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Luxury African Safaris & Tours
Are you dreaming of a luxury African safari? Picture the scene. The sun is sinking slowly into savannah grasses and the sky is tinged with pink and red streaks. You’re sitting atop a granite rock boulder that’s warm to the touch. A man hands you a gin and tonic and points towards a small group of trees. As if on cue, a pair of lionesses stroll out of hiding. It’s the ultimate African safari fantasy and one that every African safari-goer dreams of living. But just how do you go about organizing an upmarket luxury safari tour? Well, it’s easier than you might think.
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Best Seller
5-Day Tanzania Luxury Safari with Balloon in Serengeti
$3,570 to $3,575 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Gamedrive Travel Africa Safari Agency
5.0/5 – 256 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Luxury All-Inclusive Epic Safari
$3,240 to $3,867 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Lion King Adventures
5.0/5 – 1012 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
6-Day Majestic Tanzania - Luxury
$3,110 to $4,300 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
4.9/5 – 438 Reviews
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9-Day Luxury Spectacle Safari- Majestic Kenya Wonderland
$2,918 to $3,957 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Tsavo West NP, Amboseli NP, Lake Naivasha (Naivasha), Lake Nakuru NP, Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Apodiformes Adventures
4.7/5 – 172 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
9-Day Victoria Falls, Chobe and Okavango Fly-in Safari
$5,092 to $7,830 pp (USD)
Botswana & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Victoria Falls (Start), Chobe NP, Okavango Delta, Maun Airport (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 149 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
5-Day Fly in Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara
$3,135 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Zanzibar (End)
Safari Soles
5.0/5 – 242 Reviews
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3-Day Akagera Wildlife Safari and a Boat Cruise
$1,189 pp (USD)
Rwanda: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Kigali (Start), Akagera NP, Kigali (End)
Hermosa Life Tours and Travel
5.0/5 – 95 Reviews
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3-Day Masai Mara 4x4 Luxury Safari with Sundowner
$820 to $1,351 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Bigmac Africa Safaris
4.8/5 – 47 Reviews
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4-Day Kwazulu Natal Safari in Nambiti at Springbok Lodge
$786 to $923 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Durban (Start), Nambiti GR, Durban (End)
Indigo Safaris
5.0/5 – 121 Reviews
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Best Seller
10-Day Luxury Kenya & Tanzania Safari
$5,290 to $7,380 pp (USD)
Kenya & Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Lake Nakuru NP, Masai Mara NR, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Spirit of Kenya
4.9/5 – 479 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Tanzania Luxury Safari (Tarangire & Ngorongoro)
$1,272 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Kilimanjaro Adventure Safari Club
5.0/5 – 146 Reviews
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4-Day All Inclusive Fly-in Tour to Kruger's Imbali Lodge
$2,200 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Safari.com
4.7/5 – 186 Reviews
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9-Day Zambia Luxury Breathtaking Tour
$13,200 to $13,420 pp (USD)
Zambia: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Mfuwe (Start), South Luangwa NP, Lusaka Airport (Lusaka), Lower Zambezi NP, Livingstone (City), Mosi-oa-Tunya NP, Victoria Falls, Zambezi River, Livingstone Airport (End)
Kubwa Five Safaris
5.0/5 – 122 Reviews
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6-Day Classic Kenya Lodge Safari
$2,200 to $3,080 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Lake Naivasha (Naivasha), Amboseli NP, Nairobi (End)
Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 70 Reviews
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4-Day Kruger Safari & Private Game Reserve Highlight
$1,073 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Greater Kruger, Nelspruit (End)
Elephant Herd Tours & Safaris
4.8/5 – 81 Reviews
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7-Day Magical Kenya Luxury Safari
$3,801 to $4,400 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Amboseli NP, Lake Naivasha (Naivasha), Lake Nakuru NP, Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Estleon Adventures
5.0/5 – 117 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
6-Day Four Season Lodge Safari Special to Best Parks
$3,729 to $4,716 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Tanzania Roadside Expeditions
5.0/5 – 246 Reviews
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5-Day Unforgettable Luxury Safari in Tanzania Wilderness
$2,442 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Habitat Adventures Travel
5.0/5 – 37 Reviews
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3-Day Masai Mara Group Safari - Emayian Luxury Camp
$880 to $1,353 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 7 people per vehicle)LuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Mamu Travels and Safaris Kenya
5.0/5 – 16 Reviews
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5-Day Malamala Exclusive Fly in Safari
$4,592 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), MalaMala GR (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
Ranger Buck Safaris
5.0/5 – 24 Reviews
6 Questions About Luxury Safari Tours
Answered by
Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler is a travel writer, photographer and author of many guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Bradt, including guides to Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania. He has traveled widely in Africa, visited many top-end safari camps and been on a number of luxury safaris.› More about Stuart
6 Questions About Luxury Safari Tours
Which African countries have the best choice of luxury trips?
“Eastern and southern Africa are saturated with luxury top-end safari lodges and camps. Most countries in the region, except for Burundi and South Sudan, offer safaris and top-end accommodation to equal the Hollywood African dream. However, if we had to pick the countries that truly set the standard for a luxury African safari, it would have to be Botswana, Namibia and Kenya. These countries offer a number of luxurious, leading-edge and conservation-minded safari camps. As well, there’s a whole array of top-end safari companies offering exciting, and perhaps even life-altering, safari experiences. Not far behind these three countries in the luxury stakes come South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda.”
1What is and is not included in a luxury African safari?
“Almost everything is included in a luxury safari package. Depending on the exact tour that you opt for, you can expect to have two safaris a day as part of your package. There are also other activities on offer, such as walking safaris and boat safaris, where available. All accommodation fees, park entry fees, meals and most alcoholic drinks will be included. What isn’t included in your safari price varies depending on the type of safari and the package you’ve opted for. You might have to pay for transfers between camps and parks. However, in very top-end safaris these are often included as well. You’ll certainly have to pay extra for any internal flights from your airport of arrival to your chosen parks and camps. Visas and airport hotels are also rarely included in the overall package.”
2What are the differences between a luxury and budget safari?
“Don’t be surprised to see safaris costing around US$1,000 a night. A luxury African safari can be eye-wateringly expensive. But if you can afford it, even for just a couple of days, you won’t regret it. A top-end luxury safari is simply the best safari holiday experience you can ever hope to have. You’ll have the best wildlife guides in the business, best accommodation, best vehicles and best food and drink. More than that, you’ll also likely be making a positive and considerable contribution to conservation. Many top-end companies invest a significant percentage of their income into conservation and community development projects. In countries such as Kenya, Botswana and Namibia these safari companies are often leasing land from local communities. They manage that land for the benefit of wildlife. This is called a conservancy. This costs a massive amount of money. You paying to stay at a camp located in one of these wildlife conservancies contributes to the preservation of that land. On a budget safari you get the basics but no extras and no frills. You’ll be camping or staying at budget safari lodges, often outside the parks. The accommodation is simple, and if you’ve booked through a good operator, clean and comfortable. Check out what’s included, so you are clear about any extras you will need to pay for. On game drives, there will probably be more people per vehicle, which can feel crowded. Make an inquiry about the maximum number of people per vehicle.”
3What type of vehicles can I expect?
“All top-end luxury safari camps and lodges use the best-quality safari jeeps. These are highly customized long-wheel-base 4x4s. They will have extra suspension, which gives a fairly smooth ride over even the bumpiest roads. Most will be open-sided and have raised seats. This ensures every safari-goer has a superb view of the animals no matter which side of the vehicle they are on. Those open sides also provide some up-close encounters with curious big cats! Most of the vehicles will have cool boxes filled with drinks, power sockets for charging camera batteries and camera support bases built into the vehicles. The quality of the driver and guide is as important as the quality of the vehicle. On a luxury safari, your driver and guides will be highly trained and have superb wildlife knowledge. Equally, they will be accomplished hosts. You can expect them to always switch off the vehicle engine when you want to see an animal. They will always try and position the vehicle so that you have the best viewing angle of the wildlife. During a safari the best guides will turn and face you when they talk, so that you can hear them clearly.”
4What kind of accommodation can I expect?
“Some of the top-end safari camps and lodges are among the most exclusive places to stay on Earth. The best camps and lodges will have only a handful of rooms or tents. Six to eight are the norm. This provides exclusivity. Most have a safari-chic look and feel, with high-quality antique arts and crafts, subtle design and, often, a strong colonial style. Don’t expect mod-cons, gyms, spas and so on, though some do offer massages. Quite a few accommodations have small infinity pools, or even private plunge pools. All will offer sundowner drinks and snacks by a firepit, gourmet meals and beautiful settings and views. There’ll also be service that’s second to none.”
5What should I consider when choosing a luxury African safari?
“Essentially, you need to think about when you want to go and what you want to see. There are some other things worth considering in order to make your trip that little bit more special. Exactly what sort of accommodation are you after? Some camps are high on the luxury scale, with tents that have in-floor lighting, brass bath taps and a striking design. This can feel a little isolated from the environment. Other camps are relatively down-to-earth and simple but have much more of an authentic bush atmosphere. The other thing to consider is how exclusive you want to go. Will you pay a premium to have a safari vehicle and guide all to yourself? Or are you happy to share with some other camp guests? You can’t really go wrong when booking a top-end, luxury safari. The tour operator will work with you to create a seamless and near-perfect safari experience. Staff at the lodges, safari guides, drivers and camp staff will do all they can to give you the most personalized and memorable safari possible.”
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