Plan your safari
A leopard resting in golden grass on a Zambia safari

Zambia Safari

A Zambia safari means the home of the walking safari and the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.

Written and reviewed by NndeeAfrika · Reviewed August 2026 · Entry information checked August 2026

Best time May–Oct
Getting there Fly into Lusaka (LUN) or Livingstone (LVI)
How we travel Private & bespoke

Zambia is for people who want safari at its most real. In fact, it is the birthplace of the walking safari, and its South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi parks deliver some of the most authentic, guide-led wilderness experiences in Africa, with superb leopard and wild dog. Zambia is where many of our luxury African safaris turn to walking and canoeing.

Zambia also shares Victoria Falls at Livingstone, including the legendary Devil’s Pool, so a bush-and-falls combination is easy to add.

Highlights of Zambia

Guests walking with an armed guide on a South Luangwa walking safari, Zambia

South Luangwa

The home of the walking safari and exceptional leopard sightings.

Explore South Luangwa →

Lower Zambezi

Canoeing and fishing beneath the escarpment on the great river.

Victoria Falls (Livingstone)

The Zambian side, with the seasonal Devil’s Pool.

Explore Victoria Falls (Livingstone) →

Kafue National Park

Vast, remote wilderness and the wildlife-rich Busanga Plains.

Where you’ll stay in Zambia

Meanwhile, we select where you stay privately around your journey. We recommend each camp, lodge or villa according to its location, season, guiding, privacy and suitability for the people traveling. Then you’ll see the places we suggest, and why, in your itinerary.

Plan your private safari

Practical details,
in one place

Money, health, connectivity and packing work the same way on every safari we plan, so they live in one place rather than on every page.

Know before you go

Flights, entry rules, health and money: the practical details we handle for you, all in one place. Requirements can change, so we confirm everything when you book.

Getting there from the USA

Fly to Lusaka or straight to Livingstone (for Victoria Falls) via Johannesburg; Emirates via Dubai also works well from the East Coast. Also, South Luangwa is a short internal flight from Lusaka.

Visas & entry

In addition, US passport holders currently enter Zambia visa-free, one of the easiest entries in Africa. Check the latest before you fly, as rules do change.

Health

Malaria is present year-round, so prophylaxis is recommended. Bring proof of yellow fever vaccination only if arriving from an endemic country.

Money & tipping

The kwacha is local currency, but USD is accepted at lodges (bring newer bills). Tipping is entirely at your discretion, although most guests set aside about $20–25 per person per day for their guide and $10–15 for camp staff.

What to do in Zambia

Wild, uncrowded and personal: Zambia rewards travelers who want the bush on its own terms.

Walk South Luangwa

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

Best places

South Luangwa

Best time

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.

Best places

Livingstone, Zambezi

Best time

Devil’s Pool Aug–Dec

Canoe the Lower Zambezi

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

Best places

Lower Zambezi

Best time

Apr–Nov

Night drives for leopard

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

Best places

South Luangwa

Best time

Year-round in main camps

Best time to visit Zambia

May–Oct

Dry season: peak walking safaris and concentrated wildlife.

Mar–May

Highest water at Victoria Falls, peaking around April, for the most dramatic spectacle.

Quieter seasons, considered

However, in the green months rates ease at many of these camps, the plains empty of vehicles and the light turns dramatic. Finally, what each season gives, and what it trades, is set out in our Safari Planning Guide.

Planning & cost

Safari cost

Priced to your budget, and built around your camps, the season and how you like to travel. There are no fixed packages.

Getting there & entry

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.

How we travel

Above all, we design every journey privately, with private guides and vehicles arranged where specified, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout. At fly-in camps, game drives may be shared unless a private vehicle is reserved.

Zambia FAQs

The modern walking safari was pioneered in Zambia’s South Luangwa. Led by expert armed guides, it also 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. Also, 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. Meanwhile, evenings around the fire are cool and mosquito-light early in the season. By contrast, October is seriously hot, often 100°F (38°C) in the Luangwa Valley.

Zambia rewards travelers who want wilderness over polish. It is 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.

Getting to Zambia: flights, visas and health

Correct when we wrote it. Before you travel, we check every requirement for your exact route and tell you what to apply for and when.

AirportsMfuwe (MFU) for South Luangwa, Livingstone (LVI) for Victoria Falls and Lusaka (LUN) for connections, all reached via Johannesburg or Addis Ababa.
Getting thereConnect through Johannesburg or Addis Ababa; total journey 22–28 hours from the US.
Visa: US citizensUS passport holders currently enter Zambia visa-free for ordinary tourist visits, and no visa or fee is required. If your journey combines both sides of Victoria Falls, the KAZA UniVisa (about $50) applies to eligible Zambia–Zimbabwe combinations. Official sources: visa-exempt nationalities · KAZA UniVisa (Zambia Department of Immigration). Information reviewed August 2026.
HealthYellow fever certificate required if arriving from a risk country. The Luangwa Valley and the Zambezi are malarial. Country guidance: CDC Travelers’ Health.
PassportSix months’ validity beyond your return date, with at least two blank pages. Travel insurance including medical evacuation is required on every journey we plan.

Plan your Zambia safari.

Tell us how you like to travel and start with a complimentary consultation.

Plan your safari