Maps and navigation
South Luangwa National Park map
An interactive map of the valley, the coordinates of the gate, the airport and the main camp areas, and how to navigate once the signal drops away.
Download the official park map
Zambia's parks authority publishes no downloadable South Luangwa map. The most useful printed references are the Tracks4Africa Zambia map and the maps most camps hand out on arrival.
Key coordinates
Save these before you go. Mobile coverage inside the park is patchy at best, and a set of waypoints in an offline app will get you out of trouble faster than anything else.
| Place | What it is | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
| Mfuwe Gate | Main entrance, reached by the bridge over the Luangwa | -13.0833, 31.7833 |
| Mfuwe International Airport | Flights from Lusaka, 30 minutes from the gate | -13.2588, 31.9366 |
| Nsefu Sector | Northern sector, quieter, high leopard density | -12.9500, 31.9000 |
| Nyamaluma | Second gate, about 50 km south-west, pontoon crossing | -13.3500, 31.5500 |
| Chipata | Nearest city: fuel, supplies, banks, 120 km on tar | -13.6333, 32.6500 |
| Oasis fuel station | Last fuel on the Mfuwe road | -13.1000, 31.8500 |
Navigating the valley
- Tracks4Africa covers the Mfuwe loops and the tracks north into the Nsefu Sector.
- OsmAnd or Organic Maps with the Zambia region downloaded is a solid free option.
- The road from Lusaka is tarred the whole way now, so navigation only gets interesting once you are through the gate.
- Between January and March the park loop roads become impassable and some camps are cut off entirely. Check before you set out.
The rule that decides your day
Self-drive permits run 06:00 to 18:00, while licensed operator vehicles may stay out until 20:00. That two-hour gap is where the night drives happen, and it is why self-drivers cannot do them. Plan your own driving to be back through the gate well before six.
Walking anywhere in the park without a guide and an armed scout is prohibited, so treat every stop as a stay-in-the-vehicle stop unless you are with a guide.