There is no better place in Africa for a walking safari than North Luangwa National Park. In the hands of your extraordinary guides, a walking safari in this remote wilderness offers a sense of what Africa was like 50 years ago. It is a transformative experience, as much therapy as wildlife viewing. There may be predators around, but you will feel exhilarated and renewed. It comes as the climax of a profoundly immersive Zambian wildlife safari that includes Victoria Falls, and the Lower Zambezi.
Mwaleshi Camp is only open in the dry season from mid-June to the end of October. Please note that October can be very hot.
Price depends on the experiences and accommodation included, and your time of travel. It is based on two adults travelling for 12 nights and does not include international flights.
2 nights at Tongabezi, 3 nights Mchenja Camp, 4 nights at Mwaleshi Camp, 3 nights at Chongwe Camp.
What makes this Zambia walking safari special?
- Privately guided by Zambia’s finest naturalist guides, you’ll experience a spectacular diversity of habitats and the wildlife that inhabits them.
- Experience the bush in an intimate and multi-sensory way that is simply impossible when on a vehicle safari.
- Wonderful combination of exquisite tented camps and remote bush comforts.
- Fabulous wildlife sightings from the Big Five to the tiny creatures that might otherwise be missed.
Your private Zambia walking safari itinerary
The Victoria Falls your way
Livingstone
Begin your trip to Zambia by the Zambezi River as it tumbles more than 300 feet over a mile-wide basalt cliff to create the Victoria Falls: the world’s largest curtain of water. Experience this natural wonder in a way that best suits you. Take to the air in a helicopter or microlight. Relax, sundowner in hand, as you cruise the Zambezi. Drink in its beauty slowly on a private walking tour–even better at full moon when a lunar rainbow adorns the falls.
Thrill to the surge of its white water on a rafting trip through the Batoka Gorge. Visit some of the inspiring nearby community and conservation projects. One of the most exciting ways is to zip across the fast-moving river to Livingstone Island for a picnic, followed by a pulse-quickening dip in Devil’s Pool right at the lip of the falls.
A river runs through it
South Luangwa National Park
Many consider South Luangwa National Park to be Africa’s finest wildlife sanctuary. This rich ecosystem, bisected by the life-giving Luangwa River, supports a wide range of herbivores from buffalo and impala to puku and Crawshay’s zebra. These in turn sustain high densities of predators from lion and leopard to hyena and wild dog.
At Norman Carr’s flagship camp, Time + Tide Mchenja, enjoy the epitome of bush luxury on the banks of the Luangwa River, while superb private guides take you out each day on safari by foot or in vehicles. The game viewing here is simply exceptional. Expect large herds of elephants and rivers packed with hippos and crocs. Night drives are often productive. And, at the right time of year, this is one of the park’s top locations for carmine bee-eaters.
Walking the wild
North Luangwa National Park
A short bush flight and a world away, North Luangwa National Park is life-changing. Here you’ll experience Africa at its rawest–a wilderness best accessed on foot, untarnished by vehicle tracks. Hidden on a remote bend of a tributary of the Luangwa River, and within the park’s rhino sanctuary, simple but homely Mwaleshi Camp offers, we think, the continent’s finest walking safari. Heading out each day with Zambia’s most accomplished guides, your senses will become profoundly attuned to the surrounding bush.
Stop and learn about things you’d never appreciate from a vehicle from a tiny elephant shrew to the fascinating insects found in spoor. Heart beating out of your chest, with luck you’ll encounter huge tuskers, delicate wide-eyed antelope, a pack of wild dogs on patrol, or a vast herd of buffalo with a pride of lion in tow.
Relaxing by the Zambezi
Lower Zambezi National Park
After the wilds of North Luangwa, some restorative luxury among the tranquil beauty of the Lower Zambezi is a fine way to end your trip. Time + Tide Chongwe Camp, situated at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chongwe rivers, is just the ticket. Use your time here to tick off the Big Five, go out canoeing past grunting hippos, indulge in a spot of fishing, or just sit outside and drink in the views of river and mountains. Lean back, take a deep breath, and let the energy of this extraordinary place revitalise your mind and soul.
Where you'll stay on your Zambia walking safari
Great journeys need great places to lay your head. These are our tried and tested suggestions.
Tongabezi Lodge
Situated right on the Zambezi River just upstream from the hubbub of the Victoria Falls, Tongabezi Lodge is a sanctuary of style and romance appealing to those who value privacy, restrained luxury and service that is attentive without ever seeming to hover. Choose a river cottage or a private house (some have their own plunge pool), and you’ll have sweeping river views and a calm disturbed only by the odd grunt of a hippo. There’s a range of tailored experiences to enjoy, too, from private river cruises to a candlelit dinner on a floating sampan.
Time + Tide Mchenja
Time + Tide Mchenja may be intimate, chic and understatedly luxurious. But make no mistake, a stay here offers one of Zambia’s most authentic safari experiences and a deep connection with South Luangwa National Park. Shaded by a grove of ebonies, the camp’s five tented rooms open onto stunning views of the hippo- and croc-filled river. Guides here are exceptional, sharing their deep knowledge on game drives and walking safaris where you might spot lion, leopard or elephant. Between adventures, relax in the open-air lounge or enjoy an alfresco dinner while flickering lanterns cast a warm glow across camp.
Mwaleshi Camp
Rebuilt every year, and only open from mid-June to October, Mwaleshi Camp is a truly special place in the heart of the raw and remote wilderness of Zambia’s North Luangwa National Park. While deliberately simple, we think there’s no finer place in Africa to take a walking safari. Guided by some of Zambia’s most skilled and passionate naturalists, you’ll gain a genuine reverence for the wild, whether identifying subtle animal tracks and hidden birds or sharing a close encounter with a buffalo.
Time + Tide Chongwe Camp
Embraced by the beauty of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, Chongwe Camp has a relaxed and intimate feel, with the soft hum of the river and distant wildlife only adding to the camp’s peaceful ambience. Chongwe’s elegant rusticity (not to mention the odd elephant wandering through camp) makes you feel connected to the land, while the staff know just how to make you feel special, whether that’s setting up a bush dinner under the stars or a sundowner by the river.
Customise your private Zambia walking safari
All of our journeys are fully bespoke, and can be customised to meet your needs, interests and preferences. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.
Experience the thrill of Africa’s wilderness at night by including a sleepout in South Luangwa National Park.
Include a few days at the fabulous Luambe Camp in between the North and South Luangwa to have the wildlife to yourself and experience the Luangwa of yesteryear.
Experience the biodiversity of Liuwa Plain in western Zambia while staying at extraordinary King Lewanika Lodge.
Look for shoebill and millions of migrating fruit bats in northern Zambia’s Bangweulu Wetlands and Kasanka National Park.
Relax and snorkel among brightly coloured cichlid fish while staying on the shores of Lake Malawi.
Looking for more inspiration?
We have a huge range of inspiring private experiences and accommodation options available. Get in touch with our Zambia specialists.
ENQUIRELearn more about our luxury holidays, or call our expert Africa team on +44 1367 850566 / 1-855-216-5040 (toll free) to discuss how we can turn your dreams into something truly magical.
“Nothing but breathing the air of Africa, and actually walking through it, can communicate the indescribable sensations.”