The Best African Safari Trips for 2025/2026: 9 Ideas for Your Next Adventure

Imagine the sun rising up from the horizon, warming the vast African savannah as it moves, guiding you and your safari guide deeper into the wilderness. The distant roar of a lion echoes across the plains, increasing the beat of your heart and causing you to scan the landscape in search of the source. An adventure like this is one that will never leave you. If you’re dreaming of unforgettable African safari trips, the kind that leave a permanent mark on your heart, then 2025 and 2026 are calling!

From the flowing waterways of Botswana to the misty rainforests of Uganda, where gorillas reign, here are nine of our favourite African safari trips to consider for your next holiday.

Safaris in Southern Africa

Best of Botswana

From towering red sand dunes to the lush waterways of the Okavango Delta, this safari tour is called the “Best of Botswana” for good reason! This trip will take you to three different regions in this top safari destination, allowing you to experience a wealth of biodiversity and wildlife viewings.

You’ll start your adventure in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, its vast pans and golden savannah expanses home to desert-adapted species including black-maned lions, hyenas, honey badgers, oryxes, and bat-eared foxes.

After travelling the salt pans and valleys, you’ll head to the iconic Okavango Delta via light aircraft, a well-loved safari destination for the abundance of wildlife it sustains. Kwando Splash Camp, your accommodation during this stretch of your safari, is located near permanent water and seasonal floodplains, affording incredible animal sightings. Not only will you traverse the plains during game drives, but you can explore the waterways during mokoro (canoe) safaris.

You’ll end your Botswana safari at Kwando Private Reserve, home to four of the Big Five, with just rhinos being absent. Be enthralled by the large herds of elephants and hippos, watch wild dogs weave through the bush during hunting expeditions, and go on nighttime game drives to spot genets and bush babies.

• From: $6,980 per person
• Days: Eight

Sabi Sands and Timbavati Safari

If you’re dreaming of luxury, five-star safari lodges complete with plunge pools and world-class dining and travelling the South African plains in search of leopards, this is the safari for you!

This South African safari will take you to Sabi Sands, a destination renowned for its consistent sightings of the Big Five, especially leopards. Often found in trees, these big cats ascend to high vantage points to survey the land and haul their prey up into the branches, securing it from other predators.

Other predator species to spot while on a Sabi Sands safari include cheetahs and hyenas. Keep an eye out for the mottled coats of wild dogs among the savannah brush – thriving packs now roam the region thanks to dedicated conservation efforts.

At Timbavati, you’ll stay at the luxurious Kings Camp. Overlooking a watering hole, your wildlife sightings – including of the Big Five – can start before you even head out on game drives. Sharing an unfenced border with Kruger National Park, Timbavati is home to diverse wildlife species, one of the most iconic being the ethereal white lion.

• From: $5,500 per person
• Days: Five

Classic Namibia Flying Safari

Imagine climbing up towering red sand dunes; slightly out of breath, you look out upon the seemingly endless desert. Then, as the sun goes down and the stars light up the night sky, you and your partner lay back in a stargazer room to watch the memorable celestial show.

This Namibia safari is all about luxury accommodations, incredible destinations, and spending less time in transit. You’ll travel to different areas on scheduled charter flights, reducing the time you spend travelling.

Explore the NamibRand Nature Reserve, located in the Namib Desert, to see the iconic red sand dunes before heading to the Hoanib River, where you can have the experience of meeting with a Himba community, one of the indigenous peoples of the land. Your stay on the Skeleton Coast will be at Shipwreck Lodge, where you can spot seal colonies, lions, and hyenas, among others.

You’ll end your trip at Etosha Heights Private Reserve to relax in absolute tranquillity and go out on game drives in search of white and black rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and more.

• From: $9,600 per person
• Days: Nine

Best of Zambia Safari

Travel to the best safari destinations in Zambia during this tour, the first being South Luangwa National Park, known as the “valley of the leopard”. Besides these graceful big cats, other African wildlife you can spot here include lions, elephants, wild dogs, and hyenas.

You’ll then travel to Lower Zambezi National Park to spend time exploring the Zambezi River and its surrounding lands. From traditional game drives to river cruises and tiger fishing, there is a wealth of activities to explore here.

Along the Luangwa River lies Time + Tide Chinzombo, one of the luxurious accommodations of this trip. Modernity meets traditional safari bush camp; here, you can sink into a tub and enjoy panoramic views of the wilderness, including hippos bobbing in the water and elephants walking along the shore.

• From: $8,050 per person
• Days: Seven

Hwange and Mana Pools Safari Adventure

This Zimbabwe safari is the perfect add-on to a Victoria Falls trip! Hwange National Park – the location of the first part of your safari – is beloved for its large herds of elephants that traverse its landscape and the thriving population of wild dogs that hunt along the woodlands.

Mana Pools, the country’s lush wilderness, is the second destination on this safari. A stunning place for both canoe and walking safaris, Mana Pools is also a magical birding location. Over 400 bird species call this national park home, including a fantastic array of waterbirds around the pools and rivers.

You’ll stay three nights at each camp – African Bush Camps Somalisa Camp in Hwange and African Bush Camps Nyamatusi Mahogany in Mana Pools – allowing you to fully relax without rushing. The camps enjoy locations that take full advantage of the magnificent scenery and have sublime touches like pools, viewing decks, and indoor and outdoor showers.

• From: $4,800 per person
• Days: Seven

Safaris in East Africa

Migration in Kenya and Tanzania with a Few Days in Zanzibar

Witness one of the spectacular events on nature’s calendar during this East Africa safari. Millions of wildebeest travel the plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya; watch as they dodge crocodiles as they cross rivers, and finally follow them as they reach the northern Serengeti in Tanzania. This trip will also take you to the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest unflooded, unbroken caldera in the world and one of the best places to see the endangered black rhino.

After seeing the Great Migration herds and exploring the crater, you’ll head to the island paradise of Zanzibar, where you can spend time relaxing on the beach, snorkelling, diving, and much more. Pongwe Beach Hotel, set right on a gorgeous white sand beach, will be the base of your Zanzibar adventures. Walk along the beach with swaying palm trees, relax in the infinity pool overlooking the ocean, indulge in fresh seafood at the restaurant, and simply soak up the sun in paradise.

• From: $8,150 per person
• Days: 12

A Romantic Safari in Tanzania

If a romantic couple’s trip in Africa or perhaps an African safari honeymoon is on your radar, this is the tour for you! You’ll begin your adventure with your partner at Tarangire National Park, a safari destination known for its lion prides, before heading to Ngorongoro Crater, one of the best Big Five safari destinations in Tanzania. The final stop is the iconic Serengeti, its vast plains home to the Great Migration.

The safari lodges in this tour are picked for their exclusivity and romantic atmospheres. Encompassing just 10 luxury tents, Oliver’s Camp in Tarangire is an exclusive escape. Imagine sitting on your tent’s private deck overlooking the wilderness with your partner, immersed in the tranquillity of the African bush.

Gibb’s Farm, a place of peace and serenity, is located on the outer rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Here, everything is about organic produce and sustainability. Walk along the farm trails to explore the acres of coffee plantations, vegetable gardens, and lines of fruit trees. When you’re not wandering around the farm or on game drives, indulge in wellness treatments, like the Gibb’s Farm Facial, Arabica Coffee Scrub, or the Romantic Couple’s Treatment.

Your final stay of the trip will be at Sayari Camp. The camp’s position allows guests here front-row seats to the dramatic river crossings of the Great Migration.

• From: $8,350 per person
• Days: nine

Wildlife and Gorillas of Rwanda

This tour is the perfect way to combine a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda with a traditional safari experience. You’ll start at Akagera National Park, the only savannah reserve in the country and home to the Big Five (although leopards are very rare). There’s a diverse range of antelope here – spot small oribis, large herds of topi, and waterbucks around rivers.

Then, it’s time for gorilla trekking! Your base will be Virunga Lodge, perched high on a ridge with dramatic views overlooking the Virunga Volcanoes. You’ll walk through the tropical rainforest in search of a family of mountain gorillas; you’ll spend an hour watching them feed their babies, climb trees, and just relax.

• From: $9,590 per person
• Days: Seven

Highlights of Uganda

This luxury Uganda safari includes both chimpanzee trekking and gorilla excursions and will take you to the country’s iconic safari destinations, including Semliki National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Picture walking through the wilderness to spot forest elephants, chimps, and other monkey species one day and then watching a gorilla family conduct their daily chores in a rainforest the next. This Uganda safari is an all-encompassing experience, perfect for travellers who want to really immerse themselves in all that this spectacular country has to offer.

One of your stays will be at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, set high above the clouds at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The cottages here are cosy and afford sweeping views across the mesmerising landscape. In the evenings, the fireplace in the sitting room is lit, creating the perfect atmosphere to reflect on the sightings you’ve experienced.

• From: $18,300 per person
• Days: 10

These tours in the best safari locations in Africa will allow you to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will stay with you forever. Whether you dream of mokoro safaris down the waterways of the Okavango, watching the Great Migration across the savannah, or gorilla trekking in the rainforest, there’s a Discover Africa safari tour for you.