Travel Guide Zambia: Lusaka

Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and located in the southern to southeastern part of the country. More than 2 million people live here on an area of about 70 km². The city often serves as a stopover or starting point for further journeys through the Southern African country.

A melting pot of cultures and a place of hustle and bustle – a characterisation that couldn’t be truer for Lusaka. However, the parks and green areas just outside of the city, like Lusaka National Park or Munda Wanga Environmental Park, offer peaceful retreats for travellers and residents. The colourful street markets and (art) museums are further stops worth exploring on an excursion through Lusaka.

Profile

Name
Lusaka

Founded in
1905, since 1960 a recognized city

Location
In the south of Zambia

Size
approx. 70 km², about 2.500.000 million inhabitants

Accommodation
Numerous accommodations, from backpacker accommodations to luxury hotels

Activities
Visiting traditional craft markets (Sundays) or taking a trip to the national museum to learn more about the history of the country; enjoying numerous surrounding nature reserves including Lusaka National Park

Best travel time
Between May and September (between November and April there is often heavy rainfall)

Highlights
Traditional craft markets every Sunday in the Arcades Mall, as well as the Zambian National Museum; outside the city are several nature reserves such as Lusaka National Park

Visiting Lusaka

Location

Lusaka is the capital of Zambia. The city lies between the Lower Zambezi and Kafue National Park in the central province. The airport is located about 8 km outside the city centre.

Accommodation and activities

Lusaka offers a wide range of hotels, hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation.
The Pioneer Camp is a recommendable accommodation option which is also a nice place for bird watching. The Wayside Guest House and the Palmwood Lodge are also worth a visit. However, there is a wide choice of other accommodations in each price range.

A highlight of the town is the weekly market. Every Sunday, numerous stalls offer woodcrafts, woven baskets, traditional jewellery and many other things that can be bought at auction for a reasonable price. The national museum is also interesting. The exhibitions are mainly dedicated to the former colonial period.

Lusaka has several nature reserves and a national park. About 30 kilometres outside the city centre is Lusaka National Park. The park can only be reached by car. About 500 animals of 22 different species can be observed here.

Travel time

The best time to travel is towards the middle of the dry season between June and September. From October on, temperatures can often rise to over 40°C and in November, the first showers of the rainy season are announced. Towards the end of the rainy season it can cool down very much in the early morning hours and in the evening. However, Lusaka's infrastructure also allows for visits during the rainy season.