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Walking Safari Rules by Park

Whether you can walk, who must walk with you and how old you must be are set park by park, and the differences are bigger than most travelers expect.

By the WalkingSafaris.com editors · October 2026 · 5 min read · Editorial standards

A buffalo bull stands in the foreground while a walking group waits at a distance behind it, Lower ZambeziPhoto: Chiawa Safaris

Summary by park

Park Can you walk? Who walks with you Notes
South Luangwa, Zambia Yes Licensed guide plus armed DNPW scout Minimum age 12 (DNPW); camps may set higher
Lower Zambezi, Zambia Yes, at camp discretion Licensed guide plus armed scout Walks may be called off if conditions are unsafe
Mana Pools, Zimbabwe Yes, guided or unguided Professional Guide, ZimParks scout, or no one with a permit Most operators set 16 as the minimum age
Hwange, Zimbabwe Yes, mainly in private concessions Licensed guide Only when conditions are safe
Kruger, South Africa Yes, on trails and in private reserves Trails rangers or trails guides Trails: max 8, ages 12–65
iMfolozi, South Africa Yes, on wilderness trails Armed guides Max 8; no under-16s
Tanzania national parks Yes, in permitted areas Armed TANAPA ranger Reported max 6 guests; walking fee
Masai Mara, Kenya Conservancies only Armed conservancy rangers No walking in the National Reserve
Moremi, Botswana No — Walk in neighboring concessions instead
An armed guide leads walkers in single file through Mana Pools woodlandPhoto: Mana Pools Expeditions Company
Guided walking in Mana Pools, where visitors may also walk unguided with a permit.

Zambia: a scout on every walk

Operators describe an armed scout from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), alongside a licensed walking guide, as standard practice on every walk in a Zambian national park [1]. The scout usually walks in front [2]. DNPW sets the minimum walking age at 12 [3][4]. Each camp may set its own policy above that; one Kafue camp sets 14 [5].

In South Luangwa, about half of the commercial camps make walking a daily core activity, and night drives are permitted too. In the Lower Zambezi, walking is at the discretion of camp managers and guides, and at one camp guests radio in to check it is safe before setting off [4].

Can you walk in Mana Pools?

Yes. Mana Pools is one of very few big-game parks in Africa where visitors may walk without a guide. The park's visitor code says visitors may "walk unguided at Mana and Chitake at their own risk," with a permit from reception, and may also hire an armed game scout [6].

The rule has a short history. In May 2015 the park authority banned unguided walking and required visitors to walk with a ranger or professional guide [7]. The ban was lifted in August 2015 and replaced with a daily walking permit [8]. A 2026 guide confirms that unguided walking is still allowed, but recommends it only for visitors with significant bush experience [9]. Unguided walking is traditionally done in the open woodland along the river, where visibility is good [8].

Sources differ on Chitake Spring, in the remote south of the park. One says walking with a professional guide is the only option there [8]; the visitor code includes Chitake in its unguided rule [6]. Check at the gate.

Other Mana Pools rules worth knowing:

  • Where you may walk unguided: only on the floodplain, not in riverine or thick bush, and only with a walking permit from the park office [32].
  • Distances and crowding: no closer than 30 meters to elephants, lions, painted dogs or dens; at a sighting, a maximum of five vehicles or twelve people on foot; and do not tag onto (shadow) other walking groups [32].
  • No driving after dark and no driving off road for self-drive visitors [6]. Some camps on private concessions on the park's boundaries offer night drives [10].
  • Age: there is no single park-wide age rule. Most operators set 16 as the minimum for walking, but some accept younger children [11][12].
  • Who leads a guided walk: a full Professional Guide, who is armed. Learner guides may guide only from a vehicle [13].

If you have never walked in big-game country, walk with a Professional Guide. The permit makes unguided walking legal; it does not make it wise for a first visit.

Hwange

In Hwange, walks take place mainly in private concessions, and only when it is safe to do so [14]. Camps set their own age limits; one camp on the park's western edge allows no under-16s on walks [15].

South Africa: Kruger and iMfolozi

South Africa's national parks agency runs seven wilderness trails in Kruger. The rules are clear: a maximum of eight people per trail, aged 12 to 65; a reasonable level of fitness, since up to 20 km may be walked a day; and three nights at a trail camp [16]. These are state-run trails, not commercial camps. Kruger's backpack trails, where hikers carry their own tents, are not covered here.

The private reserves and concessions around Kruger set their own rules. One walking camp in a Kruger concession has a minimum age of 12 and walks led by two armed guides [17]. One Timbavati lodge allows no children under 16 on its specialist walking safaris [18].

In iMfolozi, where Ian Player and Magqubu Ntombela led the first official wilderness trail in 1959, trails take a maximum of eight people, no one under 16, and armed guides [19][20].

Tanzania: a ranger, a cap and a fee

In Tanzania's national parks, walks are reported to be capped at six guests, must include an armed TANAPA ranger, and often follow fixed routes [21]. A per-person walking fee is charged on top of park entry [22]. In the Serengeti, walking is allowed only in selected areas, and the armed ranger is required [23]. The former Selous Game Reserve's photographic area is now Nyerere National Park, so these national-park rules apply there [24]. Game reserves outside the national-park system follow looser rules [21].

Kenya: conservancies, not reserves

Walking is prohibited in most of Kenya's national parks and reserves [25]. In the Masai Mara, guided walks are permitted only on conservancy land, never inside the National Reserve, and go out with armed community rangers [26]. Walking happens mainly in conservancies and on private ranches, especially in Laikipia [25]. Tsavo East is an exception: at one camp there, all walking must be accompanied by armed Kenya Wildlife Service rangers [27].

Botswana: not in Moremi

Walking is not permitted in Moremi Game Reserve, and nor are night drives. Neighboring private concessions offer guided walks with armed guides [28][29]. Walking is generally reported as not permitted in Botswana's national parks [30]. In the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, one reserve's walking minimum age is 12, and walkers aged 12 to 18 must be accompanied by a parent [31].

Before you go

Camps often set stricter limits than the park. Confirm the minimum age, the maximum group size, who carries a rifle, and whether walking is possible in the month you plan to travel.

Related reading: Who Leads Your Walk? Guide Licensing and Armed Escorts by Country · Mana Pools Walking Safari Guide · The Best Time of Year for a Walking Safari

Sources

  1. Kafunta Safaris, Walking safari Zambia: what to know — https://kafuntasafaris.com/walking-safari-zambia-what-to-know/
  2. Safarigo, Walking safaris in South Luangwa: before you go — https://safarigo.com/guide/walking-safaris-south-luangwa-before-you-go-431
  3. Tribes, Chiawa Camp — https://www.tribes.co.uk/accommodation/chiawa-camp/details-and-map
  4. Expert Africa, Old Mondoro — https://expertafrica.com/zambia/lower-zambezi-national-park/old-mondoro-bushcamp/in-detail
  5. Expert Africa, Musekese Camp — https://www.expertafrica.com/zambia/kafue-national-park/musekese-camp
  6. Mana Pools Code of Conduct (manapools.com) — https://www.manapools.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Mana-Pools-Code-of-Conduct.pdf
  7. Tourism Update, Mana Pools bans unguided walks (May 25, 2015) — https://www.tourismupdate.com/article/mana-pools-bans-unguided-walks
  8. Zimbabwe Field Guide, Mana Pools — https://www.zimfieldguide.com/node/19
  9. 4x4 Afrika, Mana Pools safari guide (Jan 19, 2026) — https://4x4afrika.com/2026/01/19/mana-pools-zimbabwe-safari-guide/
  10. Yellow Zebra Safaris, Mana Sands — https://yellowzebrasafaris.com/zimbabwe/accommodation/mana-sands/
  11. Yellow Zebra Safaris, Zimbabwe family safaris — https://yellowzebrasafaris.com/zimbabwe/safari-styles/family-safari/
  12. Expert Africa, Kavinga Safari Camp — https://www.expertafrica.com/zimbabwe/mana-pools-national-park/kavinga-safari-camp/in-detail
  13. Safaritalk, Julian Brookstein: Zimbabwe pro guide exam — https://www.safaritalk.net/articles.html/_/articles/julian-brookstein-zimbabwe-pro-guide-camp-hwa-r45
  14. Tribes, Hwange National Park — https://www.tribes.co.uk/places/hwange-national-park/
  15. Expert Africa, Camp Hwange — https://www.expertafrica.com/zimbabwe/hwange-national-park/camp-hwange/in-detail
  16. SANParks, Kruger Wilderness Trails — https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/what-to-do/activities/wilderness-trails
  17. Yellow Zebra Safaris, Plains Camp — https://yellowzebrasafaris.com/us/south-africa/accommodation/plains-camp/
  18. andBeyond, Ngala Tented Camp fact sheet — https://www.andbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/andBeyond-Ngala-Tented-Camp_EN-3.pdf
  19. Wilderness Leadership School, About — https://www.wildernesstrails.org.za/about
  20. Heritage Tours & Safaris, iMfolozi wilderness walking trails — https://hluhluwegamereserve.com/imfolozi-big-5-wilderness-walking-trails/
  21. Expert Africa, Walking safaris in Tanzania — https://www.expertafrica.com/walking-safaris/tanzania
  22. Duma Explorer, How much are park fees in Tanzania — https://www.dumaexplorer.com/blog/how-much-are-park-fees-in-tanzania
  23. Duma Explorer, Serengeti safari guide — https://www.dumaexplorer.com/blog/serengeti-safari-guide
  24. Tribes, Roho ya Selous — https://www.tribes.co.uk/accommodation/roho-ya-selous/details-and-map
  25. Expert Africa, Walking safaris in Kenya — https://expertafrica.com/walking-safaris/kenya
  26. Africa Geographic, Mara conservancy or reserve — https://travel.africageographic.com/destinations/kenya/maasai-mara/mara-conservancy-or-reserve-guide
  27. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Ithumba Camp fact sheet — https://lodges.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/s/Ithumba-Camp-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  28. Expert Africa, Moremi Game Reserve — https://www.expertafrica.com/area/Moremi_Game_Reserve.htm
  29. Natural World Safaris, Botswana parks — https://naturalworldsafaris.com/Africa/botswana/safaris-and-planning/parks
  30. Travel Weekly, Parks v conservancies: select your safari — https://travelweekly.co.uk/destinations/africa-parks-v-conservancies-select-your-safari
  31. Safari.com, Mashatu Lodge — https://www.safari.com/mashatu-lodge
  32. ZimParks, Mana Pools Code of Conduct for Visitors (revised January 2023) — https://www.zamsoc.org/s/Mana-Pools-Code-of-Conduct-for-Visitors-revised-2023.pdf

Spotted an error? Tell us. How we classify camps: our methodology.