Day 1: The tour begins with an overnight in Lusaka.

Day 2: An early morning departure to drive north to the town of Chingola. As the Zambian countryside opens up before us, we'll encounter our first commoner birds such as African Golden Oriole, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, and Black-eared (Mennel's) Seedeater. Night in Chingola.

Days 3-5: An early departure takes us west to the town of Mwinilunga and beyond, to Hillwood Farm, stopping along the way to search for Red-throated Cliff Swallow, a species largely restricted to Angola and Zaire, and perhaps Bar-winged Weaver, Black-collared Eremomela, and Boehm's Flycatcher. Hillwood is a long-established working farm that has created a small reserve that offers some incredibly rich birding among a variety of habitats, and a comfortable base from which to explore them. We'll see our first 'Dambos' habitat here, where we'll look for Black-rumped Buttonquail, African Marsh Harrier, Dickinson's Kestrel, Angola Lark, Rosy-throated, Grimwood's, and Fulleborn's Longclaws, Black-tailed Cisticola, Black-chinned Quailfinch, Locust Finch, Marsh Widowbird, and Bocage's Weaver, while migrants from Europe could include Corncrake and Great Snipe. With luck we may also find a Black-and-Rufous Swallow.
If you look on a map of Zambia you will see that we are right up in the northwest corner of the country, where Zambia meets Angola and Zaire, and this unique position is reflected in the birds, as we find ourselves surrounded by species normally associated with the rainforests of central Africa. In the riparian forest and 'Mushito' we should encounter Ross's Turaco, Afep and Bronze-naped Pigeons, White-spotted Flufftail, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Western Least Honeyguide, Honeyguide Greenbul, Cabanis's Greenbul, Little Greenbul, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, Grey-winged Robin, Bamboo Warbler, Buff-throated Apalis, Bates's Sunbird, Splendid Starling and Dark-backed Weaver to name but a few. We'll also visit the source of the Zambezi to search for the rare Forbes's Plover. Elsewhere there are more goodies to tempt us in the form of Black-collared Bulbul, Cassin's Grey Flycatcher, Margaret's Batis, Olive and Bannerman's Sunbirds and Black-bellied Seedcracker while mammals we may encounter include Red Lechwe , Roan, Wildebeest, Puku, Reedbuck, Sable and Oribi. Nights at Hillwood Farm.

Day 6: Today will be primarily a travel day, with a long drive east to a lodge near the town of Mkushi. However the roads are good and as we travel through farmland and scattered patches of Miombo woodland there will be time for stops to look for a variety of species including Rufous-bellied and White-winged Black Tits, Violet-backed Sunbird, and Trilling Cisticola. Night in Mkushi.

Days 7-8: An optional pre-breakfast birding session in some local Miombo woodland should add some new species to our list such as Chestnut-mantled Sparrow Weaver. However some of the best Miombo in the country awaits and after breakfast we head east to the Mutinondo Wilderness for a two-night stay. This is a vast beautiful area of protected Miombo woodland and without doubt the best place to see species endemic to this habitat such as Anchietas Barbet, Anchietas Sunbird, Miombo Bearded Scrub-Robin, Souza's Shrike, the beautifully camouflaged Spotted Creeper, and Southern and Yellow-bellied Hyliotas.
There are also some large areas of 'Dambos' which have formed at the headwaters of several rivers. Here, and among the associated woodland, we'll look for Long-toed and Streaky-breasted Flufftails, Blue Quail, Black Coucal, Swamp Nightjar, Bocage's Akalat, the near endemic Laura's Warbler, Stout Cisticola and Fawn-breasted Waxbill. Nights in Mutinondo Wilderness.

Day 9: After a final morning around Mutinondo, we begin to head south today with a drive back towards Lusaka. Night near Lusaka.

Day 10: We'll head south to the town of Choma to stay on another farm given over to wildlife. Here, among fig tree savannah, we'll find the only species truly endemic to Zambia, Chaplin's Barbet, although other species to distract us will include Lesser Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, Allen's Gallinule, and Parasitic Weaver among the flooded grasslands, Heuglin's Courser , and Swainson's Francolin in the savannah, Narina's Trogon and Schalow's Turaco in riparian woodland, and Barred Owl and the bizarre Pennant-winged Nightjar during a night drive. Night near Choma.

Day 11: Departing Choma we head off for the town of Livingstone where we spend two nights, a short distance from the famous Victoria Falls. In the afternoon we'll visit the falls, one of Africa's fantastic natural wonders. There are no superlatives that do justice to this place - you just have to see it for yourself.
If we can tear ourselves away from the spectacle of the falls, there will be some birds to find as the tumbling cliffs and lush woodland play host to Verreaux's and Crowned Eagles, Black Stork, African Black Swift, Rock Martin, Mocking Chat, Collared Palm-Thrush, and Striped Pipit. Night in Livingstone.

Day 12: The lower Zambezi valley is home to another extremely rare and localised species, Black-cheeked Lovebird, which is found only in a few other locations outside Zambia. We'll depart early this morning to look for this and other species, including Bronze-winged Courser, Bradfield's Hornbill, Raquet-tailed Roller, African Hobby, and Dwarf Bittern. Returning to the hotel for lunch there will be time to have a rest in the hotel grounds, or indulge in some local birding, before we take to the water for an evening sundowner. This will be a wonderfully relaxing way to end the day as we cruise the placid waters of the Zambezi river above the mighty Victoria Falls, cold drink in hand, scanning the river for White-backed Night Heron, African Finfoot, Rock Pratincole, and African Skimmer. Night in Livingstone.

Day 13: Another distinctive habitat to be found in Zambia is woodland dominated by open-canopied Mopane trees. It is to one of these we travel to today, leaving early in the hope of finding another special bird, the colourful Lillian's Lovebird. This woodland, much favoured by Elephants, is a favourite of other birds as well, and we hope to find Meves's Starling, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, and Arnott's Chat during our visit.
Later in the morning we will drive to our hotel in the town of Siavonga, on the shores of Lake Kariba, where African Fish Eagles and White-breasted Cormorants are a constant sight, and Mozambique Nightjars buzz around the hotel in the evening. Night in Siavonga.

Day 14: Angola Pitta is perhaps one of Africa's most sought after species, and certainly one of the more difficult to find. However today we visit perhaps one of the easiest places to see this enigmatic bird, which we know is only really vocal for the first two hours of daylight, after which it becomes even more elusive.
We'll therefore depart this morning before dawn to be on-site just as the sun rises, and hopefully our efforts and patience will be rewarded with a sighting of this intriguing African endemic. Later we'll concentrate on some of the other great birds to be found in this woodland including Barred and African Emerald Cuckoos, African Broadbill, Livingstone's Flycatcher, and Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin. Night in Siavonga.

Day 15: If we missed Angola Pitta the day before, we have another chance today to search for it before returning to Lusaka in the afternoon. Night in Lusaka.

Day 16: We'll transfer to the airport for an early morning flight back to London, where the tour ends later that day.