Safari Price Guide by Destination
Luxury African safaris command premium prices that vary significantly by destination, exclusivity, and Peak season demand. Expect nightly rates starting from $1,000 per person per night in popular, accessible destinations and reaching over $5,000 per person per night at exclusive, remote camps.
East Africa
Most Affordable: Tanzania & Uganda
Tanzania is able to deliver big game wilderness safari experiences at a more affordable price range. Tanzania’s Northern Circuit, home to the famous Migration, is popular and easily accessible, so overland itineraries with a private vehicle and guide are popular, cutting the need for costly light air flights. With so much demand on Peak season river crossings, shoulder season options reduce cost significantl while delivering great wildlife moments.
Uganda is considered the much more affordable gorilla trekking option when compared to Rwanda. Uganda is quaint and charming, and a little old fashioned in the best ways, while Rwanda is ambitious and cosmopolitan. Uganda lends itself to travelers who have more time to explore lesser-known destinations, unique ecosystems and a mix of accommodation styles from traditional bush resorts and owner-operated guesthouses to breathtaking ecolodges.
Mkombe's House Lamai fulfils the promise of the Serengeti many times over - by car and on foot - in these remote, less-travelled short grass plains. This makes for spectacular predator and prey viewing on the banks in the late dry season.
Olkeri is the Maasai word for the leopard, the spotted ambush hunter, one of the most emblematic inhabitants of the area. Home to great elephant herds, this beautiful tract of wilderness, replete with views of woodlands, rocky hills, and shaded by gnarled old-growth Baobab and Acacia, offers the ultimate freedom to explore day and night.
The 12 tents of Lemala Mara Tented Camp travel north between June and October to set up under large Euclea trees in one of the best game viewing areas of the Northern Serengeti. The exact location varies from year to year.
Mahogany Springs Lodge is located in the Buhoma region of Bwindi Imenetrable National Park, within a 5-10 minute walk or 2 minute drive of the gorilla trekking starting point.
Set in exotic gardens overlooking the Munyanga River, this is the perfect place to relax and discover the beauty of the plants and birds that make Bwindi such a remarkable place.
The rooms at Apoka Lodge in Uganda’s Kidepo Natioanl Park have been built with comfort in mind. Everything is handmade by local craftsmen, everything is large and capacious. 10 expansive rooms with natural canvas walls surround a rocky kopje with endless views across the savannah. With inside sitting rooms and private verandas there are plenty of places to relax, read and sprawl.
Mid-range: Kenya
Kenya delivers as a mid-range, high-value safari destination with iconic wildlife viewing opportunities such as the classic Migration, Big Five and Samburu specials. Much of this is due to their unique private/community conservancy model where the number of camps and vehicles is strictly regulated, resulting in a better overall experience. Kenya is also home to a wide range of safari styles from affordable classic camps to luxurious lodges which we can combine into truly eclectic itineraries.
Luxury: Rwanda
Rwanda is an ambitious and fascinating country whose primary draw is trekking with mountain gorillas. The permits for gorilla trekking are roughly twice as much as permits in Uganda, and Rwanda has become the home of high-end flagship properties that focus on luxury, dining and dramatic design. Rwanda also promotes a high value, low impact tourism model which encourages fewer travelers paying higher costs for exclusive experiences that support conservation and community initiatives.
Southern Africa
Most Affordable: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has had a difficult history through decades of colonialism and dictatorship, but the country is renowned for its wildlife-rich parks, variety of activities like walking and boating and high quality guides. Zimbabwe simply delivers better value and lower costs compared to Botswana and South Africa which have more popular demand.
“Tembo” meaning Elephant and reflects more than just a place and a name honouring the animals on these plains. It…
Mid-range: Zambia and Namibia
Zambia delivers top-tier wildlife viewing, guiding, and walking safaris much like Zimbabwe. Here the bush camps are authentic and intimate. Park entrance fees in Zambia are comparably lower than Botswana and South Africa, and the protected areas are vast, dynamic and rich with wildlife.
Namibia is able to offer incredible wildlife viewing opportunities with the added benefit of jaw-dropping landscapes. Namibia is rarely visited on a first-time safari, so there isn’t as much demand or pressure on its vast extraordinary destination. Namibia offers the widest range of options from self-drive wild camping to overland lodge stays to flying circuits with stylish accommodations in remote areas.
Staying at KuKaya is all about freedom, from choosing your safari activities to flexible dining options. Embark on game drives and walking safaris, shared or private, visit the hide and brush up your photography skills, or simply choose to relax by your private pool, drink in hand, and watch the wildlife go by.
Set in the breath-taking, untouched wilds of the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia, Lolebezi is the latest property in the African Bush Camps family and will undoubtably be one of the most spectacular.
Shipwreck Lodge, located in the Skeleton Coast Central Concession Area, is a must-see spot within the park, home to unique wildlife including elephants and brown hyenas. This area is also home to one of the only viable lion populations in Namibia outside of Etosha National Park.
Luxury: South Africa and Botswana
South Africa is known for it’s world-class private reserves and designer lodges.High-end resort-style accommodations are the norm in South Africa. It is common for lodges in areas like Sabi Sands, Timbavati, and Madikwe to offer accommodations that host luxury amenities such as private plunge pools, wine cellars, spa facilities and an abundance of staff. The best known safaris in South Africa run on private reserves bordering Kruger. This delivers an exclusive feel because these accommodations are able to offer perks such as night drives and off-road tracking in low vehicle density areas.
Botswana cannot be described as anything less than Africa’s most exclusive and high-end safari destination. With fewer people, more open space and remote fly-in camps accompanied by exceptional high service standards, Botswana sits well at the high-end of the safari spectrum.
Botswana is deliberate with it’s high-value, low-volume tourism strategy. Vast private concessions feature small intimate camps with very few guests, but the conservation and operating costs must still be covered, leading to high rates for visitors. Entry-level or budget-minded safaris in Botswana are considered mid-range to luxury for other safari destinations.
Also, most of the prime wildlife viewing locations within Botswana are only accessible via light aircraft so travelers are not only paying for exclusive accommodations, but also for multiple light aircraft flights.
The 6 spacious tents (including a family room) are hidden in a wooded peninsula, shaded by leadwoods and sausage trees, that juts out into an Okavango floodplain and overlooks a well-trodden game path to the water.
An intimate, tented camp in the heart of the game-rich Khwai Private Reserve. Tuludi provides an iconic Okavango Delta experience in the most refined and superbly stylish surroundings. Tuludi is located in the 200,000 hectare Khwai Private Reserve that borders both the Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park.
Sitatunga Private Island Camp is very 'Robinson Crusoe, desert island-ish'. It is designed with a 'salvage' inspired reference, complete with giant basket shapes as a nod to the Bayei and other local Okavango fishing ancestries.
The brand-new Jack’s Camp pays homage to the property’s enduring and much-loved 1940s campaign style. The guest tents, seven twins and two doubles, are much larger and each is 270 square meters in size.
Luxury safaris across Africa offer exceptional value no matter the destination. Next Adventure will tailor your itinerary to match your budget, style, and travel dates. We’ll craft a personalized safari filled with exclusive camps, remarkable wildlife encounters, and the adventure of a lifetime.
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