Official DNPW rates
Kafue National Park entry fees
One thing Kafue gets right for budget travellers: there is no self-drive surcharge. The higher self-driver tier exists only in Category A parks such as South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi. In Kafue, self-drivers pay the same $20 as guests in an operator vehicle.
Updated 2026-07-26
Park entry (per person, per day)
| International visitor | $20 | same rate whether guided or self-driving |
|---|---|---|
| Self-driver, any nationality | $20 | no separate tier: Kafue is Category B, unlike South Luangwa |
| SADC national or Zambian resident | $15 | |
| Zambian citizen | K44.80 | an older source still shows K33.60; the fee-unit value was amended in 2024 |
| Child under 5 | Free | ages 5 to 13 pay half; 14 and over pay the full adult rate |
A permit day runs 06:00 to 18:00 and is a calendar day, not a rolling 24 hours, so a multi-night stay inside the park accrues a fee for each day. Several blogs quote around $40 a day for Kafue; that conflates the $20 entry fee with an old combined entry-plus-bed-levy figure.
Updated 2026-07-26
Vehicles, boats and aircraft (per unit, per day)
| Vehicle under 3 tonnes, foreign registered | $15 | Zambian registered: about K34 |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle over 3 tonnes, foreign registered | $30 | Zambian registered: about K56 |
| Boat under 50 hp, foreign registered | $15 | over 50 hp: $30 |
| Aircraft | $50 | covers all days parked in the park; Zambian registered about K222 |
Updated 2026-07-26
Camping and activity fees charged by the park
| Camping, non-resident | $5 | per person per day; citizens and residents about K42 |
|---|---|---|
| Boating | $20 | per person per day, on top of park entry |
| Canoeing or rafting | $20 | parties are limited to three canoes |
| Angling | $30 | largely catch-and-release; national closed season 1 December to 1 March |
| Mooring | $30 | per day |
The DNPW camping fee is a park charge and comes on top of what the campsite operator bills you. Budget both: Kasabushi charges $45 for its campsite, Musungwa about $25 and Mapunga $45 for an international visitor. Mayukuyuku, long the cheap option in the middle of the park, has been closed since December 2025.
Updated 2026-07-26
What camps and operators charge for activities
| Game drives, boat trips, walks | Via your camp | usually bundled into full-board or all-inclusive rates in Kafue |
|---|---|---|
| Night drive | Via your camp | permitted in Kafue and widely offered, with red-filter spotlights |
| Hot-air balloon, Busanga Plains | About $500 | late August to end of October only, booked through the Busanga camps |
| Park-run walking trail, 3 or 6 days | Via visitkafue.org | self-catered wilderness trails introduced under African Parks; no public price list |
Zambia publishes no official price list for guided activities beyond the park charges above. Unverified prices are marked as such.