Zambia · national park since 1950
Kafue, Africa's giant that almost nobody visits
Zambia's largest and oldest national park covers 22,400 square kilometres, holds 21 antelope species, the country's biggest cheetah population and the lion prides of the Busanga Plains. Entry costs $20 a day, self-drivers pay no premium, and you will often have a sighting entirely to yourself.
Photo: Timothy A. Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start here
Everything you need to plan a visit
Entry fees
Kafue is a Category B park: $20 a day for internationals with no self-drive surcharge, unlike South Luangwa. The full table, and what nobody can verify.
See the fees →Lodges & camps
All 27 current options, from $25 riverside pitches to the fig-island camps of the Busanga Plains, plus the closed lodges other sites still list.
Browse lodges →Getting there
The M9 tar road puts the Kafue River about four hours from Lusaka, and the southern gate is two and a half hours from Livingstone. Busanga is another story.
Plan the route →Wildlife
The Busanga lion prides, Zambia's best cheetah odds, red lechwe in their thousands, 21 antelope species and a 515-strong bird list.
What you'll see →Best time to visit
Two parks in one: the Busanga Plains open around early July, while the south and centre run a far longer season. Month by month.
Pick your month →Things to do
Night drives are actually permitted here, walking trails run up to six days, boats work three rivers, and hot-air balloons fly the Busanga Plains.
See activities →