Malawi
OVERLAND safari through the HEART of Africa
Nov 13, 2026
Zambia Safari: Victoria Falls, South Luangwa and the Zambezi
A Zambia Safari means the Victoria Falls from the Zambian side, the Great East Road heading east, and tracking on foot in South Luangwa, where the walking safari was invented.
Zambia safaris.
2 trips through Zambia, guided in small groups: lodge, camping or overland. Every card names the length, the dates and the price.
Zambia
East Africa & Gorillas
Nov 13, 2026
Country Profile
Zambia Safari: the country where the walking safari began
Zambia is the safari country fewest people know, and the one with the most to do on foot. In South Luangwa, 9,050 km² along the Luangwa River, the walking safari was invented in the 1950s: an armed ranger in front, a guide behind him, six guests in single file, three hours through the grass. The park has been a national park since 1972, holds the highest leopard density in Africa and the only Thornicroft's giraffes in the world.
The second reason to come is the Victoria Falls. The Zambian side at Livingstone gives you the view from above into the gorge, around 500 million litres a minute in April and May, almost dry in October but with the Devil's Pool right on the lip. Both of our trips set off from here: 16 days through Malawi to Zanzibar, or 37 days north through Tanzania and Kenya to the gorillas in Uganda. There is no third Zambia trip, and neither of these two touches Kafue or the Lower Zambezi.
Both travel by truck with 6 to 20 guests, four of those nights in Zambia and two of them on the Luangwa. You choose when you book: Explorer in a two-man tent or Classic in a hotel, €3,099 against €3,699 on the 16 days, €7,699 against €8,899 on the 37 days. On the short trip the price covers accommodation, the meals listed in the itinerary and the national park entry fees.
Joe Kuster
Founder & Lead Motorcycle Guide
Overcross® Tours
How you travel on this safari
In Zambia you travel in an overland truck, a converted lorry with 20 seats, big windows, a fridge and storage for the tents. The guide and a driver take turns and the language on board is English. The group is 6 to 20 guests. Driving days are long, because Zambia is wide and thinly settled, though the main roads are tarred. In South Luangwa you change into open 4x4 vehicles, and for the walk you go with a ranger and a guide.
You sleep in one of two versions, and you pick it when you book. Explorer means a two-man tent on campsites: you pitch it yourself, the crew cooks, kitchen duty goes round the group. Classic means hotels and lodges on the same route and in the same group. The difference is €600 on the 16 days and €1,200 on the 37 days.
The walk in South Luangwa is optional and runs in the dry season from April to December: three hours in the morning over flat ground, in single file and in silence. Anyone who can do that can do everything else on the trip. The rest is sitting, looking and getting up early. Malaria prophylaxis is needed everywhere in the country.
Who it suits
For guests with time, 16 or 37 days in one go. The walk asks for three hours on foot in the heat, and no previous experience. The 16 day trip is rated medium, the 37 day trip expert.
Where you sleep
Two versions on the same route: Explorer in a two-man tent on campsites, Classic in hotels and lodges. €600 difference on the 16 days, €1,200 on the 37 days, plus €199 to €999 for solo travellers.
Vehicle and legs
Overland truck with 20 seats on the long stages, from the Victoria Falls via Lusaka and Petauke to Chipata on the Great East Road. In South Luangwa an open 4x4, plus a night drive with a spotlight and the walk with a ranger.
A day on safari
Driving day: early start, lunch at the roadside, into camp in the afternoon. Park day in South Luangwa: morning game drive or walk, the midday heat in camp, a drive into the sunset with a sundowner, then the night drive with a spotlight.
Regions and parks
Safari regions in Zambia
From the Victoria Falls at Livingstone along the Great East Road to the Luangwa: both trips run on that one axis. The Lower Zambezi sits beside it and carries no tour of ours.
Victoria Falls and Livingstone
Victoria Falls and the Zambezi at Livingstone
Both trips set off here: the Zambezi drops into the gorge over more than a kilometre of width, and the Zambian side gives you the view from above into it. A guided walk to the falls, a helicopter flight, the bridge tour and an evening boat trip are on offer as a pre-tour programme, and after that the truck rolls east via Lusaka.
Tours where you can visit this area
Overland safari from Victoria Falls to Zanzibar Africa trip: Victoria Falls, Serengeti & Gorilla trekking
South Luangwa
Safari in South Luangwa National Park
Two nights on the Luangwa on both trips, with one full day inside the park. South Luangwa has been a national park since 1972, measures 9,050 km² and counts as the birthplace of the walking safari. An early morning game drive, a drive into the sunset with a sundowner and the night drive with a spotlight are part of it, and in the dry season from April to December the walk on foot is added.
Tours where you can visit this area
Overland safari from Victoria Falls to Zanzibar Africa trip: Victoria Falls, Serengeti & Gorilla trekking
Lower Zambezi
The Lower Zambezi and the river landscape
Wide river channels, floodplain forest and game standing right at the water, plus canoe and boat safaris: the Lower Zambezi is Zambia's second great address. It is not on either of our two trips. They run from the Victoria Falls east via Lusaka to the Luangwa, and the Lower Zambezi lies south of that line. It stands here because it belongs to Zambia, not because we sell it.
What guests say and what we write
Other safari countries, other animals
7 more countries our safaris travel through. Every card opens the country page with all trips, parks and dates.
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6 tours
Tanzania safari
Serengeti and Ngorongoro, the great migration Safaris in Tanzania -
5 tours
Kenya safari
Masai Mara and Amboseli, Kilimanjaro on the horizon Safaris in Kenya -
5 tours
Namibia safari
Etosha, Sossusvlei and the gravel roads of the Namib Safaris in Namibia -
13 tours
South Africa safari
Kruger, the Garden Route and the Cape Safaris in South Africa -
5 tours
Botswana safari
Okavango Delta and Chobe, by boat and by 4x4 Safaris in Botswana -
4 tours
Uganda safari
Mountain gorillas in Bwindi, chimpanzees in Kibale Safaris in Uganda -
4 tours
Zimbabwe safari
Victoria Falls, Hwange and Mana Pools Safaris in Zimbabwe
Talk to us
Tell us how you want
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Guided, self-guided, or fully tailor-made - book a free 30-minute call with a real route expert. We'll match your style, budget, and timeline to a specific motorcycle trip.
Booking questions
Which parks do I see on a Zambia Safari?
South Luangwa on both trips, with two nights on the river, and the Victoria Falls at Livingstone as the starting point. Kafue and the Lower Zambezi are on neither of our trips. What follows instead is Malawi and Tanzania, and on the long route Uganda.
How many Zambia trips do you actually run?
Two, both guided and both in an overland truck: 16 days from the Victoria Falls via South Luangwa and Malawi to Zanzibar, and 37 days on through Tanzania and Kenya to the gorilla trekking in Uganda. There is no third Zambia trip in the programme.
Can Zambia be combined with Zanzibar or the Serengeti?
Yes, both trips do exactly that. The 16 day trip ends on Zanzibar. The 37 day trip takes Zanzibar in and then carries on to the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Masai Mara. A Zambia only round trip without the neighbours is not something we run.
Do I need any experience for a Zambia Safari?
No. Both trips are guided, and the guide and driver handle the route, the game drives and the planning. You should be able to sit out long driving stages and to pitch in around camp. The 16 day trip is rated medium, the 37 day trip expert.
When is the best time for a Zambia Safari?
June to October. It is dry, the tracks in South Luangwa are firm and the animals stand on the river. September and October hold the most game, at up to 40 degrees. The Victoria Falls carry the most water in April and May, and from September you can see the rock lip.
Do I need a visa for Zambia?
Since 2022 many European nationalities, Germany, Austria and Switzerland among them, enter Zambia visa free for up to 90 days. The rules move, so check your own passport before you book. For both sides of the falls the KAZA visa costs 50 US dollars at the border in Livingstone and covers Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Explorer or Classic, tent or hotel?
Same route, same group, two versions. Explorer means a two-man tent on the campsite, you pitch it yourself and the crew cooks. Classic means hotels and lodges. On the 16 days that is €3,099 against €3,699, on the 37 days €7,699 against €8,899. Solo travellers pay €199 for a single tent or €399 for a single room.
What is a walking safari?
Tracking on foot, invented in South Luangwa in the 1950s. An armed ranger walks in front, the guide behind him, six guests in single file, three hours in the morning through grass and riverine forest. You see tracks, beetles and birds that stay invisible from a vehicle. On both trips it is an option on the park day and runs in the dry season from April to December.
Which side of the Victoria Falls do I see?
The Zambian side at Livingstone, with the view from above into the gorge and, from August to December, the Devil's Pool on the lip itself. Both trips set off from there on day one, and you see the falls themselves on the pre-tour programme: a guided walk, a helicopter flight, the bridge tour or an evening boat trip.
How big is the group, and what is in the price?
6 to 20 guests in the truck, with an English speaking guide and driver. On the 16 day trip the price covers accommodation, transport, 15 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 11 dinners, plus the national park entry fees. It does not cover optional activities, tips, drinks and personal spending.
How long are the driving days?
Long. Zambia is a good twice the size of Germany and the parks sit around its edges, so full driving days stand between the highlights. The main roads are tarred and the last stage to the Luangwa is gravel. The truck has big windows, a fridge and storage, and the crew makes the lunch stop at the roadside.
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