Independent guide · Victoria Falls
Leon Varley
Walking safaris · nature on foot · Leon Varley Walking Safaris
To walk in Africa is to be part of Africa.
Editor's pick Checked 2026-10-08 by David Bussell · not an affiliate listing
Every other activity at Victoria Falls can be bought on a platform. A day on foot with Leon cannot, and it is the one we would protect in any itinerary. He has walked these parks since before most of the lodges existed, his trackers have been with him almost as long, and the point of the day is not a tick list but learning to read the bush: whose spoor that is, how old, which way the wind sits, why the francolins went quiet. People come back from it talking about the land rather than the animals, which is the sign of a real guide.
Who Leon is
Leon Varley was one of the first professional guides to qualify in post-independence Zimbabwe, and he has been leading walking safaris in the country's finest national parks since the early 1980s. In 1986 he and his wife Mags founded Backpackers Africa and pioneered walking safaris in Chizarira, Hwange, Kazuma and Zambezi National Parks, at a time when almost nobody was taking visitors into big-game country on foot.
His 'local patch' runs from his home in Victoria Falls through Hwange National Park, where he lived and worked for many years, to Chizarira on the Zambezi escarpment, which he calls his favourite walking wilderness. His Ndebele trackers and camp crew have worked with him for most of that time, and clients who come back year after year talk about the same things: his depth of knowledge, his fireside stories, and his sense of humour.
The Bradt Travel Guide to Zimbabwe calls him "one of Zimbabwe's most respected guides" and notes his speciality in Hwange and Chizarira. In recent years, at his regulars' request, he has taken the same approach further afield, leading small-group expeditions to Madagascar, Ethiopia, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and India.
“Leon Varley is one of Zimbabwe's most respected guides and specialises in walking safaris in Hwange and Chizarira National Parks.”
Paul Murray, Bradt Travel Guide to Zimbabwe
What a day looks like
A Victoria Falls day walk starts early, before the heat, in the bush around town or in Zambezi National Park. You walk with Leon and a tracker, following whatever the night has left: elephant, buffalo, the occasional lion or rhino spoor. There is a break under a tree, a lot of looking at tracks, plants and birds, and usually a close encounter with elephant on foot, which is the thing nobody forgets. Expect around 10 km over the morning and back for lunch.
What Leon offers
Day walks from Victoria Falls
Half-day and full-day guided bush walks around Victoria Falls and in Zambezi National Park. The easiest way to add a real walk to a falls trip.
Hwange camp-based walking safaris
Five days from an exclusive seasonal bush camp in the Sinamatella region: walk-in tents with beds, en-suite shower and toilet tent, a cook and camp crew, morning and afternoon walks and a rest through the heat of the day. 2026 departures in June, July and August, from about US$2,056 per person.
Chizarira hiking safaris
Seven days of mobile hiking on the Zambezi escarpment, camp moved each night, with a portered option if you would rather not carry a pack. Remote wilderness rather than big herds. From about US$2,950 per person, finishing with a sunset cruise at Msuna on Lake Kariba.
Private and tailor-made safaris
Matobo, Mana Pools, Gonarezhou and the other Zimbabwean parks, plus private guided trips to Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and Madagascar, booked for 2026 and 2027.
Leon leads every safari personally unless he is ill, in which case a similarly licensed and armed guide steps in. He carries a firearm as a last resort, is trained in first aid, and walks with a satellite phone and support vehicles on call. Groups are small, up to seven people.
Dates and prices
| When | What | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 15–19 June 2026 | Hwange walking safari (camp-based, 5 days) | from US$2,056 pp |
| 3–9 June 2026 | Chizarira backpack safari (7 days) | from US$2,950 pp |
| 2–6 July 2026 | Hwange walking safari | from US$2,056 pp |
| 16–20 and 27–31 August 2026 | Hwange walking safaris | from US$2,056 pp |
| 4–27 September and 1–27 October 2026 | Discover Madagascar expeditions | from US$4,900 pp |
| 17 January – 7 February 2027 | Ethiopia expedition (3 weeks) | US$6,700 pp |
| 8–27 March 2027 | India, with optional snow-leopard add-on | US$5,720 pp |
Dates and prices as listed on walkafrica.com when we checked; they change with availability, so confirm with Leon before you plan around them.
In pictures
All photographs: Leon Varley Walking Safaris, used with permission.
Practical notes
- Fitness
- Walks cover 10 km or more a day in rugged terrain and heat. You need to be in good general health; do some local hikes beforehand.
- Boots
- Worn-in, lightweight walking shoes or boots that cover the whole foot. Do not break in a new pair on safari.
- Carry
- A refillable water bottle (you carry your own water on walks), a small daypack, binoculars, camera, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and repellent. Hikers carry their own tent, bag and mat; camping kit can be supplied.
- Season
- The cool dry months, May to October, are the classic walking season. Hwange is at its most spectacular in the dry, when the pumped waterholes pull in elephant, buffalo and the predators that follow them.
- Health
- The Zambezi valley is a malaria zone; talk to your doctor about prophylaxis and bring long sleeves for dusk.
How to book
There is no booking platform for this, which is rather the point. Email Leon directly with your dates, how many of you there are and what you want from the day, or call or WhatsApp +263 787 329 150. Mention Book the Falls if you like; it changes nothing about the price and we earn nothing from it.
Enquire with Leonwalkafrica.com Leon Varley Walking Safaris on Facebook
Quick answers
Is a walking safari safe?
As safe as big-game country gets. Leon has guided on foot for forty years, carries a rifle as a last resort, walks with an experienced tracker, is first-aid trained and has a satellite phone and vehicles on call. The real safety rule is simple: do exactly what he says, immediately, every time.
Can children come?
Ask Leon directly. Fitness and the ability to stay quiet and follow instructions matter more than age, and he will tell you plainly whether a particular child and a particular walk fit.
Do I need to carry a pack?
Not on day walks or Hwange camp safaris, where a vehicle moves your bags. On Chizarira hiking safaris you carry your own personal gear unless you take the portered option.
Can I just do one day from Victoria Falls?
Yes. A day walk is the simplest way to put real bush time into a falls trip, and it is what we would book first.
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