Walking safaris in South Luangwa, canoes on the Lower Zambezi and Victoria Falls: bush country at walking pace.
Zambia is where the walking safari grew up. In South Luangwa, guides and armed scouts lead small groups on foot along the river, reading tracks and approaching elephants and buffalo with care. It is slower and more absorbing than a game drive, and night drives here give you a strong chance of leopard.
We usually pair the Luangwa with the Lower Zambezi, where you canoe past hippos and elephants, and finish or start at Victoria Falls. Kafue, one of Africa's largest parks, suits a second visit. Camps are mostly small, owner-run and relaxed, and cost less than their Botswana equivalents.
The caveats: many bush camps close in the rains from November to April, internal flights add time, and the whole country is a malaria area.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Walks last three to four hours from dawn, led by a guide and an armed scout, with tea on a riverbank. The most atmospheric way to do it is a walking-only bush camp, moving between simple reed-and-thatch camps along the Luangwa's tributaries. Walking season runs from June to October.
Night drives are allowed in South Luangwa, and the park has a strong leopard population. Drives set off at dusk, stop for a sundowner, then continue with a spotlight for leopard, genet, civet and hyena. Late in the dry season, carmine bee-eaters nest in the river banks by the thousand.
Opposite Zimbabwe's Mana Pools, the Lower Zambezi National Park runs along a broad, braided stretch of the river. Guided canoe trips drift down side channels past grazing elephants and wallowing hippos. Add tiger fishing, boating and game drives, and three nights passes quickly. Canoeing is weather and water dependent.
Livingstone gives you the eastern cataract, sunset cruises on the upper Zambezi and, when river levels allow, a swim at Devil's Pool on the lip of the falls from Livingstone Island. At high water, from about March to May, the spray is immense; later in the year the rock face shows and the gorge views improve.
Kafue is vast and little visited. In its far north, the Busanga Plains flood in the rains and dry into open grassland, with red lechwe, puku and lion. Camps here open only in the dry months and are reached by light aircraft. It is a place for a second Zambian trip, when solitude matters most.
Far in the west, Liuwa Plain hosts the second-largest wildebeest migration in Africa, managed by African Parks with the Barotse Royal Establishment. The herds gather on the plains around the start of the rains, with hyena clans and lions in attendance. It is remote and simple, and few visitors make it here.
In South Luangwa, stay at a riverside lodge near Mfuwe for convenience, then move to a seasonal bush camp for walking. In the Lower Zambezi, choose between larger lodges with boats and smaller camps deeper in the park. In Livingstone, the lodges on the upper Zambezi are calmer than town hotels.
We match each trip in Zambia to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsZambia has three seasons. From November to April it is hot and wet, with most rain between November and March. May to August is cool and dry, with frost possible on low ground at night. From August to November it grows hot and dry, and seasonal water sources disappear, drawing animals to the rivers.
For walking, June to October is the window. September and October give the most concentrated game, at the cost of real heat. For Victoria Falls in full flood, go between March and May.
The Falls, five nights in South Luangwa split between a lodge and a walking bush camp, and a finish on the Lower Zambezi, linked by scheduled light aircraft. 10 nights.
Connect in Johannesburg for Livingstone. Walk the rainforest path along the falls and take a sunset boat on the upper Zambezi.
Fly via Lusaka to Mfuwe for day and night drives along the Luangwa River, with a good chance of leopard.
Transfer to a small bush camp for morning walks with a guide and scout, and quiet afternoons by a dry riverbed.
Fly to the Lower Zambezi for three nights of canoeing, boating and game drives, then fly to Lusaka for the journey home on day 11.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Zambia (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from the UK. Connect in Johannesburg for Livingstone, or via Dubai or Nairobi for Lusaka. Proflight links Lusaka with Mfuwe in about 70 minutes, and light aircraft serve the Lower Zambezi.
UK passport holders do not currently need a visa for Zambia. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book and again before you fly.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Zambia (opens in a new tab)
Zambia is a malaria area throughout. Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) well before you go. October heat in the valleys is intense, so drink plenty and plan rest in the middle of the day.
The currency is the kwacha, but lodges catering to visitors widely accept US dollars. Cash machines are found in Lusaka, Livingstone and major towns only, so bring what you need for tips.
Airtel and MTN run the main mobile networks and SIM cards are easy to buy in towns. In the parks, expect wifi only in the main area of the lodge, and none in walking bush camps.
Tipping is not required but is widely expected in safari lodges. Most guests tip guides and scouts directly and leave a contribution in the staff box. We include current guidance with your documents.
Walks in Zambia are led by a qualified walking guide and an armed wildlife scout, keep to small groups and follow strict rules on distance and behaviour. Incidents are very rare. You will be briefed before you set out: walk in single file, stay quiet and never run. Minimum ages apply and vary by camp.
It depends what you want. From about March to May the falls are at full flow, loud and drenching, but the spray can hide the view. From August onwards the flow drops, the rock face and gorge are easier to see, and Devil's Pool may open when river levels allow. September to December is when the Zambian side is at its lowest.
Yes, with the right expectations. Many bush camps close from November to April, but some South Luangwa lodges stay open and switch to boat safaris when the river rises. Landscapes are lush, birding is very good and there are very few visitors. Travel is harder and some roads flood, so we plan with care.
Botswana has more water, more private concessions and higher prices. Zambia is more about walking, night drives and small owner-run camps, and it usually costs less. Both pair well with Victoria Falls, and a trip can combine the two, crossing from Livingstone to the Chobe in a short transfer.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: June to September.
Small camps, private concessions and a flood that arrives in the dry season: the Okavango is safari at its quietest.
Most of the Victoria Falls viewpoints, Hwange's elephant herds and walking in Mana Pools with rigorously trained guides.
The Serengeti migration in every season, the Ngorongoro Crater and Kilimanjaro, then an easy hop to the beaches of Zanzibar.
