Zambia National Parks, Safaris and Wildlife Reserves

(Zambia, ZM, Southern Africa)

Zambia is home to some 19 national parks, together with over 30 managed game areas. Its rich safari heritage includes walking safaris, which were pioneered in the South Luangwa National Park.

Walking safaris offer a closer view of both the wildlife and the environment in which the animals roam. As you would expect, though, a shorter distance is covered each day.

Zambia's national parks are also able to offer a different game-viewing experience in the form of night-time safaris, which allow visitors a better chance of spotting some of the country's most elusive inhabitants, including leopards and porcupines.

Kafue National Park

Address: Namwala D769, Zambia, ZM, Africa
Kafue is the oldest and largest of Zambia's national parks. Despite its central location and relatively easy accessibility from Lusaka, however, it remains surprisingly untouched by tourism. Kafue is home to a vast range of animal species. The Busanga Plain in the north-west of the park is widely regarded as the best place to view big game, such as lions, leopards and cheetahs. In the south, the area around the Itezhi Tezhi Dam, which forms a huge inland sea, is home to a rich diversity of bird and animal species, including zebra and wildebeest.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

South Luangwa National Park

Address: Mambwe, Zambia, ZM, Africa
Wildlife population density rates are very high in the South Luangwa National Park. In particular, the park prides itself on the high concentration of hippos that wade through the mud of the Luangwa River. Herds of up to 70 elephants can also be seen here, while giraffes, various antelope and primate species are also much in evidence. Harder to spot is the resident population of leopards. Game and night drives are on offer in South Luangwa. However, the park is perhaps best known for its pioneering role in developing the 'walking safari', which has allowed thousands of visitors to get closer to nature.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Lower Zambezi National Park

Address: Chongwe, Zambia, ZM, Africa
The Lower Zambezi National Park is nowhere near as highly developed for tourists as many of Zambia's other parks, nor is its wildlife variety as diverse. That said, it offers plenty of opportunities to view what is essentially a vast wilderness area of flood plains, grasslands and forests. Game density is deep, thanks to such a rich landscape. Most of the wildlife can be viewed around the valley floor and along the water's edge. Canoeing trips are particularly popular and provide the best way to explore the remote channels that lie between the islands which offer the best opportunities for big game spotting.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Kasanka National Park

Address: Serenje, Zambia, ZM, Africa
The Kasanka National Park is unusual because, unlike most other parks in the country, it is privately managed. As such, its survival depends completely on the funds raised from tourism and charitable means. The rich diversity of animal, plant and bird life is renowned, despite the fact that it is one of the smallest in Zambia. In particular, Kasanka is noted for its large fruit bat population, with bats roosting in the woodlands and filling the skies when twilight falls during November and December. Guided bat walks are offered, while the terrain allows for relatively accessible walking safaris.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

North Luangwa National Park

Address: Chama, Zambia, ZM, Africa
Access to the North Luangwa National Park is strictly limited to walking safaris operated by a select group of operators. The site is not otherwise open to the general public. Access tracks are few and far between. Such strict rules are aimed at maintaining its status as one of the most important wilderness areas in the whole of Africa.
Open hours: limited access
Admission: charge

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park

Address: Livingstone, Zambia, ZM, Africa
Mosi-oa-Tunya is a relatively small park that stretches along the Upper Zambezi and includes the famous Victoria Falls. It is possible to enjoy a circular drive through the park in your own vehicle. Along the way, you may be able to spot elephants, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, buffaloes and antelope. A small population of white rhinos also live here. In more recent years, elephant-back safaris have been added to the tourist activities on offer.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Nsumbu National Park

Address: Mpulugu, Zambia, ZM, Africa
Situated on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in northern Zambia, the natural landscape of the Nsumbu National Park includes not just the lake, but also cliffs and beaches, as well as hills and valleys. Visitors can opt to view the wild animals by boat, or take a conventional game drive. Big game fishing is also popular, as is boat cruising on the lake. In recent years, many new wild animals have been introduced to compensate for heavy poaching. These new additions include a number of elephants and buffaloes.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge