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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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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 – 320 Reviews
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11-Day Mid Luxury - Beach Holiday and Safari in Tanzania
$3,891 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (Tanzania Beaches), Abeid Amani Karume Airport (End)
Brilliant Adventures and Safaris
5.0/5 – 85 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Journey of the Wildebeest - Luxury
$3,790 to $5,600 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Central Serengeti NP, Serengeti NP, Arusha (End)
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
4.9/5 – 490 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Tanzania Luxury + Premium Safari
$4,720 to $7,079 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Lion King Adventures
5.0/5 – 1,203 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
6-Day Tanzania Classic Luxury Safari
$2,805 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Meijo Safaris
5.0/5 – 213 Reviews
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9-Day Victoria Falls, Chobe and Okavango Fly-in Safari
$8,504 pp (USD)
Botswana & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Victoria Falls (Start), Chobe NP, Okavango Delta, Maun Airport (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.8/5 – 174 Reviews
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4-Day Luxury Tour, Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro
$2,017 to $2,023 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Full Package Adventures
5.0/5 – 172 Reviews
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6-Day Most Favorite -Four Season Safari Lodge
$4,367 to $4,807 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Moshi (Start), Arusha (City), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Moshi (End)
Kojuu Safaris Africa
5.0/5 – 58 Reviews
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Best Seller
5-Day Magical Kenya Luxury
$2,354 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Lake Naivasha (Naivasha), Lake Nakuru NP, Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Ways Of Africa Travel
5.0/5 – 109 Reviews
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Best Seller
10-Day Best Honeymoon Luxury Safari + Zanzibar Beach
$4,824 to $5,462 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (Tanzania Beaches), Zanzibar Airport (End)
African Big Cats Safaris
5.0/5 – 457 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
9-Day Luxury Big Kenya Safari
$3,570 to $4,170 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Lake Nakuru NP, Lake Naivasha (Naivasha), Amboseli NP, Tsavo West NP, Nairobi (End)
Spirit of Kenya
4.9/5 – 545 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Luxury Radisson Kruger Safari
$849 to $934 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)LuxuryHotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 1,918 Reviews
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5-Day Luxury Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Manyara
$2,750 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Central Serengeti NP, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Get Together Adventures
5.0/5 – 18 Reviews
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7-Day Luxury Great Migration in Serengeti National Park
$4,512 to $4,589 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Lake Manyara NP, Central Serengeti NP, Northern Serengeti NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Amshar Serengeti Adventures
5.0/5 – 123 Reviews
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7-Day Tanzania Northern Circuit Classic Safari
$2,479 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Kilimanjaro Airport (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Ozon Light Tours
4.9/5 – 143 Reviews
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3-Day Luxury Safari - Ngorongoro, Tarangire & Manyara
$1,012 to $1,306 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Professional Safaris
4.8/5 – 72 Reviews
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3-Day Kruger Luxury Safari
$978 to $1,076 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Junglers Adventure Tours
4.9/5 – 32 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Northern Circuit Classic Safari
$2,530 to $2,750 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 574 Reviews
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4-Day Masai Mara Full Board Luxury Tour - 4x4 Safari
$1,626 to $2,451 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Apodiformes Adventures
4.5/5 – 238 Reviews
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6-Day Big 5 Family Luxury Safari
$2,420 to $2,750 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Williamson Adventures
5.0/5 – 29 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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