The Best Places to Visit in Zambia

Bordered by eight other countries, Zambia is a landlocked safari hotspot sitting right at the heart of Southern Africa, boasting unspoilt and wild landscapes blessed with an abundance of resources.

This remote wilderness is also home to a rich and diverse wildlife population and is largely credited by discerning safari aficionados as being the birthplace of the iconic guided walking safari. It promises authentic adventure in a country known for its safety and laidback, warm hospitality, far away from the crowds.

Zambia has focused on low volume, positive impact ecotourism to protect its pristine natural resources and uplift local communities across the country. It is a great destination year-round, but if you are looking to do a walking safari it is best to stick to the dry season, from June to November, when temperatures are cooler, the bush is less dense and more suitable for exploration on foot. Many camps close completely during the wet season from December to May.

With 17 majestic waterfalls, including the famous Victoria Falls, the mighty Zambezi River and with an impressive choice of wildlife conservancies and national parks to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start exploring this magnificent country. To help you, read on to discover our best places to visit in Zambia.

The Victoria Falls is one of the ‘Seven Natural Wonders of the World’, and is a must-see highlight for most trips to Zambia. Known by locals as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ or ‘The Smoke That Thunders’, this magnificent waterfall straddles the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe at 108 metres in height (almost double the height of Niagara Falls). The Falls are best viewed in March after the rains or around August, especially if you are combining your visit with a safari.

The Zambian side of the Falls offers thrilling activities for adrenaline junkies including swimming in the Devil's Pool (those devil-may-care photos on the edge of the falls are extremely popular with Instagrammers) and guided tours of Livingstone Island. Adventures such as white-water rafting and microlight or helicopter flights for a birds-eye view of the falls are also very popular.

The Falls are best explored in March after the rains or around August, especially if you are combining your visit with a safari.

South Luangwa is probably Zambia’s most iconic wildlife haven, known for its high concentration of animals with excellent chances of seeing predators such as wild dog and leopard. It was here in the 1960s that walking safaris first began, starting a tradition that has thrilled and enthralled safari goers with a lust for adventure ever since.

Visitors can also enjoy guided game drives by day, night drives to spot nocturnal animals – and exquisite birdwatching, with over 400 species. Zambia boasts some of the most experienced guides and trackers you will find anywhere, and South Luangwa attracts the best of the best.

Africa’s fourth longest river, the Zambezi, offers a unique experience with its combination of land and water-based activities. Here, you can enjoy white-river rafting, gentle river cruises and canoeing, or even try your hand at catch-and release fishing for the famous tiger fish. This national park is also great location for game viewing with diverse wildlife, including big cats and buffalo, best enjoyed either on game drives or foot.

As one of the largest national parks in Africa, Kafue is a vast wilderness area with diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife. The Busanga Plains are known for its large herds of buffaloes and antelope and are an ideal habitat for cheetahs, ensuring great sightings. Explore the park's varied terrain, from miombo woodlands to riverine forests on game drives, or enjoy boat safaris along the Kafue River, spotting hippos, crocodiles and birdlife.

Lake Kariba is one of the world's largest man-made lakes at 225 km long and in places up to 40 km wide, offering a relaxing and scenic retreat in what feels more like an ocean. Spend days cruising the lake on a houseboat, fishing for tiger fish and bream, and visit the islands such as Chete and Chinanka and other shorelines for wildlife sightings, including elephants and antelope.

Lake Tanganyika is the world’s longest freshwater lake and is also the deepest in Africa as part of the Great Rift Valley - stretching up to 670 km long and reaching a depth of around 1,433 metres, an astonishing 640 metres below sea level. This ancient lake is actually a vast inland sea which is home to 350 different species of fish, most of which are endemic, and a plethora of other wildlife and birds – making it one of the top two lakes in the world in terms of biodiversity.

Sport fishing is one of the lake’s main attractions with prize catches including the goliath tigerfish and Nile perch. Swimming in the lake (in the Mpulungu area only, to avoid crocodiles) is an absolute treat.

A fascinating fact is that the bottom 1,200 metres of the lake is ‘dead’ – either too high in hydrogen sulphide or too low in oxygen to support life. This ‘fossil water’ may be as old as 20 million years.

Located in the far west region of Zambia, Liuwa is one of the oldest conservancies in the world, dating back to the late 19th century. Over the past 15 years African Parks has been rewilding this reserve and reintroducing key species such as lions, elands and buffaloes. It is now home to the second largest wildebeest migration in Africa and its lion population is flourishing.

Today, with over 10,000 local people legally living within the park, Liuwa is a prime example of how people and wildlife can coexist and benefit in a shared landscape, with tourism being the key driving force for good. It is a true success story with an incredible 95% of its workforce being employed from the local Lozi community.

If you’ve enjoyed discovering the best places to visit in Zambia, there’s no time like the present to book your adventure. Please get in touch with our expert travel specialists today on +44 (0) 20 3821 5994 (UK), +1 (833) 215 9353 (US) or at explore@niarratravel.com to experience the wonders of Zambia first-hand.