Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Zambia: South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi on Foot and by Canoe
9 days from Lusaka: four nights in South Luangwa for walking safaris and night drives, then three on the Lower Zambezi by canoe, boat and open vehicle.
9 days · Round trip from Lusaka · up to 12 guests
An African skimmer on the shore at Chiawa, Lower Zambezi Photo: Robert Muckley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rynchops_flavirostris.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Lusaka
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 7No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Walking safaris of about 3 to 4 hours at a slow pace, typically 5 to 8 km on flat bush tracks and dry riverbeds; the longest, on day 5, is about 8 to 10 km. Heat can reach 35 to 40 C by October. One morning of easy flat-water paddling; the rest is game drives and boat outings. Any walk or paddle can be swapped for a drive.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,240 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk the Luangwa Valley on foot with a licensed guide and an armed scout, in small parties, usually six guests at most
- Night drives with a spotlight, looking for leopard, genet, civet and hyena
- Two nights in a small seasonal bush camp deep in South Luangwa, with no other vehicles in sight
- Paddle a quiet channel of the Zambezi past hippos and elephants feeding on the banks
- A sunset on the Zambezi from the river boat, with the hills of Mana Pools in Zimbabwe across the water
- Fly between the parks instead of spending a day on the road
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,240 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 7.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Lusaka
Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to your hotel in Lusaka
- Dinner
- Stay in Lusaka
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN), about 25 km north-east of central Lusaka, where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the forty-minute drive into the city.
Evening
Lusaka is a working capital rather than a sightseeing one, so today is for resting after the long flight, and we keep it short on purpose: one night here, then out to the parks in the morning. Plan to land by mid-afternoon if you can. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead: how a walking safari works and why the scout carries a rifle, what to wear on foot, the soft-bag limit on the small planes, and how the camps run their days around dawn and dusk. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, and an early night before tomorrow's flight to Mfuwe.
Included
- Pick-up at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Fly to Mfuwe and a first night drive
Lusaka by air to Mfuwe, then by road to a lodge on the Luangwa River
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in South Luangwa
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive back to the airport for the domestic flight east to Mfuwe, about an hour and a quarter over the plateau and down into the Luangwa Valley, a southern arm of the Great Rift. By road the same journey is a long day of about 700 km. From Mfuwe Airport it is about 45 minutes through villages and farmland to our lodge on the bank of the Luangwa River, just outside the park, where elephants often walk through the grounds.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the lodge, then a rest through the heat. Around four we cross into South Luangwa National Park in an open vehicle for the first game drive: puku and impala on the floodplain, giraffe of the local Thornicroft form, hippos packed into the shrinking pools.
Evening
At sunset we stop for a drink, then the guide switches on a spotlight and the drive becomes a night drive, the best chance on the trip for leopard, genet and hyena.
Included
- Domestic flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe
- Afternoon game drive in South Luangwa National Park, running into a night drive
- Sundowner on the drive
- Lunch and dinner at the lodge
Free time: Midday free at the lodge
Activity: Soft bags only on the domestic and light-aircraft flights, about 15 to 20 kg each; the exact limit is confirmed with your flights.
A first walking safari
South Luangwa on foot, a village near Mfuwe, then an evening drive
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in South Luangwa
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
We leave the lodge at first light with tea and a rusk, because the first three hours of the day are when animals move and the air is cool. Your walking guide leads, an armed wildlife scout walks at the front, and we follow in single file at a slow pace, usually no more than six to a party, so a full group goes out as two walks. On foot the small things come forward: lion tracks pressed into the sand of a dry riverbed, the dung of each animal and what it ate, termite mounds, the alarm call of a puku. After brunch back at the lodge, a short drive takes us to a village near Mfuwe, where a local host shows us the homesteads, the school and the fields, and talks about life beside a national park.
Evening
Then rest through the heat, and out again at four on a drive that runs past sunset into the dark.
Included
- Morning walking safari with a licensed walking guide and an armed scout
- Visit to a village near Mfuwe with a local host
- Afternoon game drive and night drive
- All meals at the lodge
Easier option: Take the morning game drive instead of the walk.
Free time: Midday free at the lodge
Activity: The walk is about 3 to 4 hours at a slow pace, typically 5 to 8 km on flat ground. Walks need neutral clothing and closed shoes, and camps set a minimum walking age, usually 12 to 16, which we confirm with the camp.
Into the bush camp
Lodge near Mfuwe across the park to a seasonal bush camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in South Luangwa
- Drive about 2.5 h
A last early walk or drive from the lodge, then brunch, and we move deeper into South Luangwa. The transfer to the bush camp is on park tracks in the open vehicle, about one and a half to two and a half hours depending on the camp, and it is a game drive in its own right, through mopane woodland, ebony groves and open plains where the tracks are quieter than near Mfuwe. Seasonal bush camps are built after the rains and taken down before the next ones. Ours is small: a handful of reed, thatch or canvas chalets with their own flush toilet and hot shower, solar lights, no Wi-Fi, and meals at one table or around the fire.
Evening
After tea we walk out from camp in the late afternoon light to a lagoon or a bend in the river for sunset. Dinner is under the stars, and at night you hear hippos grazing and lions calling across the valley.
Included
- Morning walk or game drive from the lodge
- Game drive across the park to the bush camp
- Late-afternoon walk from camp to a sunset viewpoint
- All meals at the lodge and camp
Easier option: Stay in the vehicle for the sunset instead of the late walk.
Activity: The transfer is slow on purpose: it is the day's game drive, with stops for whatever we find.
A full day on foot from the bush camp
Walks along the Luangwa and its dry tributaries
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in South Luangwa
- Drive about 2.5 h
This is the day the trip is built around.
Morning
We set out from camp on foot at first light, with the walking guide and the scout, and follow the riverbank and a sand riverbed for the longest walk of the trip, up to about four hours with a stop for coffee in the shade.
Evening
Walking teaches you to read the bush: where the buffalo crossed in the night, which tree the leopard used, why the carmine bee-eaters nest in the sandbank. Animals are approached downwind and watched from a respectful distance; the guide decides how close is close enough. Back at camp there is brunch and a long rest in the heat, with a hide or the riverbank for anyone who wants to sit and watch. In the late afternoon we go out again, on foot or by vehicle, and come back to camp after dark for a last dinner around the fire in the Luangwa Valley.
Included
- Long morning walking safari with a walking guide and an armed scout
- Late-afternoon walk or game drive, with a sundowner
- All meals at the bush camp
Easier option: A shorter loop of about two hours, or a morning game drive with the camp vehicle.
More active option: The full four-hour walk, which is the default for anyone who wants it.
Free time: Midday free at camp
Activity: The longest walk of the trip, up to about 4 hours and 8 to 10 km on flat but soft sand. Bring a hat, water and broken-in shoes. Vehicle time today is the optional afternoon game drive, about 2.5 hours.
Fly to the Lower Zambezi
Bush camp to Mfuwe, then by light aircraft to the Lower Zambezi
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Lower Zambezi
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
A short early walk or drive near camp, then breakfast and the slow game-drive transfer back across the park to Mfuwe Airport, up to about two and a half hours with stops for what we find, for the flight to the Lower Zambezi in a light aircraft, either direct or with a change in Lusaka; we confirm the routing with your dates. You land at a dirt airstrip in the Zambezi Valley, where the camp team meets the plane, and drive or boat a short way to camp on the river. The Lower Zambezi National Park runs along the north bank, with the Zambezi escarpment rising behind it, and across the water is Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Afternoon
After lunch and a rest we board the camp's river boat for the late afternoon: elephants crossing between islands, hippo pods, crocodiles on the sandbanks and African fish eagles calling from the trees.
Evening
We stay on the water for sunset over the escarpment, then dinner at camp by the river.
Included
- Light-aircraft flight from Mfuwe to the Lower Zambezi
- Late-afternoon river boat trip on the Zambezi, with a sundowner
- All meals at camp
Free time: Early afternoon free at camp
Activity: Today is a flight day, not a driving day: about 2.5 hours of road time is the game-drive transfer from the bush camp to Mfuwe, then a light-aircraft flight of roughly 1 to 2 hours depending on routing (direct or via Lusaka), confirmed with your final itinerary.
Canoeing the Zambezi channels
A morning on the water, an afternoon in the park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Lower Zambezi
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
After an early breakfast we take to the canoes, two guests to a boat with a guide leading, on one of the quieter side channels of the Zambezi in the Chiawa area. Paddling is easy and mostly downstream; the guide keeps us in the shallows and away from deep water where hippos rest. From a canoe you sit low and silent, so elephants feeding on the bank, waterbuck and herons let you drift close.
Afternoon
We are off the water by late morning, before the wind and the heat build, for lunch at camp and a rest. In the afternoon we go into the Lower Zambezi National Park by open vehicle, through winterthorn woodland and along the floodplain, looking for lion, buffalo and leopard, with a sundowner stop, and back to camp as the light goes.
Evening
As we understand the park rules, drives inside the national park end around sunset; spotlit night drives run only outside it, in the Chiawa Game Management Area, and we confirm with the camp whether one is offered.
Included
- Morning canoe outing on a Zambezi side channel with a guide
- Afternoon game drive in the Lower Zambezi National Park, with a sundowner
- All meals at camp
Easier option: Take the morning on the river boat instead of a canoe.
Free time: Midday free at camp
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours of easy paddling with stops; no experience needed. The camp may switch to the boat if the wind is up. The afternoon game drive is about 3 hours on park tracks and ends around sunset.
Your choice on the Zambezi
A walk or drive in the morning, a last sunset on the river
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Lower Zambezi
- Drive about 2.5 h
The last full day is built around what you have liked best.
Morning
In the morning, choose a walk in the Lower Zambezi with a guide and an armed scout, along the floodplain under the big ana trees whose pods the elephants shake down, or an early game drive, or a second canoe outing on a different channel. Brunch is at camp, and the middle of the day is genuinely free: swim if the camp has a pool, sit on the deck with binoculars, or try catch-and-release fishing for tigerfish, the Zambezi's best-known fighting fish, as an optional extra.
Evening
In the late afternoon the whole group comes together on the river boat for a last sunset on the Zambezi, drifting past the islands as the light goes red on the escarpment and the hippos start to leave the water. Dinner is a farewell meal at camp, with a fire on the bank.
Included
- Morning walk with a guide and an armed scout, a game drive or a second canoe outing: your choice
- Sunset river boat trip on the Zambezi
- Farewell dinner at camp
Optional experiences
- Catch-and-release tigerfish fishing with the camp's boat and guide, priced at booking
Easier option: The morning game drive, or a quiet morning at camp.
More active option: The morning walk in the national park.
Free time: Middle of the day free at camp
Activity: Vehicle time today is the morning game drive if you choose it, about 2.5 hours on park tracks, plus short transfers to the boat.
Fly back to Lusaka
Lower Zambezi by light aircraft to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
One more early outing if your flight allows: a short boat trip or a walk along the bank while the river is still and the light is soft.
Morning
Then breakfast, a last look across to Mana Pools, and the short transfer back to the airstrip for the light-aircraft flight to Lusaka, about 30 to 45 minutes up and over the escarpment. The flight lands at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, so there is no road transfer across the city and you connect straight to your flight home. Your See Sight Tours guide flies with you, sees you into the terminal and checks your onward flight before saying goodbye. If you want more time in southern Africa, Victoria Falls is a short domestic flight from Lusaka, and we can add nights there before or after the trip; ask when you book, and we price it separately.
Included
- Short early boat trip or walk, time permitting
- Light-aircraft flight from the Lower Zambezi to Lusaka (LUN)
Activity: Book an international flight leaving Lusaka after about 3 pm; the exact light-aircraft time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
- Lusaka1 night
- South Luangwa4 nights
- Lower Zambezi3 nights
- Lusakaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June and July are cool at dawn and green-gold; August and September are dry, clear and the best months for walking; October is very hot, often around 40 C at midday, with animals crowded at the last water. Most bush camps close in the rains.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want to walk in the bush, not only watch from a vehicle
- Second-time safari travellers looking for somewhere quieter than the big-name parks
- Anyone who wants a bed and a private bathroom every night but a small, simple camp
- Birders and photographers who like early starts and slow days
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who need step-free access or cannot walk 3 to 4 hours on soft sand
- Anyone wanting Wi-Fi and a pool every night
- Families with children under the camps' walking age, usually 12 to 16
- Travellers who do not want to fly in small planes
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Lusaka1 night
- South Luangwa4 nights
- Lower Zambezi3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 1 at a central hotel in Lusaka, 2 at a lodge on the Luangwa River near Mfuwe, 2 at a small seasonal bush camp inside South Luangwa National Park, 3 at a riverside camp in the Lower Zambezi
- Rooms, chalets or tents with their own bathroom throughout, no camping; at least a 3-star-plus standard in Lusaka, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka (LUN)
- Domestic flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe
- Light-aircraft flights from Mfuwe to the Lower Zambezi and from the Lower Zambezi to Lusaka
- Our own vehicle and driver in Lusaka
- The camps' open safari vehicles for game drives, night drives and transfers in the parks
- Canoes and the river boat in the Lower Zambezi
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, including the flights and the camps
- Licensed walking guides and armed wildlife scouts on every walk, at most 6 guests per walking party
- Licensed camp guides for every drive, canoe and boat outing
Activities
- South Luangwa: walking safaris most mornings, game drives and night drives, a sundowner each evening
- A village visit near Mfuwe with a local host
- Lower Zambezi: a canoe outing on a side channel, two river boat trips with sunset on the Zambezi, a game drive, and a walk, drive or second canoe outing on day 8
- All national park, conservation and community fees
Meals
- Breakfast daily (8)
- 7 lunches or brunches at the lodge and camps
- 8 dinners: a welcome dinner in Lusaka and seven at the lodge and camps, including a farewell dinner
- Tea, coffee and snacks between activities at the camps
Not included
- International flights to and from Lusaka
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance (must cover medical evacuation from remote areas)
- Meals not listed
- Drinks not included by the camp; we state each camp's drinks policy when we name it
- Tips for camp staff, guides and scouts
- Optional tigerfish fishing
- Malaria tablets and vaccinations
- Personal expenses and laundry
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,240 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in a Lusaka hotel, a Luangwa lodge, a bush camp and a Lower Zambezi camp; all three flights; breakfast daily, 7 lunches and 8 dinners; every walking safari, game drive and night drive; the canoe outing, two river boat trips and the village visit; all park fees; airport transfers; and your See Sight Tours guide throughout.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. On foot, Zambian walking parties are kept small, usually six guests at most, a limit we confirm with each camp, so a full group walks as two parties, each with its own walking guide and armed scout.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Lusaka and back, including the flights and the camps. In the parks, licensed walking guides lead the walks with an armed wildlife scout, and licensed camp guides drive the vehicles and lead the canoe and boat outings.
Is a walking safari safe?
Walks are led by a licensed walking guide with an armed wildlife scout at the front, at a slow pace and in single file. Animals are watched from a distance the guide judges safe, and you get a full safety briefing before the first walk. Any walk can be swapped for a game drive.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Most walks last about 3 to 4 hours at a slow pace, typically 5 to 8 km on flat ground and soft sand, often in heat; the longest, on day 5, is about 8 to 10 km. The canoeing is easy flat-water paddling with a guide. On any day you can take the game drive or the boat instead.
Why are the starts so early?
Animals are most active, and walking is coolest, in the first hours after dawn, so safari days start around 6 am with tea and a snack. In return, the middle of every safari day is free to rest at camp before the afternoon outing.
What is a bush camp like?
Small and simple, built each dry season and taken down before the rains: a few reed, thatch or canvas chalets, each with its own flush toilet and hot shower, solar lights, no Wi-Fi and meals together around one table or the fire. We name the camp when we confirm your dates.
When is the best time to go?
June to October, the dry season. June and July are cooler with cold early mornings; August and September are the best walking months; October is very hot, around 40 C at midday, with animals crowded at the water. Many bush camps and Lower Zambezi camps close in the rains.
Do I need a visa for Zambia?
Many passports, including Canadian, US, UK and EU, are currently visa-free for short stays. We check the rule for your passport when you book. You may also need a yellow fever certificate if you arrive from a country where it is present.
I travel alone. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,240 more, shown up front when you request to book, never added at checkout. Solo travellers share every walk, drive and meal with the group on the same terms as everyone else.
How does this compare with your Botswana and Kruger trips?
This is the walking and canoeing trip: more time on foot, small camps and quieter parks. The Botswana trip is the Okavango Delta by mokoro, Chobe and Victoria Falls. The Kruger trip pairs South Africa's best-known park with Victoria Falls. Ask us if you want to combine one with Zambia.
How do I book, and can we choose our own dates?
Pick a start date and request to book; we confirm within 24 hours and take no payment until then. Prices start from CAD 7,760 per person sharing. For your own dates, choose the private trip for your party only, or ask from the dates section for an independent quote.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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