12 Days Safari In Zambia

From $8,950 per person (based on 2 pax, mid-range lodges)
Discover Zambia’s Legendary Wilderness with an Expertly Curated 12-Day Safari Holiday
Zambia Luxury Wildlife Tours | South Luangwa Walking Safaris | Lower Zambezi River Adventures | Victoria Falls Travel Packages

Day 1: Arrival in Lusaka – Fly to South Luangwa National Park

• Arrival Point: Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (Lusaka)
• Domestic Connection: 1.5-hour flight to Mfuwe Airport
• Ground Transfer: ~1 hour to your lodge inside South Luangwa National Park

Upon arrival at Lusaka, you are greeted and assisted onto a connecting flight to Mfuwe. Touching down in the remote eastern province of Zambia, your guide welcomes you and drives you through a patchwork of local homesteads, baobab-dotted savannah, and into South Luangwa National Park.

At your lodge, take in panoramic views of the Luangwa River, home to countless hippos and crocodiles, before sitting down to lunch.

Late Afternoon:

After tea and a short safety briefing, head out for your first sunset game drive. As golden light pours across the plains, look for:

• Towering giraffes browsing mopane trees

• Elephant herds lumbering toward the river
• Leopards, South Luangwa’s hallmark species, often sighted hunting at dusk

Your drive continues into darkness, when you’ll switch to a spotlight for Zambia’s signature night safari, seeking out nocturnal species like civets, genets, bush babies, and hunting hyenas.

Dinner and overnight at: Flatdogs Camp / Kafunta River Lodge / Mfuwe Lodge

Day 2: Walking Safari & Night Drive – Into the Heart of the Bush

• Morning Activity: Walking Safari (2.5–3 hours)
• Afternoon: Leisure & siesta
• Evening: Game drive with spotlighting

Begin your day just before sunrise with a light breakfast. Set out on foot with a professional walking guide and an armed scout. This is South Luangwa’s specialty, it is the birthplace of the walking safari.

Wander along animal trails and dry riverbeds, where every print and sound tells a story. Learn to distinguish:

• Buffalo hoofprints vs. antelope tracks

• Predator scat and scratch marks on trees

• The uses of local medicinal plants and termite mounds

Return to camp late morning for a bush brunch. Spend midday resting by the plunge pool or in your private tent, where wildlife may walk by your deck.

In the late afternoon, join another game drive. Tonight, your guide focuses on locating big cats, especially leopards and lions, which are often most active after dark.

Dinner and overnight at same lodge

Day 3: Full-Day Safari to Nsefu Sector – Untouched Wilds of Northern Luangwa

• Departure: After early breakfast
• Route: Drive to Nsefu or Chichele sector with packed lunch
• Duration: 8–10 hours round-trip with stops

Today you’ll venture farther into less-frequented areas of South Luangwa, like the Nsefu Sector, once home to Zambia’s first photographic camp. The terrain opens into wide grassy plains, salt pans, and ebony thickets, perfect for predator activity.

Expect to see:

• Lions resting in the shade of sausage trees

• Crowned cranes, marabou storks, and fish eagles

• Massive buffalo herds and possibly African wild dogs

Enjoy lunch at a scenic bend in the river and return to camp by sunset.

Dinner and overnight in South Luangwa

Day 4: Optional Cultural Visit or More Walking & Night Drive

Today is flexible and paced at your preference:

Option 1 – Cultural Visit:

Visit a local village just outside the park to understand life in rural Zambia. Tour the community school, meet artisans at Tribal Textiles, and witness daily activities like maize milling, weaving, or basket making.

Option 2 – Advanced Walking Safari:

Return to the bush for another foot exploration, this time focusing on ecology, birdwatching, and hidden signs of predators like overturned dung, scratch marks, and vulture behavior.

Late afternoon, head out for your final South Luangwa game drive.

Dinner and overnight at same lodge

Day 5: Fly to Lower Zambezi National Park – The Wild River Frontier

• Flight Route: Mfuwe to Jeki or Royal Airstrip (via Lusaka)
• Transfer: Game-viewing boat or jeep transfer to camp

After breakfast, transfer to Mfuwe Airport and fly to Lower Zambezi National Park, a lush, floodplain-rich park stretching along the Zambezi River opposite Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools.

Upon landing, your guide picks you up by boat or safari vehicle, and your game-viewing begins immediately. Arrive at a riverside lodge or luxury tented camp, set amid mahogany or fig trees.

Evening:

Take a sunset cruise along the Zambezi, drifting past hippos, elephants crossing the channel, and vibrant birdlife.

Dinner and overnight at: Anabezi Camp / Baines River Camp / Chongwe River Camp

Day 6: Canoe Safari & Afternoon Game Drive

• Morning: Canoe through narrow Zambezi channels
• Afternoon: Game drive or optional tiger fishing

Start early with a guided canoe safari, a quiet, immersive way to see:

• Elephants feeding in the reeds, just meters away
• Hippo pods yawning and snorting
• Waterbirds like goliath herons, jacanas, and African skimmers

Return for brunch and relax before a vehicle-based safari into inland woodland habitats, where leopards and lions stalk impala and bushbuck.

Overnight in Lower Zambezi

Day 7: Walking Safari & Sunset Cruise

This morning, walk along dry game paths with your guide to discover animal tracking, local tree uses, and hidden activity like:

• Termite mound colonies
• Nesting birds in ancient fig trees
• Impala “barking” to warn of predators

After lunch, enjoy a leisurely river cruise, with gin & tonics in hand, as the sun dips behind the Zambezi Escarpment.

Overnight in Lower Zambezi

Day 8: Full-Day Safari or Fishing Adventure

Choose your preferred mix today:

• Full-day safari with lunch in the bush
• Tiger fishing (catch and release)
• More walking and photography sessions

Wildlife is abundant, and your guides tailor the day to your interests.

Overnight in Lower Zambezi

Day 9: Fly to Livingstone – Arrival at Victoria Falls

• Route: Flight from Lower Zambezi to Livingstone
• Transfer: Road to your hotel near the falls

Today you fly to the tourism capital of Zambia, Livingstone, the gateway to Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Settle into your riverside lodge and enjoy a relaxed evening. Optional visit to local craft markets.

Overnight at: Waterberry Lodge / Avani Victoria Falls / Royal Livingstone

Day 10: Guided Victoria Falls Tour & Optional Scenic Activities

After breakfast, set off on a private guided tour of Victoria Falls. Witness the mighty Mosi-oa-Tunya (“The Smoke That Thunders”) from several viewpoints:

• Knife Edge Bridge

• Devil’s Cataract

• Rainbow Falls

Optional afternoon activities (extra cost):

• Helicopter flight over the Falls
• Devil’s Pool swim (seasonal)
• White water rafting or sunset cruise

Overnight in Livingstone

Day 11: Adventure Day – Final Excursions or Relaxation

Spend your final full day exploring or relaxing:

• Take a game drive in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park to see rhinos, zebras, giraffes

• Enjoy a river cruise, spa treatment, or just take in the view from your lodge
• Visit Livingstone Island, if water levels allow

Overnight in Livingstone

Day 12: Departure – Transfer to Airport

After breakfast, check out and transfer to Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport for your onward flight, marking the end of your unforgettable 12-day Zambia safari.

 What’s Included:

• 11 nights’ accommodation in safari lodges and boutique hotels
• All domestic flights: Lusaka–Mfuwe, Mfuwe–Lower Zambezi, Lower Zambezi–Livingstone
• Daily safari activities: game drives, walking safaris, canoeing, boat cruises
• Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), tea/coffee, snacks
• Guided Victoria Falls entry and tour
• All park entry and conservation fees
• Ground transfers between airports and lodges
• Expert guides and trackers
• Filtered water throughout the trip

 Not Included:

• International flights to/from Zambia
• Zambia visa (USD $50 per entry)
• Optional adventure activities in Livingstone
• Premium alcoholic beverages, tips, laundry
• Travel insurance (compulsory)

 Highlights Summary:

• Walking safaris in the birthplace of the experience – South Luangwa

• Canoe and boat safaris in Lower Zambezi, with riverside wildlife galore
• Exceptional predator tracking, birdwatching, and Big Five sightings
• Immersive cultural interactions and optional activities
• A dramatic finale at Victoria Falls, one of Africa’s greatest icons