A brief Overview of South Luangwa National Park
For those looking for an authentic and professional walking safari experience in Africa, Zambia is by far, the obvious choice! Norman Carr (founder of Norman Carr Safaris) was the original innovator of walking safaris in Zambia and his dream was to secure the future of Luangwa’s unique wilderness. He believed that you never truly knew a place until you’ve walked it and today, his legacy lives on across the Luangwa Valley as all of the camps have highly experienced and knowledgeable guiding.
Whilst many national parks are limited to day game drives, South Luangwa National Park is a destination that benefits from its variety of safari activities, including day and night game drives and its infamous walking safaris.
The wildlife in South Luangwa National Park is diverse and reliable, with huge herds of elephant or buffalo to be seen on a regular basis, as well as high populations of impala and antelope. There are many predators in the park including large lion prides, leopard and spotted hyena. Of all the predators, South Luangwa National Park has become renowned for its leopard sightings, seen on reguarly on game drives and even on foot!
Do see our best camps & lodges in South Luangwa National Park picks for 2026/27 on this page.
Best time to visit South Luangwa National Park
The South Luangwa National Park is seasonal and the best time to go is the period between June and October when the park is at its driest and the days are warm with plenty of sun.
The game viewing by vehicle and foot, is the most reliable during these months as the animals concentrate around the rivers for their primary water source. The wet season outside these months make certain areas of the park extremely difficult, or impossible to access other than by boat. Of late, some of the camps around the Mfuwe area, now offer a “emerald season” stay which is especially good for those interested in Africa’s birdlife.
Do see our interactive best time to visit South Luangwa National Park guide on this page as well as on our parent guide to zambia page for more in-depth information on when to go.
Or call us on +44 1525 840 149. That’s what we’re here for.
Need more help?
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Get help with a Safari to South Luangwa National Park
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Where is South Luangwa National Park?
South Luangwa National Park
