Overview–zambia

North Luangwa National Park

Untamed North Luangwa National Park is an incredible Big Five walking destination in the wildlife-rich Luangwa Valley. The habitat and wildlife is similar to the more popular and accessible South Luangwa National Park. The experience is different though; with only a few small bush camps in a huge area, you get a glimpse of Africa as it was hundreds of years ago.

Best Time to Visit

July to October is the middle and end of the Dry season, and these are the best wildlife-viewing months as animals gather around the remaining water sources. However, October is extremely hot.

Operators working in North Luangwa National Park only conduct their safaris in the Dry season, from June to October. The remoteness of the park and lack of infrastructure makes it almost impossible to visit during the Wet season.

May to October –Dry Season

Wildlife viewing is at its best
Rainfall is rare and it is sunny
Malaria risk is minimal and there are few mosquitoes around
The sky is very hazy and the bush is very dry
October is extremely hot
Mornings are cold from June to August; warm clothing is necessary

November to April –Wet Season

The scenery is green and the air is fresh
Best time for birding as migrants swoop in
Many newborn animals make their first appearance
Camps in the wilderness area are closed and operators don’t conduct tours
Wildlife viewing is better in the Dry season
Very hot with high humidity levels
Malaria is a bigger concern than in the Dry season
The roads become bad and are often impassable

Scenery

North Luangwa is part of the southern extension of Africa’s Great Rift. The Luangwa River acts as the eastern boundary, but the Mwaleshi River is the lifeline of the park. Mopane and miombo woodland, acacia shrub, grassland savannah and riverine forest are some of the habitats that make up this lush valley. The Muchinga escarpment is a prominent landmark.

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Rates

From: $204 to $1,223 pp/day

Best Time to Go

From: July to October (Animals are easier to find)

High Season

From: July to October (The park is little visited)

Size

From: 4,636km² / 1,790mi²

Wildlife & Animals

Aside from giraffes, North Luangwa National Park has all the usual safari animals you would expect in this part of Africa, including all of the Big Five. Buffalo herds can be thousands strong and elephants, although often skittish, are common too. You’ll probably see lions and spotted hyenas, and you might be lucky and see wild dogs too. Black rhinos were reintroduced in 2003 and their numbers are growing steadily.

Wildlife Highlights

Luangwa Valley specials include Crawshay's zebra and the endemic Cookson's wildebeest. You’ll definitely see puku and impala. You might also spot Lichtenstein's hartebeest, sable antelope and eland, but the most common large antelope is the greater kudu with its impressive corkscrew horns.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The middle and end of the Dry season, from July to October, is the best time for wildlife viewing in the park. Animals gather around the waterways, and vegetation is thinner, which makes spotting easier. North Luangwa only operates fully from June to October, with camps closing the rest of the year.

General Wheather

North Luangwa National Park has a Wet and Dry season and a hot climate with reasonably uniform temperatures throughout the year. The park is very seasonal and all the camps in the wilderness area are closed during the Wet season.

Dry Season –May to October

There is practically no rainfall in the Dry season. It is hot during the day, but cool at night. The camps are usually open for visitors from June to October.

May – There is still a lot of water around at the start of the Dry season. This is not a good time to visit the park as roads are still waterlogged. Most of the semi-permanent camps are still closed.
June & July – The rain has finished, and the bush is drying out. These are the coolest months. Temperatures during the day reach 26°C/79°F, with mild nights at around 13°C/55°F. Warm clothing for early mornings is essential.
August & September – September has an average temperature during the day of 30°C/86°F. There is no rain, and the bush looks parched. Mornings are getting warmer too.
October – Although the exact timing is unpredictable, the first rain usually falls at the end of this month. Temperatures keep increasing to an average of 33°C/91°F, although they can peak much higher. Morning temperatures are around 21°C/70°F.

Wet Season –November to April

During the Wet season, afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common. All the camps in the wilderness area are closed and access during this time is very hard and not recommended. There are no tours available to North Luangwa in the Wet season.

November – If rain hasn’t started in late October, it usually comes in November. The bush is very hot with average daytime temperatures about 33°C/91°F. Rain doesn’t fall every day, and it mostly comes in afternoon thunderstorms.
December, January, February & March – Rain rarely lasts the whole day, although it falls on most days during the wettest months. Daytime temperatures average 32°C/90°F, while at nighttime the average is a balmy 19°C/66°F.
April – The landscape is lovely and green during April, and it rains less regularly.

Prons

All of the Big Five are present
Home to Zambia’s only black rhino population
Remote wilderness area, mostly set aside for walking
Excellent add-on to a conventional safari in South Luangwa

Cons

Very limited road circuit and accommodation options
Lots of harmless but very annoying tsetse flies
Animals are more skittish than in South Luangwa

How To Get There

Most visitors arrive in the country at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN), Zambia’s main airport, located 14km/9mi from the capital, Lusaka. Domestic flights operate from here to Mfuwe International Airport (MFU), near the main gate of South Luangwa National Park.

Most people visit North Luangwa National Park as an add-on walking safari to South Luangwa and fly between the two parks.
There are few roads in the park, but self-drive visitors can drive from South Luangwa via Luambe National Park to North Luangwa (or vice versa). A new game-drive track along the Luangwa River and several basic self-catering community camps and campsites have opened up the park to adventurous 4x4 enthusiasts.

Airlines & Ticket Prices

Please check Skyscanner to see which airlines can take you to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN), and what tickets would cost.

www.skyscanner.com

Domestic Flights

Charter flights between parks are usually organized by your tour operator. Currently, the only domestic carrier operating scheduled flights to Mfuwe in South Luangwa is Proflight.

Passport, Visa & Other Entry Requirements

Please check our Getting There – Zambia page to learn more about passports, visas, COVID-19, and other entry requirements.