer include handcrafted bowls, beautiful Zambian print fabric and other tapestries.

If you enjoy visiting historic places on a trip, the Livingstone museum is also located in the city centre and is close to most accommodation establishments.

Overall Livingstone, Zambia is not a very big place but has a lot of activities to do. Ideally three days is sufficient to complete all the bucket list adventures. With this Three Day Itinerary of Livingstone, Zambia, you will be able to explore the most iconic and popular spots easily. And you will truly understand why Victoria Falls is held in such high regard. It is a once in a lifetime experience.

* Please note that all prices and contact information are correct at time of publication. Please check the venues websites as prices may change without notice. *

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