Kasane to Livingstone is about 75 to 80 km by road. You drive about 10 km west from Kasane to the Kazungula border, cross the Zambezi on the Kazungula Bridge, clear both countries at the one-stop border post, and drive about an hour east to Livingstone. Allow two hours door to door. The bridge, opened in 2021, replaced a slow ferry and made this one of the easier crossings in the region.
The Kazungula Bridge
The bridge carries road and rail traffic across the Zambezi between Botswana and Zambia, close to the point where four countries almost meet: Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It is about 923 m long, with a railway line between the two traffic lanes and pedestrian walkways. It opened in May 2021 at a cost of around US$259 million.
Before that, vehicles crossed on the Kazungula ferry, which handled trucks and cars on small pontoons. Queues of lorries could stretch for kilometres and waits for passenger cars ran to hours. The ferry no longer carries traffic.
How the one-stop border post works
The Kazungula One Stop Border Post puts Botswana and Zambian officials in the same facilities, so you deal with exit and entry in one place on each side rather than stopping twice.
Heading from Kasane to Livingstone:
- Drive to the Botswana side of the complex. Present your passport for exit and, in your own car, the vehicle paperwork.
- Clear Zambian immigration, buy a visa if you need one, and go through Zambian customs.
- With a car, pay Zambian road tax, carbon tax, insurance and the bridge toll.
- Cross the bridge and continue to Livingstone.
On foot or in a transfer, it is usually 30 minutes to an hour. With your own vehicle, longer, especially if trucks are being processed.
Opening hours
Botswana's government announced in February 2026 that the post would move to 24-hour operation, with full implementation planned for April 2026. A report in April 2026 said the change had been delayed while systems were put in place. Older listings give 06:00 to 18:00. Treat it as a daytime crossing until you have confirmed otherwise, and in any case avoid driving the road on either side after dark, when elephants are about.
Visas
- Into Zambia: visa-free for many passports, including British ones. Otherwise, a Zambian visa or the KAZA UniVisa is available at Kazungula. See the Zambia visa guide.
- Into Botswana: many Western passports do not need a visa. Check yours.
- KAZA UniVisa holders: the UniVisa allows a day trip into Botswana through Kazungula. Sleep in Botswana and it ends. The KAZA UniVisa guide explains the rules.
Arranging the transfer
Shared or private transfers. Several operators run Kasane–Livingstone transfers, often timed around morning and afternoon crossings. A private transfer costs more but leaves when you want. Some transfers change vehicles at the border: a Botswana vehicle brings you to the post and a Zambian one picks you up, which saves the operators cross-border vehicle permits.
Through your lodge. Ask the place you are leaving or the place you are going. Many riverside lodges on the Zambian side arrange pick-ups from Kazungula.
Taxis. Taxis run between Kasane and the border, and from the Zambian side to Livingstone, but agree the fares before you set off.
The drive on the Zambian side
From the border, the road east to Livingstone follows the Zambezi, a few kilometres inland. It is mostly in reasonable condition, with trucks and the occasional pothole. Watch for elephants crossing, especially early and late in the day.
The riverside lodges upstream of Livingstone are along this road. Zambezi Dusk is one of them, at 749 B Kazungula Road, about 30 minutes from the falls.
Flying instead
Kasane has its own airport, with flights from Johannesburg and within Botswana. If your trip ends at the falls, you might fly into Kasane, see Chobe and then drive to Livingstone, flying home from Livingstone. That avoids doubling back.
For a ready-made plan that uses this route, see the Victoria Falls and Chobe 5-day itinerary. If you are doing the trip the other way round, as a day out from Livingstone, read Livingstone to Chobe.
A few practical points
- Money: Botswana uses pula; Zambia uses kwacha. US dollars are accepted for visas and many fees on both sides. Bring small notes.
- Phones: your Botswana SIM stops working once you are in Zambia. Buy a Zambian SIM in Livingstone.
- Veterinary rules: fresh meat and dairy can be restricted crossing in either direction.
- Passport pages: each crossing uses stamps on both sides, and a visa sticker takes a full page.
