Zambia Safari

South Luangwa

The home of the walking safari and exceptional leopard sightings.

Time + Tide’s flagship overlooks the Luangwa River opposite the national park — the birthplace of the walking safari, with superb guiding.

Five open-fronted villas in an ebony grove on a sweeping bend of the Luangwa River — intimate, stylish and superbly placed for leopard.

An intimate Robin Pope camp in a private corner of the Nsefu sector — leopard-rich, beautifully run and deeply authentic.

Walk South Luangwa

The walking safari was invented here. Armed scout ahead, guide beside you — reading tracks, dung and alarm calls for three hours of the most alive you will ever feel.

South Luangwa

Jun–Oct

Victoria Falls from the Zambian side

Livingstone Island lunches, the Devil’s Pool swim in low water, and sunset cruises on the Zambezi above the lip of the falls.

Livingstone, Zambezi

Devil’s Pool Aug–Dec

Canoe the Lower Zambezi

Drift past hippo pods and drinking elephants with the Zimbabwean escarpment behind — then tiger fishing before sundowners.

Lower Zambezi

Apr–Nov

Night drives for leopard

South Luangwa’s after-dark drives find leopard, genet, civet and honey badger — a whole shift of animals most safaris never see.

South Luangwa

Year-round in main camps

Dry season — peak walking safaris and concentrated wildlife.

Highest water at Victoria Falls for the most dramatic spectacle.

Fully tailor-made — priced privately to your camps, season and travel style. No fixed packages.

Fly into Lusaka (LUN) or Livingstone (LVI); light aircraft reach the camps. US passport holders currently enter Zambia visa-free for ordinary tourist visits (official list). If visiting both Zambia and Zimbabwe, the KAZA UniVisa may apply to eligible combined journeys.

Every journey is private and tailor-made — your own guide and vehicle, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout.

The modern walking safari was pioneered in Zambia’s South Luangwa. Led by expert armed guides, it offers an intimate, on-foot connection to the bush you simply cannot get from a vehicle.

May to October is the dry season and best for walking safaris and game viewing; June to August brings the highest water at Victoria Falls.

Yes — the falls straddle Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the Zambian town of Livingstone offers close-up views plus the famous Devil’s Pool when water levels are low.

US passport holders are currently visa-exempt for ordinary tourist visits to Zambia. If you combine Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe, the KAZA UniVisa covers eligible Zambia-Zimbabwe combinations, including day trips across the bridge. Confirm current rules at zambiaimmigration.gov.zm (information reviewed August 2026).

The remote bush camps of South Luangwa operate roughly June to October, when the ground is dry and the rivers are low. That window is also the best game viewing of the year.

Yes — if you want wilderness over polish. Camps are small, owner-run and superb, but distances are real and flights are light aircraft. We often pair Zambia with Victoria Falls for an easy finish.

Yes, throughout the safari areas. Prophylaxis is standard, camps provide nets and repellent, and the dry-season months carry the lowest risk.

The safari season (June–October) starts with cold, bright mornings — 45–50°F (7–10°C) at dawn — reaching 80–85°F (27–29°C) by afternoon. Evenings around the fire are cool and mosquito-light early in the season. October is seriously hot, often 100°F (38°C) in the Luangwa Valley.

Zambia rewards travelers who want wilderness over polish — wonderful as a first safari if that is you, though we often pair it with Victoria Falls for an easier landing. Walking safaris carry minimum ages (usually 12–16), so for younger children we choose the larger camps with family units and private vehicles, where game drives replace walking.