Roads, gates and airstrips
How to get to Kafue National Park
The M9 highway runs straight through Kafue on tar, which makes the central sector one of the easiest wilderness areas in Zambia to reach: about four hours from Lusaka in an ordinary car. The far corners are another matter, and the Busanga Plains have their own rules entirely.
By road from Lusaka (the usual way)
Take the M9 west toward Mongu. It is tar the whole way: 124 km to Mumbwa, your last reliable fuel, 162 km to Nalusanga Gate on the park's eastern boundary, and 270 to 280 km to the Kafue River crossing at Hook Bridge, where Mukambi Safari Lodge sits beside the road. Allow three and a half to five hours depending on Lusaka traffic and roadworks; African Parks quotes 298 km and three to four hours to the main gate.
No 4x4 is needed to reach Mukambi, which is what makes the central sector such an accessible first safari. Tateyoyo Gate on the western boundary lies about 21 km further along the M9. For Lake Itezhi-Tezhi and the southern lodges, leave the M9 at Mumbwa for the Mumbwa to Itezhi-Tezhi road: gravel of variable condition, 304 to 347 km and five to six hours in total from Lusaka.
From Livingstone, and the other approaches
Southern Kafue is closer to Victoria Falls than most people realise: Livingstone to Dundumwezi Gate is 204 km via the T1 through Kalomo, about two and a half hours, and from there you are into the Nanzhila sector. This is the smart routing if your trip pairs Kafue with the falls.
From the Copperbelt, Kabanga Gate on the northern boundary is roughly 150 km from Kitwe via the M18. Other entry points are Hook Bridge, Lufupa, Musa near Itezhi-Tezhi, and Kabulushi.
Distances and driving times
| Route | Distance | Time | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lusaka to Mumbwa (last fuel) | 124 km | ±1.5 h | Tar (M9) |
| Lusaka to Nalusanga Gate | 162 km | 2–2.5 h | Tar (M9) |
| Lusaka to Hook Bridge / Mukambi | 270–280 km | 3.5–5 h | Tar; no 4x4 needed |
| Lusaka to Itezhi-Tezhi / Musungwa | 304–347 km | 5–6 h | Tar to Mumbwa, then gravel |
| Livingstone to Dundumwezi Gate | 204 km | ±2.5 h | T1 via Kalomo |
| Kitwe to Kabanga Gate | ±150 km | Varies | Via M18 |
| Hook Bridge to Busanga Plains | Park tracks | 5–6 h when dry | 4x4 only, seasonal |
| Dundumwezi Gate to Nanzhila Plains Camp | ±60 km | ±1.5 h | In-park track, dry season only |
| Dundumwezi Gate to Nanzhila Lake Camp | ±140 km | ±2 to 2.5 h | In-park track, dry season only |
The Busanga Plains: read this before booking
The park's most famous area is also its least accessible. The Busanga Plains flood from roughly December to June and only become passable around early July, closing again in early November; some camps do not open until 15 July. Outside that window the plains are under water and every camp up there is physically dismantled.
Even in season this is not self-drive territory for most visitors: the route in from Hook Bridge takes five to six hours of committed 4x4 driving across the Lufupa drainage, and the camps themselves insist on written confirmation of water levels and track status before letting self-drivers attempt it. Most guests fly in. Whatever a tour brochure says, never plan on June access.
By air: charter only
There are no scheduled flights into Kafue; everything is charter. Lusaka to Chunga takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and Lusaka to Busanga about an hour and a half; African Parks quotes the park as roughly a one-hour flight from either Lusaka or Livingstone. Several strips are seasonal, so confirm serviceability with your camp when you book.
| Airstrip | Sector | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| Chunga | Central | Central lodges; the park's northern operations base |
| Lufupa | North-west | North-western camps |
| Busanga | North | Busanga Plains camps, seasonal |
| Ngoma | South | Southern lodges and Lake Itezhi-Tezhi |
| Hippo | North-east | North-eastern camps |
Self-driving: what you actually need
- A 2WD reaches Mukambi on tar. Everything beyond the M9 corridor needs a high-clearance 4x4, no exceptions.
- Do not attempt the park's interior in the wet months: black-cotton soil traps vehicles and most tracks are impassable December to April. African Parks highlights the road networks around Chunga and Ngoma as the most self-drive-friendly.
- Fuel: no source confirms a reliable fuel point inside the park, so treat it as none. Fill up at Mumbwa, Itezhi-Tezhi town or Kalomo and carry jerrycans for a margin.
- Wild camping is prohibited everywhere in the park and the surrounding GMAs; use designated campsites and plan each day around reaching one.
- Carry offline maps, a water margin and satellite comms. Parts of the park, Kasabushi among them, report no phone signal at all.
- Transit on the M9 or the Ngoma to Dundumwezi road is free; you only pay park fees when you leave the corridor.