Lusaka to Livingstone is about 470 to 480 km by road, south-west along the T1 through Kafue, Mazabuka, Monze, Choma and Kalomo. You can fly it in about an hour and ten minutes, take an intercity coach for seven to eight hours, or drive it yourself in six to seven hours with stops. Which is best depends on your budget, your luggage and whether you want to see anything on the way.
Flying
At the time of writing (late 2026), Proflight Zambia and Zambia Airways both fly between Kenneth Kaunda International in Lusaka and Livingstone. Proflight has run several flights a day in the busy season. Fares vary with demand; booked early, they can be reasonable, and booked late in the July to October peak they can cost more than the long-haul leg felt like.
Things to know:
- Domestic schedules change. Times are moved and flights consolidated at short notice. Give your booking an email address you check, and reconfirm a few days before.
- Leave room for connections. If you are arriving on an international flight into Lusaka, allow at least three hours, more if the two flights are on separate tickets, and have a plan for a night in Lusaka if you miss it.
- Bags. Proflight uses smaller aircraft on some routes, and the checked allowance can be lower than on international flights.
The flights to Livingstone guide lists the other routes into Livingstone.
By coach
Several companies run coaches between Lusaka and Livingstone daily, including Mazhandu Family Bus and Shalom. Departures leave from Lusaka's Inter-City Bus Terminus, with some companies using their own depots.
- Journey time: seven to eight hours, including a lunch stop.
- Booking: buy tickets the day before at the company's office or at the terminus. Some operators have started online or mobile-money booking, but do not count on it.
- Departure time: pick a morning bus. Afternoon departures arrive after dark, and you then need a taxi to your accommodation.
- Fares: in kwacha, and changed often by fuel prices. Check with the operator.
The Inter-City terminus is busy and chaotic. Keep your bags with you until they are loaded, put valuables in a day bag on your lap, and ignore anyone who offers to "help" with tickets. Coaches arrive in Livingstone in town; taxis wait nearby.
There is also a passenger train between Lusaka and Livingstone on paper. It is slow, the timetable is irregular, and it is not a practical option for a holiday with fixed dates.
Driving
The T1 is a single-lane road each way for most of the distance. Parts have been rebuilt and are good; other stretches are patched, with potholes at the edges and narrow shoulders. Trucks, buses and minibuses are constant.
The route
| Section | Approx. distance |
|---|---|
| Lusaka to Kafue | 45 km |
| Kafue to Mazabuka | 80 km |
| Mazabuka to Monze | 65 km |
| Monze to Choma | 100 km |
| Choma to Kalomo | 65 km |
| Kalomo to Livingstone | 125 km |
Distances are rounded; a navigation app will give you a current total.
South of Kafue the road crosses the Kafue river and the flat sugar-cane country around Mazabuka, where slow lorries and cane trucks are common. Choma is the natural halfway stop for fuel, food and the toilets at a filling station, and has a small museum on the Tonga people.
Practical points
- Tolls. There are toll plazas on the T1, payable in kwacha. Keep cash in the car.
- Police checkpoints. Expect several. Have your licence, vehicle papers and, in a hire car, the rental agreement ready. Zambian law requires warning triangles in the car.
- Fuel. Filling stations are frequent in the towns. Fill up before you leave Lusaka and top up at Choma.
- Speed. Speed cameras and police with speed guns are common at town entrances. Slow down for villages and markets.
- Daylight. Leave Lusaka by 07:00 and you will arrive in Livingstone by mid-afternoon. Do not drive after dark.
Which to choose
Fly if you are connecting from an international flight, are short of time, or have a lodge pick-up waiting at Livingstone airport. Zambezi Dusk, for example, includes airport transfers, so flying in removes the last leg too.
Take the coach if you are on a budget, travelling light and have a day to spare.
Drive if you want the car for exploring once you arrive, or are continuing to Botswana or Namibia. The self-drive guide covers cross-border paperwork if you are going further.
Breaking the journey
There is no need to stop overnight on a single Lusaka to Livingstone run. If you are coming from further north, such as the Copperbelt or Kafue National Park, a night in Lusaka or Choma turns one very long day into two manageable ones. Siavonga and Lake Kariba are a separate detour from the T1 at Kafue, better as their own trip.
For the other ways into Livingstone, including flights via Johannesburg and the route from Botswana, see how to get to Livingstone.
