Safari Guide: How to Plan Your First African Safari
A practical safari playbook: choosing countries and parks, deciding private vs group, budgeting, and avoiding first-timer mistakes.
Step 1: Choose the right safari style
- Classic game-drive safari (most common): 4x4 drives at dawn/dusk.
- Mobile camping: strong value and flexibility, more rustic.
- Fly-in luxury: best comfort and time efficiency, higher cost.
Private vs group safari
Private trips cost more but control your schedule and pace. Group trips reduce cost and logistics, but you share viewing time and compromise on stops. If wildlife photography is your priority, private is often worth it.
Budget vs luxury: what actually changes
- Guide quality and vehicle comfort improve with price.
- Camp location (inside prime areas vs far outside) affects driving time and sightings.
- Included costs vary: park fees, meals, internal flights.
Common first-time mistakes
- Overpacking the itinerary (too many parks, not enough time).
- Choosing a camp far from prime wildlife areas to save money (false economy).
- Ignoring seasonality (rains can change access and visibility).
- Not budgeting for tipping and park fees.
Next steps
Use the country guides to pick a route, then check the best-time pages to lock in dates. Finally, use the safari costs page to set a realistic budget range.
Related reading
Last updated: Feb 2026. We review this page periodically for seasonality, pricing, and policy changes.
Sources & references
We link to primary sources where possible (tourism boards, park authorities, and health agencies).