A walking safari strips the experience back to its purest form — no engine, no vehicle, just you, an expert armed guide and the sounds and scents of the wild. It is the most intimate way to connect with the bush.
Pioneered in Zambia’s South Luangwa, walking safaris are now offered across Africa, focusing on tracks, smaller creatures, birds and the thrill of approaching game on foot.
Highlights of Walking Safari
Mana Pools, Zimbabwe
Renowned guides and on-foot encounters along the Zambezi.
Explore Mana Pools, Zimbabwe →Expert armed guides
Safety, fieldcraft and an unmatched depth of bush knowledge.
The small details
Tracks, birds, plants and the stories the bush tells on foot.
Best countries for a walking safari
Walking safaris are about the small details and the thrill of being on foot, and a few countries do them better than anywhere. Here is where to go, and why.
Zambia
The birthplace of the walking safari. South Luangwa's expert guides and remote bush camps set the global standard.
Explore Zambia →Southern AfricaZimbabwe
Home to Africa's most rigorously trained guides. Mana Pools is legendary for walking among elephant and wild dog.
Explore Zimbabwe →Southern AfricaBotswana
Wilderness walks in private Okavango concessions, paired with water and 4x4 safaris for real variety.
Explore Botswana →Eastern AfricaTanzania
Walk the wild Nyerere (Selous) and Ruaha in the south, far from the vehicles of the northern circuit.
Explore Tanzania →Know before you go
The practical details we handle for you — flights, entry, health and money — summarized here so nothing surprises you. Requirements can change, so we confirm everything when you book.
Getting there from the USA
South Luangwa is reached via Johannesburg or Nairobi to Lusaka, then a short hop to Mfuwe. Mana Pools connects through Harare or Victoria Falls. We arrange every leg.
Visas & entry
Zambia is visa-free for US citizens; the $50 KAZA UniVisa is only needed if combining with the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe visa on arrival (~$30) for Mana Pools.
Health
Both valleys are malaria areas — prophylaxis advised. Walking is gentle-paced (3–4 hours in the cool morning) and suits any reasonably fit traveler; minimum ages apply, usually 12–16.
Money & tipping
Camps are all-inclusive. Tipping is at your discretion — around $20–25 per guest per day for your walking guide, plus a camp staff tip box.
Best time to visit
Dry season — the prime, and often only, walking-safari window.
Shoulder months with green scenery and fewer travelers.
Planning & cost
Walking safaris from $8,500 per person, all-inclusive.
Every journey is private, all-inclusive and tailor-made — your own guide and vehicle, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout.
Continue exploring
Zambia
The home of the walking safari, and the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.
Explore →Southern AfricaZimbabwe
Victoria Falls, Hwange’s elephants and the wild canoeing of Mana Pools.
Explore →ExperienceBig Five Safari
Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino — Africa’s most sought-after sightings.
Explore →Walking Safari FAQs
Yes — they are led by highly trained, armed professional guides who manage every encounter, and you walk in small groups following strict protocols.
Zambia’s South Luangwa is the birthplace and benchmark; Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools is also world-class for guided walking.
The dry season (June–October) is the prime window, when vegetation is low, conditions are comfortable and wildlife concentrates near water.
Let’s design your Walking Safari journey.
Tell us how you like to travel and our experts will craft your private, tailor-made itinerary — no obligation.
Enquire now