Going on a safari is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience since you’re presented with the opportunity to see some of the world’s most impressive wildlife in their natural surroundings, experience local African culture and visit some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Unlike other types of trips, planning a safari presents its own unique set of challenges, since there’s so much to see and do, and only a limited amount of time to squeeze it all in. Equally challenging is deciding where you want to go and when, as well as what to pack.
If you’re thinking about going on a safari, we’ve put together this guide to help you make the most of your trip and come home feeling fulfilled and inspired. An African mancation and a family trip follow the same planning shape: pick the region, pick the month, then sort out the paperwork.
Where to Go for the Best African Safari Tours
The two regions in Africa with the best wildlife are East Africa and Southern Africa.
East Africa
The two most popular safari destinations in East Africa are Kenya and Tanzania. Kenya is where the wildebeest migration reaches the Masai Mara, generally between July and October, with the Mara River crossings peaking in August and September. Tanzania is known for Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, which together offer the best Big Five viewing on the continent. The migration spends most of the year inside Tanzania, calving on the southern Serengeti plains between January and March before moving north and west through the middle of the year.
Gorilla trekking is a different trip from a classic game drive, and it happens in Uganda and Rwanda rather than Kenya. Either one combines well with a Kenyan or Tanzanian safari if you have the days for it. Mount Kilimanjaro is also in Tanzania if you want to add a climb.
Southern Africa
The Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve is the most popular private safari destination in South Africa, sharing an unfenced western boundary with Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga so that game moves freely between the two. It is among the most reliable places on the continent for leopard, and it also holds the endangered African wild dog.
Located about 45 minutes outside Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape is South Africa’s third-largest national park. More than 600 African elephants live inside it, and it sits outside the country’s malaria zone, which makes it an easy first safari.
Season and insects work the same way in the Eastern Cape whether you are carrying a rifle or a camera. We talked to one of our favorite PR guys recently about the 14 days he spent out there with his dad, and it really inspired me to take another look at this part of the world as being a great guys trip destination for men looking for adventure. If a father son trip is what you are planning, read it before you book a bucket list trip somewhere else.
Madikwe Game Reserve in the North West Province is a Big Five reserve about 56 miles north of Zeerust, and the fifth-largest reserve in South Africa. The number of vehicles allowed in during prime game hours is capped. That keeps it far quieter than its size suggests. Like Addo, it sits outside the malaria zone.
South Africa is not the whole story down here, though. Botswana’s Okavango Delta is the flagship of the region and works on a different model, with small camps, water-based game viewing by mokoro and pricing that limits visitor numbers by design. Namibia’s Etosha concentrates game around waterholes on the edge of a vast salt pan, and it is one of the easiest parks on the continent to self-drive. Zambia’s South Luangwa is the birthplace of the walking safari. Zimbabwe’s Hwange holds one of Africa’s largest elephant populations and sits close enough to Victoria Falls to pair the two in one trip.
South Africa is also the easiest safari country to bolt a second trip onto. The Cape Winelands are a short flight from the game reserves, and the wines of South Africa are worth building a few days around on their own.
When Is the Best Time to Go on an African Safari?
There is no single best month for every safari destination, but a few seasonal windows make planning much easier. Start with what you most want to see, then choose the region and dates that match it.
July Through October: Best Overall Safari Season
This is the safest all-around window for classic game viewing, with dry conditions across much of East and Southern Africa, thinner vegetation and animals gathering around reliable water. July through September is also prime time for the Great Migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara, so expect peak-season prices and competition for the best camps.
January Through March: Serengeti Calving Season
Northern Tanzania is the standout during the first part of the year as huge wildebeest herds gather on the southern Serengeti plains to give birth. February is especially appealing because the concentration of newborn animals also brings intense predator activity.
April Through June: Shoulder Season and Southern Africa
East Africa’s long rains make some roads and wildlife viewing more challenging during April and May, but this can also mean lower rates. By May and June, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe are drying out and moving into some of their best safari conditions.
November and December: A Different Kind of Safari
November brings rain back to many safari regions, but it also coincides with the wildebeest migration at Zambia’s Liuwa Plain and the herds moving south again through Tanzania. December can be an excellent time for an East African safari as the short rains ease and holiday travel begins.
How to Get to Africa’s Best Safari Destinations
Getting to Africa is only the first leg of a safari. Most trips involve flying into a major international gateway and then connecting by a smaller aircraft, road transfer or both to reach the parks and reserves.
Getting to the Masai Mara in Kenya
Most American travelers arrive at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, but many safari flights to the Masai Mara leave from the smaller Wilson Airport on the other side of Nairobi. From Wilson, bush flights generally take about 45 to 60 minutes and land at airstrips serving different camps and conservancies, so build the airport transfer into your itinerary.
Getting to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania
Kilimanjaro International Airport and nearby Arusha are the main staging points for Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. You can fly by light aircraft directly to Serengeti airstrips such as Seronera, Kogatende or Ndutu, while Ngorongoro is usually reached overland from Arusha as part of a driving safari through northern Tanzania.
Getting to Kruger and Sabi Sand in South Africa
Johannesburg is the main international gateway, but you do not need to spend a full day driving to the bush. Flights connect Johannesburg with Skukuza, Hoedspruit and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, followed by a lodge transfer, while driving from Johannesburg to Sabi Sand generally takes six to seven hours.
Getting to the Okavango Delta in Botswana
Maun is the main gateway to Botswana’s Okavango Delta, with air connections including service from Johannesburg. From Maun, many remote safari camps are reached by light aircraft, making baggage limits and soft-sided luggage something to consider before you leave home.
Getting to Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa
Addo is one of the easiest major safari destinations to reach independently. Fly into Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, from Johannesburg or Cape Town and continue by rental car or transfer, with Addo Main Camp roughly an hour from the city and normal passenger cars suitable for the park’s primary tourist roads.
Visas and Entry Requirements for Americans
Entry rules are the part of safari planning that changes most often, and three of the ones below moved within the last two years. Confirm with the relevant embassy or consulate when you book.
- No visa needed for stays of up to 90 days in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia.
- Sort out before you fly. Kenya replaced tourist visas with an Electronic Travel Authorisation in January 2024, and it has to be approved before you board. Uganda and Malawi both run e-visas, and Malawi is the one to watch: it went visa-free for Americans in 2024 then reversed that on 2 January 2026, and now costs around US$50. Tanzania still offers a visa on arrival, but Americans are required to buy the US$100 multiple-entry version even for a single trip.
- Available on arrival. Namibia stopped being visa-free on 1 April 2025 and now charges about N$1,600, roughly US$90. Zimbabwe is US$30 for single entry, and Rwanda issues on arrival.
What to Pack for an African Safari
Safari packing is mostly about handling changing temperatures, protecting yourself from the sun and insects, and making sure your luggage works with any small aircraft included in your itinerary.
Pack Lightweight Layers in Neutral Colors
Khaki, tan, olive and similar neutral colors work well for safari, with lightweight long sleeves and pants providing protection from both sun and insects. Avoid white, which shows dust badly, and avoid dark blue and black, because tsetse flies are drawn to both. Leave camouflage at home entirely, since wearing it is illegal for civilians in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Uganda among others. Bring a fleece or light jacket too, because early morning and evening game drives can be surprisingly cold even when afternoons are hot.
Bring the Safari Essentials
Comfortable walking shoes, a sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellent cover most of the basics, along with any malaria tablets your doctor prescribes and a plug adapter, since South Africa uses an unusual three-pin plug of its own. Bring binoculars even if you have a good camera, since animals will not always cooperate by appearing ten feet from the vehicle.
Pack for the Smallest Plane on Your Trip
If your safari includes a bush flight, check its baggage rules before packing because light aircraft can have much tighter weight and size restrictions than your international flight. Soft-sided duffels are usually a much better choice than rigid suitcases, particularly for destinations such as the Serengeti and Okavango Delta.
Money, Health and Other Safari Planning Details
Every country here has its own currency, including the South African rand, Botswana pula, Namibian dollar, Zambian kwacha and the Kenyan and Tanzanian shillings. US dollars are widely accepted for park fees, tips and lodge extras across much of the region, and Zimbabwe in particular runs heavily on them, but do not count on dollars for everyday spending. ATMs and bureaux de change are easy to find in the major towns. If you are carrying dollars, bring clean and relatively new bills, because worn or damaged notes are often refused.
Be sure to always have your medication with you. For vaccinations and malaria prevention, talk to a travel clinic or your own doctor and check the CDC country pages rather than the embassy, which handles visas rather than health. Malaria risk varies a great deal by region and season, and several of the best-known reserves sit outside the malaria zone entirely. Some countries also require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country where it is present, so check that if you are combining East and Southern Africa in one trip.
It’s Go Time! Are You Ready for an African Safari Tour?
Pick your region first, then let the month decide the country rather than the other way round, and get the entry paperwork moving as soon as the dates are firm. Everything else on a safari is detail you can sort out later.