7-Day Zambia: Lower Zambezi & Victoria Falls Luxury Safari

Arrive at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, where you are met and assisted with your onward connection. A light-aircraft flight of roughly 30 minutes carries you east over the escarpment into the Zambezi valley, landing at Royal Airstrip. Your guide meets you and drives you to Lolobezi, set on a private stretch of riverbank with the Zimbabwean escarpment rising on the far side. Settle in over a late lunch, then spend your first evening on a gentle boat cruise as elephants cross the channels and hippos begin their evening chorus. Dinner is served on the deck.

Begin with a morning game drive through winding albida woodland and floodplain, where buffalo herds and large elephant bulls feed in the shade and the valley's lion prides are most active in the cool hours. Return for brunch and a slow midday by the river. In the afternoon, choose a canoe safari along quieter side channels, drifting past pods of hippo at eye level, or a boat excursion for tiger fishing and birding. Game concentrates tightly along the river during the dry season. End with sundowners on a sandbank before dinner.

A second full day in the valley, shaped around the activities you most enjoyed. Options include a guided walking safari with an armed professional guide, tracking through the woodland and learning the small details of the bush, or an extended game drive toward the Chifungulu channel. Lolobezi operates electric game-drive vehicles and boats, allowing much of the day to unfold in near silence. Watch the light turn copper on the Zambezi before your final dinner in the Lower Zambezi.

After a final morning activity and breakfast, transfer to Royal Airstrip for your light-aircraft flight west to Livingstone, following the Zambezi for much of the journey. On arrival, you are met and driven a short distance to Thorntree River Lodge, set inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park upstream of Victoria Falls. Zebra, giraffe, impala and occasional elephant move freely past the lodge. Spend the afternoon at leisure or join the lodge's sunset cruise on the upper Zambezi before dinner.

Take a guided morning visit to Victoria Falls from the Zambian side, walking the rainforest paths and crossing Knife Edge Bridge. In July, the Zambezi is still running high after the rains and the spray drifts hundreds of metres into the air; a raincoat is provided. The afternoon is yours. Optional experiences include a helicopter flight over the Falls, a guided game drive in Mosi-oa-Tunya, or white rhino tracking on foot with park monitors. Return to Thorntree for dinner.

A free day to use as you wish. Livingstone offers a broad choice of optional activities, including the Livingstone Museum, Mukuni village, white-water rafting below the Falls, or a guided riverbank walk. Alternatively, keep the day slow at the lodge, reading on the deck as wildlife moves through the national park. A final sunset cruise or dinner under the stars closes the safari.

After breakfast and a final morning by the river, transfer to Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone for your onward or international flight. End of Saringi Tours services.