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BEST WALKING SAFARIS AFRICA

Explore the African Wilderness on Foot

Walking safaris in Africa represent the chance for you to experience what few others ever will: being on foot in big game country. Compared to the drama of game drives & their emphasis on big animals, a walking safari is an opportunity to focus on the smaller details of the environment; birds and insects, medicinal plants & the traditional legends behind grand old trees.

And you’ll see plenty of animals too. Giraffe and antelope watch you warily from a distance and it’s not unusual to encounter elephants and buffalo herds. You’ll be in the safe hands of some of the best guides in the business however, and have the assurance of armed rangers and skilled trackers.

The walking experience varies according to where you go and what you want. Safari lodges across Southern and East Africa are often set in private concessions and offer short guided walks, usually after the morning game drive. Longer walks and multiday hikes are the preserve of specialist walking destinations – Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley and South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

Browse our range of walking destinations & pre-packaged walking tours below; if you’d like a personalised walking safari itinerary, simply contact us with your requirements.

BEST WALKING SAFARIS IN AFRICA

South Luangwa – The Real Deal

Zambia’s flagship conservation area is where the concept of luxury walking safaris was bought into life by legendary figures such as Robin Pope and Norman Carr. Today, the South Luangwa lays claim to some of the best walking safaris in Africa, led by excellent guides and armed rangers.

Most South Luangwa lodges offer short nature walks to complement game drives but other accommodations specialise in multiday walking safaris. You’ll walk from camp to camp, occasionally mixing it up with a game drive or two. These safaris are a magical blend of experiences and the accommodation ranges from luxurious timber & thatch lodges to tented bush camps.

Kruger & Sabi – Big 5 Walking Safaris

Renowned for Big 5 sightings, both the Kruger and its adjoining private reserve – the Sabi Sands – offer their visitors a range of walking experiences. All lodges in the Sabi Sands sit in exclusive-use reserves and encourage guests to head out on foot with their guide for a nature walk after brunch.

In the Kruger Park itself, bigger walking experiences are available. Accompanied by armed guides and sharp-eyed trackers, you’ll spend several days traversing some of the wildest and most remote parts of the park, home to all the members of the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Accommodation is provided in permanent tented camps along the way.

Okavango Delta - Explore on Foot

Made famous by its sparkling waterways and floodplains, much of Botswana’s Okavango Delta is dry land – islands of various size, and home to anything from birds & butterflies to elephants & giraffe. Water-based camps do more walking than land-based ones which focus on 4X4 drives; walks range from a couple of hours around camp to multi-day adventures across the delta.

The open nature of the landscape and the guide’s knowledge means that encounters with big animals are rare in the Okavango. It’s more an opportunity to enjoy excellent birding and to pick up all the fascinating details – animal tracks, unusual plants and useful trees.

Tanzania – East Africa’s Best Walking Destination

The open savannah landscape of the Serengeti makes for easy and rewarding walking. It’s an activity offered as part of the daily activities, usually following the morning game drive and breakfast/brunch. Your guide will accompany you with a Maasai warrior escort so you can learn about the human side to the environment.

Walking safaris in Tanzania is also available in its other reserves – our favourites for a walking safari experience are Tarangire and the Selous Reserve, both classic big game destinations. Walks of a different kind are on offer in the Mahale Mountain rainforests: trekking for wild chimpanzees, a unique activity in this East African country.

Zimbabwe, Namibia & Masai Mara

Zimbabwe has always had a great reputation for walking safaris: our choices of accommodation reflect lodges that offer guided walks as part of their activity offering. The Hwange lodges offer short walks but there are longer walking safaris on offer at Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, one of the most off-the-beaten-track destinations in the region.

Accommodation in private concessions in Namibia and Kenya’s Masai Mara also offer guided nature walks. Particularly recommended are the private Onguma and Ongava Reserves of Namibia’s Etosha National Park as walking is not permitted in Etosha itself. In the Masai Mara, Maasai warriors will accompany you and your guide on walks, a great chance to interact with people who spend their whole lives walking in big game country.

Selected Tours

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BEST WALKING SAFARIS AFRICA
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Reviews

Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)
It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)
An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)
Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.