Walk between bushcamps in South Luangwa, then paddle the Lower Zambezi.
This safari adventure gets you out of the vehicle and on foot or in a canoe. Begin in the South Luangwa Valley with a classic walking trail between remote bushcamps, covering new ground each morning on a three-hour walk with an armed scout and a senior guide. The landscape changes with every camp: riverine forest gives way to open floodplain, mopane woodland to ebony groves. After the walking trail, fly south to the Lower Zambezi for a change of pace — canoe safaris, tiger fishing, and game drives along the river. Fly back to Lusaka on the final morning. Note that the routing between camps on this itinerary can differ because of limited availability. Many of the bush camps only have four rooms.
Arrival airport
1 night
Start at a comfortable river lodge to settle into the rhythm of the bush. Morning and evening game drives follow the Luangwa's channels and oxbow lagoons, where hippo pods and crocodiles are constant company. Night drives here are exceptional — South Luangwa is one of the few parks in Africa that permits them, and leopard sightings after dark are almost routine. It is the ideal base before heading deeper into the valley on foot.
1 night
Move beyond the main game-drive circuits into the remote walking country that made South Luangwa famous. Days are spent on foot with an armed scout and a senior guide, tracking elephant herds through mopane woodland and following fresh leopard spoor along dry riverbeds. The bushcamps are small — usually just four rooms — and there is nothing between you and the bush. This is safari at its most immersive.
1 night
Continue the walking trail to a second camp in a different habitat zone, keeping every day varied. The landscape shifts from dense riverine forest to open floodplains dotted with carmine bee-eater colonies. Walking between camps is the point — you cover real ground and start to understand the ecosystem as the guides do, reading animal signs, tracking by spoor, and learning how the bush connects. Nights are spent around the fire with nowhere to be but here.
2 nights
The Lower Zambezi is where land and water safari converge. Canoe silently past drinking elephants, fish for tiger fish in the rapids, and return to camp for afternoon game drives through pristine mopane forest. The camps here sit right on the Zambezi River with the Zambezi Escarpment as a backdrop — the setting is cinematic. It is less visited than South Luangwa, which means fewer vehicles and a genuine sense of wilderness.
2 nights
Move downstream to a second riverside camp for a fresh perspective on the Lower Zambezi. The scenery shifts as the river widens and the game-viewing corridors change — different elephant herds, new hippo pods, and a different light on the escarpment. Moving between two camps on the same river is one of the best ways to experience the Lower Zambezi without retracing your steps.
Departure airport
Every departure runs a similar route with all-in pricing. Prices vary by season.
Don't see what you're looking for?
We'll check whether this itinerary runs on different dates — sometimes with alternate lodges when the flagship is full.
Don't see the dates or lodges you want? Our safari experts will build a custom trip around you.
Plan a Custom Trip