Victoria Falls town, in Zimbabwe, is the better base if you want to walk to the falls and keep everything close. Livingstone, in Zambia, is the better base if you want a real town, more of the upper Zambezi and a quieter river lodge. The two sit on opposite sides of the gorge, about 12 km apart by road, and you can visit both sides of the falls from either.
This page compares the towns as places to stay. For the two sides of the falls themselves (what you see, when, and how the view differs), see Victoria Falls: Zambia or Zimbabwe side.
The quick comparison
| Livingstone (Zambia) | Victoria Falls town (Zimbabwe) | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to falls | About 10 km, 15 min by taxi | About 1 km, a 15-minute walk |
| Feel | A working provincial town with a colonial grid | A compact tourist town |
| Airport | Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula Intl, about 5 km from town | Victoria Falls Intl, about 20 km from town |
| Money | Zambian kwacha; US dollars widely taken by tourism businesses | US dollars dominant; Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) also in use |
| River | Long stretch of upper Zambezi with lodges along the bank | Less riverfront within easy reach of town |
| Nightlife and restaurants | Spread out; you will need taxis | Concentrated and walkable |
Victoria Falls town
Victoria Falls grew up around the railway and the falls. It is small and built for visitors: the park entrance, the craft market, restaurants and activity booking offices are all within walking distance. Most adventure operators run from here or collect from here, and the town fills with day visitors from the coaches.
Good for: short stays of one or two nights, travellers without a car who want to walk everywhere, and anyone whose priority is the Zimbabwe side of the falls, which carries most of the water from about September to December.
Less good for: a sense of place beyond tourism. Most of what is within walking distance exists for visitors, and prices are set accordingly.
Livingstone
Livingstone was the capital of Northern Rhodesia until 1935 and still has the wide streets and old buildings to show for it. It is a proper town with a market, banks, churches and offices, and most visitors stay either in town or along the river upstream. The Livingstone Museum and the railway museum are here.
The falls are 10 km south, which means a taxi or transfer for every visit. In return you get more space, more choice of setting, and the upper Zambezi. The Zambian bank west of the falls is lined with lodges along the Kazungula Road; the further you go, the quieter it gets.
Good for: stays of three nights or more, travellers who want time on the river, Chobe day trips (Kazungula is about an hour's drive), and seeing a Zambian town that is not purely a tourist stop.
Less good for: walking to dinner. Livingstone's restaurants are spread out.
See where to stay in Livingstone for the areas in detail.
Things that actually differ
Airports and flights
Both airports have flights from Johannesburg. Victoria Falls airport has more international routes from outside southern Africa at the time of writing; Livingstone has had direct links with Cape Town and Nairobi on and off. Check both: sometimes it is cheaper to fly into one and stay in the other.
Money
Zambia uses the kwacha. In Zimbabwe, US dollars are used for almost everything visitors buy, alongside the local currency, ZiG, introduced in 2024. Carry small US dollar notes on both sides; change is often short. Card acceptance is patchy in both towns outside larger businesses.
Visas
If you stay on one side and visit the other, you need entry to both countries. The KAZA UniVisa covers both for a single fee and lets you cross as often as you like within its validity. If it is not being issued when you arrive, Zimbabwe has its own visa rules; see the Zimbabwe visa guide.
Safety
Both are generally calm towns by regional standards. Walk in groups after dark, use registered taxis, and watch for elephants on the roads around both, which is not a figure of speech.
The spray
From about March to June, the spray cloud from the falls can be seen from both towns and drifts over Victoria Falls town on some days. In Livingstone you hear about it more than you feel it.
Choosing
- One or two nights, falls only: Victoria Falls town.
- Three nights or more, falls plus river: Livingstone or upstream.
- Combining with Chobe: either works, but Livingstone avoids one extra border crossing on the way to Kazungula.
- Honeymoon or a slow trip: the river upstream of Livingstone.
If the river side appeals, the lodges upstream of Livingstone range from large to very small. Zambezi Dusk is one of the small ones, about 30 minutes from the falls by road, with boat safaris running from its own bank.
