Written and reviewed by NndeeAfrika · Reviewed August 2026 · Entry information checked August 2026
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.
The home of the walking safari and exceptional leopard sightings.
Explore South Luangwa →Canoeing and fishing beneath the escarpment on the great river.
The Zambian side, with the seasonal Devil’s Pool.
Explore Victoria Falls (Livingstone) →Vast, remote wilderness and the wildlife-rich Busanga Plains.
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 safariMoney, health, connectivity and packing work the same way on every safari we plan, so they live in one place rather than on every page.
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.
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.
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.
Malaria is present year-round, so prophylaxis is recommended. Bring proof of yellow fever vaccination only if arriving from an endemic country.
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.
Wild, uncrowded and personal: Zambia rewards travelers who want the bush on its own terms.
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.
South Luangwa
Jun–Oct
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
Drift past hippo pods and drinking elephants with the Zimbabwean escarpment behind, then go tiger fishing before sundowners.
Lower Zambezi
Apr–Nov
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.
South Luangwa
Year-round in main camps
Dry season: peak walking safaris and concentrated wildlife.
Highest water at Victoria Falls, peaking around April, for the most dramatic spectacle.
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.
Priced to your budget, and built around your camps, the season and how you like to travel. There are 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.
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.
A walking safari is the bush on foot, led by expert armed guides.
Explore → ExperienceThe largest sheet of falling water on earth, and a natural wonder.
Explore → Southern AfricaA Botswana safari is Africa’s water wilderness: the Okavango Delta, Chobe and the Kalahari.
Explore → RegionThe desert, the delta and the falls, across Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Explore →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.
Tell us how you like to travel and start with a complimentary consultation.
Plan your safari