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
Visa — none needed. US passport holders don’t need a visa to visit Zambia as a tourist. Simply share your itinerary at the port of entry and you’ll be issued a tourist visa on arrival, good for up to 90 days (per calendar year; any extension must be approved by Zambian Immigration). If your trip crosses into Zimbabwe around Victoria Falls, ask for the KAZA UniVisa on arrival — one visa covering both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date, with 3 blank pages. If you transit through South Africa, you’ll also need 2 consecutive completely blank visa pages (endorsement pages don’t count).
Vaccinations. None required to enter. A yellow-fever certificate is required only if you’re arriving from a country where yellow fever is a risk.
Good to know. No limit on currency in or out. Cannabis and CBD — in any form — are illegal. A departure tax applies when you leave: it’s included in international airfares, but for private or chartered domestic flights you’ll pay a small fee in Zambian Kwacha at the airport gate.
U.S. Embassy, Lusaka: zm.usembassy.gov
Guidance for US passport holders — if you travel on another passport, please confirm the requirements for your nationality.
Every departure runs a similar route with all-in pricing. Prices vary by season.
Inclusions: Safari lodge and camp rates are inclusive of all meals, drinks, and most activities — including game drives — but exclude top-shelf drinks and premium activities like helicopter excursions. City and beach stays follow each property's own board basis, shown on the lodge.
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