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How to Plan an African Safari Trip: Step-by-Step

Bucket List Destinations How to Plan a African Safari Trip: Step by Step

An African safari maybe a once-in-a-lifetime trip and should be on every traveler’s bucket list. Planning your safari can be an enjoyable experience, but there are many factors to consider when planning a safari, especially for first timers. Traveling to Africa is not as straight forward as visiting other parts of the world. Many places are remote with extensive driving routes and require logistical planning with flights and transfers.

We recommend letting Safari Ventures do that for you.  We take care of your tour from start-to-finish. Whether you’re planning a family holiday, a group trip, a company trip, a month-long stay, visits to multiple countries, or just a simple trip for two, our team of safari experts are here to provide you with the best safari experience.

Below is our step-by-step guide to help ease your mind when planning the ultimate African safari trip.

What areas of Africa do you want to visit?

Africa is a huge continent with natural wonders, vast lands of amazing wildlife, great city and cultural experiences. Deciding what to do during your travels can be intimidating. However, first deciding where you want to visit can help narrow down all the sights and activities available. We recommend focusing on 1 to 2 countries for your first time . Trying to squeeze in too many countries will make each destination feel rushed and diminish the experience. For first timers hoping to see a lot of wildlife, consider visiting either Tanzania, Kenya or South Africa which offer the greatest opportunities for “big 5” sightings and many other species.

We offer a variety of safaris and tours to many awesome destinations:

Eastern Africa:

Southern Africa:

• South Africa

East Africa or South Africa?

These regions offer very different experiences. If you are looking for a well-rounded experience, then South Africa may be a better choice . South Africa allows you to experience the history and culture of Cape Town, the stunning winelands, and of course superb game viewing as well.  South Africa is an amazingly diverse destination with something for everyone.

On the other hand, if you are looking for that “National Geographic” experience, then we highly recommend visiting east Africa.  Kenya and Tanzania differ from South Africa because of the sheer volume of game.  The Serengeti and the Masai Mara are best known as the home to the Great Wildebeest Migration.

When do you want to visit Eastern or Southern Africa?

Deciding when to travel to Africa may greatly affect what you can expect to see during your visit. Looking at East Africa, you can expect to have great wildlife viewing year-round.   The Great Migration is a year-round event where wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles travel in a clockwise circle between Kenya and Tanzania searching for food and water . Thus, when you decide to travel will determine where you should visit. If planning to visit June to July, then Tanzania offers the best chance of seeing the Great Migration in the Serengeti while January to February is the best time to witness the wildebeest calving season. If planning to travel July to October, Kenya may be the best choice for the migration.  It is important to understand that these are wild animals, and nothing is guaranteed while on safari. Nonetheless, we at Safari Ventures have drivers/guides that are highly educated in spotting wildlife and will do their best to make your experience exciting and memorable.

For more information on when the best time is to visit Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe- Click here .

What will be the length of your trip?

Africa is a big continent and there are many things to see and do. Deciding how long you plan to visit will help you decide how many stops are feasible without feeling rushed. We suggest visiting Africa for a minimum of 8 days, not including flight travel. That way you can take the time to enjoy everything Africa has to offer .

Scheduled (small group) or private safari?

Deciding between a private or shared safari? If you don’t mind sharing your safari vehicle and enjoy interacting with other travelers, then a scheduled small group safari may be a great option. Keep in mind that all our safari vehicles in east Africa carry a maximum of 7 passengers, all with a guaranteed window seat. Not only are scheduled safaris and tours more budget friendly but they are fully escorted and can provide the same wonderful experience as a private safari .

If you will be travelling in a big group or staying at luxury lodges/camps, we recommend planning a private safari.  You will have more flexibility and can fully customize your trip.

In Southern Africa, your safari game drives are usually provided by the camp/lodge. Therefore, although you trip was tailor-made, you may still be paired up with other travelers at each lodge you visit unless a private guide/vehicle is requested at an extra cost.

What do you want to do while in Africa?

Visiting Africa is more than just going on game drives and see amazing wildlife. Whether you’re visiting Eastern or Southern Africa there are many things to see and do. Here are just a handful of activities to consider:

• Witness the Greatest Show on Earth- The Great Wildebeest Migration
• Take a hot air balloon safari over Tanzania’s Serengeti or Kenya’s Masai Mara
• Take a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls
• Safari and migratory Bird watching at Etosha National Park in Namibia
• Visit a Maasai Village in Tanzania
• Explore Cape Town with our guided day tours
• See the mountain gorillas up close while trekking in Uganda and Rwanda
• Play a round of golf at Tanzania’s one-and-only 18-hole golf course
• Play the “ Extreme 19 th hole ” from a high cliff while golfing in South Africa
• Cruise through the Okavango Delta in Botswana on a mokoro (dugout canoe) or boat
• Enjoy a beautiful beach resort after your safari in Zanzibar
• Climb the tallest mountain in Africa- Mount Kilimanjaro or hike the foothills
• Go on a thrilling shark cage diving adventure in the Western Cape of South Africa
• Shop for unique handmade crafts

Knowing what you want to see and do during your visit will help us determine your perfect itinerary.

How many people will be going on this trip?

Are you planning a trip for two? A small friends/family group? A big group? Are you planning to travel with children? The number of people traveling with you will influence your itinerary and determine how far in advance you need to start planning. Generally, the bigger the group the more time is needed to plan and organize as well as to guarantee lodge/camp availability.  Many safari camps might have only a dozen or less rooms and tend to book quickly especially during peak season. If you have a big group, need multiple rooms and want a specific accommodation, plenty of advance planning is essential.

Traveling with children is another factor to consider. There are several camps that may not allow children under 7 for safety reasons, however there are also many family-friendly camps that cater to children with special day camps.  Rates for children are often substantially lower. Our safari team will be happy to provide more information on that.

What is your budget range? 

The budget is probably one of the biggest factors in determining the specifics of an itinerary. An 8-day safari with accommodations, meals and internal flights can range from $2,000 to upwards of $20,000 per person. Setting a budget up front will help determine the best options when it comes to accommodations, transportation, and activities.

What type of accommodations would you like to stay in?

Africa offers a variety of accommodations depending on the destination . The type will determine the budget and activities you can expect.  Are you looking for budget-friendly 3 to 4-star or luxury 5-star accommodations? During your safari, are you interesting in staying in lodges, permanent-tented camps, mobile/seasonal camps? While in South Africa’s cities, are you interested in staying at a major hotel or a boutique hotel? The number of hotels, lodges, and camps available in Africa are plentiful. Our expert team makes frequent site visits to ensure that your accommodation is up to our standards. They will be able to suggest the best options available based on your preferences and budget. For example, the perfect lodge for honeymooners would not be ideal for families or large groups.

Would you like assistance with flights?

Safari Ventures will help you with flight timing or bookings on request.

Africa is not a do-it-yourself destination.  Designing the ultimate safari trip takes care, thought and the attention to detail of an expert.  We will listen to your needs, answer any questions or concerns you may have, and work until we have ultimately curated the perfect itinerary. Our goal is to make your Africa experience the trip of a lifetime, seamless and worry-free.  Please contact us at 1.888.341.7771 or click here to start planning. 

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What to Pack for An African Safari, According to Trip Organizers

Packing is hard. Especially when the destination might involve giant mosquitoes or Instagram-worthy hiking trails. What do frequent travelers to these spots — the ones who best know how to prepare for the conditions — put in their suitcases ? We’ll be tackling this in our series “ The Trip List .”

Going on an African safari and spotting animals like lions and zebras in their natural habitat is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since it’s not something most people do very often, it’s also not the easiest trip to pack for. For those lucky enough to have a safari in their future, we’ve rounded up a group of experienced tour guides and travel planners (with hundreds of safaris collectively under their belts) to help you out.

“People always overpack. I think that’s the biggest mistake,” says Deborah Calmeyer, founder and CEO of the safari trip organizer Roar Africa . She explains that, in terms of clothing, you generally just need a few casual pieces, as there aren’t many occasions to dress up on safari. Most lodges also offer laundry service with a quick turnaround time, so there’s no need to pack a new outfit for each day of your trip. Instead of prioritizing style, safari experts say to focus on layering , as you’ll spend most of your time outdoors on game drives in open-air vehicles. It might be chilly when you leave your lodge in the early morning but heat up quickly when the sun comes out. “If you’re out after sunset when the temperature drops, those layers will come in handy again,” says Calmeyer.

Before you start packing, learn the luggage requirements of your particular trip, which will determine how much you can bring. Even if you fly to Africa on a major international airline, once you’re in the bush, you’ll travel from site to site on small aircrafts with limited space. “The portal leading into the luggage compartments is quite small, and the bags have to be smushed and manipulated into these little cargo areas,” explains Kota Tabuchi, the managing director for African travel at the trip-planning consultancy Travel Beyond . Depending on your destination, weight limits can range from roughly 33 to 42 pounds, with lower limits more common in East Africa and higher maximums generally seen in South Africa. Choose a soft duffel bag (check your airline’s rules to confirm whether wheeled bags are allowed), as you can’t bring hard-sided luggage on many small planes.

You’re likely going on safari to encounter wild animals (especially the big five: lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants, and buffalo), so don’t scrimp on binoculars and cameras that will help you get the best view and capture the best memories of your sightings. Below, our experts share their top picks for the gear that’ll make your trip comfortable and memorable, plus everything else you’ll need for a perfect safari.

As stated above, a soft-sided duffel bag is your best bet for traveling on safari. Tabuchi has owned this North Face bag for more than 15 years now and has brought it on multiple safaris each year. He calls it “absolutely bombproof.” The lightweight and roomy duffel should hold everything you need, and it is compliant with most African airline requirements. If you want another option, Tabuchi also likes the very similar Patagonia Black Hole bag (a longtime Strategist favorite ).

At under $100, this bag is an affordable pick that was mentioned by several safari pros, including Ina Steinhilber, president of tour operator Thomson Safaris . It’s lightweight, too, clocking in at just over two pounds, leaving plenty of room under the weight allowance for your stuff.

If you’re allowed to bring a soft duffel with wheels, this Osprey bag gets rave reviews from Wil Smith, founder and director of travel organizer Deeper Africa . “Make sure the bag is water resistant and has a storm flap over the zipper,” he says. “On a safari, you’re out on bumpy roads, and you never know if your bag’s going to end up out in the rain, dust, or dirt. It probably won’t, but you want to prepare for anything.” He says this bag checks all his boxes and even has lockable zippers.

“These are a must for finding clothing easily in the soft-sided duffel,” says Kristina Jackson, a senior safari and Kilimanjaro travel consultant at Thomson Safaris. Many frequent travelers have recommended packing cubes to us in the past (including the eBags set) because they compress your gear to save space — even more crucial when you have a tight luggage allotment. “After safari, you may find yourself using them more often,” says Jackson. “They make traveling so easy.”

According to Joel Cody, sales and marketing director at Thomson Safaris, you’ll also want a backpack for your daily game drives to carry things like extra layers, bug spray , and binoculars. Because it folds down into a compact pouch, he suggests this Paravel backpack, as you can easily fit it into your larger luggage.

“Layers are the most practical way to cope with fluctuating daytime and nighttime temperatures,” says Sherwin Banda, president of the safari trip operator African Travel , and pretty much all of our experts agree. A basic tee is a good first layer, and in the summer you might not need more than a long-sleeved shirt on top for the chilly morning and evenings. “We all have one of these,” says Ali Riley, art director of Thomson Safaris, of this polyester button-up. She likes that it’s comfortable, moisture-wicking, and offers UPF 40 protection from the sun.

If you prefer natural fibers, Cody recommends these linen long-sleeved shirts from Uniqlo. “They’re lightweight and comfortable, and you can wear a T-shirt or tank underneath for layering,” he says. “They look good after they’re washed and are available at an excellent price point.”

Patagonia pieces came up a lot among our experts, who like how they’re made sustainably and designed for travel and adventure. For a slightly warmer second layer, Cody likes this half-zip, which is made from a moisture-wicking fabric and locks in body heat. He tells us it “provides warmth without bulk, and doesn’t take up much room in a backpack.”

An even warmer jacket is a good option to have with you even in the summer. Elizabeth Gordon, co-founder and CEO of the safari company Extraordinary Journeys , explains that many popular safari locations, such as Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater, are located at high altitudes and may be chilly year-round. For cold nights and mornings, she loves Patagonia’s Nano Puff jackets. “They weigh practically nothing and somehow always keep me at the right temperature,” she says. For a less-expensive option, Gordon also likes ultralight down jackets from Uniqlo, available for both men and women .

“A light rain jacket can double as a windbreaker, so it’s good to bring no matter the time of year, [especially] with the changing rain patterns,” says Gordon. She says spring and fall are typically the rainy seasons in East Africa, but climate change has made the weather less predictable. To make sure you’ll have coverage in the event of an unexpected storm, she recommends this packable, lightweight Patagonia jacket.

There’s no need to go out and buy special pants for your safari — chinos , leggings , and shorts are all generally fine (though some experts advise against jeans because they’re heavy to pack). If you want to really get in the spirit, however, Riley suggests these convertible pants from Eddie Bauer. You can wear them as long pants in the morning and then roll them up into capris when the weather heats up. “They’re extremely comfortable, if not overly stylish,” she says. Here’s a similar style for men that unzips into shorts. Even if it’s warm out, our experts like having the option of long pants in the evenings when mosquitos are out.

Leggings and yoga pants are especially popular on safari because they’re lightweight and comfortable, especially if you’re going to be sitting in a Jeep all day. If you anticipate being cold, a fleece-lined pair is good to have too. “In case you get a cold night in Ngorongoro, these are great to sleep in, are inexpensive, and don’t take up a lot of room,” says Cody.

Although most lodges have laundry services — often complimentary for guests — many won’t wash women’s underwear because of cultural norms in certain countries. Since you may have to wash your own underwear in your bathroom sink, go with pairs made for exercise or travel that are designed to be fast-drying. “Ideally you want clothing that is easy to wash and dry,” says Smith. He includes underwear in this category, especially for women. Ex Officio (which makes some of our favorite men’s and women’s underwear) specializes in quick-drying materials that’ll make it easy for you to do your own wash.

Gordon points out that most lodges have pools, and getting in an afternoon dip is a great way to cool down after a long day out in the bush. Obviously, go with whatever swimsuit you love, but if you want some Strategist-approved picks, check out out recommendations for men and women (plus bikinis ). Here are two crowd-pleasers that earned our seal of approval.

Unless you’re trekking through the mountains to see gorillas, safaris are mostly sedentary experiences spent on Jeeps or Land Rovers driving through wildlife preserves to catch a glimpse of the big five. Our experts say there’s no need to waste precious luggage space on heavy hiking boots , as you’ll likely be doing only a bit of walking outside the vehicle. Jackson suggests wearing Toms. “They’re perfect to slip on and off while in the vehicle throughout the day and are also very lightweight.” Similarly, her colleague Cody swears by Vans, telling us, “They’re so easy to take off and on and are washable. I wore these all the time.”

If you do anticipate doing more active walking on your trip, both Smith and Tabuchi recommend trail-running shoes. They’re not as bulky as hiking boots (which our experts say aren’t necessary for most safari terrain) but still offer stability and traction. “They’re very sturdy,” says Smith. “You want good traction because if you get out of the car and it has been raining, the ground may be a little slippery.” Tabuchi says any trail runners with a solid rubber sole should do the trick. The lightweight Hoka One One Torrent is popular among trail runners and should be rugged enough to get you through your safari adventure.

Although our experts recommend closed-toe shoes while you’re out on game drives, they say to also bring a pair of flip-flops or sandals for when you’re relaxing back at your home base. “It’s great to have some comfortable flip flops for your tent or your lodge or around the campfire,” says Smith. You’ll also want to wear your flip-flops at the pool if your lodge has one. Brazilian-made Havaianas are an affordable yet stylish option that we’ve written about before .

Accessories

In the past, we’ve covered how merino-wool socks are ideal for all types of activities including running , biking , and hiking . Their temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking properties also make them perfect for safari. Steinhilber says Smartwool socks will “keep your feet warm on cool nights” and, given their lightness, will also be comfortable on daytime game drives.

Calmeyer says a shawl or pashmina will “never go to waste on safari” because it’s an all-in-one piece that you can use to stay warm, block out the sun, or even zhuzh up your casual clothes for a candlelit dinner back at the lodge. Gordon agrees, telling us she always brings a scarf “to dress everything up, or protect from dust.” Nicole Scherr, a former marketing project manager at Thomson Safaris, likes this specific shawl because it’s lightweight, quick-drying, and has UPF sun protection. “It’s great for the plane because it becomes a small blanket, and it’s also light enough to drape over yourself in the vehicle to protect from getting a burn,” she says.

If you’re not into shawls, a bandana or multipurpose gaiter can help with sun protection and keeping dust off your face. These two are favorites of the Thomson Safaris team. The UV-protective Buff also has built-in insect repellent, which you’ll appreciate when the mosquitoes come out.

Since you’ll be out in the sun for most of the day, all of our experts recommend a hat — both to prevent burning and to keep the sun out of your eyes so you can focus on the wildebeest migration or whatever amazing sight you’ve come across on your drive. Tabuchi recommends “a baseball cap at the very minimum,” but if you want even more coverage, several of our experts suggested a wide-brimmed hat like this one from Tilley, which is a top choice among Thomson Safari guides. It’ll cover the front and back of your neck, and it’s also packable, so you can cram it into your luggage and it will retain its shape when you take it out.

While the classic safari hat above is practical, Gordon admits it’s not the most stylish; she prefers a Panama hat like this one. You’ll get nearly as much sun protection in a bit more fashionable of a package.

Binoculars and cameras

“You can’t go on safari without these,” says Steinhilber, and nearly all of our experts agree that a good pair of binoculars will enhance your trip. How close you’re able to get to animals will depend on where exactly you’re going on safari, but Tabuchi explains that in many national parks and game reserves, vehicles are restricted to the road networks, so your driver won’t be able to go off-road to follow a pride of lions or elephants bathing in a river. That’s when binoculars will really come in handy. Although some lodges and game drives provide loaner pairs, Calmeyer says you’ll often end up having to share these with other guests, so it’s worth bringing your own. Gordon adds that “not having binoculars holds you back.”

All binoculars are labeled with two numbers. The first represents the magnification power (for example, “10” means objects will appear ten times bigger than they actually are), and the second is the lens diameter, which determines the field of vision. Binoculars can range in price from under $100 to well into the four figures for a Swarovski pair that Smith calls “the envy of every safari guide and bird enthusiast.” For a safari, Smith says to look for a pair with minimum specs of 8x42, like this mid-range model from Zeiss. With these, Smith says you’ll be able to zoom in on incredible sights like a rhinoceros 1,000 yards away.

If you’re willing to make more of an investment, the Vortex Viper 10x42 are Smith’s personal favorite binoculars. “Those are really good binoculars at a very reasonable price,” he says. “I think the glass is good; it’s stable. I’ve had people compare them with much more expensive binoculars.”

Smartphone cameras are so high-quality these days that experts say you’ll be able to get a lot of great shots with your iPhone — but on safari there are occasions when you’ll want a traditional camera. Like binoculars, a camera will be useful when your drive can’t get close to an animal and your phone camera’s zoom isn’t strong enough to shoot a clear picture from 50 yards away. Tabuchi adds that there are some areas where smartphone photography is banned to protect rhinoceroses, as poachers have used geotagged photos to track down the animals. And, as Gordon points out, if there’s any occasion to break out your fancy cameras and lenses, it’s Africa. Experts say you’ll want a minimum of 300-400mm zoom lenses for shooting at typical safari distances.

This Sony is a favorite of both Smith’s and Tabuchi’s. A bridge between an entry-level point-and-shoot and a high-end DSLR, it has an adjustable telescopic lens that zooms out to 600mm, more than enough to capture lion paws or the eyes of an elephant from a distance. Compared to a DSLR camera with multiple lenses, this one “takes up less space,” Smith says, “and you don’t have to mess around changing lenses.” Tabuchi calls it “stellar,” telling us “it’s got the functionality and zoom capabilities of a DSLR but has enough automatic features in there for dummies like myself.” (If you do choose to go the DSLR route, Tabuchi recommends renting additional lenses from Lensrentals.com to save money on expensive kits you might not use after your safari.)

Here’s a more affordable bridge camera that made Calmeyer’s list of recommended models for Roar Africa safari guests. She admits it won’t be as powerful as a DSLR, but for the price it’s a solid option for capturing both close-ups of animals and sweeping landscape shots.

Even pre-pandemic, experts recommended packing hand sanitizer, since you might be eating lunch straight off a game drive or need to take a bathroom break out in the bush and far from running water. Of course, by now we all have our own sanitizer preferences, but Steinhilber especially likes this lavender one because she says it “doesn’t have that terrible antiseptic odor.” (Interestingly, it’s also Sarah Michelle Gellar’s favorite .)

“The African sun is brutal,” says Calmeyer, and a good sunscreen is an absolute must. Any type you prefer will work as long as it has a high SPF, but if you want a safari-approved pick, Jackson says Badger is a solid “all-natural brand to use all day long.”

Don’t forget lip protection. Steinhilber says any lip balm you choose must have a strong SPF. She uses this one from Dermatone.

Mosquitos, tsetse flies, chiggers, and other critters are often unavoidable on safari, but a good bug spray can reduce your chances of getting bitten. Now’s not the time for organic essential-oil-based repellents that experts say won’t be up to the task. Instead, you’ve got to bring in the DEET. Brittany Silva, a safari trip manager at Thomson Safaris, says this 30 percent DEET spray is one of the best. Another good option is to wait until you land, so that you can buy bug spray from an African company and feel confident that it’s designed to repel the local insects. Calmeyer suggests the brands Peaceful Sleep and Tabard . “They work better than anything I’ve ever got from anywhere else,” she says. Gordon agrees, calling Peaceful Sleep “magical.”

If you’ve read our coverage of the best tick repellents , you know we’re already big fans of this permethrin spray, which can be used to treat clothing and gear. Smith, along with the team at Thomson Safaris, also uses it and likes the extra protection it provides. You can spray it on your shoes, your hat, and anything else you might be wearing to keep bugs at bay.

If you really don’t want to use DEET (which can be smelly and irritate skin), Smith suggests the non-toxic ingredient picaridin as an alternative. “It comes in nice, soft lotions that smell good,” he says, “and it’s just as effective as high-concentration DEET.” He says this Sawyer lotion feels gentle and non-greasy on your skin.

Even if your lodge has a laundry service, if you’re moving between places quickly and won’t be at a specific lodge for more than one night, Smith recommends packing soap for washing your own clothes. He says, “You can just wash your stuff and hang it up to dry while you’re sleeping, so you always have something clean.” Also, bringing your own soap is a must if your lodge won’t wash your underwear. Jackson recommends this eco-friendly, biodegradable soap for easy cleaning.

Additional gear

“On glamping safaris to the Serengeti, charging opportunities are generally limited to the vehicles and central lounge areas,” says Andrew Doherty, manager of special-interest travel at Thomson Safaris. Since you might not have a personal charging station in your tent or lodge, he recommends bringing a power bank that you can charge up when you’re near an outlet and then use to keep your phone and other gadgets running when you’re out of reach. “That way, you can continue to scan through selfies and edit safari shots on your phone while lying in bed listening to lions roaring in the distance.”

“There are three different plugs in Africa,” says Gordon. “A universal adapter is good to have because if you’re entering different countries, you’re just going to want to have all three in one.” This adapter will work in popular safari countries like South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

Similarly, not all tents and lodges will have lights and electricity at all times. “A lot of places are on generators or solar panels that aren’t going to be on all day or all night,” says Gordon. “The lights are getting better, but they’re not super-strong.” While she used to bring a flashlight on safari, she says she now just uses the one on her phone, but still packs a book light for reading at night. A headlamp works too, if you prefer, and we’ve recommended our favorite one here .

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12 Top African Safari Tours

Cross this must-do activity off your bucket list.

Courtesy of Micato Safaris

Spot the big five on your safari adventure.

Safari tours in Africa are just as diverse as the continent itself, though these types of trips typically require a large sum of money. Whether you want to spend a few days gorilla trekking in Uganda or a couple weeks spotting the "big five" – lions, leopards, African elephants, rhinos and Cape buffalos – in South Africa, you'll find an array of tours to best suit your needs. To help you narrow down your options, U.S. News compiled a list of 12 can't-miss African safari tours. Read on to find your once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Note: Some of the African countries in this article may require travelers to get an entry visa and certain vaccinations in order to visit. Jump to the list of visa and vaccination requirements by country at the bottom of this page for more information.

&Beyond

Courtesy of &Beyond

Visitors who don't want to sacrifice creature comforts while on safari will appreciate &Beyond's offerings. During the tour operator's 10-day Kings of the Jungle safari – which starts at $11,340 per person – travelers will see breathtaking natural wonders like the Ngorongoro Crater and the Maasai Mara savanna. But the highlight of this journey is its four-night stay at Tanzania's Serengeti National Park . After watching animals like wildebeest and zebras partake in the great migration while also spotting lions, giraffes and more, vacationers retreat to high-end tents and lodges with private bathrooms.

[See more of Serengeti National Park: Things to Do | Hotels | When to Visit | Photos ]

Wilderness Safaris

Courtesy of Wilderness Safaris

For some of Africa's most jaw-dropping scenery, opt for the seven-night Namibian Adventure Safari tour offered by Wilderness Safaris. This weeklong trip features visits to the Namib Desert's dune-filled Sossusvlei region (which you may recognize from the film "Mad Max: Fury Road") and the mountainous Palmwag Concession – a protected area with springboks, giraffes, black rhinos and more. The package's per person fee starts at $6,725, which covers most meals, park entrance fees, and transfers from Namibia's capital Windhoek and between the safari destinations. It also covers your stay at properties like the fully solar-powered Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp and the five-star Little Kulala lodge amid the stunning desert.

Wild Rwanda Safaris

Courtesy of Wild Rwanda Safaris)

Adventurous travelers sticking to a more conservative budget should consider Wild Rwanda Safaris' Bwindi Gorilla Safari. The three-day package features a full day in southwestern Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (a haven for silverback gorillas) and an adjacent Batwa Pygmy community. Wild Rwanda Safaris allows guests to choose between midrange, luxury and super luxury accommodation, which can help keep costs down if necessary. The company's packages include the $700 permit required to visit the gorilla park. The round-trip journey by safari vehicle to and from Kigali, Rwanda, and English-speaking guide services are also covered in all rates. The tour can begin from Kampala, Uganda, as well, although you'll spend longer on the road to the park.

Nomad Tanzania

Courtesy of nomad-tanzania.com

Sign up for Nomad Tanzania's Southern Tanzania safari and you're bound to get an up-close look at Tanzania's diverse wildlife. Offering eight days of activities, including game drives and boat trips in Ruaha National Park and Nyerere National Park, this safari gives you prime opportunities to spot lions, cheetahs, leopards and elephants, among other species. What's more, lodging at the company's campsites, select meals, and flights to and from Dar es Salaam are factored into the package's prices. Expect to pay a minimum of $5,700 per person; prices vary depending on the time of year, and the tour isn't offered in April and May.

Micato Safaris

If you want to explore multiple destinations while on safari with plenty of comfort (but a price tag to match), book the 15-day Micato Grand Safari. This outing by Micato Safaris starts with a two-day visit to Nairobi, Kenya, before continuing to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Maasai Mara National Reserve, and the Amboseli and Serengeti national parks for wildlife-viewing excursions. During your trip, you'll see Mount Kilimanjaro as zebras, gazelles and more roam in the foreground. The package costs at least $22,450 per person (based on double occupancy rates) and includes a hot air balloon ride, a camel tour led by members of the Samburu tribe, and lodging at upscale properties like Serengeti's Four Seasons outpost. The company also offers various extensions allowing you to explore other parts of Africa, from the island paradise of Zanzibar to the deserts of Namibia.

Rothschild Safaris

Courtesy of Rothschild Safaris

If your ideal safari vacation consists of customizing your trip from start to finish, consider an outing with Rothschild Safaris. The company offers itineraries in locales like Zambia and Madagascar , but if you're hoping to catch a glimpse of the big five animals, the Essence of Tanzania safari is a good bet. This nine-day experience, which embarks from Arusha and returns there by plane, includes game-viewing drives in Tarangire National Park and accommodations like canvas tents and farmhouse lodges. Elephants, zebras and lions are just some of the animals you may spot during your journey. You'll also have the opportunity to go on a nighttime safari to spot nocturnal wildlife.

Lion World Travel

Courtesy of Lion World Travel

As the trip name implies, Lion World Travel's 10-day Best of Cape Town & Botswana vacation package combines sightseeing in Cape Town, South Africa , with a classic safari in Botswana. During the latter half of the itinerary, visitors will explore Botswana's Okavango Delta (home to cheetahs, crocodiles, hippos and more) and Chobe National Park, which is believed to have Africa's largest elephant population. Prices start at $4,299 per person and cover game drives; many of your meals; and stays at luxury hotels, camps and lodges. You'll need to pay an extra charge for the flights within the tour (Cape Town to Botswana as well as Botswana to Johannesburg ).

[See more of Cape Town: Things to Do | Hotels | When to Visit | Photos ]

Bearded Heron Safaris

Neil Heron | Courtesy of Bearded Heron Safaris

Travelers keen on seeing South Africa's Kruger National Park through the eyes of a local naturalist will appreciate the 15-day safari with Bearded Heron Safaris. Led by Neil Heron, a nature guide and wildlife photographer and writer, Bearded Heron Safaris' longest option features small game drives that may include lion, rhino, zebra and leopard sightings throughout all corners of Kruger. Rates are inclusive of in-park cottage accommodations and all breakfasts, dinners, snacks and drinks. Flights and park fees are not included. For a 15-day safari, expect to pay 76,900 South African rand (about $4,500) per person.

[See more of Kruger National Park: Things to Do | Hotels | When to Visit | Photos ]

Discover Africa

Getty Images

For an inside-out trip through the natural wonders of Botswana, Discover Africa's nine-day Epic Botswana Adventure is a formidable option. You'll start out at a riverside lodge on the Chobe River – a great location for elephant spotting – before moving onto the marshy Okavango Delta, a wildlife-rich area where you can spot a huge range of animals from leopards to rhinos. The safari ends at the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, a good place to admire wildlife like zebras and buffalo on the savanna as well as salt pans from a former lake. You'll stay in upscale lodges and campsites within close reach of the wilderness. All meals and transport along the tour are included in the price tag (which starts at $4,800 per person), but international flights are excluded.

Wild Wings Safaris

If you're looking to have a broader experience that mixes in some history and beach time, consider Wild Wings Safaris' eight-day Battlefields, Bush and Beach Safari. You'll start off visiting some of South Africa's historic sites from the Boer wars, before moving on to the Phinda Private Game Reserve, which doesn't allow day visitors, so you should be able to look out for the big five without too many crowds. The tour wraps up at Thonga Beach Lodge, where you can snorkel or scuba dive near coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. As far as safaris go, this one is an affordable option, starting at about $2,795 per person with all meals included as well as a rental car; for the cheapest price, you will need to drive yourself between the destinations, but it's possible to pay an additional fee for a driver to guide you instead.

Cuckoo Safaris

This tour company kicks off its tours from the majestic Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, with a host of safaris that range from two days to nine, across Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, including some family-friendly choices. For an affordable option, there's the four-day Discover Victoria Falls, Chobe and Hwange Park safari, which will take you on two full-day tours to Chobe National Park (across the border in Botswana) and to Hwange, Zimbabwe's largest national park, where you should keep your eyes peeled for lions, elephants and more. This safari also includes a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. The price starts at $900 per person, which includes the tours plus breakfast, lunch and lodging in Victoria Falls; travelers will need to pay for entrance fees to the parks and dinner.

Compass Odyssey

Courtesy of Compass Odyssey

Explore the savanna and deserts of southwest Africa with Compass Odyssey's eight-day Namibia Wildlife Safari. You'll visit a community-based conservation area in Damaraland – known for its desert-adapted elephants, oryx, giraffes and other wildlife – while staying in the rustic-chic Doro Nawas Camp. You'll also spend two days in Etosha National Park, seeking wildlife at the park's bustling waterholes by day and embarking on an evening game drive as well. Starting at $3,750 per person, the tour includes most meals and all park entry fees, but not flights; the company does allow the tour to be customized on request.

Vaccination and visa requirements for African countries

Some popular safari destinations may require you to have received certain vaccinations in order to enter the country as a tourist. Inoculation requirements can include vaccination against COVID-19 and yellow fever, and you'll need to get these vaccines before departing on your trip. Be sure to bring proof of vaccinations with you. If you are transiting through another country en route to your safari tour, you must check that you also meet immunization requirements for the stopover location.

Note that, outside of what's required, there are a number of other vaccinations that are recommended, so ensure you're up to date and fully protected before you travel. In addition, many safari locations are prone to malaria; you should consult with your doctor to see if you need to bring anti-malaria medication on your trip.

Safari countries have varying visa requirements for travelers from the U.S. – these are detailed below. Depending on your itinerary, you may need a single- or multiple-entry visa, and some visas require you to apply in advance of traveling and/or have a certain number of blank pages in your passport. Regardless of your destination, your passport should be valid for at least six months before you leave for your trip.

Here are the vaccine and visa requirements for major safari destinations as of November 2022:

Botswana: If you have recently visited a country where yellow fever is common, you will need to be vaccinated against this illness. This does not include the U.S. but does include a number of countries in Africa, Central and South America. Consult the World Health Organization's website for a list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, including Kenya and Uganda.

U.S. citizens and nationals can stay in Botswana for 90 days without a visa.

Kenya: Travelers to Kenya must have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the last shot administered more than 14 days before arrival in the country. Unvaccinated visitors can enter with a negative PCR test, conducted no more than 72 hours before departure. Proof of COVID-19 tests or vaccines must be uploaded to an online system called Panabios. Kenya is a country where you'll be at risk of yellow fever transmission; it also requires those traveling from other places with yellow fever or cholera outbreaks to be vaccinated against these illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you protect yourself against yellow fever before your trip here.

Americans need an e-visa to enter Kenya. You should apply online at the eVisa government website no more than eight weeks before your trip, as visas are not available upon arrival in Kenya. See more on the U.S. Department of State's website .

Namibia: Those traveling from a country where yellow fever is common need to be vaccinated against it. No visa is required as long as you're staying for 90 days or less.

Rwanda: If you're coming from a country where yellow fever is endemic, a yellow fever vaccination is required before departure.

U.S. citizens and nationals can be issued a 30-day visitor visa on arrival in Rwanda or through the Rwandan Embassy in Washington, D.C. A single-entry visa costs $50, and it's recommended you bring sufficient cash in U.S. dollars to pay for this (although credit card payment may be accepted at Kigali International Airport). Consult the State Department website for more information.

South Africa: A yellow fever vaccination is required if you're traveling from a country with a risk of transmission. No visa is required for stays of 90 days or less.

Tanzania: Travelers must be able to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination with a QR code to enter Tanzania. Unvaccinated travelers must take a PCR test no more than 72 hours before departure, and the test results should be accessible by QR code. Yellow fever vaccines are mandatory if you're traveling from a location where yellow fever is present – including if you spend more than 12 hours in transit in such a country.

Visas are required for tourism in Tanzania. You can apply for a single-entry, 90-day visa online for $50 – and be sure to print a copy of the approval to bring with you. The processing period takes up to 10 days. You can also obtain a visa on arrival for a $100 fee; it's recommended you bring cash to cover this. Find more Tanzanian visa information on the State Department website .

Uganda: To enter Uganda, you must either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or present a negative test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. Like Kenya, Uganda is a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. All visitors must show proof of vaccination against yellow fever to enter Uganda, regardless of where you're traveling from.

American visitors to Uganda must apply online for an electronic visa before departure; arriving in Uganda without completing this process could result in your detainment. Visit the State Department website to learn more.

Zambia: Visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 must show proof of vaccination but do not need a test to enter Zambia; unvaccinated travelers must undergo a PCR test no more than 72 hours before departure. Yellow fever vaccines are only required if you're coming from an area considered at risk.

Visas are required to visit Zambia, but these can be obtained online before your departure or at a port of entry. Check the State Department website for more details.

Zimbabwe: To enter Zimbabwe, travelers must either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or must take a negative PCR test no more than 48 hours before your departure. As with other countries on this list, visitors from countries with yellow fever outbreaks also require a vaccine against this illness.

U.S. visitors can obtain a 30-day, single-entry visa upon arrival in Zimbabwe for $30. If you're taking a tour that requires you to leave and reenter Zimbabwe, be sure to get a double-entry visa for $45. You can learn more from the State Department website .

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Passport Wallets (That Also Hold Vaccine Cards)
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• The Best International Travel Insurance Plans
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African Safari Tour Review

Michael from united states travelled with discover africa in june 2016, great tour suggestions, well thought out and perfectly executed..

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Intrepid Travel Review: Africa Safari on the Okavango Experience Tour

Have you been reading Intrepid Travel reviews but aren’t sure if you should book with them or not? 

I had the chance to do an Intrepid Travel Africa tour in South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. This Intrepid review is written based on my experiences to help you decide what’s best  for your safari trip to Africa !

The  Okavango Experience tour  was my first Intrepid tour, as well as, really my first group tour.

I’ve always traveled independently, be it solo in  Patagonia  or with my husband in  Finnish Lapland . And, with this comes planning out all my itineraries, which I love doing.

But, I admit, there are some destinations I always knew I’d visit with a tour group, whether that was for safety reasons, difficult logistics, or because an expert guide could provide history and knowledge to enhance the experience.

And, if I’m confessing everything, I have long-admired Intrepid’s tour options from afar, more than occasionally lurking on pages detailing tours to Africa, India, and the Middle East. 

Combine this with a longstanding travel wish to visit the Okavango Delta and before I knew it I was signed up for my very own Intrepid Botswana adventure and looking for  award flights to South Africa   with my miles and points!

Is Intrepid Travel Right for You?

I’m convinced if you spend a little time on the  Intrepid website  browsing their 1k+ tour options across 120 countries and all 7 continents, reading Intrepid travel reviews from actual travelers, and learning more about what the company stands for, you’ll be able to imagine yourself on one of their tours, just like I did!

Here are some things that stood out for me as I did my research and while I was actually in Africa with them.

Intrepid tours are for anyone looking for an adventure that’s mixed with must-see sights and off-the-beaten-path gems, all while cultivating an authentic, local feel. 

Not a fan of traveling with big groups?  Neither am I. Intrepid prides themselves on small group size, as well as allowing for free time and optional activities.

Do you care about traveling responsibly?  Intrepid is the world’s largest carbon-neutral travel company. They employ local guides, which boosts local economies, and have made it part of their mission to double the number of female leaders.

Intrepid’s local guides are passionate about where they’re from and, with the company’s help, encourage sustainable travel practices like avoiding plastic whether it’s in the form of a water bottle or a plastic bag.

What about the Intrepid Tour Leader?

My tour guide was the epitome of a cool, laid-back, knowledgeable local who loved to crack a joke and make all of us laugh with his dry sense of humor.

He was a total pro who took the time every day, as many times as necessary, to brief us on what was next and what we needed to do/have/bring to make it successful. He answered questions and kept everything running smoothly. He’d led  Okavango Experience tours  before and it clearly showed.

When you think of  one of the main reasons  WHY  you’d do a tour  over traveling independently, it’s the advantage of having an experienced leader who knows how to make sure the group is having the best adventure possible. Intrepid provided this and more!

Who Travels with Intrepid?

Typical Intrepid tour groups have travel-loving people from all over the world between the ages of 20-70. My Okavango Experience tour fit this exactly.

The others in the group were from Canada, Australia, the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Ireland. Some were on their first solo trip. Others had been traveling throughout different parts of Africa. But we were all united through our love for adventure travel.

As I mentioned, this was my first Intrepid trip and, for an introvert like me, the idea of traveling with a group of people I’d never met was daunting.

But, quite honestly, the group’s chemistry was amazing and we talked and laughed it seemed from sun up, right on past Botswana’s unbelievable sundowners.

What’s the Transportation Like?

My  Okavango Experience tour  used an overland vehicle that was more a super-charged truck than a bus. There were 2 seats on each side separated by an aisle. The lead guide always sat with us in the passenger area, while the driver and the tour cook were upfront.

There was storage above our seats, in the seatbacks in front of us, and individual lockers in the back. This didn’t include the larger compartments accessible from the outside of the truck where we stowed our bigger pieces of luggage.

For the Intrepid safari excursions, we used open vehicles and always split into 2 game drive vehicles.

What are the Accommodations Like?

Intrepid has 3 different styles of tours, Comfort, Original, and Basix. The  Okavango Experience tour  is categorized as Basix. We slept in tents in established campgrounds, except for the first night in Johannesburg where we stayed at a hotel, and the 2 nights in the remote wilderness of the Okavango Delta.

The tents are a thick, durable quality that sleeps 2 people. Intrepid also provides everyone with a sleeping pad for added comfort. I brought a  compact sleeping pad , as well, and stacked it on top for a little extra lift. 

Most nights the campsites we stayed at were on hotel grounds. Many of the hotels had upgrade space. If you’re interested in upgrading, ask to see the available room first.

On the last night, a few of us considered upgrading and sharing a cabin with 2 bedrooms. However, after seeing it, the tents with our own sleeping bags won out.

I did upgrade 1 night in Maun, the day we left the Okavango, and the hotel was comfortable and clean.

What’s the Food Like?

I was blown away by the delicious meals our Intrepid cook prepared over the campfire. I seriously ate better than I do when I’m at home!

We had everything from curried vegetables, beet salads, eggs and bacon, nachos, vegetable lasagna(!), and even a chocolate birthday cake for someone in the group. 

I’m a vegetarian, as were others in the group. The cook was, as well, so there were always plenty of options for the carnivores and herbivores.

Intrepid Okavango Experience, Day-by-Day

Day 1: johannesburg.

The first official day of the  Okavango Experience  actually begins at 6 p.m. with a group welcome meeting. The Intrepid guide, cook, and driver introduced themselves and gave us an overview of the trip, as well as important information about Intrepid and our early departure the next morning.

Intrepid is all about responsible travel and it showed right away when the guide reminded us to have a water bottle and refill it from the water dispenser on the truck instead of buying individual bottles of water each day. 

There are no set activities around Johannesburg so technically you could arrive that day. However, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll need to adjust to the time difference and be ready for the next day’s 5 a.m. departure for Botswana.

Not to mention, there are notable things to do in Johannesburg like  visit Soweto  and learn about the history of Apartheid or just take a  hop-on-hop-off bus  to see the sights and learn more about the city.

Since the Okavango Experience tour didn’t include time at Kruger National Park, I arrived a few days in advance and had an amazing time on the  Intrepid 3-day Kruger Experience . Logistically, it made sense, too. The drop-off point was the same hotel as the start of the Okavango tour.

Dinner isn’t included on this first night, but you’re certainly not on your own. It’s a great opportunity to meet and chat with others in your group.

Day 2: Khama Rhino Sanctuary

Did I mention the  super  early departure? All kidding aside, animals are up early and so for much of the tour you are, too. On the upside, we had several hours of driving (a.k.a time to catch a snooze and enjoy our packed breakfast) and wildlife to see later that afternoon. 

One of the many great things about doing an overland Intrepid Africa tour is not having to worry about any of the travel logistics. Africa is H-U-G-E and the distances from one place to another are often separated by long, scenic roads.

Not only did our capable Intrepid driver safely get us where we needed to be, our tour guide knew exactly where to stop and told us everything we needed to know for a seamless border crossing from South Africa to Botswana.

Arriving at Khama Rhino Sanctuary, we headed to our campsite and learned how to set up our tents. In the meanwhile, our awesome Intrepid cook prepared lunch.

And afterward, we had a short time to settle in, find the showers and bathrooms, and get ready before our late-afternoon game drive.

The Khama Rhino Sanctuary was changed from hunting grounds to a protected area of land to preserve Botswana’s remaining black and white rhino population. The area is also home to zebra, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, and more.

Our game drive guides arrived and our group split up into 2 open game drive vehicles.

For the next few hours, we drove along the sanctuary’s sandy roads and spotted several rhinos, even one with a baby and another that came out right in front of our vehicle.

There were giraffe groups, impala grazing, and eventually a gorgeous sunset that silhouetted the wildlife and led into one of the largest full moons I’ve ever seen.

Day 3: Maun

Another day, another drive…but all the while, we inched closer to the Okavango Delta. After an early rise, packing up camp, and having breakfast, our Intrepid group set off for Maun. Along the way, only rest stops interrupted the group’s friendly chatter.

Maun is the gateway to the Okavango. It’s where anyone venturing into the Delta positions themselves and stocks up on any necessary supplies.

While our tour cook shopped for groceries, we had time in the shopping center to buy snacks, drinks, a required 5L bottle of water for the 2 days in the Okavango, and get Pula, the local currency in Botswana. 

Our campsite was on the grounds of a popular hotel just outside of town. So after setting up camp, our group had the chance to enjoy the pool, grab a drink by the bar, and even connect to some decent WiFi.

During a delicious campsite dinner, our Intrepid guide gave us the full Okavango briefing. Needless to say, our group excitement was running high for the days to come.

Days 4: Okavango Delta

With the campsite down and breakfast eaten, we loaded our gear into the game drive trucks and were ready for our  Okavango Experience .

Our larger Intrepid truck was too big for the dirt roads we would be on and stayed back at the Maun campsite along with our bigger bags. For the Delta, we packed just what we needed for 2 days into a smaller backpack.

Because it’s beautiful Botswana, you just never know what you’ll see. On the way to the Okavango jetty station, we spotted wildlife from lilac-breasted rollers to elephants. But nothing prepares you for that first glimpse of the tall reeds and blue water of the  Okavango .

We set off in mokoros, the traditional dugout canoes used to navigate the narrow channels of water. Swallowed up by the Delta, we almost immediately came upon elephants eating and hippos soaking. 

The mokoro safari eventually landed on a remote area of dry land with the delta waters on one side and African grasslands on the other. We began our Okavango Delta camping experience by setting up our tents followed by some free time for lunch, relaxing, or even learning how to pole around in a mokoro.

Later in the afternoon, we separated into groups of 4-5 people plus a guide for a walking safari into the grasslands beyond the campsite. Buffalo, elephants, and giraffes were just the start, as we learned what it meant to be on equal footing with the wildlife that was all around. 

We made it back the campsite just as the sun was setting and had lots of laughs during dinner around the campfire. Before bed, we marveled at the pitch-black night of the Delta with its dazzling star-lit sky.

Day 5: Okavango Delta

Rise and shine for a full morning walking safari going the other direction into the grasslands.

Out of the entire  Okavango Experience tour , this walk is the most physical exercise you’ll have to manage. The grasslands are mostly flat so it’s more about duration stamina, as the walk is 4-ish hours. Even in the Botswana winter, or dry season, by the end of the walk temperatures were around 80°F. 

The Okavango is home to the Big Five and we were sure one of the non-plant-eating ones was somewhere nearby. The zebra and kudu were very skittish and vultures circled overhead. However, it never revealed itself, nor did we find the remnants of a meal.

The midday was for brunch, mokoro poling lessons, napping, and even a dip in the Delta. Later on, we set off again in the mokoros for a sunset trip through different water channels, spotting hippos and elephants along the way.

Eventually, we made our way to a wider pool of water to watch one of the most amazing sunsets of all time.

Around the campfire that night, the local Batswana who had helped with our campsite, guided us through the grasslands, and poled the mokoros, sang and danced to and with us before the sounds of wildlife just beyond our tents lulled us to sleep.

Day 6: Maun

Today is all about taking down the camp and loading up the mokoros to (sadly) depart from the peace of the Okavango.

But what perhaps would be just transiting between places on a different tour becomes another opportunity to get back on the water (for an hour plus!) and see more of the Delta’s beauty and wildlife.

Once back at the jetty station, the game vehicles were there to return us to our campsite from Day 3, on the outskirts of Maun…but not before stopping to let a large herd of elephants cross the dirt roads leading away from the Okavango. 😉

Back at the campsite, upgrades were available for a hotel room. Those who were camping set up their tents.

Once settled, everyone went on the optional activity to fly over the Okavango Delta in a small plane. After that, it was time for dinner at the hotel restaurant and to reconnect with the world via the hotel WiFi.

And, noticeably, everyone is joyful because that’s what an authentic experience into one of the most amazing places on the planet does to you. And, it’s even better when the logistics are left to the locals who know the area and you can truly soak up every last minute.

Day 7: Nata

Back on the road again, this time towards the town of Nata and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans a few hours away.

Once again, we camped on the grounds of a lodge in Nata and had access to the hotel pool.

If you’re looking for the nicest place along the  Okavango Experience itinerary to upgrade, this is it. Although, I’ll also add the campsite bathrooms and showers are also by far the best in Nata, too.

After setting up camp, hop into open vehicles to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, one of the largest areas of its kind in the world. Huge herds of wildebeest live here along with migratory birds. There’s a mysterious feel to the place especially as the animals move and kick up dust.

Stay at the salt pans to watch the spectacular sunset before heading back to camp after dark.

Day 8: Chobe National Park

Head to Kasane, Botswana and Chobe National Park today, a several-hour drive and on the doorstep of the Zimbabwe border crossing. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the road. You never know what you might see on this drive!

Kasane is a tiny slice of human life surrounded by national park and wildlife everywhere. Before setting up camp, we had a chance to shop for anything we needed and buy lunch since it’s not included in the day’s itinerary.

Arriving at the campsite, also on hotel grounds, we set up and prepared for our afternoon sunset river cruise on the Chobe River. I’ll be completely honest and say I had no idea what to expect other than being on the water with a beautiful afternoon/evening sky.

Our Intrepid group had our own boat and guide for the excursion and the action started the minute we left the dock with a hippo floating nearby.

What followed was the highest concentration of wildlife in a 2-hour span of time you might ever see. Remember, your Intrepid guide can’t make the animals appear but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

And, of course, the day ended with a brilliant orange sky over the water…just another jaw-dropping day in Botswana and on the  Okavango Experience tour .

Day 9: Victoria Falls

The day starts off with an optional activity, an early morning game drive inside Chobe National Park. All but a couple of people chose to go. And, I highly recommend doing it.

Chobe National Park is so impressive. After having been to  Kruger in South Africa  with its wider roads, Chobe feels like you’re actually part of the bush. Not to mention, there’s just so much wildlife in the park itself.

Afterward, head back to camp to pack up and cross the border into Zimbabwe. Briefed on what to expect at the crossing, we all get our visas to enter the country. Kasane and Victoria Falls are about an hour away from each other so it’s really all about getting across the border.

Upon arrival in Victoria Falls, our guide gave us a brief tour of the town to situate us. There’s also an opportunity to sign up for activities, like a helicopter flight over or whitewater rafting near the falls, for later that day or the next. You’re also free to wander around the town, visit Victoria Falls or shop in the markets as you want.

Since it’s the group’s last night together, there’s often a special dinner. We were lucky enough to have some local dancers and singers perform, as well.

Day 10: Victoria Falls

There’s nothing official planned for the last day. If you need to fly out at a specific time, you’re free to do so.

The Okavango Experience ends but there’s the option to continue on and do the full loop back to Johannesburg. Because of this, the Intrepid truck and guide stay at the campsite another night. This flexibility works out if you plan to do an activity or shop without worrying about your bags.

Would I recommend the Intrepid Okavango Experience?

 Absolutely, without a single ounce of hesitation, I’d recommend  Intrepid’s Okavango Experience . It was one of my best trips ever and has only made me want to book more Intrepid Africa trips! The other Intrepid reviews of the tour confirm my experience, too.

The mix of experiences each day, the amount of wildlife, the expert Intrepid guides, and the friends made in the group are just the start of what made this tour exceptional.

I L-O-V-E-D the opportunity to get off-the-grid in the Okavango Delta for an unforgettable adventure! It’s also something that’s impossible to do on your own.

One thing that really stood out about this tour  is it included safari excursions in a vehicle, by boat and mokoro, as well as on foot. When you see wildlife from all these vantage points, you can’t help but gain a fuller understanding of and appreciation for the natural world around you.

Not to mention safaris can be expensive! Obviously, the costs are related to the type of experience you want. However, for everything the Okavango Experience includes, you won’t find a better value. 

Want to Extend your Trip?

About half of the people on my tour weren’t actually on the Okavango Experience but rather one of the other Intrepid safaris, the  18-day Explore Southern Africa tour . This tour is the Okavango Experience for the first half and the Vic Falls to Kruger tour for the second half. 

The  Okavango Experience  and the  Vic Falls to Kruger  tours can be booked separately. But, if you want to do the full loop back to Johannesburg, take a look at the Explore Southern Africa tour. If I had the time, I would’ve absolutely extended my trip to do the longer tour.

Not Sure About All the Camping?

In all honesty, I wasn’t either. I’ve camped out for a couple of nights, but never for this long. But, I’m so glad I did and I’d 100% go back and do it all over again for the unforgettable experiences and memories.

But, there are Intrepid tours in Africa and Botswana in the Original and Comfort styles, if camping isn’t something you want to do. These tours don’t have the exact itinerary as the Okavango Experience but include several of the same stops and activities.

For example, the  10-day Botswana Adventure tour  is Intrepid’s Comfort style, with accommodations in hotels, lodges, and houseboats. There are also included activities like an airport arrival transfer, the game drive in Chobe National Park, and the visit to Victoria Falls. 

Intrepid’s  9-day Botswana Highlights  is an Original style tour, which starts and ends in Victoria Falls. Travelers stay in hotels, lodges, and permanent tents on this itinerary to Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta, a local village, and Elephant Sands.

Things to Know Before You Go

Depending on when you want to travel, the  Okavango Experience  starts at $1,420.

The 10-day tour includes 9 nights of accommodations (8 camping, 1 hotel), 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners, and all the activities mentioned in the day-by-day breakdown EXCEPT for the airplane ride over the Okavango, the early morning Chobe National Park game drive, and any activities you choose in Victoria Falls.

You should check the requirements for South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe depending on your citizenship. However, as a U.S. citizen, I only needed to get a visa for Zimbabwe, which was purchased and processed at the overland border crossing. In fact, everyone in the group did the same, except the cost was different depending on everyone’s nationality.

If you also plan to visit the Zambia side of Victoria Falls, combined visas for both Zimbabwe and Zambia are available at the border crossing, as well.

Travel Insurance

Intrepid requires all travelers to have travel insurance on their tours. 

AARDY is a travel insurance marketplace where you can search for a variety of plans depending on your needs. And, you’ll need insurance information to complete your required information once you book with Intrepid.

What to Pack for Botswana

This isn’t a comprehensive packing list but the absolute musts for daily comfort.

3-4 Season Sleeping Bag  – Don’t underestimate how chilly it can get at night. If you visit when the Okavango is flooded, particularly between June – August, temperatures can drop into the 30°s-40°s overnight. 

Pillow  – I was so glad to have a travel pillow that opened up into a regular size pillow, but could also be squished down into my compression bag along with my sleeping bag.

Headlamp  – I used mine every day, whether it was inside the tent, around the campfire at dinner, or on my way to the bathroom after dark. Remember, during the winter months (June-August), the sun goes down in Botswana around 6 p.m.

Towel  – No towels are provided at the campsites, so you’ll need your own for showers.

Closed-toe Shoes  – Protect your feet! While you’re focused on that giraffe in the distance or eating with friends around the campfire at night,  what’s  eyeing your toes for its next snack?!?

Hiking Pants  – The perfect type of pants for warmth, sun and insect protection, and coverage from the scratchy, prickly plants in the African bush, while being lightweight and fast-drying.

Warm Fleece  – I wore my Columbia fleece every single day while I was in Botswana along with a long sleeve layer underneath. The nights get chilly but don’t forget the early morning game drives in an open-air vehicle! If you don’t have any tolerance for colder temperatures, you may even want to bring a lightweight winter jacket.

Knit Hat  – Important for early morning warmth, especially!

Gloves  – To keep your fingers warm, but more importantly, to keep your fingers safe as you set up and take down your tent.

Sunscreen and  Mosquito Repellent

Best Time to Go to Botswana and the Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta floods between June and October. Botswana, overall, is best to visit during the dry season, which runs from May to September.

The daytime temperatures are more comfortable and the evenings are cool to chilly. Even camping out at night, the cooler temperatures were comfortable with the right sleeping bag.

The dry season also comes with fewer mosquitos and as a result, a lower risk of malaria. Travelers should talk with their doctor about prevention methods and medications.

I was in Botswana in the middle of June for the  Okavango Experience  and barely saw a single mosquito until we got closer to Victoria Falls.

Is Botswana Safe?

I can only speak from my experience but not one single time did I feel unsafe. On this tour, you’re with your group a lot, perhaps more compared to city-based Intrepid tours that have free time to explore.

Regardless, in rest areas where we stopped, towns where we shopped for supplies, or even at the campsites after dark, I was comfortable and not worried, at all. If anything, there were spots you had to be more mindful of wildlife than any human.

English was spoken everywhere we traveled throughout South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe and by all activity guides.

Botswana uses Pula, which you’ll need especially for tipping guides. South Africa uses Rand but tipping in U.S. Dollars was fine. Zimbabwe uses the U.S. Dollar and ATMs in the country frequently have no cash due to the country’s ongoing political and financial turmoil.

In Botswana and South Africa, credit cards were accepted in nearly all supermarkets and shopping centers. Cash is preferred in Zimbabwe.

Final Thoughts

At the start of this review, I said I always knew there were places I’d visit with a guided group.

And, logistically, an overland Africa safari is not something I’d ever want to do with no knowledge of roads, driving conditions, and border crossings.

There are large stretches of open land when you drive in Africa. You have to know where you’re going, where to find gas, and what to do if you have car trouble. 

Why would  anyone  want to worry about this  while planning that bucket list, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime, African safari??

When you’re unsure of the driving logistics, it also makes it really challenging to plan an itinerary.

Not only do you have to do all the research about where to go and what to see, but you’ll also need to make guesses about how much to plan in a day based on the practicalities of traveling in Africa.

Plus, you want guides for an African safari trip. An expert Intrepid guide leading the group means you don’t have to worry about any of the day-to-day details from transportation to meals to activities. Intrepid works with local guides and activity operators all the time so they’ve already been vetted. 

Not to mention, guides talk, especially on game drives! They tell each other where they’re seeing animals so others have a chance to see them as well. 

 Planning a safari trip to Botswana or anywhere in Africa takes a lot of work. Going with a group led by Intrepid’s expert guides on the  Okavango Experience  is one of the best travel decisions I’ve made so far.

Are you interested in an Intrepid Travel Botswana tour?

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Disclosure: I was a guest of Intrepid Travel. As always, all opinions are my own.

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4 thoughts on “intrepid travel review: africa safari on the okavango experience tour”.

Fantastic review Jackie that makes us look forward even more to the full 18 day tour that we’ve booked for next July. This will be our fifth Intrepid but first Basix. The rest have been Originals.

The luggage thing has us confused. Everything we’ve read on Intrepid’s website says take only a pack that can fit in the locker inside the bus. We’ve seen a video that showed bags under the truck and you’ve also mentioned the same. We have High Sierra hybrid bags – they have wheels, but are soft sided and can also be a pack. We were a bit concerned they’d be too big for the locker (they are the exact measurement) but if they can go under the bus what do you use the locker for?

Thanks again for the terrific review. We’ll share with our friend (Jacqui!) who we’ve talked into joining us. She’s planning to do exactly what you did – OE and the three day Kruger tour due to time constraints.

Thanks for reading, Peter and Alan! You are going to have such an amazing time on the full 18-day tour! I also had some time constraints and did the 3 day Kruger experience as well. I’m working on a review about that right now. Your bags should be fine. There are large compartments under the truck that everyone put their big bag in. I had a large multi-day Gregory Backpack that I put under there. Inside the truck, everyone has a locker for additional things, especially if you wanted to secure anything. (Bring a padlock if you want to do this.) Think camera, passport, a slim daypack you want to lock up. Additionally, you have some space above your seat on the truck for a small bag/sleeping bag. Have so much fun and thanks for sharing! 🙂

I’ve shared the link to your amazing report with our friend and will let her know when the Kruger report is up as well.

Sorry, some more questions. Intrepid’s info is limited.

Thanks for the info on lockers, storage and bags. That makes much more sense.

Power on the truck. We’re read it’s down on the wall beside the seat. We’ve also watched a YouTube clip that mentioned USB power up in the overhead shelves. Is it the first or the second? If it’s the first is it a SA/India powerpoint – three round pins with one larger than the other two? Or maybe a Euro plug?

Def planning way too far in advance! Bought our sleeping bags and travel pillows a couple of weeks ago!

Hi Pete and Alan. The power on my Intrepid truck was above the seats in the overhead shelf area. I can’t remember the prong type…Tbh, I had my Anker battery pack so I mostly used that since it charged my phone and my camera and held a charge for days which came in handy in the Okavango. Hope that helps! 🙂

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The Real Cost of an African Safari: From Budget to Splurge

For many people, an African safari is the trip of a lifetime — in part because of the steep price tag. While a luxury lodge or a tented camp can cost upwards of $3,000 per person, per night, there are budget-friendly options out there. 

This article will outline:

• How much is a safari?
• Can you go on a budget safari?
• Budget hotels on a safari
• Budget game drives on a safari
• The best high-end luxury safaris
• Luxury hotels for a safari
• Luxury safari game drives

What does a budget safari look like?

Accommodations: The safaris most of us are familiar with — the ones you see on postcards and Instagram— are situated on private reserves. To avoid a hefty price tag, plan your safari in a national park, like Etosha in Namibia or Kruger in South Africa, which are open to the public for a small fee (less than $25 a day for foreigners) and have plenty of inexpensive lodges and camps in and around the area.

Inside the park, Pretoriuskup  and Satara Rest Camp  (which both have rates as low as $18 per night) grant you the same proximity and access to wildlife as the luxury lodges, for a fraction of the cost. These are run by South African National Parks , and the accommodations can range from traditional camping sites and permanent safari tents, to huts, bungalows, and cottages. Don’t expect any frills here — no hairdryers, meals are not included, and, you may share a bathroom or kitchen with multiple guests. 

Additionally, there are typically accommodations a few miles outside of the park gates. These properties tend to have more comforts than the aforementioned stays, but you have to drive into the park each day. Hazyview, for instance, is a small town fifteen minutes outside of Kruger is home to a handful of boutique properties, including Casterbridge H ollow . Here, you can get a large, air-conditioned room with wifi and cable from $108 per night for a single room, or, for $120 per night, you can reserve a family suite, which sleeps up to four people. (Both rates include breakfast.)

Lastly, there are a number of volunteer programs, like the Big Five Nature Project , with which you can spend two weeks in the bush for less than $1,960, including food and accommodation. In addition to the cost savings, you get to experience what it's like to run a bush camp, and you'll also get to see the Big Five.

Game Drives:

While it is not advisable or feasible for all destinations, national parks are well-suited for renting and driving your own safari vehicle thanks to networks of well-maintained roads. In this scenario, you don’t have to pay a for a daily guide, which can add up quickly. Driving yourself also means you have the freedom to stay in one place, or stay out, for as long as you want: If you want to follow a pack of wild dogs for half the day, you can; whereas on a guided drive, you’ll be limited to two- to three-hour drives and you’re subject to the whims and schedules of those in your shared vehicle.

If you do opt to drive yourself, note that it can be difficult for the untrained eye to spot a leopard amid its surroundings. When you have to keep your eyes on the road, it’s harder to take in the scenery, which can make it difficult to spot animals. Also, because public parks do not have restrictions on the number of vehicles permitted (the way they do in a private reserve), it is possible to be one of a dozen cars huddled around an elephant. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t be afraid to head down a less-busy road.

That said, a self-drive is better suited to those who have been on a safari before. Inexperienced safari-goers will rely heavily on luck to see animals (fortunately, parks like Etosha and Kruger are densely packed with wildlife). We recommend doing extensive research beforehand — and packing a good guide book.

If you have a limited amount of time, it might be better to spring for a guide. A full day can cost from $100 to $110 per person in a shared vehicle, but, you’ll have a better chance of seeing more animals. Guides can access areas that are closed off to everyone else, so they know where to find certain animals, and are able to recognize and follow tracks and detect sounds. Plus, a well-trained guide will be able to give you background information about the wildlife, geology, history, and local culture, as well as keep you safe.

So, what are you actually paying for when you book a high-end safari?

There are two main differences when you go the luxury route.

First, you’ll be staying on a private reserve or a private concession within a national park — both of which place restrictions on the number of people and cars allowed. That means you can actually pull up alongside a pack of lions homing in on a kill and not have to compete for a view.

In addition to encountering fewer vehicles on your drive, you’ll likely share a 4x4 with four to six people, as opposed to eleven or more in a similar car or SUV. It’s not a guarantee, of course, but higher-end lodges tend to avoid packing vehicles. Reserving a private vehicle might make sense for a larger group or a family (which can cost an additional $1,000 or more) to avoid being on someone else’s schedule or agenda (e.g. if you want to keep watching the lions, and they want to move on).

Second, when you book a luxury safari, you can generally expect to have a more comfortable experience. Rooms often include high-ends spa products, patios, and even a private plunge pool and/or clawfoot tub. Oftentimes, rates include all game drives, meals, high tea, drinks, and other activities.

Additionally, a guide and a spotter (the person who notifies the driver of tracks or sightings) escort you on every outing. Because high-end camps ensure their guides are well-trained, they'll be able to provide you with an enhanced experience. At the end of your evening drive, your guide will usually set up sundowner cocktails and snacks in the bush under the stars.

Lastly, location matters. Some of the coolest safari destinations — the most secluded and unique landscapes — are further off the grid. Those harder-to-reach destinations cost much more to get to, due to limited accessibility (e.g. having to rely on private puddle jumper planes to get there).

Overall, it is entirely possible to have an epic safari on both a high and low budget. If you don’t mind foregoing certain frills and sticking to a larger, easier-to-reach national park, then the low end offers a unique opportunity for adventure that certain seasoned travelers prefer. But, there is something to be said for the ease of booking a luxury lodge and not having to plan once you get there. Perhaps it’s a choice of whether you want this to be the trip of a lifetime that you can take more than once.

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How to Book an Affordable African Safari

By Eric Stoen on September 15, 2021 • Last Updated March 27, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure here .

How Much Does an African Safari Cost?

African safaris are expensive. Travel Africa magazine stated that the standard price of a 10-day safari in Botswana is £6000-8000 (US$8,500-11,000), or $850-1100 per person per day. Major international safari companies routinely quote $750-1000 per person per day for Tanzanian or Kenyan safaris.

That’s a lot of money for an African safari, especially when you’re a family of 4 or 5.

A few years ago we did a 15-day safari through Kenya and Tanzania. Our African safari cost $470 per person per day including several internal flights and splurges like a night at Nairobi’s Giraffe Manor. Our safari, booked through Sunworld Safaris in Nairobi, was perfectly crafted and well organized from a kid/family perspective. Nothing that they were responsible for went wrong. We stayed in amazing camps and lodges and the wildlife viewing was excellent. In short, it was everything that an African safari should be.

I mentioned “major international safari companies” above. I’m not going to name names, but everywhere we went, from lodges to game drives, we saw people who had booked through those companies. They were staying the same places we were and seeing the same animals we were, yet we paid half what they did.

Why do people book through the big companies? There are several reasons. First, the companies send out really nice catalogs. Second, they make booking easy – just call the local office and charge everything to your credit card. Third, their well-known brands offer some reassurance that your vacation is going to be stress-free. And that’s fine. If you have the money and want to book quickly and easily and not worry about a thing, go for it. I have friends who have traveled with these companies and been extremely happy with the trips.

But that’s not me. I have a backpacker mentality when it comes to spending money on travel. Well, at this point in my life I’ve moved beyond staying in hostels and camp sites, but I still hate paying more than I have to. And even though I was happy with our safari, I was constantly thinking of ways that we could have done it better and less-expensively. So based on my experience on this trip, and on previous safaris in Tanzania, Botswana and Zimbabwe, here are my tips on crafting the best possible safari at the lowest price.

1) Use Frequent Flier Miles for Plane Tickets

Safaris are expensive enough without factoring in the cost of plane tickets. If you can’t find inexpensive flights, think about using miles for free tickets. And be creative on the routing – you may find that you can get relatively inexpensive tickets, in terms of miles or cash, to non-African cities like Dubai. Then simply purchase cheap direct flights from there to your African destination.

2) Book the Safari Locally

Per my introduction above, local African companies can price safari itineraries far below the international companies. We were extremely happy with Sunworld Safaris and its Tanzanian division 4×4 Adventures, but there are numerous local companies. TripAdvisor is a good place to start:

• For TripAdvisor’s list of Tanzanian safari outfitters, click here  and then click on Safaris.
• For TripAdvisor’s list of Kenyan safari outfitters, click  here  and then click on Safaris.

As with everything on TripAdvisor, don’t just go by the ranking, read the reviews, and take into account that some 1-star and 5-star reviews are fake.

I can personally vouch for Sunworld for Kenya and Tanzania, and The Uganda Safari Company organized a perfect safari and gorilla trekking for us in Uganda , but shop around and check out different itineraries and prices. And if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Look for an established company with its own fleet of vehicles and permanently-employed drivers/guides – important since smaller companies have been known to take drivers off the street. Also check to see whether it’s a member of a reputable tourism organization like the Kenya Association of Tour Operators.

3) Go During Off-Season or Shoulder Season

Most destinations in the world have peak seasons (expensive), off-seasons (less expensive) and shoulder seasons (in between). Africa’s no exception. However, you need to be aware of the trade-offs. If you find a great off-season rate at a specific place, find out why it’s the off season. It could be because it’s the rainy season. It could be because there are fewer animals around then. The trade-off may be worth it to you, or it may change the trip enough that it’s not worth going then, even at the lower rate.

Weather:  Most people avoid March-May – it’s too rainy. Lodges shut down, the photography isn’t great and it can be harder to find animals since they have water everywhere and don’t need to travel to watering holes. But it’s worth looking at very early March or June when you could find good weather and shoulder season prices (of course there’s no way to predict weather).

Migration: The annual migration of 1.25 million wildebeest along with zebras and gazelles is generally in Kenya (Maasai Mara) July through October and in Tanzania (Serengeti) the rest of the year. We found the migration in and around Lake Ndutu at the end of February. Anywhere that the migration is passing through is going to be peak season – but it’s also amazing to see.

It’s difficult to generalize on peak / off-peak seasons, since every park is unique. If you know roughly when you want to visit and what animals you want to see, contact a local safari operator and ask about your best options.

4) Take the Right Number of People

The most expensive elements of an African safari are a dedicated car/driver and lodging.

The Land Cruisers that are used by most safari companies have room for eight passengers. Different lodges/camps throughout Kenya and Tanzania have rooms that sleep 2, 3, 4 or 5 people.

So think about joining up with friends to fill up those spaces. Having eight people in a Land Cruiser would be crowded and you would have to get along well, but you would save money. And then book the appropriate lodges based on how many people you’ll have. We traveled with five people, which dictated some of our camps – the ones with family tents or connecting tents/rooms. If you have a group of eight and find lodges with rooms for four, you’ll maximize all efficiencies and reduce your costs accordingly.

5) Stay in One Country

By combining Kenya and Tanzania we increased the cost of our safari. Not only did we need visas for both countries ($50 each in Kenya, $100 each in Tanzania), we also needed several local flights to move around. There were undoubtedly amazing things to see in each country, but we easily could have come up with either Kenya-only or Tanzania-only itineraries that would have allowed us to see almost as much at a lower (African safari) cost. Sunworld sent me a 10-day Kenya-only itinerary for under $11,000 for a family of four, or $1,100 a day. I know families that spend more than that for a day at Disneyland, factoring in hotel, food and tickets. But it’s better than Disneyland, because you’re in Africa!

6) Go for the Right Length of Time

As long as we were traveling all the way from California (20+ hours each way), we did the longest safari we could fit into two weeks and three weekends. That was a mistake. Our kids were getting tired of game drives after nine days or so – they had already seen a lot of animals and spent a lot of time in the car and they would have been perfectly happy to return home at that point. So more isn’t always better. Look for a 10-day safari, but make sure it’s 10 days on the ground. Some safari companies advertise 10-day safaris, but they consider days 1 and 10 to be travel days to and from your home, so really they’re only 8-day safaris.

7) End with Beach Time

We had a dedicated car and driver for all 15 days, which added up. In retrospect it would have been better to have roughly 10 days of safaris, end with a couple of days at the beach in Mombasa (Kenya), Zanzibar (Tanzania) or elsewhere, and get home a couple of days earlier. As we wouldn’t have needed a car/driver at the beach, our only real expense would have been a beach resort/lodge – an easy way to extend the vacation for not much more money.

8) Take the Kids!

Ok, this isn’t a money-saver, but kids under 12 cost a lot less than adults so there’s no reason to leave them at home. Sunworld’s 10-day Kenya itinerary prices kids as low as $209/day. And some places we stayed, like Giraffe Manor , are free for kids (with paying parents).

9) Get Travel Insurance!

Even an inexpensive safari is still expensive, so make sure you’re covered if anything goes wrong, including having to cancel your plans because of international events, arrival delays, and medical emergencies. We use G1G , based on price and coverage. Well worth getting a policy for peace of mind before heading to Africa.

Your Turn: Reducing African Safari Costs

Have you gone on an African safari? How did you bring down the costs? What am I leaving out?

More from Travel Babbo

March 10, 2016 at 2:06 am

Useful tips, but stil… unaffordable for us. We spend a month in South-Africa for 1/5th of this 15 day holiday. I’m aware that this experience was completely different and definately worth every dollar for you, that Giraffe Manor looks amazing, but for many people this is only a dream 🙂 So it’s good to browse your wonderful photos and to enjoy the experience from my couch 😉

March 10, 2016 at 9:18 am

That’s great that South Africa is so much less expensive Yvonne. Did that include safaris? How many days? What else did you do? And how many people did you have? If there’s a much less expensive safari destination for families, I’d love to be able to tell people about it.

March 10, 2016 at 4:34 pm

We also did our safari in Soith Africa for much less, but it was still pricey. For us, we found 4 full days of safari to be a good number. Granted if we were moving around like you were, more might have been nice. But we were at one private game reserve so that was the perfect amount.

My recommendation for people who want a safari experience, but can’t afford the prices of Kenya and Tanzania would be to go to South Africa. It’s much more reasonable and still has a great deal of animals to please everyone. We were insanely spoiled with at least 10-20 sightings of each of the big five during our short stay. Our guide told us that Kenya and Tanzania tend to promote to Americans and Europeans which means they hike up the prices. Whereas SA typically has appealed more towards locals so the prices aren’t as high.

But I still want to do your trip too!!

March 10, 2016 at 10:59 pm

Thanks Karilyn! If you write an article on the experience with costs can you post the link here? I’d love to encourage everyone to head to Africa with their kids so I definitely want there to be options at lower prices. I haven’t done safaris in South Africa (although I’ve traveled around the country with friends), so I can’t speak to any safari specifics there.

March 12, 2016 at 9:42 pm

Eric, VERY helpful tips. I keep writing eBooks on Amazon for my safari fund, LOL. Seriously though, going during off seasons, using points and staying in 1 land all make a ton of sense to me. Also, doing the simple legwork to avoid the overpriced operators. I swear, I am freaking stunned by how many folks pay out of the nose for stuff like flights, let alone bigger ticket events like safaris. Do some homework, shave that price down.

March 13, 2016 at 3:10 pm

Great post, we have been thinking about a safari but didn’t know how to go about it without going through the big companies. What are your thoughts on a Safari in December which is considered a green period?

March 15, 2016 at 4:53 am

It depends on where exactly you want to go. Kenya and Tanzania can both be good in December, but South African game viewing isn’t supposed to be optimal then. Check on the animal migrations.

March 15, 2016 at 8:55 pm

Really, I think it takes a commitment to deciding you are going to take an awesome trip, and sticking to saving for your goal. Set aside a certain amount of money per month, and make it happen!

March 18, 2016 at 12:15 pm

What a wonderful experience for your kids!

Great post, particularly for getting people to realize safaris are not as unattainable as they may think. We opted to go to Namibia, where you can drive yourself. We rented a car (well, okay, it was a large 4WD pickup with a back seat) and spent some of our time at modest guesthouses in the towns, which helped with costs. We did take one escorted game drive, on the first day we arrived at the national park–the guide knew we’d be driving on our own for the next few days, so he gave us tips on best game viewing spots, safety, etc.

I think the most important point you make is that a safari doesn’t have to be a totally packaged event booked out of a glossy catalog. With a little bit of research, you can design a trip that best meets both your travel style and budget . . . and you can bring the kids!

March 18, 2016 at 12:30 pm

Great point Larissa – in a lot of places in Africa self-drive safaris can be a great way to go. Some of the parks we went to, particularly Amboseli and the Serengeti, I could have seen driving. Some though, especially Lake Ndutu, I would not have wanted to attempt. We didn’t see many people driving themselves, and a couple of those that we did see were stuck in the mud, so that’s one drawback – not knowing the spots to avoid. Another drawback would be finding animals. Our guides were constantly on the radio talking with other guides in Swahili about animal sightings. We would have missed out on some of the highlights. But we would have saved thousands of dollars, and who knows – maybe we would have stumbled upon something amazing ourselves. At some point we’ll go to Namibia and do a self-drive and I’ll be able to compare the two.

March 21, 2016 at 10:02 am

From reading the comments, it sounds like South Africa is more affordable, but still offers a fun experience. Thanks for starting the conversation! I love travelling – I just wish I could afford to do it more.

April 24, 2016 at 2:13 pm

Great article and some very useful tips. Will keep in mind when we travel to Africa again. We’ve been to Africa three times, twice to South Africa and once to Namibia, and we never paid such prices . I just made a quick calculation, our Namibia trip of 25 days in high season and staying in really nice lodges had cost us about 115 EUR per person per day, flights from Europe, rental car, and everything else included.This is partially because we were traveling with 3 young kids and they were often staying for free, excursions and safari rides were also often free or discounted for them. South Africa was even cheaper. So yes, Africa is much more accessible and affordable than most people think. You just have to do your homework, shop around and book well in advance. But it’s totally worth it!

April 24, 2016 at 7:41 pm

I haven’t been to Namibia yet, although it’s at the top of my list. It’s my impression that Tanzania and Kenya are more expensive because of the quality of the wildlife viewing – they can charge more so they do. Whenever I see lists of the best safari countries in Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana are usually at the top and South Africa and Namibia are further down. I want to see Namibia for its landscape more than for its animals. Kenya and Tanzania don’t allow self-driving in some parks, so you couldn’t rent a car everywhere anyway, and to the best of my knowledge park fees are higher.

April 25, 2016 at 6:17 am

You are right about the self-driving, Eric – it’s indeed not allowed in some parks in some countries and therefore you are less flexible and your trip is more expensive. And it’s also true that if wildlife is the main reason to go to Africa, Tanzania is probably the best country to visit. That being said, wildlife watching in South Africa can be very good too and it can be absolutely amazing in Namibia. Advantage of these countries is that you get to see so many other things as well, including some of the most beautiful landscapes – safari is not the only reason to go there. Here in Europe, you can book 10-12 day trips with a private guide to Kenya or Tanzania for +- 3,000 EUR/pp and there are trips to Namibia for 6,000 EUR/pp for the same period, or vice versa. It’s really about shopping around and looking for the better deals. And indeed, you get to see the exact same animals and often even stay at the same accommodations as someone who paid double or even more.

May 12, 2016 at 1:44 am

We spent last family summer holidays in Botswana and Namibia plus Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe&Zambia and enjoyed the whole 3-week trip for less than 15k $ (including flight from Europe). Per person / per day, it would be 180$. Both Botswana and Namibia offer the possibility of self-drive safari, so you don’t have to pay for services you don’t need. Both countries are top destinations for wildlife and birdwatching, though we had a better experience in Botswana where on top of self-drive we went for a 3-day camping safari in Moremi Game Reserve and walked across the savanna with a guide.

For the wildlife photographer, a trip to Namibia and Botswana is a dream destination. I am still in the process of sorting out my photos from Namibia.

If you want to avoid paying a fortune for a family safari, just book through local agency only the accommodation on your itinerary, book car independently (www.britz.co.za) and go for it. Entrance to national parks can be usually sorted out just with a day notice. Moremi can be visited only with professional guides but again, go for a camping safari bought from a local travel agency, and not for the luxuries lodges which charge over 1k $ per day… And there is no better experience that sounds of lions, hippos, and baboons when you sleep in a tent… 🙂

June 9, 2016 at 5:45 pm

Thank you for the information Tomasz. I’ve been to Zimbabwe and Botswana and had excellent safaris in each place, largely traveling without guides and booking everything last-minute like you say. It worked well. Your $180/night is competitive with the $200 that I was able to get Tanzania/Kenya down to, but you had multiple countries for that which is great. Excellent photos too!

May 21, 2016 at 12:54 am

In Tanzania you can go on a safari for less than USD200 pp/day with good standard accommodation. People tend to pay excessive price when they book through international agents and the fact is that those agencies don’t do the actual groundwork but use a local outfitter. So basicly you don’t even know which safari company you are going with. I strongly recommend booking directly from a local operator. They know their country the best and can create for you a customised safari itinerary. As for self-drive, you will probably miss out a lot of sightings. Not only do the guides communicate about the whereabouts of animals but they also seem to have eagle-eyes and spot even well hidden wildlife.

May 26, 2016 at 3:05 pm

I agree with all of this! We could have gotten the pricing down to $200pp/day by staying in one country, staying in more moderate lodges, skipping the Giraffe Manor and skipping the internal flights.

May 29, 2016 at 12:35 am

Safari is on our bucket list. However, safety us a big issue for me. My husband thinks it’s not an issue! Paranoid mother?!? We have done a safari (without kids) and been to south Africa twice.

Unfortunately, I have heard so many scary stories about life in Africa. I found myself constantly watching over my shoulder… Even when we climbed table mountain, I never felt 100% safe.. so to take the kids?? Your article has reopened the debate.

Hmmm…. you only live once!

May 29, 2016 at 4:42 am

Hi Marie. Did you see my detailed post on our safari ? I talk about health/safety a little. From a safety perspective, I was 100% comfortable with the kids in Kenya and Tanzania. I would have felt safe in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia too. Of course we had a driver/guide with us most of the time. We had some money stolen at one of the lodges, but otherwise no issues at all.

June 9, 2016 at 6:21 am

I hadn’t pinned this post and it took me 30 minutes to find it(I’ve pinned it now 🙂 ) and reading it was totally worth it!

Thank you for the info! No kids as yet, but it is still pretty expensive, nevertheless I do have some points to start planning off 🙂

Cheers Eric 🙂

June 9, 2016 at 5:51 pm

Thanks for searching out the post Lavina! Yes, there are a lot of safari options and ways to bring down the cost. From the other comments below, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia continue to be less expensive destinations than Kenya and Tanzania. Happy planning!

September 10, 2016 at 11:50 am

I know Zimbabwe is unstable, but at Hwange safari lodge I showed up in person and negotiated in June for $12US a day for a guided safari. I saw everything except a cheetah. Even saw two Lionesses hunt and kill a wildebeest. However, I probably wouldn’t do that with young children.

I think when I take my kids I am going to do the Kenya 10 day or a but of combination of 10 day similar to what you did. Much more stable area for kids. Thank you for the tips. We have 7 total in our family cause 5 kiddos and it is nice to know how to make it more cost effective while having a “non-backpacking” experience.

August 9, 2016 at 10:20 am

Your African safari in Kenya and and Tanzania was amazing. The pictures are also awesome. Am sure the safari could have been a lot better if it was combined with a beach extension, but hey…there is always a next time 🙂

December 15, 2016 at 7:59 pm

We are considering a safari next summer and your posts (and everyone’s comments) are very helpful! We had Kenya in mind, but we might shop around for South Africa (considering our limited budget).

Thank you all for sharing your expériences.

April 3, 2017 at 10:36 am

So glad I found this site! My husband and I have a trip planned in August with our two sons, ages 7 and 10. While I am super excited, I’m also a little nervous. Reading your articles has helped to put my mind at ease. We are staying at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti. We are only staying 5 nights, with a trip to the crater one day, a hot air balloon ride one morning, and the rest of the days we have safaris planned. I’ve looked over your packing list which was very informative. Any other advice I’m happy to take! Thanks!

April 3, 2017 at 10:58 am

Thanks Heather! Five nights in the Serengeti will be fun. I’ve heard great things about the Four Seasons.

One thing that I’ve been meaning to go back and put into the post: watch your valuables. We had to take a lot of US cash with us for tips and the hot air balloon ride, and we got lazy with using the hotel safes since everything seemed safe and all of the employees seemed to be there long-term. I’m pretty sure I know where the theft happened but can’t prove it. So definitely use the safes, even at the Four Seasons! And don’t be afraid to take an afternoon off from safaris if the kids seem tired.

June 15, 2017 at 7:40 am

Thanks! We are planning 2 nights at Giraffe Manor and an 8 day safari in Tanzania- No kids as ours are all in college. airfare from Texas is $4000 for 2 in June 2019 and roughly $7,000 each for serengeti, Crater, Zanzibar, and Manyara National park..includes the in between flights and guided driver/tour..some luxurios camping and some basic tent style.

June 16, 2017 at 3:26 am

Sounds great Tracey! I really want to get to Zanzibar with my kids, and I’d love to get back to Giraffe Manor.

Hopefully airfare comes down. Since fares are only released 330 days in advance, it will be August 2018 when you can book, but they usually come down from the initial 330-day prices.

March 23, 2018 at 5:29 am

Thank you so much for this Eric!! My husband and I went on safari to Maasai Mara and Amboseli in July 2012 before we had kids (we stayed at the Tortillis Camp too) and it was amazing! It’s always been a goal of ours to take our kids back when they’re a little older (they’re 4, 3 and one on the way now), so I’m so glad to see that your kids enjoyed it! We booked with a local safari company back then so I know that we’d do that again. I also love these posts for the suggestions from others on places they’ve been or ways to make it more affordable for families. I would really also like to get to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania as we only did Kenya on our safari. Plus the beach would be an amazing addition! I love to travel and to do it with our kids, so it’s so nice to be able to connect with others that have the same philosophy. Thank you!!

March 23, 2018 at 8:21 pm

Thanks for the note Ashley! If you haven’t joined my Family Travel Community, please do so: https://www.facebook.com/groups/410697089358831/ . It facilitates exactly the connections you’re talking about!

April 30, 2018 at 1:02 pm

My husband and I are planning a trip in mid-Oct but, unsure if we should do Serengeti OR Masai Mara. I would like to stick to one country. My kids are 6 and 8, and my parents will also be travelling with us too. I would like to see the migration, big 5, experience the masai tribe, Giraffe Manor and a beach. Would all this be possible in 10 days OR would we need 2 weeks. Any advice or itinerary suggestions would be great. We are all vegetarians (egg is okay for us but, my parents don’t even eat egg). So, will food be a problem? Thanks, Pallavi

May 2, 2018 at 1:10 pm

Hi Pallavi. In October the Wildebeest are still primarily in the Masai Mara (starting to head back to the Serengeti) so I’d stick with Kenya. You could do everything in 10 days – 4-5 days in the Masai Mara, a night at Giraffe Manor and a few days on the coast. I’m not a travel planner, so I can’t advise you on a specific itinerary. And I’m also not a vegetarian, so I didn’t pay attention to the meals and whether or not there were enough non-meat options to keep vegetarians happy. I’m guessing there are plenty of blogs out there that talk about African food that would be good resources?

September 7, 2018 at 7:24 pm

We are in the VERY BEGINNING stages of planning and thinking about a 7 day stay in East Africa and then 7 days in Cape Town. Traveling in July, with children 8 and 9 or 9 and 10. Should we add a week somewhere? We were thinking staying in Kenya for our safari and one night at Giraffe Manor. Should we change our month of travel? I know you said babies are visible closer to February, I worry about missing school then though.

September 8, 2018 at 7:37 pm

Hi Sarah. Several thoughts:

1) You know your kids, so you probably have a feel for how they will do with a 2-week trip vs a 3-week trip. Botswana is great in July if you want to add a week. Or fly over to Zanzibar for a few days.

2) If July works best for you, stay with July. I did safaris in Zimbabwe and Botswana in July many years ago and we saw a lot of animals. Just contact the tour company you want to use and get their suggestions as to an exact itinerary for July, based on where the animals will be.

3) Book Giraffe Manor very early! They’re more popular than ever.

October 1, 2018 at 3:37 am

Nice article! I know there are many people who pay $1000 a day for safaris. That really is at the top end though and as a local specialist for Southern Africa, I can combine South Africa (mostly Cape Town & Garden Route & Joburg) with a Botswana safari AND throw in Vic Falls, with local flights, for less than what you paid per person. It might not be at the very top end, but will still be very good 4&5 star accommodation. There is a perception that it is an expensive destination, but there really is something for everyone’s budget and even though you might not stay in the same lodge, you will still see the same sights and animals. Look forward to meeting you in Tuscany and we can definitely discuss this further! Deb

October 1, 2018 at 8:23 am

Sounds good Deb. I absolutely agree, and SA/Botswana/Vic Falls sounds like a great itinerary. Our trip included not only Giraffe Manor, but three Elewana Collection lodges. If we had chosen less-expensive lodges, our pricing would have been considerably lower.

November 14, 2018 at 10:16 pm

This is a great article-Thank you so much We are a family of four- Two boys(8&11)-Well traveled(Galapagos, Amazon Forest etc.)-I agree with you about diminishing returns- I feel like is till want to see two countries Tanzania and Kenya-Ideally I would only see three 1)Masai Mara 2) Ngorgoron Ngroron crater 3) Relax in zanzibar

Could you give me some insight into what is the best way to achieve this?-I have also written to sunworld travels. I was researching some options in Mara to stay and it looks like Mara Serena lodge or the Mara Interpids might be good for kids?-any thoughts on these?-wondering if sunworld can switch out their accommodation in the Mara bush camp to these if we pay extra?

Thanks Again!!- appreciate your insights and time!

Warm Regards Rupa

November 17, 2018 at 5:31 am

Hi Rupa. Hopefully Sunworld has gotten back to you. I’ve found that safari companies can make practically anything happen. Lodges are easy to arrange based on your budget. The only hassle is transportation, but the safari companies know how to get from destination to destination the best way, whether it’s flying or driving.

I’m not an expert on exact agendas, but your three choices sound excellent for a family safari. They’re the three places I would choose too. But I don’t know the best way to get from Arusha/Ngorongoro to Masai Mara, for example. You definitely need local guidance for the specifics.

October 4, 2019 at 5:06 am

I am in the middle of planning our safari to Kenya now for myself and my two kids. We will stay the first night in Nairobi to adjust to the time difference and then have hired a driver for two days to take us to ol pejeta staying on site. We then return to Nairobi for one night then fly to the Masai mara for 5 nights then return for one night in Nairobi before returning to Australia. We are staying at an eco camp in the mara (camp malaika) which is co-owned by a Masai. I like that it is a smaller camp and the reviews are great. It’s costing 14 k aud which is 9.5 usd for the three of us for the whole trip including flights from Sydney. I think I did well for costings but obviously not as luxurious as your choices. From my research Namibia is very cost effective for safaris. You can do self drive there and they have a very cool looking Fort in Etosha NP. I chose Kenya because I thought it would be easier with kids and didn’t want long travel times, hence the flights to the Mara. Definitely thinking of Namibia and Botswana when the kids are early teens!

September 20, 2022 at 3:41 am

Hello, great information, another way you can reduce or bring down the costs would probably be mixing up the accommodations like you can choose to stay in 1star,2star, or 3-star lodges at the various parks. Having constant 3-star accommodation throughout the safari would be pricier than staying at different lodges along the safari. For example Kenya side you may decide to use a budget, which is 1 and 2-star accommodation then on the Tanzania side choose midrange which is a 3-star accommodation.

September 30, 2022 at 1:18 pm

It looks like Activity dropped off this blog a couple years back. I am looking to travel to Africa for the second time. The last Safari was Amazing! We went from Arusha to Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro crater to Central and N Serengeti before ending the trip in Zanzibar. All for around 22K (family of 4-10 day) I could do the same trip over but would really like to do something different. (gorilla trek in Uganda/Rwanda, Zambia- vic Falls, Botswana OK delta, Zimbabwe? Does anyone have an amazing itinerary they could recommend?

October 5, 2022 at 11:50 pm

Uganda was amazing, for safaris and gorillas/chimps. My post is here .

January 5, 2023 at 4:54 pm

Todd who did you use to book your trip

January 26, 2023 at 9:18 pm

I would love to get back to Africa, so thx for your a while ago post! It looks like I spent about $23k for 15 days in 2016 to Tanzania and Uganda. My son was 7 at the time. If I wait a few more years we could go without him lol but I’d like to go sooner. We went for the wildebeest migration and for a gorilla trek. You have to be 13 to gorilla trek so my husband and I switched off staying with my son. We had 3 guides, private tour through Global Basecamps. I’ve kept in touch with our main guide and I’ll probably ask him if we can book him directly or have to go through his agency. I loved all the places we stayed, although we stayed somewhere swanky at Ngorogoro Crater and no need for that if there is cheaper (only one night.) I think I might skip Uganda this time and shorten to 10 days to price out. I want to go when the babies are being born this time. I can’t do $23k if there is a next time. I had my son apply for a scholarship to go to S Africa but apparently he didn’t get picked :(. I’m going to have to do more research but I’ll look into the places you used too. I like taking pics so I’m not sure about being in with 5 strangers. I even tried my family lol! I “let” them have the last day for swimming and lounging although secretly I still wish I’d gone out again ha!

January 26, 2023 at 9:46 pm

Oh someone asked about safety. The foot treks we had armed guides. Idk if our regular guides were armed or not (in the Jeep.) There we’re two times I questioned my sanity. Our guide took our son (again 7 at the time) off to play soccer with some locals without us ( he had a great time and really at 7 you aren’t a hardened teenager lol.) The second time I toured the local hospital. They asked if my son wanted to play volleyball with the staff and he did that while I got a tour., which I didn’t know I was getting, but I’m not one to sit around either. My husband had stayed back at the hotel. I have to say I am not a rich American and everywhere we went there were pleas for money. You want to take a pic of the kid with the chameleon? Better have a tip. Attracted by drums to the local orphanage? They want you to choose a hand drawn pic (and pay of course.) you mention a basket is lovely? The woman tracked me down at my hotel when she’d finished. I don’t regret any of it, I just didn’t expect it either. So bring tip money! ATMs are few and far between and cc machines/Wi-Fi may not exist. Oh and at one of the airports we were whisked away to a hotel room for a couple of hours – we found that strange. So I’m sure something could have happened. But didn’t. 🙂 I will say everyone was great with my son! I don’t know how it would be with a teenager lol.

February 15, 2023 at 7:00 am

How did you pay for you safari through Sunworld? I see that they charge a 5% transaction fee for credit cards. Did you use the bank transfer option? I’m just leary of this because it’s a foreign company.

February 15, 2023 at 7:11 am

Yes we did a bank transfer. That’s one of the reasons people feel more comfortable going with (and paying a lot more for) a big-name tour company. But I’m willing to take the chance when a company seems legitimate. We had no issues trusting Sun World. Similarly in Uganda I paid the Uganda Safari Company via bank transfers and all went smoothly.

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10 of the best African Safari Tours

Safaris are among the most captivating and life-affirming of all travel experiences – and no continent on earth offers the variety of safari adventures as Africa.

(Photo: Safaribookings.com / Courtesy Shinzelle Safaris)

Whether it’s a whistle-stop tour of just one or two nights or an extended trip of a fortnight or more, there’s something to suit every preference, time-constraint and budget. Most people prefer to book their travel online nowadays, rather than go to a brick and mortar agent, and there are some great digital resources that tailor specifically for people seeking African safaris. We’ve done some research and picked out 10 of the best safari tours currently on offer across this magical part of the world.

Kruger Big 5 Safari

Situated in northeastern South Africa, and teeming with mountains, bush plains and tropical forests, Kruger National Park is one of the continent’s largest game reserves. Its high density of wild animals includes the Big 5: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos, while hundreds of other mammals also make their home here, as do diverse bird species such as vultures, eagles and storks. One of the best ways to see some of the famous 5 is on a game reserve drive, with morning, afternoon and sunset trips featuring in most multi-day Kruger safari itineraries. Most of these  tours start with airport pick-ups from either Johannesburg or Gauteng and include stays in an overnight lodge, while some extended tours also include trips to safari hotspots in neighbouring countries such as Botswana.

Book at Safaribookings

Serengeti Safari Experience

(Photo: Safaribookings / Courtesy Lion King Adventures)

Encompassing a vast expanse of undulating plains and rocky hills in northern Tanzania, the Serengeti is widely regarded as one of Africa’s finest safari destinations. The national park is perhaps best known for hosting an annual migration comprising at least two million wildebeest, plains zebra and gazelle, but the immense plains are also home to dense populations of lion, leopard, cheetah and other predators. To witness the famous migration, you have to plan your trip for the right time of year, with the bulk of the animals making their epic journey on the short-grass plains from December to April. Several safari tours offer the chance to take in this magnificent spectacle, as well as to visit all of the other incredible national parks of Tanzania on excursions spanning anything from a few days to over a week.

Hwange Game Drive & Victoria Falls safari

Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe’s northwest should be on any safari lover’s bucket list. Roaming its abundant grasslands and mopane woods are the Big Five together with huge numbers of other mammals, including some 50 000 elephants. The park is also known for regular sightings of cheetah, leopard and lion, as well as a large population of the endangered wild dog and rare species such as roan and sable, plus 500 species of bird. One of the other big draws of Hwange is that it’s easily accessible – with most visitors flying into Victoria Falls, just an hour’s drive away. Unsurprisingly, many safari tours in the region incorporate visits to the iconic waterfall on the Zambezi River, which also provides habitat for several unique species of plants and animals.

Wildlife and Gorilla Trekking safari in Uganda

(Photo: Bookallsafaris.com)

A Gorilla Trek is a highlight of any visit to Uganda, and the landlocked country in East Africa has two national parks where you can track these incredible great apes: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Here, a total of 18 gorilla groups, or ‘families’, can be found residing, with visitors restricted by law to pursuing only one group per day. There are a large number of organised safari tours that include gorilla trekking in Uganda as part of their itineraries, with the best time to visit being the months of June, July, August, September and December, when there is less rain, making it easier to hike and gain visibility of the gorillas

Book at Bookallsafaris.com

Madagascar Wildlife Sanctuary safari tours

With its varied terrain and wonderful wildlife, Madagascar is a great place to experience a safari. The remote island nation in the Indian Ocean, around 400 km off the coast of East Africa, boasts a unique ecological environment, enabling visitors to glimpse at some of the Endemic fauna and flora that can be found nowhere else on the earth. A focal point of its safari adventures are a number of national parks and game reserves, including Ranomafana National Park, Anja Community Reserve, Isalo National Park, Peyrieras Exotic Reserve, and Vakona Private Reserve. All Madagascar safaris include visits to at least one of these renowned destinations, while the island’s stunning, sun-kissed coastline provides the perfect place to kick back at the end of your wildlife-spotting exertions.

Bwindi Gorilla safaris

A large primeval forest located in south-western Uganda in the Kanungu District on the edge of the Albertine Rift, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts exceptional biodiversity, with more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns. But the park is best known for its 450-strong population (at time of counting) of mountain gorillas, with the park itself created to protect the gorillas from poachers and habitat loss. Safari tours to Bwindi often showcase gorilla trekking as their flagship activity, but many trips also incorporate other regional highlights including visits to Queen Elizabeth National Park and border crossings into Rwanda.

Book at GAadventures.com

Big Kenya Safaris

Of all Kenya’s world-class safari destinations, the Masai Mara National Reserve remains the jewel in the nation’s crown. An extension of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, together they constitute a huge ecosystem in which animals move freely. All large African animals are present here, including the Big 5, but also gazelles, impala, bushbuck, buffalo, Ellipsen waterbuck, and giraffe. There are also over 500 species of birds, while along the rivers, crocodiles and hippos lie in wait. Safaris in Masai Mara range from just a few days through to multiple-day excursions, with the longer tours also including several other national parks along the way, such as Lake Nakuru National Park and Amboseli National Park.

Etosha National Park classic safaris

Namibia’s foremost wildlife sanctuary, Etosha National Park is home to a unique and varied landscape, dominated by an immense salt pan edged by waterholes, guaranteeing rewarding wildlife viewing. A wide variety of species call the park home, including lion, elephant, leopard, giraffe, cheetah, hyena, springbok, two kinds of zebra, eland and many more. One thing to look out for is rain, which sees the vast salt pan filled with rain water, attracting hundreds of thousands of flamingos. The park is also a nature photographer’s dream, with many lodges having private decks or verandas from which to observe the landscape. Tours to Etosha vary in length and often include visits to several other regional destinations including Victoria Falls on the border of  Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Volcanoe National Park epic primate safaris

Located in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains: Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. The park helps protect the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range, which is home to the endangered mountain gorilla and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, including evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath. Tracking endangered mountain gorillas through the mysterious intimacy of the rain forest, alive with the calls of 200 species of colourful birds and the chattering of the rare golden monkey, is a truly unique experience, and one that can be enjoyed on a wide variety of organised safari adventures, ranging from 2-3 days through to epic 9-day trips.

Safari adventures on the Okavango Delta 

One of the world’s largest inland deltas, the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana empties onto open land, flooding the savanna and creating a unique and ever-changing inland landscape. The Moremi Game Reserve occupies the east and central areas, where dugout canoes are used to navigate past hippos, elephants and crocodiles. On dry land, predators including lion, hyena, African wild dog, leopard, cheetah, and white and black rhinoceros have also adapted to life in the delta, as have many smaller creatures. Safari trips to Okavango offer the heart-stopping excitement of big game viewing, the serenity of an untouched delta, and evocative scenes of extraordinary natural beauty.

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The Best Budget Safaris in Africa

Interested in taking a safari in Africa? Whether you're a wildlife enthusiast, nature lover, or simply seeking an exhilarating escapade, a safari is a terrific way to spend a memorable holiday in Africa. But how should you choose one? Well, we have meticulously analyzed an extensive range of safari tours from highly esteemed and top-rated tour companies in order to find the absolute best options available. From thrilling game drives and close encounters with majestic creatures to immersive cultural experiences and breathtaking landscapes, these top safaris in Africa offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness nature's grandeur up close.

• 5 Day Kruger Safari 5 Days, $980.16
• The Gorilla Trek 22 Days, $1896.53
• Nairobi To Kigali (13 Days) Gorillas & Gameparks 13 Days, $1297.62

What are budget and low-cost safaris like in Africa?

Here are the important factors:

• 114 trip options analyzed
• $145 average price per day (USD)
• 2 to 32 days in length
• 4.7 of 5 average rating
• 23 people or less on average

You'll be surprised at the array of budget safaris in Africa, as there is something for everyone. It's no wonder that visitors can't get enough of these tours, boasting an impressive average guest rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Picture yourself joining a group of like-minded adventurers, with an average maximum size of 23 people, ensuring a fantastic blend of social and personalized experiences. The average tour length spans 8 days, with tours ranging from 2 to 32 days long. Regarding physical activity options, you'll find tours marked as easy, moderate, relaxing, and serious, with the most being easy. With our thorough analysis of 114 budget safaris, we've found the best. So rest assured that Africa has something to captivate every kind of traveler.

(All tour prices are in US Dollars before taxes, and come from a base price that is reported by TourRadar. Peak season prices can vary significantly, particularly in destinations where seasonal travel fluctuates dramatically.)

So, let's get to it and see...

The 10 Best Budget Safaris in Africa

5 day kruger safari.

• High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

This fantastic safari adventure has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Begin and conclude your remarkable journey in the gorgeous destination of Johannesburg. This terrific trip also highights overlanding, wildlife, and safaris. Lasting 5 days, the maximum group size is 17 people, and it's good for guests from 12 to 70 years old. Organized by Drifters Adventure Tours , this is a great deal because it's only $196 per day.

• Overland Truck

The Gorilla Trek

• Great Value: the daily price is lower than average for budget safaris.

With a stellar 4.6 out of 5 rating, this extraordinary journey, visiting Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, is the perfect choice. You're in for an epic adventure with a strong emphasis on overlanding, wildlife, and safaris. This trip takes you on an adventure to 13 destinations, including Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi, Kigali, and Maasai Mara National Reserve. Begin your trip in Nairobi and complete it with a memorable finale in Kigali. Guests are treated to unforgettable camping and gorilla trekking experiences. Spanning across 22 days, the journey accommodates 28 individuals, and is suitable for guests from 18 to 80 years old. Offered by Absolute Africa , this remarkable journey is priced at just $106 per day. Don't miss out on this incredible experience.

• Gorilla Trekking

Nairobi To Kigali (13 Days) Gorillas & Gameparks

This exceptional trip offering by Oasis Overland has received a 4.6 out of 5 rating. On this 13-day trip, visiting Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, you can unwind while also making new memories. With 8 destinations to explore, you'll get the chance to see Jinja, Kampala, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Musanze, and more. Your journey starts off in Nairobi and finishes in Kigali. With a group size of 24 people, it's suitable for guests from 18 to 69 years old. You'll love the emphasis on overlanding, wildlife, and safaris, too. This remarkable trip is priced at an unbeatable $137 per day.

Victoria Falls To Cape Town (22 Days)

Check out this journey that has received rave reviews, earning a stellar 5 out of 5 rating, visiting Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Along the way, this journey encompasses 13 destinations, including Cederberg Wildnerness Area, Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta, and Etosha National Park. Your journey will begin in Victoria Falls and end in Cape Town. With an emphasis on overlanding, wildlife, and safaris, you know you'll have an amazing adventure. Spanning across 22 unforgettable days, this voyage offers an intimate group experience with 24 participants, and it's great for guests from 18 to 69 years old. Brought to you by the renowned Oasis Overland , this exceptional opportunity is priced at an incredible $110 per day - an unbeatable value.

Simba Sounds

This 29-day safari trip, visiting Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania, is ideal for guests from 18 to 80 years old. And priced at only $112 per day, it's a great value, too. And since the priority is on overlanding, wildlife, and safaris, this tour is a great choice. This itinerary covers 16 captivating destinations, with stops in Kisoro, Musanze, Kigali, and Mwanza, among others. Nairobi will be both the start and end of your journey. It's offered by Absolute Africa , a very popular company with rave reviews and knowledgeable guides.

South Africa Walking Adventure

Priced at just $178 per day, this terrific 14-day journey, visiting South Africa and Swaziland, is ideal for guests from 16 to 80 years old. You'll enjoy hiking and mountain hikes. Immerse yourself in a travel experience that includes 6 destinations, featuring Hluhluwe, Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, and Eswatini. Your adventure starts and ends in Johannesburg. Organized by the reputable World Expeditions , this is one of the best tours on this list.

• Hiking & Trekking
• Walking Tour
• Mountain Hikes

Delta & Falls Eastbound: Baobab Trees & River Views

• On Sale: 25% Off See Prices

Check out this incredible journey that has received a 4.9 out of 5 rating from previous guests, visiting Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. This extraordinary adventure also revolves around overlanding, wildlife, and safaris. With a duration of 9 days, this journey ensures an intimate group size of 22 people, and is good for guests from 18 to 39 years old. Uncover the beauty of 7 destinations on this itinerary, with highlights such as Kasane, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Maun, and Okavango Delta. Your journey will begin in Windhoek and end in Victoria Falls. This fantastic option, organized by G Adventures , presents an unbeatable value at just $117 per day. Take advantage of the current sale and secure your spot today!

12-day Durban, Lesotho & Cape Town (Camping)

Spanning over 12 days, this safari trip, visiting South Africa and Lesotho, has a maximum size of 16 individuals. Welcoming guests from 18 to 75 years old, it is organized by Acacia Adventure Holidays , a very popular company with plenty of great reviews. Traverse through 15 enchanting destinations, with Hermanus, Pietermaritzburg, Underberg, and Sani Pass among the must-see stops along the route. Begin your trip in Durban and complete it with a memorable finale in Cape Town. This terrific trip also highights overlanding, wildlife, and safaris. Available at an unbeatable price of only $119 per day, this option also has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from previous guests.

11-day Namibia to Cape Town (Camping)

Here's your chance to take off on an exceptional journey, visiting Namibia and South Africa, that has garnered a 4.9 out of 5 rating. With a duration of 11 days, this jouney will have 16 participants, and it warmly welcomes guests from 18 to 75 years old. You're in for an epic adventure with a strong emphasis on overlanding, wildlife, and safaris. Expertly organized by Acacia Adventure Holidays , this amazing trip is an incredible value at just $128 per day.

South Africa In Depth

This memorable safari is offered by Indus Travels which has received plenty of positive reviews. The trip itself has a guest rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars, and is priced affordably at $140 per day. Experience a trip that takes you to 19 remarkable destinations, including Tsitsikamma National Park, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, and Mossel Bay. Your journey will begin in Johannesburg and end in Cape Town. You'll love the emphasis on wildlife, family-friendly activities, and safaris, too. The maximum group size is 35 people, welcoming guests from 8 and up.

See also The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Africa , The Best Wildlife Tours to Africa , The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Africa , The Best Historical Tours in Africa , The Best 10-Day Tours in Africa , The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Africa , The Best 3-Day Tours in Africa , The Best 2-Week Tours in Africa , The Best 3-Week Tours in Africa , The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Africa , The Best Extended Trip Tours in Africa, One Month or Longer , The Best River Cruises in Africa , The Best Bicycle Tours in Africa , Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Africa , The Best Christmas & New Years Tours in Africa , The Best Overlanding Trips in Africa , The Best Coach Bus Tours in Africa , The Best Bird Watching Tours in Africa , The Best Adventure Tours to Africa , The Best Eco Tours in Africa , The Best Thrill-Seeking Tours in Africa , The Best Sightseeing Tours in Africa , The Best Cultural Tours in Africa , The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Africa , The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Africa , The Tours for Animal Lovers in Africa , The Best Volunteering Tours in Africa , The Best Photography Tours in Africa , The Best Camping Tours in Africa , The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Africa , The Best Safaris in Africa , The Best Walking Tours in Africa , The Best Honeymoon Tours in Africa , The Best Tours Under $1000 in Africa , The Best Luxury Tours to Africa , The Best Budget Tours to Africa , The Best Tours for Seniors to Africa , The Best Contiki Tours to Africa , or The Best G Adventures Tours to Africa for more tour ideas. With so many options, there's a guided tour or vacation package for every type of traveler.

How much do budget safaris in Africa cost?

Visitors will find a large range of terrific options for budget safaris when planning a visit to Africa. The price of these specific trips can vary according to length, destinations, and travel style. The average price of budget safaris in Africa based on data from 114 options is an affordable $145 per day. If you're interested in more information about tours here, see our guide to tour prices in Africa .

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Compare 11,793 African Safaris

Offered by top rated tour operators.

Top Rated Safari Countries

• #1 Tanzania
• #2 Botswana
• #5 South Africa
• #8 Zimbabwe

Popular Safari Tours

9-Day Classic Drive Safari Flexible Migration Tour

$3,253 pp (USD)

Tanzania: Private tour Mid-range Lodge & Tented Camp

You Visit: Arusha (Start) , Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Lake Natron, Pololeti GR (Greater Serengeti) , Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)

Paradise & Wilderness

4.8 /5  –  119 Reviews

4-Day Greater Kruger Safari with Bateleur Safari Camp

$953 to $1,323 pp (USD)

South Africa: Private tour Luxury Tented Camp

You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start) , Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger) , Hoedspruit Airport (Hoedspruit) , Hoedspruit (End)

Indigo Safaris

4.8 /5  –  122 Reviews

7-Day Luxury All-Inclusive Epic Safari

$3,240 to $3,867 pp (USD)

Tanzania: Private tour Luxury Lodge & Tented Camp

You Visit: Arusha (Start) , Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)

Lion King Adventures

5.0 /5  –  1015 Reviews

Top Rated Tour Operators

Suricata safaris.

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