Lusaka Province: From the Capital to the Zambezi

Code:09
Type:province
Native name:Lusaka Province
Area:21,896 km²
Elevation:1,044 m
Capital:Lusaka

Introduction

Lusaka Province surrounds Zambia's capital and reaches from the farmland of the central plateau south-east down the escarpment to the valleys of the Zambezi and the Luangwa, where the country meets Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Kafue river runs along its south-western side, and most of the Lower Zambezi National Park lies within it.

Overview

For a traveller, Lusaka Province is the capital, Lusaka, and the way down from it to the river: the road leaves the plateau, drops through the hills of the escarpment and reaches the Zambezi, where the Lower Zambezi National Park lines the bank opposite Zimbabwe. Most visitors cross the province on that road or over it by light aircraft, on the way to the canoes and the camps on the river.

Discover Lusaka

The plateau around the capital

Around Lusaka the plateau is farming country, with fields of maize and vegetables, cattle and the smallholdings that supply the city's markets, crossed by the main roads east and south. The land is high and open, with the mild climate of the plateau, and it is the province's most settled part.

The Kafue river

South of the capital, the main road to the south crosses the Kafue river at the town of Kafue, where the river, broad and slow, runs along the province's edge on its way to join the Zambezi. Downstream it passes through a gorge in the hills before the confluence, and the river is a place for fishing and boating close to the city.

Down to the Lower Zambezi

In the south-east the plateau ends at the escarpment, and below it the Zambezi valley is wild country. Most of the Lower Zambezi National Park lies here, a strip of floodplain and hills along the river where canoe trips among hippos and elephants are the heart of a stay, reached from Lusaka by road and boat or by light aircraft.

Luangwa at the confluence

At the province's south-eastern tip the town of Luangwa stands where the Luangwa river flows into the Zambezi, at the point where Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique meet. It is a small, remote river town, reached on a long road down from the plateau, and seldom on a visitor's route.

Ways to Experience This Destination

The Capital

Lusaka's markets, the national museum and the craft stalls of Kabwata, at the start of most journeys by air.

The Lower Zambezi

Canoes, boats and drives in the park on the Zambezi, below the escarpment and opposite Zimbabwe.

The Kafue River

The broad river at the town of Kafue, south of the capital, on its way to the Zambezi.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to see in Lusaka Province beyond the capital?

The Lower Zambezi National Park above all, most of which lies in the province, with its canoe trips on the Zambezi; the Kafue river at the town of Kafue; and the drive down the escarpment from the plateau to the valley. The farmland around the capital and the remote river town of Luangwa make up the rest.

How do I get from Lusaka to the Lower Zambezi?

By road, south by way of Chirundu and then along the river or by boat to the camps, or by light aircraft to the park's airstrips in well under an hour. The camps arrange the last stretch for their guests.

Cities in Lusaka

Lusaka

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