Smoking Areas at Zambia Airports

English

Yes — you can smoke at Zambia’s airports, and at the two international gateways you can do it after security. Lusaka Kenneth Kaunda International (LUN) has a designated indoor smoking room airside, after immigration; Livingstone Harry Mwanga Nkumbula (LVI), the Victoria Falls gateway on the Zambian side, has a smoking room in the international departures area; and Ndola (NLA) in the Copperbelt keeps its smoking outdoors, away from the terminal entrances. Every airport also has outdoor smoking landside.

Zambia Airports Compared: Before and After Security

Before security, you can always smoke outside: at a designated smoking area where there is one, or outside the airport property, beyond the terminal kerb and car parks. After security, Yes means there is a smoking area past security and a dash means none is listed. Each airport’s page has the details.

Airport	Before security	After security
Livingstone Harry Mwanga Nkumbula (LVI)	Yes	Yes
Lusaka Kenneth Kaunda (LUN)	Yes	Yes
Ndola Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe (NLA)	Yes	–

The Major Airports

Kenneth Kaunda International (LUN). Lusaka’s main airport, named after Zambia’s first president; the new terminal opened in 2021. Airside after immigration, the Pearl Lounge (Terminal 2, upstairs near Gate 4) has a separate smoking room, and travellers describe a further smoking room in the duty-free area — look for the side entrance, as the front door is often locked. Outdoor smoking areas sit away from the entrances landside.

Livingstone Harry Mwanga Nkumbula (LVI). Southern tourist gateway to Victoria Falls. A designated smoking room sits in the international departures area, airside — upstairs in the international terminal, as travellers described it in March 2026 — with further outdoor areas outside the compact terminal.

Ndola Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International (NLA). Copperbelt region, in the terminal that opened in 2021. Smoking is at the designated outdoor areas away from the entrances; clearing security means exiting to smoke.

Tips for Smokers at Zambian Airports

Lusaka and Livingstone let you smoke after security; Ndola is outdoors only
Lusaka at 1,140m elevation has pleasant climate most of the year
Livingstone hotter — bring water in summer
For long-haul transit, route via Johannesburg or Addis Ababa

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you smoke at Zambia airports?

Yes — Lusaka Kenneth Kaunda International (LUN), the country’s primary gateway, has indoor smoking rooms airside after immigration: one inside the Pearl Lounge in Terminal 2, and travellers describe another in the duty-free area. Livingstone Harry Mwanga Nkumbula (LVI), the tourist gateway to Victoria Falls from the Zambian side, has a smoking room in international departures, airside. Ndola (NLA) is outdoor-only, at the designated areas away from the terminal entrances.

Where can I smoke at Lusaka Airport (LUN)?

Airside, after immigration: the Pearl Lounge (Terminal 2, upstairs near Gate 4) has its own smoking room, and travellers describe a further smoking room in the duty-free area. Before security, smoke outdoors in the areas away from the terminal entrances.

Where can I smoke at Livingstone Airport (LVI)?

In the smoking room in the international departures area, airside — upstairs in the international terminal — or at the outdoor areas outside the compact terminal building.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Zambian airports?

Yes — vapes are treated like cigarettes, so use the airside smoking rooms at Lusaka and Livingstone or the outdoor areas at any Zambian airport. Zambia has limited specific regulation on e-cigarettes.

What should I expect at Zambian airports as a smoker?

Compact terminals: Lusaka and Livingstone keep a smoking room airside, and Ndola’s smoking is outdoors, away from the entrances. Lusaka’s elevation (1,140 m) makes the climate generally pleasant; Livingstone is hotter and lower, so bring water for daytime smoke breaks.