Where to Walk
The best places in Africa for a walking safari
Every park compared on the same criteria: how central walking is, who leads the walks, and what kind of trip each place does best.
Where walking really matters
Share of commercial safari camps where walking is a daily core activity, counted on the same rules in every park.
Read the data and method →South Luangwa has the most walking camps of any park: 23. Excludes state-run and self-catering properties.
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The best walking safaris in Africa
The best walking safaris in Africa, by kind of walker: first-timers, serious walkers, families and more, with the parks and camps that walk every day.
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Explore the map
Select a park on the map.
Walking-led camps (larger dot, more camps)Walks offered onlyDrag to move · + and − to zoomRelief: NASA Earth Observatory · Rivers: Natural Earth
Destination guides
Zambia
South Luangwa
Unfenced Zambian park of about 9,050 km² (some 2.2 million acres) with 24 walking-led camps, the most of any park tracked, each walk led by a licensed guide and armed DNPW scout. Walking share: 49–62%.
Zimbabwe
Mana Pools
Zambezi floodplain park with the highest walking share tracked, walks led by armed Zimbabwe Professional Guides, and unguided walking permitted by permit. Walking share: roughly two-thirds to three-quarters.
Zambia
North Luangwa
Remote park of about 4,636 km² (some 1.1 million acres) with three small seasonal camps, all built around walking, including a walking-only zone.
Zambia
Kafue
Zambia's largest park, co-managed by African Parks and DNPW: walking is mostly an option alongside drives and boating, with a few walking-focused camps in the north.
Zambia
Lower Zambezi
River park where walking is generally secondary to boating and canoeing and runs at camp managers' discretion.
South Africa
Greater Kruger
Kruger and its open private reserves: low walking share, but the most walking-only camps, including seven state-run SANParks wilderness trails, mostly capped at eight. Walking share: 5–7%.
Zimbabwe
Hwange
Zimbabwe's largest park, mainly a drive destination, where walking takes place chiefly in private concessions with licensed professional guides. Walking share: 10–13%.
Zambia
Walking safaris in Zambia
Where the walking safari began: South and North Luangwa, Luambe, Kafue and Lower Zambezi, with a licensed guide and armed scout on every walk.
Zimbabwe
Walking safaris in Zimbabwe
Rifle-carrying professional guides in Mana Pools, Hwange, Gonarezhou and beyond.
Malawi
Liwonde, Majete and Nkhotakota
Walks offered alongside boat trips and drives, a short drive from South Luangwa.
Tanzania
Ruaha, Nyerere and the Serengeti
Mobile walking camps and walks with an armed park ranger, in national parks and licensed walking areas.
Kenya
Conservancies and ranches
Walking in Laikipia, Tsavo and the Mara conservancies, including camel-supported walks.
Mozambique
Gorongosa
A war-torn park brought back to life, where a private walking fly camp now leads guests into remote country.
Namibia
An add-on, not a core walking destination
Mostly short walks alongside drives, plus rhino tracking on foot in Damaraland and two places where walking comes first.
More places to walk
Smaller walking areas in our directory, with the number of qualifying camps in each.
Photo: Chiawa SafarisRules and data
Where Walking Really Matters: Walking Share by Park
Counting the camps that walk every day, as a share of all the camps in a park, shows where walking is the way of life and where…
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…
Where Is the Best Game Viewing on a Walking Safari?
There is no single best park for wildlife on foot. There is a best park for what you most want to see, and for the kind of…
Rhino Tracking on Foot: Where to Do It
Rhino tracking on foot is a focused search for one animal, and in several of the best places to do it, nobody in the group…