Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia.
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about 1,279 metres (4,196 ft). As of 2022, the city's population was approximately 2,204,059. Lusaka is the centre of both commerce and government in Zambia and connects to the country's four main highways heading north, south, east, and west. English is the official language of the city administration, while Bemba, Tonga and Chichewa are the commonly spoken street languages.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Lusaka
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01University of Zambia
The University of Zambia is Zambia's largest and oldest learning institution. The university was established in 1965 and officially opened to the public on 12 July 1966.
5.8 km · public university in Lusaka, Zambia · Wikipedia - 02National Heroes Stadium
Heroes National Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of the Zambia national football team.
5.4 km · stadium in Zambia · Wikipedia - 03Independence Stadium
Independence Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Lusaka, Zambia. It was originally built in the mid-1960s for use in hosting the country's independence celebrations.
5.3 km · stadium · Wikipedia - 04Child Jesus Cathedral
The Child Jesus Cathedral or simply Cathedral of Lusaka, is a religious building of the Catholic Church which is located in the city of Lusaka the capital of the African country of Zambia. It is located near the Pope Square and Lusaka Airport.
3.4 km · building in Zambia · Wikipedia - 05University of Lusaka
University of Lusaka is a private university founded in 2007 in Lusaka, Zambia. It is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
5.4 km · private university in Zambia · Wikipedia - 06Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Lusaka
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is an Anglican cathedral located in the Cathedral Hill neighbourhood of Lusaka, Zambia, and the seat and mother church of the Diocese of Lusaka. The cathedral was constructed in 1962.
2.2 km · anglican cathedral in Lusaka, Zambia · Wikipedia - 07Chilenje House 394
Chilenje House 394, located in Chilenje, Lusaka, Zambia, is a museum house in which Dr Kenneth Kaunda lived from January 1960 to December 1962. He later became the first president of Zambia.
6.1 km · historic house museum in Lusaka, Zambia · Wikipedia - 08FINDECO House
FINDECO House is a skyscraper in Lusaka, Zambia, and is the country's tallest building. Situated at the junction of Independence Avenue and Cairo Road in the heart of the city's Central Business District, the 295-feet building was built between 1978 and 1979 following the design of Yugoslav architects Dušan Milenković and Branimir Ganović.
900 m · Skyscraper in Lusaka, Zambia · Wikipedia - 09Cavendish University Zambia
Cavendish University Zambia is a private university located in Lusaka, Zambia. It was opened in 2004 as a subsidiary of Cavendish College London and is the first private university to operate in Zambia.
1.6 km · private university in Lusaka, Zambia · Wikipedia - 10Zambian Open University
Zambian Open University is a private university, founded in 2002. It is one of the oldest private universities in Zambia.
9.1 km · private university in Zambia · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross
3 Chikwa Road (on the corner of Church Road and Independence Avenue),.
- 02Henry Tayali Gallery
In the city showgrounds; holds exhibitions of local art.
- 03Munda Wanga Environmental Park
Wildlife Park and Sanctuary, Botanical Gardens, Recreational Village and Environmental Education Centre.
- 04Lilayi Lodge
Take a game drive and see animals as close to the wild as they can be in the city.
- 05Lusaka National Museum
Independence Ave (next to the new Government Complex),.
- 06Freedom Statue
Out in front of the Lusaka National Museum.
From Wikivoyage: Lusaka, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Explore the city with its diverse suburbs and informal settlements. Take a map and explore the city's markets, its second class shopping area and many other nooks. The only precautions recommended would be to leave your valuables at your hotel and take only the cash needed for the day as would apply in any major city. Parray's Game Ranch is 21 km from the town centre.
From Wikivoyage: Lusaka, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Whilst not a gourmet destination there is some good eating to be had in Lusaka. The gradual shopping mall-isation of the city sadly means that uninspiring South African chain restaurants are multiplying - but there is still a good selection of independent places scattered around. Lusaka seems to specialise in Indian cuisine. Chindo Road is the closest thing that Lusaka has to a restaurant strip.
- 01Arirang Korean Restaurant
A place to get Korean BBQ and other Korean classics, go for their beef dishes especially as you get the good quality Zambian beef in Korean style.
- 02Melsim Lodge Ethiopian Restaurant
Alick Nkhata Rd (north of the old airport, behind Flamingo Supermarket).
From Wikivoyage: Lusaka, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Lusaka
- Airports
- Kenneth Kaunda (LUN), 21 km · Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe (NLA), 274 km
- Stations
- Lusaka City Airport, 5.1 km
- Ndola → Lusaka275 km · quickest by air, 4h 46m · $180–260
- Livingstone → Lusaka375 km · quickest by air, 4h 26m · $160–240
- Mfuwe → Lusaka456 km · quickest by air, 5h 29m · $220–310
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Lusaka
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Lusaka. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get aroundMinibuses are ubiquitous, cheap, and, if already full, fast.
- Get aroundMinibuses do run into the evenings, but become decreasingly frequent at the evening wears on.
From Wikivoyage: Lusaka, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
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If you know how people move in Lusaka – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Lusaka
- Chilangahuman settlement in Zambia9.4 km