Things to do in Kafue National Park
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kafue National Park
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season is the safari season, with camps open, roads dry and game near permanent water.
Busanga Plains window runs roughly June or July to October or November, once floodwater recedes.
Wet season brings flooded plains, muddy tracks and widespread camp closures, with strong birding at open lodges.
Balloon flights over Busanga run late in the season, roughly August to October, weather permitting.
What's on
- Busanga Plains season opening Roughly June, water dependent by year
Plains camps open in sequence once floodwater recedes and tracks dry enough for vehicles.
- Migratory bird arrival, Kafue River November, with the first rains
Migratory species arrive and breeding plumages peak at open river lodges in the green season.
Best things to do in Kafue National Park
Busanga Plains
A huge seasonal floodplain that dries to grassland with lechwe herds and the lions that follow them.
Lake Itezhi-Tezhi
A large lake on the Kafue River with hippos, elephants at the shore and wide southern park views.
Nanzhila Plains
Remote dambo and teak woodland known for sable, roan and other antelope plus very strong birding.
Lusaka National Park
A small fenced park near Lusaka with rhino, giraffe and plains game for an easy gateway half day.
Lusaka National Museum
The national museum for Zambian history and culture, and the best one hour context stop in Lusaka.
Lilayi Elephant Nursery
A nursery for orphaned elephant calves raised for release, viewed from a deck at set feeding times.
Where to stay in Kafue National Park
Lusaka
gateway first or last night, flights and road transfers
The access hub outside the park, with the international airport, hotels at every tier and the M9 road west.
Northern Kafue and Busanga Plains
dry season predators and the classic Busanga safari
Inside the park in the far north, seasonal camps on a floodplain that is flooded for much of the year.
Central Kafue
road access, river lodges and self drive camping
Inside and on the edge of the park along the Kafue River and M9 corridor, with the widest range of camps.
Southern Kafue and Lake Itezhi-Tezhi
quiet lake and plains stays with very low vehicle numbers
Inside the park in the far south, mid range lodges only around the lake and the Nanzhila Plains.
Think twice about
- Busanga Plains in the wet season
The plains flood for much of the year, camps close roughly November to May, and tracks become impassable.
- Southern Kafue tracks in the wet season without a proper 4x4
Mud, river crossings and washed out tracks, including the Dundumwezi route, strand low clearance vehicles.
- Central Lusaka on foot after dark
Use a hotel or operator arranged car at night in the capital, and keep valuables out of sight in vehicles.
Best restaurants in Kafue National Park
Musekese Camp
Communal lodge dining at Musekese, from fire side breakfast to dinner under the stars over the dambo.
Kaingu Safari Lodge
A bush gourmet lodge kitchen at Kaingu, with island breakfasts and rapids dinners on longer stays.
Konkamoya Lodge
Italian inspired set menu lodge dining facing Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, for the lodge's four tents only.
Kasabushi Camp
Self catering on your own campsite braai at Kasabushi, with no restaurant and a river view.
Latitude 15 Degrees
The Kitchen restaurant at Latitude 15 in Lusaka, the capital's most rated safari traveller dinner.
Marlin Restaurant
A long running Lusaka Club steakhouse in Longacres, known for consistent pepper steak and grills.
Lusaka Backpackers
A simple cafe, bar and self catering kitchen at Lusaka Backpackers, priced for overlanders.
Outdoor things to do in Kafue National Park
Kafue National Park
Self drive the central gravel loops in your own 4x4 between gate hours in the dry season.
Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Book guided drives, walks and boat trips per outing from a riverside camp on the Kafue River.
Shumba Camp
A dawn balloon flight over the Busanga Plains in late season, from the Shumba Camp area.
Musekese Camp
One of Kafue's strongest walking safari bases, with owner guides, a hide and boat safaris.
Kaingu Safari Lodge
Canoeing, boat cruises and rock walks among the granite rapids of the Kafue River at Kaingu.
Ila Safari Lodge
Quiet boat safaris on the Kafue River from Ila, alongside drives and walks in central Kafue.
Nanzhila Plains Safari Camp
Day and night drives and walks across the Nanzhila Plains from the only camp on the plains.
Best hotels in Kafue National Park
Latitude 15 Degrees
A boutique hotel in Kabulonga with Zambian art, gardens and a pool, the Lusaka splurge.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka
The reliable international hotel in Lusaka for predictable pre and post safari nights.
Lusaka Backpackers
A budget backpackers in Rhodes Park with dorms, a pool, a kitchen and a safari travel desk.
Wilderness Shumba
The flagship luxury camp on a fig tree island in the Busanga Plains, open in the dry season.
Chisa Busanga Camp
A solar powered camp of four nest shaped rooms in the trees on the Busanga Plains.
Busanga Bush Camp
A small, simpler Wilderness camp of four tents under fig trees on the Busanga Plains.
Ntemwa-Busanga Camp
A simple guiding led camp on the southern tip of the Busanga Plains, paired with Musekese.
Musekese Camp
A small owner run camp over a dambo, known for guiding, walking and its conservation story.
Is Kafue National Park expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ZMW 2,400 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ZMW 10,000 a person |
| Splurge | ZMW 34,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Busanga Plains: months ahead
- Lilayi Elephant Nursery: a few days ahead
- Mayukuyuku Bush Camp: a few days ahead
- Shumba Camp: months ahead
- Musekese Camp: months ahead
- Kaingu Safari Lodge: weeks ahead
- Ila Safari Lodge: weeks ahead
- Nanzhila Plains Safari Camp: weeks ahead
- Book Busanga camps months ahead for August to October and small central camps weeks to months ahead.
- Confirm in writing that your camp is open on your dates and whether fees and levies are included.
Is Kafue National Park safe?
- Kafue is a malaria area all year, so take prophylaxis and treat any fever after travel as urgent.
- Camps are unfenced, so walk only with a guide or escort after dark and never swim in the river or lake.
- Carry travel insurance with medical evacuation cover, as serious care is in Lusaka, hours away.
Kafue National Park travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not plan Busanga outside its dry window or try to drive north to south in the park in a day.
- Do not arrive at a gate without cash for park and vehicle fees, as card machines fail in the bush.
Getting around Kafue National Park: public transport and more
- Fly into Lusaka, then drive 2.5 to 4 hours west to central Kafue or fly about 1.5 hours to Busanga.
- Inside the park you need a high clearance 4x4, full fuel and a plan built around gate hours.
- There is no public transport, fuel station or reliable mobile signal inside the park.
Who Kafue National Park suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Kafue National Park your trip
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