Zambia offers some of Africa's most pristine wilderness experiences, from the thundering Victoria Falls to the wildlife-rich South Luangwa National Park. Known for pioneering the walking safari, Zambia combines exceptional game viewing with authentic cultural encounters and warm hospitality.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Zambia through its food.
Livingstone Market Food Walk
Walk through Maramba Market and Livingstone town sampling street foods, fresh juice, grilled kapenta fish, and chikanda (African polony) with a local guide who explains food culture and sourcing. Includes 6-8 tastings.
Lusaka Street Food Evening
An evening walk through Lusaka's popular food streets sampling vitumbuwa (fried dough), roasted maize, grilled meats from roadside stands, and nshima with different relishes from informal restaurants.
Traditional Zambian Boma Dinner
A seated traditional boma dinner experience near Victoria Falls featuring authentic Zambian dishes including nshima, ifisashi, kapenta, caterpillar relish, and grilled game meats. Cultural performances accompany the meal.
Lusaka City Market Foodie Tour
Guided tour through Lusaka's cavernous City Market exploring the food sections: fresh fish from Lake Tanganyika and Kariba, exotic vegetables, dried caterpillars (ifinkubala), and traditional dried foods with a local food expert.
Zambezi Sundowner Food & Cocktail Experience
A sunset boat experience on the Zambezi combining traditional Zambian snacks, locally inspired cocktails, and finger foods while watching hippos and wildlife on the river banks as the sun sets.
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Zambia's food scene.
Street food tours
Street food crawls through Lusaka and Livingstone markets sampling nshima, kapenta, vitumbuwa, and grilled meats — best in the evening
Market tours
Guided morning market tours through Lusaka City Market and Maramba Market with food sampling and cultural context from local guides
Restaurant tours
Traditional boma dining experiences near Victoria Falls featuring authentic Zambian cuisine with cultural performances
Specialty tours
Zambezi River food and sundowner experiences combining boat cruises with local snacks and cocktails at sunset
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Zambia home with you.
Zambian Home Cooking Class with Mama Thandie
Cook a full traditional Zambian meal in a family home in Livingstone's Dambwa area. Learn to make nshima from scratch, prepare ifisashi peanut relish, cook kapenta, and create chikanda. Eat your meal with the host family.
Lusaka Market to Table Experience
Begin at Lusaka City Market to buy fresh ingredients with a local chef, then cook a three-course Zambian meal including nshima, bean relish, and fresh fish in a teaching kitchen setting.
Safari Bush Cooking with Lodge Chefs
Join the chef at Flatdogs Camp or Croc Valley in South Luangwa to learn bush cooking techniques including how to prepare game meats, cook on an open fire, and create traditional relishes using bush herbs and vegetables.
DIY self-guided food tour
Self-guided food route through Livingstone town covering the best local eating spots
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1
Stop 1: Maramba Market (7-9AM) — fresh fruit, vitumbuwa fried dough from vendors near the entrance
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Stop 2: Zigzag Coffee House on Mosi-oa-Tunya Road — excellent coffee and breakfast wraps
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Stop 3: City Market food stalls (lunchtime) — nshima with kapenta and ifisashi from informal restaurants
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Stop 4: Roadside BBQ stands near the bus rank — fresh grilled chicken and beef from charcoal grills
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Stop 5: Mukamba Boma for dinner — full traditional Zambian dining experience with cultural atmosphere
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Nshima (thick maize porridge) is eaten with the right hand, rolled into a ball and used to scoop relish — follow local practice
Kapenta (dried small fish from Lake Tanganyika and Kariba) is Zambia's most consumed protein and appears in almost every traditional meal
Eat at places frequented by locals for authentic food at fair prices; tourist restaurants near Victoria Falls are 3-4x more expensive
Morning markets are best for fresh produce and the most variety of traditional breakfast foods like boiled groundnuts and vitumbuwa
Chikanda (sometimes called 'African polony') is made from ground orchid tubers and groundnuts — a unique Zambian vegetarian dish
Caterpillars (ifinkubala/mopane worms) are a genuine protein-rich delicacy — try them fried at Chez Ntemba in Lusaka if adventurous
Ask for the daily relish at informal restaurants — it's always the freshest, cheapest, and most authentic option
Sunday food markets in Lusaka (Arcades area) offer the widest variety of prepared foods and are great for exploring different regional cuisines
Food safety: avoid raw salads and unpeeled fruit at informal stalls; stick to cooked foods and bottled water