This popular guided 14 Days Zambia Safari takes you to the three big tourist destinations in Zambia. Your adventure will start in Livingstone which is home to the Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Then you tour Kafue National Park which is among AfricaÔÇÖs largest parks and contains incredible diversity of wildlife. Your safari will end in South Luangwa National Park, home of the walking safaris. Possible extensions to this safari include a visit to Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Uganda.
14 Days Zambia Safari Summary
Day 1: Start of Safari in Livingstone, Including Zambezi River Boat Cruise
Day 2: Victoria Falls and afternoon optional adventure activity
Day 3: Livingstone to Kafue National Park (South)
Day 4: Kafue National Park (South)
Day 5: Kafue National Park (South to Central)
Day 6: Kafue National Park (Central)
Day 7: Kafue National Park (Central)
Day 8: Kafue National Park to Lusaka
Day 9: Lusaka to South Luangwa National Park
Day 10: South Luangwa National Park
Day 11: South Luangwa National Park
Day 12: South Luangwa National Park
Day 13: South Luangwa National Park to Lusaka
Day 14: Transfer to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and Departure
14 Days Zambia Safari Details
Day 1: Start of Safari in Livingstone, Including Zambezi River Boat Cruise
Your fantastic 14 Days Zambia Safari will start as soon as you land at the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport (LVI) near the town of Livingstone in the south of the country.
You will be met by our representative who will help load the bags into our comfortable safari vehicle before you set off for your pre-booked lodge situated nearby.
Livingstone is the main tourism hub for the nearby Victoria Falls. The town was named after Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone, the first European to explore the region. It’s a laid-back, welcoming town with a few good museums and excellent restaurants.
Your accommodation for the next two nights is located on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River. After settling in and getting acquainted with the surroundings, youÔÇÖll head to the river for a thrilling activity that will stay in your memory for a long time. You will board one of the many comfortable cruisers that glide up and down River Zambezi on a daily basis, with staff that know the river intimately.
YouÔÇÖll be offered some drinks and snacks while slowly cruising the river for two hours, a truly unforgettable experience. Recall to look not just at the superb sunset (amazing photos guaranteed!), but also the fauna and flora on the water and at the waterÔÇÖs edge. You can see Elephant, Buffalo, huge Crocodiles, African Skimmer, African Finfoot to name just a few.
After the cruise youÔÇÖll return to the lodge and freshen up. Then itÔÇÖs time to enjoy a sundowner drink and your welcome dinner.
In the background youÔÇÖll have the sounds of the wildlife that live along the mighty Zambezi. Then youÔÇÖll settle in for a good nightÔÇÖs sleep. Welcome to Zambia!
Day 2: Victoria Falls And Afternoon Optional Adventure Activity
Today, you will enjoy a cup of coffee and breakfast before heading to the iconic Victoria Falls where youÔÇÖll spend the morning enjoying one of the natural wonders of the world and hiking in the riverine woodland around the falls.
The great waterfall was initially mentioned to Scottish missionary explorer David Livingstone in 1851, but he didn’t really go to see it until 1855. After walking down the river, he made his way to Kalai Island, a few kilometers upstream of the falls, where he spent the night.
The next morning, he ventured out in a small boat to get closer to the thundering smoke he had seen from a distance. His first sight of the Falls came when he landed on Livingstone Island, the largest island on the edge of the falls. He wrote, ÔÇ£No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flightÔÇØ.
Known to locals as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or ÔÇÿThe Smoke That ThundersÔÇÖ ÔÇô Victoria Falls is one of the ÔÇ£Seven Natural Wonders of the WorldÔÇØ and a World Heritage Site.
When itÔÇÖs at its peak, which is around April every year, a staggering 750,000 m3 of water thunders down the cliff face per MINUTE, making it the worldÔÇÖs largest waterfall by volume! However, no amount of cold facts can prepare you for the sight of this unfathomably vast and powerful body of water that plunges into the Zambezi gorge. It truly is majestic and unforgettable, and a must-see for adventure and wildlife travellers from all over the globe.
DonÔÇÖt forget to bring your cameras ÔÇô itÔÇÖs impossible to take too many photos of Vic Falls! Also remember to come with a raincoat when entering the small park connected to the falls; even in the dry season the spray form the falls can make you quite wet. You will hike along the footpaths of the park, looking for some of the special bird species and smaller mammals.
You will have lunch somewhere in town close to the falls after an exhilarating morning. The afternoon is all yours! The town of Victoria Falls is rightly known as AfricaÔÇÖs ÔÇ£adventure capitalÔÇØ, and there is a lot to do here. You can choose from a wide variety of optional activities this afternoon, including;
- A helicopter or microlight flight over the falls and surrounding area (highly recommended)
- Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge
- White water rafting on the Zambezi River
- Guided walking safari in Mosi-Oa-Tunya national park for the only chance to see Rhinos on this trip
- Abseiling at the Victoria Falls gorge
- Canoe trips on the Zambezi river
- Zipline and gorge swings
After your exciting afternoon youÔÇÖll return to the lodge and for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Livingstone To Kafue National Park (South)
Day three of your 14 Days Zambia Safari will begin with an early breakfast at the lodge. Then youÔÇÖll check out and hop into the vehicle for your drive north.
The drive will take about 5 to 6 hours to reach the Kafue National Park. YouÔÇÖll enjoy a packed picnic lunch in a nice spot somewhere on your travels today.
You will enter Kafue via the Dundumwezi Gate in the south, and then you have your first game drive en route lodge for about 50 km, going through some beautiful woodland and the famous savannah plains of the south of the park.
YouÔÇÖll see your first Kafue animals on this drive, and youÔÇÖll soon see why we love this park so much. Most of the time you will be the only vehicle at a big game sighting, something that is basically unheard of in east or southern AfricaÔÇÖs wildlife reserves. A rare privilege!
You are in ZambiaÔÇÖs oldest and largest national park, and at 22,400 km2 it is a massive tract of land being conserved, similar in size to the country of Wales and the second largest park in all of Africa! It was gazetted in the 1950s by the legendary Norman Carr, British conservationist who set up many of this areaÔÇÖs conservation areas.
The park is named for the Kafue River that starts in the northwest of Zambia, traverses the park, and eventually empties into River Zambezi on the countryÔÇÖs southern border.
Regardless of the ParkÔÇÖs closeness to Lusaka, it has remained relatively underdeveloped and it is still a raw and diverse slice of African wilderness with excellent game viewing, birdwatching and fishing opportunities. YouÔÇÖll reach your lodge in the mid-afternoon and check in, have a drink and relax before enjoying an excellent 3 course dinner and a good nightÔÇÖs sleep.
Day 4: Kafue National Park (South)
After a good breakfast today, youÔÇÖll go for full day tour of Kafue. YouÔÇÖll do things slightly different this morning, as you go off touring the area around your lodge on a 3 hour bush walk with an experienced local guide. It is a fantastic experience getting so close to nature, feeling the African soil under your feet as you look for all sorts of creatures, big and small.
YouÔÇÖll also learn a lot about the ecology, geology, habitat and other interesting things. YouÔÇÖll return to the lodge for a sumptuous brunch, and then you have a few hours to yourself for a siesta, or just relaxing. In the mid-afternoon, you will have some snacks and a coffee or tea before you go out on an afternoon game drive.
On the game drive, youÔÇÖll have a chance to see Elephants, Lions, Wildebeests, Zebras, the beautiful Sable and Roan Antelope, Defassa Waterbuck, Hartebeest, Greater Kudu, Southern Lechwe, Common Eland, Duikers, Oribi, Puku and Impala.
If you are lucky, you might also see the rare African Painted Wolves, along with Spotted Hyena and Side-striped Jackal, and maybe even a Caracal.
From a birding perspective, Kafue truly is a paradise. This park contains over 500 species, including specials like Wattled Crane, Grey Crowned Crane, PelÔÇÖs Fishing Owl, and the near endemic Black-cheeked Lovebird.
On the night part of your game drive, youÔÇÖll look for some of the nocturnal species such as Leopard, Serval, Civet, genets, galagos, Pangolin, African Scoops Owl and more. YouÔÇÖll return to the lodge to freshen up and have some drinks followed by another 3 course dinner.
Day 5: Kafue National Park (South To Central)
After a relaxed breakfast today, you will check out and leave the lodge. You travel north to your next camp, where youÔÇÖll stay for 3 nights. YouÔÇÖll cross the parkÔÇÖs large section during your drive of about 250km. YouÔÇÖll see the parkÔÇÖs diverse habitats, including floodplains, miombo woodland and beautiful marshy dambos.
YouÔÇÖll see loads of game and birds on your drive, so we will take it slow and make time for photographs. YouÔÇÖll enjoy a packed picnic lunch en route, maybe next to the beautiful Itezhi-tezhi dam, where you can see your African Buffalo of the safari.
Remember to concentrate on the antelope species too, as Kafue has many species that occur nowhere else in southern Africa. YouÔÇÖll reach your lodge in the late afternoon for relaxation, dinner and overnight. Tomorrow we explore the game-rich central area of Kafue.
Day 6: Kafue National Park (Central)
Day six of your 14 Days Zambia Safari will start with coffee and breakfast at the lodge. You then go on a bush walk for about 3 hours.
The expert guides will take you through everything that this section of Kafue has to offer that otherwise goes unnoticed, showing how the whole ecosystem works together to support the greater conservation area of the park. YouÔÇÖll find nature at its most untouched on this walk, and it really is a wonderful experience. We will head back to camp for lunch and some relaxation time.
In the mid-afternoon, youÔÇÖll get together for an exciting game drive. The guides will take you on several loops throughout the park, where youÔÇÖll find many antelopes and if youÔÇÖre lucky, even Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Wild Dogs and Cheetahs.
YouÔÇÖll find a nice spot to stop for a drink and watch the sun go down, before proceeding into the night, attempting to spot some nocturnal species like the cute Galago, Genet, Honey Badger as well as some cats if you are lucky.
After our exciting day youÔÇÖll head back to your camp to freshen up. Then youÔÇÖll enjoy a delicious dinner a good nightÔÇÖs rest, because tomorrow another full day awaits!
Day 7: Kafue National Park (Central)
After a quick coffee, head out on a 3 to 4 hour morning game drive before it gets too hot, and to catch some of the nocturnal species returning to their dens or burrows.
YouÔÇÖll watch the sunrise as you search for game, then have a short tea and coffee break to stretch the legs, and continue the drive.
YouÔÇÖll soon agree that this is what a real African safari should be like: excellent game viewing with a rich diversity of wildlife, stunning landscapes and unspoiled by mass tourism. Later, youÔÇÖll arrive at camp for a hot breakfast/brunch.
Then the rest of day is at your leisure, before you get together in the mid-afternoon again for thrilling sunset boat cruise! YouÔÇÖll cruise slowly up the river, giving you the chance to take in the surroundings, have some sundowners and watch the glorious sunset.
You can bet your money youÔÇÖll see lots of Hippos and some monstrous Nile Crocodiles, as well as lots of birds, all the while learning even more from a brilliant local guide. After the cruise, you will return to the camp to relax and have dinner with the night creeping in.
Day 8: Kafue National Park To Lusaka
Day eight of your 14 Days Zambia Safari will start with a later, more relaxed breakfast. YouÔÇÖll then check out and say your sad goodbyes to the wonderful staff at our camp.
You then jump into your vehicle and head east towards ZambiaÔÇÖs capital, Lusaka. It is a drive of around 4 hours, and you should reach your hotel after about 4 to 5 hours.
You actually drive through a sizeable portion of Lusaka, and will learn a bit about it as you cross it from west to east. It will be strange to see so many cars and buildings after our week away from civilization. Lusaka is the geographic, commercial and metaphorical heart of Zambia has a population of about 2 million people.
The city boasts some fantastic markets, restaurants, vibrant night life and an authentic African feel. On arrival at your hotel, youÔÇÖll relax and have dinner. You need to get to bed a little earlier tonight, because tomorrow you have a long day of driving ahead.
Day 9: Lusaka To South Luangwa National Park
Unfortunately, today is going to be a driving day. No one likes these kinds of days on safari, but the natural beauty of the roadside of Zambia and your ultimate destination will more than make up for the sore legs and bum today!
You will have an early breakfast before you head northeast towards your final safari park and one of the best on the entire continent, South Luangwa.
YouÔÇÖll make several stops enroute to stretch your legs, take photographs of something interesting or photogenic, and of course for a good lunch break.
En route, youÔÇÖll learn a bit about your destination: South Luangwa National Park. Known to locals as simply ÔÇ£the south parkÔÇØ, the park is actually the southernmost of 3 national parks that lie in ZambiaÔÇÖs Luangwa river valley.
It is known the world over for the intense concentrations of game along the river and its lagoons. The butterfly-shaped 9,050 Km2 Park supports over 60 mammal and 400 bird species. It was a reserve as far back as 1904, but officially became a national park in 1972. YouÔÇÖll reach lodge in the late afternoon for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 10: South Luangwa National Park
Today is your first full day in South Luangwa. Have breakfast at the lodge and start your South Luangwa experience with a 3 to 4 hour nature walk and accompanied by a Zambia Wildlife Authority scout.
This amazingly intimate way of experiencing the African bush originated in this very park, so you are part of history today! Many years later it is still one of the best ways to experience AfricaÔÇÖs pristine wilderness first-hand.
Exploring the parkÔÇÖs lush landscapes on foot also means that you have time to stop and appreciate the smaller things in nature, from exotic insects, small mammals, close-up bird species, animal tracks and beautiful flora to little clues that all animals leave as they move through the bush. It is truly an unforgettable experience that you will treasure forever.
Youll return to the lodge to relax and have lunch. In the mid-afternoon, go on your first game drive in the park. The focus in South Luangwa is certainly the meandering Luangwa River, whose sporadic flooding alters its course, creating floodplains and many serene oxbow lakes. It is the parks lifeblood  The habitat of the park is mostly that of woodland savannah.
Within these woodland savannah swathes are larger grassland patches, as well as floodplains closer to the river. YouÔÇÖll cover much of these diverse habitats in search of animals and all sorts of smaller creatures. The river is close by on most of your drive this afternoon, so youÔÇÖll see many Elephants, Buffalos and Hippos, and huge Crocodiles.
The surrounding savannah plains also host good number of antelope, and their pursuing predators. YouÔÇÖll look for Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Wild Dog and many of the smaller carnivores. Some people claim that the Luangwa valley is the best place to see Leopard in Africa, so youÔÇÖll certainly keep an eye out for these beautiful cats!
Day 11: South Luangwa National Park
On day eleven of your 14 Days Zambia Safari, youÔÇÿll go on a morning game drive after which youÔÇÖll return for a few hours of relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon you go out again for a game drive.
One of the reasons youÔÇÖll fall in love with South Luangwa is that this is still ÔÇ£oldÔÇØ Africa. Little has changed since David Livingstone walked here in the late 1800s. It is undoubtedly one of the most scenic and spectacular wildlife parks on the African continent.
South Luangwa is not all about big game and range-restricted mammal species though, as the park also hosts over 400 different bird species.
Avian highlights include PelÔÇÖs Fishing Owl, Lappet-faced, Hooded Vulture, Southern Ground Hornbill, African Skimmer, and Goliath Heron, kingfishers, African Spoonbill, Great White Pelican, Saddle – billed Stork and LilianÔÇÖs Lovebird.
Day 12: South Luangwa National Park
Today is your final full day in South Luangwa, so youÔÇÖll ensure you clean up on all the mammal species you might still need for your trip lists.
After another breakfast, youÔÇÖll do another game drive, targeting a different part of the park. YouÔÇÖll return to your lodge in the heat of the day again for a few hours of down time, and then head into the park again in the late afternoon.
You can see not only four of Big Five, but also Wild Dogs, 14 different species of antelope and more! YouÔÇÖll look for some very interesting and localised game today, including the Luangwa giraffe, Hippos, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Common Wildebeest (endemic to the Luangwa valley), Puku and Plains Zebra. It is not just the diversity of species that makes South Luangwa special, but the sheer numbers of them. It is not uncommon to see herds of hundreds of buffalo or elephant across the grasslands.
Day 13: South Luangwa National Park To Lusaka
Today is another transfer day, as you have to return to Lusaka. After a lazy breakfast, check out and embark on a full day drive. Once again, youÔÇÖll make several photo stops, leg-stretch stops and a long lunch stop. You should arrive in the late afternoon, settle in and freshen up. YouÔÇÖll then get together one final time in the evening for our farewell dinner.
Day 14: Transfer To Kenneth Kaunda International Airport And Departure
After your breakfast, youÔÇÖll check out and transfer to the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport well in time for your onward or homeward flights. Here youÔÇÖll say your goodbyes after your fantastic time together in the ÔÇ£warm heart of AfricaÔÇØ, amazing Zambia!
Please note that extensions to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Uganda, or further afield can easily be arranged. Please donÔÇÖt hesitate to ask for our expert assistance.
