Travel advisory · ChadSome governments advise against all but essential travel to Chad.Advice depends on your passport. Read your own government's advice before you book.Official advice
- 30 km strip along all international borders · avoid all travel · Canada, Spain, France, New Zealand, UK, US
- Borkou region · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, UK
- Central African Republic border · avoid all travel · Germany, Spain, Italy
- Ennedi region · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, New Zealand, UK
- Lac region · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, New Zealand, UK
- Libya border · avoid all travel · Germany, Spain, Italy
- Niger border · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy
- Nigeria border · avoid all travel · Germany, Spain, Italy
- Ouaddaï region · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand
- Sila region · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand
- Tibesti region · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, New Zealand, UK
- Wadi Fira region · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand
- West of Mao in Kanem · avoid all travel · Canada, Italy, UK
- Cameroon border · avoid non-essential travel · Germany, Spain
- Sudan border · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, Italy
Also named by one government: 30 km strip along Lake Chad–Cameroon border (Italy), East of Borkou province (France), Kanem region (New Zealand), Abéché (France), Amdjarass (France), Bardaï (France), Bol (France), Bongor (France), Fada (France), Logone region (Spain), Mayo-Kebbi region (Spain), West of Borkou province (France)
| Government | Advice | Updated | Read the advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (FCDO) | Advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Chad | – | Read the advice |
| United States (State Dept) | Do not travel | Apr 28, 2026 | Read the advice |
| Canada (Global Affairs) | Avoid non-essential travel | – | Read the advice |
| Germany (Auswärtiges Amt) | Von nicht notwendigen Reisen in alle anderen Regionen und Provinzen abgeraten | Oct 27, 2026 | Read the advice |
| New Zealand (SafeTravel) | Avoid non-essential travel | – | Read the advice |
| France (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) | Zones rouges formellement déconseillées ; le reste du territoire est en zone orange (déconseillé sauf raison impérative) | – | Read the advice |
Checked daily from the governments' published advice; last checked Nov 2, 2026. RoamLedger summarises official advice; it is not advice from any government.
Zakouma National Park
Zakouma is known for elephants, Kordofan giraffes and off-road safaris in one of the last largely intact Sudano-Sahelian ecosystems in Africa.
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Zakouma National Park covers about 3,000 km² in southeastern Chad, between Sarh and Am Timan on the right bank of the Bahr Salamat. It is Chad's oldest national park, declared in 1963. The terrain is flat, with shrubland, tall grass and Acacia woodland, and granite rock outcrops rising from the plain.
Wildlife draws people here. Elephants, African buffalo, Kordofan giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, servals and baboons live in the park, and an estimated 60% of the world's Kordofan giraffes are found in it. Birders come for the black crowned crane. Visitors can go on off-road safaris, take boat trips on the park's rivers, join guided walks and photograph wildlife. Tinga Lodge can house up to 48 people, and Camp Nomade is a mobile safari camp. African Parks has managed the park with the Chadian government since 2010. December to February are the best months, and in January game gathers at water.
Zakouma National Park in five
- Use the park's own airstripZakouma has its own airstrip, with IATA code AKM. Check the road from Sarh or Am Timan with your operator before you rely on it.Getting around
- Book the lodge or mobile camp earlyTinga Lodge, built by the government and opened in 1968, can house up to 48 people. Camp Nomade is a mobile camp that moves around the park, so ask which site you will stay at.Where to stay
- Pick a safari mode when you bookVisitors can go on off-road vehicle safaris, boat trips on the park's rivers or guided walks. Ask your operator which of them they run and when.Tours and tickets
- Ask about rhinos before you plan around themPoachers shot the last two black rhinos in March 2025 and took their horns. Ask your operator what wildlife is in the park now.
- Check the herd count before you goThe park had 636 elephants in 2021, and herd counts have varied widely since 2002. Ask your operator for the current figure.
Things to do in Zakouma National Park
See all attractions in Zakouma National Park
Need to know
- Currency
- Central African CFA franc (XAF)
- Entry
- Visa rules vary by passport; confirm with the Chadian embassy
- Emergency
- Not verified here; get numbers from your operator and your embassy
- Tipping
- Ask your operator whether tips are expected for guides and drivers
- Time
- UTC+1, no daylight saving
Weather by month
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryDry, game at water
- FebruaryDry, heat building
- MarchHot, dry
- AprilHottest, dry
- MayHot, rains begin
- JuneRainy season
- JulyRainy season
- AugustPeak rains
- SeptemberRainy season
- OctoberRains ease
- NovemberDry season starts
- DecemberDry season starts
Right now in Zakouma National Park
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
29
- Feels like
- 27°
- Humidity
- 20%
- Wind
- 4 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Zakouma National Park
12:23 AM
Tuesday, November 3
- Today41°24°0%Tuesday: Clear. High 41°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed42°25°0%Wednesday: Clear. High 42°, Low 25°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu41°26°0%Thursday: Cloudy. High 41°, Low 26°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri40°26°0%Friday: Partly cloudy. High 40°, Low 26°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sat41°26°4%Saturday: Cloudy. High 41°, Low 26°. Chance of rain 4%.
- Sun39°27°4%Sunday: Cloudy. High 39°, Low 27°. Chance of rain 4%.
Updated 09:41 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 587.8 XAF
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Before you go to Zakouma National Park
Rules for Zakouma National Park, checked
- Check the visa rules for your passport with the Chadian embassy or consulate before you book any flight to N'Djamena.
- Hunting elephants is banned in Chad and the ivory trade has been prohibited since 1989. Do not buy, carry or export ivory or horn.
- Rangers have been killed protecting the park, so follow ranger instructions on every drive, walk and boat trip and report any sign of poachers at once.
Plan around Zakouma National Park
Entry, money basics and the rest of the country
Read the guideVisas and entryVisa rules to check before you book flights
Read the guideMoney and costsCarrying CFA francs and cash for the trip
Read the guideGetting aroundFlights, roads and the way to the airstrip
Read the guideWhere to stayTinga Lodge and the mobile camp
Read the guideTours and ticketsSafari, boat and walking options
Read the guideZakouma National Park FAQ
Where is Zakouma National Park?
It is in southeastern Chad, on the right bank of the Bahr Salamat, between Sarh and Am Timan. It covers about 3,000 km² and is Chad's oldest national park.
Is Zakouma National Park worth visiting?
It suits travelers who want flat Sudano-Sahelian country, granite inselbergs and large herds. About 60% of the world's Kordofan giraffes live in the park, and Time Magazine named it among its 100 Greatest Places of 2019.
What animals can you see in Zakouma?
Elephants, African buffalo, Kordofan giraffe, lions, leopards, cheetahs, servals and baboons. Birders look for black crowned crane, red-throated bee-eater and purple starling.
Who runs Zakouma National Park?
African Parks has managed the park since 2010, in partnership with the Chadian government. It also took over management of the Bahr Salamat faunal reserve in 2017.
Are there black rhinos in Zakouma?
No. The last black rhino was seen in the park in 1972. Rhinos from South Africa were reintroduced, most died in late 2018, five more arrived on 6 December 2023, and poachers shot the last two in March 2025.
Is poaching still a problem in Zakouma?
Yes. Poachers killed three giraffes near Nahala and Khach-Khacha in January 2025. In late March 2025 the Environment Minister suspended several park officials over surveillance failures.