Zambia has 20 national parks. They range from major safari destinations such as South Luangwa, Kafue and Lower Zambezi to remote protected areas with very little tourism infrastructure.
Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife currently lists Lusaka National Park as the country’s 20th and newest national park.
If you are planning a safari, you probably will not need to choose between all 20. A relatively small group of parks accounts for most wildlife tourism, while others are better suited to birding, wilderness travel, overlanding or specialist trips.
Table of Contents
List of Zambia’s 20 national parks
| # | National park | What it is best known for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Lagoon National Park | Kafue Flats wetlands, birdlife and Kafue lechwe |
| 2 | Isangano National Park | Remote miombo woodland and wetland habitat |
| 3 | Kafue National Park | Zambia’s largest national park, Busanga Plains and diverse wildlife |
| 4 | Kasanka National Park | Annual straw-colored fruit bat migration |
| 5 | Lavushi Manda National Park | Miombo woodland, mountains and low-volume wilderness travel |
| 6 | Liuwa Plain National Park | Open floodplains, wildebeest migration and hyenas |
| 7 | Lochinvar National Park | Kafue Flats birding and Kafue lechwe |
| 8 | Lower Zambezi National Park | River safaris, elephants, canoeing and game drives |
| 9 | Luambe National Park | Small Luangwa Valley park with hippos, predators and low visitor numbers |
| 10 | Lukusuzi National Park | Remote eastern Zambia wilderness beside the Luangwa ecosystem |
| 11 | Lusaka National Park | Accessible wildlife area close to Zambia’s capital |
| 12 | Lusenga Plains National Park | Grasslands, waterfalls and recovering wildlife populations |
| 13 | Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park | Victoria Falls and white rhino near Livingstone |
| 14 | Mweru Wantipa National Park | Lake, marsh and miombo wilderness in northern Zambia |
| 15 | North Luangwa National Park | Remote Big Five wilderness and black rhino conservation |
| 16 | Nsumbu National Park | Lake Tanganyika, wildlife and water-based activities |
| 17 | Nyika National Park | High-altitude Nyika Plateau shared with the Malawi ecosystem |
| 18 | Sioma Ngwezi National Park | Remote KAZA landscape in western Zambia |
| 19 | South Luangwa National Park | Walking safaris, leopards and classic Zambia game viewing |
| 20 | West Lunga National Park | Remote river and woodland wilderness in northwestern Zambia |
The official Department of National Parks and Wildlife provides information on Zambia’s national parks and protected areas.
Which national parks are best for a first Zambia safari?
You do not need to visit all 20 to experience Zambia’s wildlife.
For a first safari, I would narrow the list primarily to South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Kafue.
South Luangwa National Park
South Luangwa is the most obvious starting point for a traditional Zambia safari. The Luangwa River supports large populations of hippos, crocodiles and other wildlife, while the park is particularly well known for walking safaris and strong predator viewing.
See the full South Luangwa National Park guide.
Lower Zambezi National Park
Lower Zambezi is the best fit when you want the river to be part of the safari. Game drives can be combined with boating, canoeing and other water-based wildlife viewing along the Zambezi.
See the Lower Zambezi National Park guide.
Kafue National Park
Kafue is Zambia’s largest national park at about 22,400 square kilometers. Its size means the safari varies dramatically depending on where you stay, from the Busanga Plains in the north to much quieter areas farther south.
See the Kafue National Park guide.
Other Zambia parks worth planning a trip around
Several of the other national parks are worth considering when a particular wildlife experience is the reason for the trip.
North Luangwa for remote wilderness
North Luangwa is one of Zambia’s most remote major wildlife areas. It supports elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and a protected black rhino population.
The park has far less tourism traffic than South Luangwa and is better suited to travelers who specifically want a low-volume wilderness safari.
Liuwa Plain for open landscapes and migration
Liuwa Plain National Park is a huge western Zambia floodplain known for wildebeest, hyenas and a seasonal wildlife migration.
It takes considerably more effort to reach than the major Luangwa Valley parks, which is part of what keeps visitor numbers low.
Kasanka for the bat migration
Kasanka National Park is best known for the seasonal arrival of enormous numbers of straw-colored fruit bats.
This is a specialist wildlife trip rather than a substitute for South Luangwa or Kafue if your priority is a conventional big-game safari.
Mosi-oa-Tunya for Victoria Falls
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park protects the Zambia side of Victoria Falls as well as a relatively small wildlife area near Livingstone.
It is especially useful as part of a Victoria Falls trip rather than as the centerpiece of a multi-day Zambia safari.
Nsumbu for Lake Tanganyika
Nsumbu National Park combines terrestrial wildlife with the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika. It is one of the more unusual national parks in Zambia because fishing and other water-based experiences form a major part of its appeal.
What about Zambia’s lesser-visited national parks?
The fact that a park receives little international tourism does not mean it is unimportant or only exists “on paper.”
Places such as Isangano, Lukusuzi, Mweru Wantipa, West Lunga and Lavushi Manda remain protected national parks, but tourism infrastructure, wildlife visibility and access can be much more limited than in South Luangwa or Lower Zambezi.
That makes them specialist destinations rather than obvious recommendations for a first safari.
Blue Lagoon and Lochinvar are different again. Both lie in the Kafue Flats and are especially relevant to birders and travelers interested in wetland ecosystems rather than Big Five game viewing.
National parks and Game Management Areas are not the same thing
Zambia’s protected wildlife system also includes Game Management Areas, usually shortened to GMAs.
These surround many national parks and help form much larger connected wildlife landscapes. They should not be added to the national park total.
That is why the answer remains 20 national parks, even though Zambia has many more protected wildlife areas overall.
Which Zambia parks should you actually visit?
For most safari trips, I would use the 20-park list as background rather than an itinerary checklist.
- Best classic safari: South Luangwa
- Best river-focused safari: Lower Zambezi
- Best for scale and wilderness: Kafue
- Best remote Big Five experience: North Luangwa
- Best seasonal wildlife event: Kasanka
- Best wide-open remote landscape: Liuwa Plain
- Best Victoria Falls add-on: Mosi-oa-Tunya
- Best wetland birding: Lochinvar or Blue Lagoon
The main Zambia safari guide is the better place to compare destinations, logistics and safari styles once you move from counting the parks to actually planning the trip.
So, how many national parks are in Zambia? The current official total is 20, with Lusaka National Park the newest addition to the system.
