3 Day Zambia Safari
Cost from $ 500
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4 Days Zambia
Cost from $ 600
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5 Days Zambia
Cost from $ 800
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6 Days Safari Zambia
Cost from $ 1000
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7 Day Zambia Safaris
Cost from $ 1200
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8 Days Zambia
Cost from $ 1390
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9 Days Zambia
Cost from $ 2100
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10 Days Safari Zambia
Cost from $ 4500
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Cost of Zambia Safari
Zambia is considered as one of the expensive safari destinations on the African continent although it is not as high-end as the likes of Botswana, with most of its safaris tailored towards the ‘big spender’ niche. When we analyze the cost of a Zambian safari you will realize that there are a number of factors that contribute to this.
In this article we are going to try and analyze the top factors that affect the overall cost of a safari holiday in the republic of Zambia.
Factors that affect the cost of a safari in Zambia
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location of national parks
the location of the national parks that you will be exploring on your Safari will greatly determine the overall cost of your safari because there are several wildlife sanctuaries in the country with some being easily accessible such as the Kafue national Park which has a beautiful highway running through it while others are extremely remote such as the South Luangwa National Park. What causes the price difference here is because of the means of transport used to reach this national packs as well as the cost of accommodation as the more remote national parks offer more costly accommodation compared to the easily accessible national parks.
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Type of Safari
Safaris in Zambia can be categorized into three main divisions and these are: Luxury safaris, mid-range safaris and budget / camping safaris. Camping safaris cost about $150 per day although these may go as high as $200 a day. The mid-range safaris which are typically comprised of mid-range accommodation may cost from $300 to up to $700 a day depending on the level of comfort offered in the tented camps or lodges. The luxury safaris can range from $700 per day to more than $1,200 per day. so depending on your budget carefully choose the type of safari holiday you wish to have.
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Cost of safari activities
There are a number of different outdoor activities offered in Zambia that you can engage in on your safari in Zambia, and these will affect the overall cost of your safari as different activities and priced differently.
| Cost per person | |||
| Activity | citizen or resident (ZK) | Non-resident USD | |
| 1. | Boating | K53 | $20 |
| 2. | Angling | K32 | $5 |
| 3. | Rafting or canoeing | K42 | $20 |
| 4. | Camping | 30 | $5 |
| 5. | hot air balloon ride | $380 | |
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Type of Accommodation
Safari Accommodation in Zambia highly depends on the national park that you will be visiting. In some of the popular game parks such as South Luangwa you will find a variety of accommodations ranging from basic campsites, bungalows, guesthouses and luxury tented lodges normally raised on platforms. The Blue Lagoon game park on the other hand has limited accommodation facilities mainly offering self catering basic chalets. The Lower Zambezi which is located deeper off- the beaten track offers more costly accommodation since it requires visitors to take charter flights to reach these places a thing that greatly affects the total cost of accommodation. It’s for that reason that while planning a safari to Zambia you pay good attention on the choice of accommodation you choose.
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Park entrance fees
As earlier mentioned there are a number of different game parks found in the country where you can enjoy different safari activities. Admission into each of these necessitates that the visitors pay a park entrance fee or concession fee and these differ as highlighted in the table below.
| National Park | Citizens (ZK)
|
Foreign Residents & SADC Nationals (USD) | Internationals(USD)
|
|
| 1. | South Luangwa | K41.7 | $20 | $25 |
| 2. | North Luangwa | K33.6 | $15 | $20 |
| 3. | Lower Zambezi | K41.7 | $20 | $25 |
| 4. | Mosi-oa-Tunya | K25.2 | $5 | $10 |
| 5. | Nsumbu | K25.2 | $7 | $10 |
| 6. | West Lunga | K25.2 | $5 | $10 |
| 7. | Lusaka | K15.1 | $10 | $10 |
| 8. | Kafue | K33.6 | $15 | $20 |
| 9. | Blue Lagoon | K25.2 | $5 | $10 |
| 10. | Kasanka | K25.2 | $7 | $10 |
| 11. | Luambe | K33.6 | $10 | $15 |
| 12. | Lochnivar | K25.2 | $7 | $10 |
| 13. | Other National Parks | K8.4 | $1 | $5 |
| 14. | Victoria Falls | K20 | $20 | $20 |
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The length of your safari
It is no doubt that the length of time one spends on a safari in Zambia will there actually affect how much they will end up paying if we analyze the safari cost per day especially if using the same tour agent or company. The shorter the safari the more cost per day and the longer the safari the cheaper the cost per day. A 3-days Safari normally cost more as compared to the 7 to 9 day safaris
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Time of year you visit
Zambia has two main safari seasons which are the peak safari season and the off-peak safari season. the peak safari season runs from May to October when the country is experiencing the dry season; during that time game viewing is very remarkable and the weather is conducive for most safari activities. At that time of the year there is a very large number of tourists in the country and traditionally the costs of safaris are generally high. On the other hand the off peak tourist season which begins in December to April comes when the country is experiencing rainfall. It is also called the green season; there are fewer tourists in the country and consequently the cost of safaris are discounted. This is the ideal time for budget travelers to visit this country.
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how to get around while in Zambia
When on your safari in Zambia you have an option of moving from one National Park to another by road as you drive across Zambia’s countryside, or choose to use the domestic charter flights that connect between the different safari destinations however this option is more expensive. Budget travelers are advised to opt for the road trip as it’s more cost effective. therefore when planning your holiday in Zambia it is important that you put this in mind as it will also have a great effect on the cost of the overall cost of the safari.
Best time to visit Zambia
Zambia offers a variety of safari activities which makes it an all year round destination. If you are interested in game viewing, then the best time to visit is during the dry season from May to October when the mid-day temperatures are generally conducive with the exception of the months of September and October which are very hot. The low volume of water on the Zambezi River on which the Victoria Falls are found make it possible to enjoy the different aquatic activities especially in the months of August and September such as swimming and white water rafting. On the other hand the green / rainy season begins in December to April with the best views of the Victoria Falls being enjoyed from the month of February to May when there are large volumes of water on the great Zambezi following the rains.
