Luxury Walking Safari in South Luangwa, Zambia
Walking safaris are widely regarded as the finest way to experience wildlife in its natural environment, and here you explore Africa at ground level, where every footprint, call and shadow tells a story – truly what dreams of Africa are made of.
Why Choose a Walking Safari in South Luangwa National Park
Zambia is renowned for offering some of the best walking safaris in Africa, and South Luangwa National Park stands as the ultimate destination for this immersive experience. Wildlife is abundant along the Luangwa River and its oxbow lagoons, home to one of the highest densities of leopard in southern Africa, alongside thriving elephant and hippo populations and the endemic Thornicroft’s giraffe. Over 400 bird species, alongside diverse flora, insects and animal tracks, add depth and discovery to every walk.
Walking here is led by highly knowledgeable walking guides, with a clear focus on understanding the wildlife and the surrounding ecosystem, rather than simply observing it.
Why Walking Safaris Are Unmatched
Walking safaris bring you closer to the rhythms of the bush than any vehicle-based safari. Every step allows you to observe animal tracks, bird calls, insects, plants, and trees – all while moving silently through the wilderness. This style of safari engages all your senses, deepening your understanding and connection to the land and its wildlife.
"Most safaris keep you at a distance. Our Zambia walking safari draws you into the heart of the wilderness, shaped not by engines or tracks, but by silence, space and exceptional guiding."
What Your South Luangwa Walking Safari Includes
The particulars of your walking safari will be tailored to your interests, how much walking you want to do, and the duration of your holiday. However, our experts’ top recommendation for walking in South Luangwa is to spend a few days on a mobile safari.
Your safari starts with a night or two at a tented camp in South Luangwa, featuring day and night game drives to acquaint you with the park’s incredible wildlife. This initial phase is an opportunity to observe elephants, hippos, leopards, and Thornicroft’s giraffe in their natural habitats, while learning about the Luangwa ecosystem from your expert guides.
After this introduction, you embark on a mobile walking safari through remote areas of the park, with mobile fly camps set up exclusively for your group, ensuring privacy and unrivalled access to the natural environment. Over the course of 3-4 nights you take gentle walks, arriving to your fly camp in the afternoon before setting off again the following morning towards your destination; finish at tented camp where you can relax before your onwards travel.
Walking distances are gentle – rarely more than 10km a day over mostly flat terrain – allowing you to stop to observe wildlife and fully appreciate tracks, birdlife, insects, and flora.
Days follow the natural rhythm of the bush: sunrise walks, coffee beneath leadwood trees, quiet pauses in the heat, and afternoon or optional night explorations. Every sight, sound, and scent becomes part of your unforgettable safari experience.
Tailor your South Luangwa Walking Safari
Depending on how many days you have available to spend walking, your fitness level and interest in walking, our experts will tailor your stay in the South Luangwa to ensure the walking element suits your personal needs.
Camp-based walks: Stay in one tented camp and enjoy guided morning and afternoon walks, with time for wildlife hides, game drives and community visits in between.
Camp-to-camp: Spend a few nights walking between comfortable bush camps, each reached within a single morning on foot — ideal for more walking without fly-camping.
Fly-camping: For the greatest immersion, extend the mobile fly-camping element and explore deeper into South Luangwa’s wilderness.
Our Experts’ Top Walking Safari Camps
Our experts’ top walking safari camps each offer a unique experience. Tafika blends riverside charm with expert guiding, where generations of family care create an authentic Luangwa experience. Kaingo is a relaxed, stylish camp with river views and wildlife hides that allow you to experience close encounters with elephants and other animals at waterholes – truly rare opportunities for visitors.
Puku Ridge, perched above the Kakumbi Dambo floodplain, immerses you in sweeping panoramas and the wildlife-rich landscape, creating a feeling of being suspended above the plains. Robin Pope offers some of the best options for truly mobile walking safaris in the most remote parts of the National Park. Ultimately, we tailor the choice of camp around your preferences to ensure your safari is perfectly suited to you.
Conservation and Community Impact in South Luangwa
Each of these camps is invested in protecting the Luangwa Valley and supporting the people who call it home. A stay at Kaingo contributes to Project Luangwa, strengthening local education and long-term opportunity, while Tafika Camp’s Tafika Fund supports anti-poaching patrols, wildlife research, schools and a village clinic. If you would like to visit any of these community projects, our experts can arrange this as part of your journey to deepen your understanding and help you make a tangible personal impact.
When to Visit South Luangwa for Walking Safaris
The prime walking season is June to October during the dry season, when wildlife concentrates along rivers and lagoons. In contrast, the Emerald Season (November to April) offers verdant landscapes, calving herds, flowering plants and fewer visitors, which creates a quieter, more contemplative safari. Both seasons provide exceptional walking safaris, whether you want to see plenty of wildlife or enjoy peaceful solitude.
Extending Your Zambia Safari
For an extended Zambia safari holiday, South Luangwa can be combined with the Lower Zambezi National Park for a river-based safari experience or Victoria Falls for a few nights of relaxation, canoeing, fishing, and additional game drives. Our 12-night Zambia walking itinerary, “Heart and Sole”, includes 2 nights at Victoria Falls as well as immersive walking experiences in both North and South Luangwa National Parks, as well as the Lower Zambezi, for a truly comprehensive experience of Zambia.
Experience a private, luxury walking safari in South Luangwa with unrivalled access to the wilderness. Speak to our experts to tailor your journey.
