The Lion & Cheetah Walk is a guided bush walk in the company of habituated big cats near Livingstone — handler-led, at close range, from K650 per person.
The experience is exactly what the name says: you walk through open bush a few paces from lions or cheetahs, with handlers alongside throughout, and you watch the animals move at their own pace rather than through a fence or a windscreen.
POTUS arranges the walk with the operator, provides your transfers, and gives you the facts straight before you decide — this page is written the same way.
What does the walk involve?
Walks are run by Mukuni Big 5, about 5 km from Victoria Falls, and begin with a full briefing: how to move, where to stand, what the handlers will and will not allow. The cats are habituated to people and accompanied by their handlers at all times.
From there the format is simple — a walk through the bush in the animals’ company, with time to observe closely and photograph. Handlers manage every interaction and read the animals continuously; guests follow their lead, full stop.
You can find the operator’s own description of its encounters at mukunibig5.co.zm — worth a read before you book, alongside this page.
How much does the walk cost?
Three configurations are on the menu, priced from the rates below. All are confirmed at booking and subject to operator availability, with a personalised proforma quotation before any payment.
- Lion walk — from K650 per person
- Cheetah walk — from K700 per person
- Lion and cheetah combined — from K900 per person
The combined walk is the common pick, since the two species move so differently that the mornings barely resemble each other. Payment is by bank transfer, mobile money or POS.
What should you weigh up before booking?
Walking with habituated big cats is a debated corner of African tourism, and we do not pretend otherwise. We make no claims about what these encounters do beyond the experience itself; what we can tell you is how the operator runs its walks, and we share that detail with any guest who asks.
If you would rather see cats and other big game wild, we will arrange that instead with equal enthusiasm — a game drive with a white-rhino walk in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park from K800, walked with armed DNPW scouts, or a full Chobe day from $190. Both sit on the same tours menu.
Practical details
Wear closed shoes and neutral colours, keep cameras strapped, and treat the briefing as law — the handlers’ instructions are the whole safety system, and they are not negotiable. Age and height restrictions apply to big-cat encounters; we confirm the operator’s current rules on your quotation.
Walks run in the cooler parts of the day, so plan an early start and have the rest of the day free from lunch — a sunset cruise from K950 is the classic same-day counterweight.
Our job is not to talk you into an encounter. It is to give you the facts and arrange the morning you choose.
POTUS Rentals & Tours
That is the deal on every animal experience we sell — straight answers first, bookings second.
What should you expect on the walk?
The walk is a guided encounter with big cats in the company of experienced handlers, on foot, along set trails in the cooler hours of the morning or late afternoon. Guests observe the animals moving through the bush and hear about their behaviour and care from the guides who work with them daily. It is an unhurried experience, run at the animals’ pace, with the handlers directing where you walk and stand at every moment.
You can choose your encounter: a lion walk from K650, a cheetah walk from K700, or both cats together from K900. POTUS books the sitting, times your transfer around the cool hours and confirms your party size in advance. For guests who prefer to watch big game from a vehicle, we also arrange a game drive and rhino walk in the nearby national park.
POTUS collects you from your hotel and times the transfer around the cooler hours when the cats are most active and the light is best. Closed shoes and neutral clothing are recommended, and the handlers brief every group thoroughly before setting out. Numbers per walk are limited, so weekend and peak-season slots are worth booking ahead — tell us your dates and party size and we secure your places.
It is a genuinely rare chance to walk in the company of Africa’s big cats, and it sits well alongside the gentler wildlife mornings — the elephant interaction or a game drive in the national park — to build a varied few days that POTUS quotes and sequences on one personalised itinerary.
Book with POTUS
POTUS Rentals & Tours — Livingstone concierge since 2018, round the clock, respectful of guests and honest about the menu. Request a personalised quotation on the booking page or WhatsApp +260 955 747 769 and we will arrange the walk, the transfer and the timing.
