9 Days Zambia Northern Waterfalls Expedition

The 9 Days Zambia Northern Waterfalls Expedition is a 9-day sample itinerary: a tailor-made waterfall safari covering Kalambo Falls, Lumangwe Falls in Zambia. A 4×4 expedition to the wild north of Zambia: Kasanka's fruit bats, the curtain of Lumangwe, and Kalambo's 220-metre drop above Lake Tanganyika.

Highlights

• Kalambo Falls, one of Africa's tallest single drops
• Lumangwe and Kabwelume Falls
• Lake Tanganyika
• Kasanka bat migration (November)

For background on the countries visited, see our Zambia guide.

Who this safari suits

• Experienced travellers and overlanders
• Waterfall enthusiasts who want remote, uncrowded falls
• Birders, especially in the Kasanka bat season (November–December)

Route and travel times

Lusaka → Kasanka National Park (about 5 to 6 hours) → Lumangwe Falls area (a long day of about 8 to 9 hours) → Mpulungu on Lake Tanganyika (about 5 hours) · Kalambo Falls excursion (4×4) → back south to Lusaka over two days.

Times are typical and vary with road conditions, border queues and weather.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1

   Lusaka to Kasanka

   Drive north from Lusaka for about five to six hours to Kasanka National Park, a small park of swamps and miombo woodland known for sitatunga antelope.

   Overnight KasankaMeals All meals

2. Day2

   Kasanka

   Explore Kasanka on foot and by vehicle. From late October to December, watch millions of straw-coloured fruit bats leave their roost at dusk, one of Africa's great wildlife spectacles.

   Overnight KasankaMeals All meals

3. Day3

   To Lumangwe Falls

   A long day of about eight to nine hours north on the Great North Road towards Mporokoso and the Kalungwishi River.

   Overnight Lumangwe areaMeals All meals

4. Day4

   Lumangwe and Kabwelume

   Explore Lumangwe Falls, a broad curtain that resembles a small Victoria Falls, and walk downstream to Kabwelume Falls.

   Overnight Lumangwe areaMeals All meals

5. Day5

   To Lake Tanganyika

   Drive about five hours to Mpulungu on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Africa's deepest lake.

   Overnight Lake TanganyikaMeals All meals

6. Day6

   Kalambo Falls

   Take a full-day 4×4 excursion to Kalambo Falls, one of Africa's tallest single-drop waterfalls, with a picnic at the rim. Take care at the unfenced cliff edges.

   Overnight Lake TanganyikaMeals All meals

7. Day7

   Lake Tanganyika

   A day on Lake Tanganyika for swimming, snorkelling among colourful cichlid fish and boat trips along the shore.

   Overnight Lake TanganyikaMeals All meals

8. Day8

   Return south

   Begin the journey south, breaking the drive overnight on the way.

   Overnight En routeMeals All meals

9. Day9

   Return to Lusaka

   Complete the drive to Lusaka for your departure.

   Meals Breakfast

When to go

Best time for this route: April–June; November for the bats. At Kalambo Falls: March–June, after the rains. At Lumangwe Falls: March–June. See the month-by-month water levels.

Making this trip your own

This is a sample route, not a fixed departure. You can add nights where you want more time, swap the lodges named for others at a different budget, drop activities that do not interest you, or join this itinerary to another one. Tell us your dates, the number of travellers and what matters most to you, and we will send back a tailored version with a price.

Lodges named are examples; ask about alternatives at other budgets. Activities depend on water levels and park rules.