Take a walk on the wild side on an African safari.
The word “safari” means “journey” in Swahili. And a safari in Africa is all about the journey. While seeing a leopard munch on a freshly caught gazelle or spying a curious lion cub venture away from its mother’s protective embrace will be highlights of your trip, you’ll discover the journey is as much a part of your trip as the destination.
The road-trip games you play with your new travel mates, the feeling of the wind (and maybe a little dust) in your hair when you’re travelling down long, winding roads, and the young Maasai boy who waved at you as you passed him along the road will stay with you long after you return.
Our African safari tours
10 Days
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1235
Tour through Johannesburg, Maun, Chobe, the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls on a ten...
16 Days
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3770
Encounter the wildlife of Kenya and Uganda on this 16-day Lonely Planet Experience...
8 Days
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1950
Roam the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, camp beside Lake Victoria and spot Africa's...
18 Days
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2845
Spend 18 days exploring Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe on a Lonely Planet Experience...
9 Days
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1515
Join Intrepid and Lonely Planet for a rollicking nine-day safari adventure through...
Tailor-Made trips
Take two or more on an exclusive trip and tailor your itinerary
12 Days
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2460
Experience the beauty of the Ngorongoro and Serengeti, Usambara Mountains and Zanzibar...
8 Days
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1310
Experience Kenyan wildlife on a Lonely Planet Experience with Intrepid. Spend eight...
27 Days
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6200
Go deep in East Africa on this 27-day Lonely Planet Experience powered by Intrepid,...
15 Days
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3210
Uncover Kenya and Tanzania on a 15-day Lonely Planet Experience, powered by Intrepid....
10 Days
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3605
Visit Africa and travel through Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe on a tour from Windhoek...
22 Days
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2810
Discover the unique and contrasting lands of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South...
9 Days
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855
Explore diverse southern Africa on this nine-day Lonely Planet Experience powered by...
9 Days
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2390
Discover the culture, wildlife and waterways of Botswana on this upgraded adventure...
22 Days
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2800
See Africa in 22 days with Lonely Planet and Intrepid to South Africa, Namibia,...
10 Days
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3475
Travel through East Africa from Kenya to Tanzania, stopping at the Masai Mara, the...
15 Days
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5300
Explore the wonders of Tanzania and Kenya including a trek to the summit of Mt...
14 Days
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1425
See Africa from Durban to Cape Town on a 14-day Lonely Planet Experience. Tour the...
9 Days
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1540
Travel from Zimbabwe to South Africa via Botswana. The Okavango and Beyond trip is the...
13 Days
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3230
Crossing the border from Cape Town, South Africa, head towards Windhoek to encounter...
10 Days
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1845
Hit the (dirt) road through Kenya and Tanzania. Safari in the Serengeti and the Masai...
22 Days
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6485
Jump onboard an exhilarating journey from Cape Town to Victoria Falls through the...
20 Days
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3915
Step out onto the Serengeti and keep your eyes out for rhinos, lions, leopards and a...
63 Days
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10880
Set out on a mighty African adventure with Lonely Planet and Intrepid through Kenya,...
30 Days
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3845
Take a 30-day southern African adventure with Lonely Planet and Intrepid, from Cape...
9 Days
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4215
Travel through Rwanda and Uganda in search of natural beauty and the gentle mountain...
19 Days
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2310
Explore East Africa with Lonely Planet and Intrepid, from Zanzibar's beaches to the...
12 Days
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2530
Get a true taste of eastern Africa on a 12-day Lonely Planet Experience, powered by...
15 Days
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8615
Experience the wild wonders of Kenya and Tanzania on this trip that delivers adventure...
28 Days
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4320
Discover East African wilderness and the animals that call it home on a 28-day Lonely...
48 Days
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6955
Tour Africa's best from Kenya to Cape Town through Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zimbabwe...
17 Days
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1835
See East Africa in 17 days with Lonely Planet and Intrepid, including Victoria Falls,...
16 Days
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1945
Embrace the sights and sounds of Eastern Africa on this eye-opening Lonely Planet...
9 Days
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2195
Explore Tanzania on this nine-day Lonely Planet Experience powered by Intrepid,...
20 Days
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2200
Travel from the thundering Victoria Falls to the spice plantations of Zanzibar via...
27 Days
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4435
Explore the wilds of East Africa on this 27-day Lonely Planet Experience, from Nairobi...
64 Days
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10720
This 64-day journey with Lonely Planet and Intrepid explores Southern Africa in detail...
27 Days
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6200
Spend 27 days exploring the wonders, wildlife and tribal cultures of East Africa with...
8 Days
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5315
Bursting with wildlife, the national parks of Tanzania will have you continually...
49 Days
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6850
Take the ultimate African adventure with Intrepid and Lonely Planet on this 49-day tour...
17 Days
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5970
Explore the wonders of Tanzania and Kenya including a trek to the summit of Mt...
15 Days
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5790
Explore the wonders of Tanzania and Kenya including a trek to the summit of Mt...
31 Days
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5742
Take a 32-day tour through Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and...
42 Days
From
8085
Explore Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe on a 42-day Lonely Planet...
40 Days
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5015
Explore Africa on a 40-day wildlife-rich adventure from Tanzania to South Africa with...
41 Days
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4900
See Africa on this incredible overland adventure from South Africa to Tanzania. Soak up...
43 Days
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8000
Take a 43-day Lonely Planet Experience through eastern Africa, via Victoria Falls, the...
52 Days
From
9175
The waterways of Botswana, the beaches of Zanzibar, the savannahs of the Serengeti and...
8 Days
From
3355
Travel through Southern Africa experiencing the best game parks in the land. Start at...
29 Days
From
3290
From Johannesburg to Botswana, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lake Malawi and...
37 Days
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5365
Travel the waterways of Botswana, the beaches of Zanzibar and the savannahs of the...
Highlights
Spot the Big 5 in South Africa
Go on safari through Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in Southern Africa. This massive park is one of the premier safari spots in all of Africa and for good reason; it’s home to over 500 bird species, 100 species of reptile and 150 mammal species, including the Big Five and the endangered African wild dog.
Go gorilla trekking in Uganda
Venture deep into the steamy jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in search of the rare mountain gorilla. With a local guide to lead you, you’ll trek into the forest to spend one unforgettable hour watching and hanging out with a family of gorillas. A close encounter with these gentle giants is an extraordinary African experience that will always stay with you.
Float over the Serengeti
The only thing more magical than witnessing the great wildebeest migration across the Serengeti? Seeing it from the sky in a hot air balloon. As the herds of wildebeest and thousands of other animals travel from Serengeti National Park to the greener pastures of the Masai Mara National Reserve, you can watch their journey and enjoy incredible views from a unique perspective.
Canoe in the Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta has a unique system of waterways that are home to an immense array of wildlife. The best way to explore it is in a mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe. Visit in May to September, when animals are confined to small islands created by the annual flood, making it easy to spot great herds of elephant and antelope, hippos, crocodiles, lions, cheetahs and more.
Reviews
Where we stay
On our safari trips you’ll stay in billion-star accommodation. That’s our way of saying you’re sleeping under the night sky, camping in the great outdoors. On our Basix and sections of Original trips, you’ll stay in two-person canvas tents that our crew will help you set up. And on our Comfort trips, you’ll be staying in permanent tented camps and lodges (think glamping instead of camping).
Campsite facilities can sometimes be basic, but wherever possible, we make sure there are Western-style toilets and warm water available. But you’ll find it’s worth sacrificing a warm shower or two when you’re waking up to sunrise over the Masai Mara.
How we get around
On our safari trips, your main mode of transport is an overland truck, a purpose-built vehicle made for driving through Africa’s winding, and sometimes bumpy, country roads. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The trucks are also equipped with power outlets to charge your camera, phone and other devices on the go.
For more info on our overland trucks, see our Africa overland page.
FAQs
Generally speaking, January, February and June to October are the best times to go on safari in Africa. This is the dry season, so animals tend to come out into more open spaces in search of water, making them easier to spot. However, you’ll be able to spot animals all year round and you’ll enjoy fewer crowds if you travel outside peak season.
The best place to go on safari depends on what kind of animals you’d like to see and what other activities you’d like to do in destination. We offer safaris to some of the best safari destinations in eastern and southern Africa, like Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and more.
While we can’t guarantee you’ll spot the Big 5, you’d have to be profoundly unlucky to see no animals at all. On our trips, you’ll explore some of the best game parks and national reserves in the world. These protected areas are filled with a huge variety of different species and your expert driver and local leader will help you spot animals.
The “Big 5” used to refer to the five big game animals that were the most difficult to hunt. Now that most shooting is done on a camera, the Big 5 are the most exciting animals to spot while on safari: the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo.
Loose, light clothing in neutral colours is the best attire for a safari (dark colours will get hot in the sun and can attract the Tsetse fly). You’ll also want a sun hat, some good walking shoes, a camera, sunscreen and bug spray. For more details, check out our ultimate Africa packing guide.
On our Basix trips you’ll have a cook travelling with you while you are on safari who will whip up a variety of local flavours and Western-style dishes. Along your route, your cook will stop to purchase fresh, locally sourced food for your meals. You can expect a variety of things for breakfast like fruit, eggs, toast and cereal; lunch is often sandwiches and salads; and dinner is usually a hearty meal like pasta, curry or a BBQ.
On our Original and Comfort trips there will be more meals at camps and lodges along the way. No matter what you’re craving, you definitely will not be going hungry on safari.
Most of the permanent tented camps will have a private bathroom with flushing toilets and showers with warm water.
Many of the campsites we stay at have communal facilities with flushing toilets and showers with warm water. However, in some of the more remote areas, there may only be basic facilities (toilets and cold running water).
We are committed to making travel accessible to everyone, so we will work with you to assess whether you will be able to complete an existing itinerary, or whether we will be able to make reasonable adjustments to meet your needs before you book. Please see our accessible travel page for more information.
Some of our hotels and campsites will have Wi-Fi, however Internet and phone access may be limited in more remote areas. But you won’t miss it when you’re watching a pride of lions prowl through long grass or enjoying a drink around the campfire with your group.
Responsible travel
Our stance on Animal Welfare
This world and the animals that call it home are precious, and we believe it’s our responsibility to help preserve them. We do not include or condone any activities that exploit animals on our safari trips, including hunting, feeding or interacting with animals in any way. We believe that wild animals should be observed in the wild, from a respectful distance.
Some tips for being a wildlife-friendly traveller include never buying animal products, not participating in activities that include contact with the animals, and not including location tags on social media posts (some poachers have gone high-tech and use social media to track rare animals’ locations).
Read more about our Animal Welfare Policy here.
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