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Travel photo of Zambia

National parks · 20 parks

Flag of ZambiaNational Parks in Zambia

Zambia has 20 national parks covering about 60,221 km² in total. The largest is Kafue National Park (22,400 km²); the oldest, South Luangwa National Park, dates from 1938.

Kafue National Park Kafue National Park22,400 km² · since 1950 South Luangwa National Park South Luangwa National Park9,050 km² · since 1938 Sioma Ngwezi National Park Sioma Ngwezi National Park5,000 km² North Luangwa National Park4,636 km² · since 1938 Lower Zambezi National Park Lower Zambezi National Park4,092 km² · since 1983 Liuwa Plain National Park Liuwa Plain National Park3,369 km² · since 1972 Mweru Wantipa National Park3,134 km² Nsumbu National Park Nsumbu National Park2,020 km² West Lunga National Park1,684 km² Lavushi Manda National Park1,500 km² Isangano National Park840 km² · since 1957 Lusenga Plain National Park800 km² Blue Lagoon National Park450 km² · since 1976 Lochinvar National Park Lochinvar National Park428 km² · since 1972 Kasanka National Park Kasanka National Park390 km² · since 1971 Luambe National Park361 km² Lusaka National Park67 km² · since 2011 Lukusuzi National ParkNational park Nyika National Park Nyika National ParkNational park Nyika National Park (Zambia)National park

Data: Wikidata (CC0), English Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Photos under their Commons licences — the author is credited on each park page.

National parks in Zambia at a glance

Zambia has 20 national parks covering about 60,221 km² — roughly 8.0% of the country's 752,618 km². The 3 largest parks together account for 61% of that area.

Largest national parks

  1. Kafue National Park — 22,400 km², since 1950
  2. South Luangwa National Park — 9,050 km², since 1938
  3. Sioma Ngwezi National Park — 5,000 km²
  4. North Luangwa National Park — 4,636 km², since 1938
  5. Lower Zambezi National Park — 4,092 km², since 1983

Oldest national parks

Planning a trip? See the best time to visit Zambia, the Zambia travel guide and airports in Zambia.

Frequently asked questions

How many national parks are there in Zambia?

Zambia has 20 national parks covering about 60,221 km² in total. The largest is Kafue National Park (22,400 km²); the oldest, South Luangwa National Park, dates from 1938.

What are the largest national parks in Zambia?

Kafue National Park (22,400 km²), South Luangwa National Park (9,050 km²), Sioma Ngwezi National Park (5,000 km²), North Luangwa National Park (4,636 km²) and Lower Zambezi National Park (4,092 km²).

How much of Zambia is national park?

About 8.0% of the country — 60,221 km² of national parks out of 752,618 km² in total.

What is the oldest national park in Zambia?

South Luangwa National Park, established in 1938, followed by North Luangwa National Park (1938), Kafue National Park (1950) and Isangano National Park (1957).