Senior travel: Livingstone
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 95 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Railway MuseumStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 60 minSteps into rolling stock.
- Zambezi sunset cruiseStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 150 minA few steps at the jetty.
- Maramba marketThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 45 min
- Victoria Falls BridgeThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 45 min
- Livingstone MuseumThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 90 min
- Victoria Falls (Zambian side)The guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 120 min
- Knife-Edge BridgeStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 40 minSteps and uneven rock down the path.
- Livingstone IslandStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 210 minSteps and rocks.
Getting around in Livingstone
Livingstone is hard on wheels. Pavements are broken, the falls have wet and uneven paths with steps, and many lodges have steps and sand. Plan car-to-viewpoint visits and choose a lodge with a ramp.
- Pavements:
- Cracked and blocked in town; the main road has some level sections.
- Getting around:
- Lodge cars and taxis are the step-free option: book a larger vehicle for a folding chair.
- Hotels:
- Newer lodges have ramps and roll-in showers; ask for photos and measurements.
- Toilets:
- Accessible toilets at larger lodges; rare elsewhere.
Medicines and health on the ground
The Zambia guide lists no medicine paperwork. Check the official customs page for your medicines.
- Malaria:
- Present all year and worst in the wet season: ask a travel clinic about tablets, sleep under a net and use repellent at dusk.
- Heat:
- September to November reaches 34 °C: water, hat, shade at midday.
- Food and water:
- Bottled or filtered water. Busy stalls with fast turnover are safer than quiet ones.
- Bilharzia:
- Freshwater snail parasite in slow water; do not swim in the river or ponds.
- Rabies:
- Do not pet dogs or monkeys; after a bite go to a clinic the same day.
- Vaccinations:
- Hepatitis A, typhoid and routine vaccines are commonly advised; yellow fever rules apply if you arrive from an affected country. Check with a travel clinic.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.