Let's face it, theme parks are great but can't compete with family safaris in Africa. Here are some of the best places for an African safari with kids, designed to keep your little adventurers engaged and enthralled!
Your children will gain a newfound respect for nature, a curiosity about the world, and maybe even a lifelong love of wildlife documentaries (goodbye to endless cartoons!). With some thoughtful planning, a family safari is the trip of a lifetime for kids and grown-ups alike.
For top tips see How to Plan a Family Safari in Africa with Kids.
Victoria Falls is one of Africa's most iconic destinations and one of the world's largest and most awe-inspiring waterfalls. The area offers plenty of activities that cater to all ages, making this a perfect family safari destination. The Victoria Falls waterfall can be visited from either Zimbabwe or Zambia.
Children of all ages are welcome on this excellent 4-day Victoria Falls Tours, staying either in Zimbabwe or Zambia – the choice is yours. Our Victoria Falls guide explains the difference.
This family-friendly Victoria Falls Tour includes three nights of hotel accommodation and activities - a Zambezi River sunset cruise, a cultural village tour, a 15-minute helicopter flight over Victoria Falls, and a Chobe National Park safari. It also includes a half-day canoe trip on the Upper Zambezi, but the minimum age for canoeing is 10 years old.
If you are visiting Cape Town, South Africa, there is a great selection of family safaris to choose from. These are family-friendly and malaria-free wildlife safari options located a short drive from the city. They make a perfect addition to a family holiday in Cape Town and offer a range of activities to keep your little people occupied.
Encounter an array of wild animals, birds, and small creatures in the 58,000-hectare Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, which hosts Africa's Big 5 (leopards, rhinos, elephants, buffalos, and lions).
Sanbona is an ideal South African destination for family safaris. It offers a "Kids on Safari" package where your kids receive an explorer kit and undertake a range of fun activities, from treasure hunts, day and evening mini bush walks, fascinating rock art tours, insect catching and nighttime "frogging" expeditions. The family-friendly lodge also has interactive activity books, educational DVDs, and a selection of puzzles, board games, and books to keep curious minds occupied. Child minding services are also available (at additional cost).
Aquila Private Game Reserve is a 10,000-hectare conservancy close to Cape Town. It is home to the Big 5 – elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino, and leopard - as well as a host of other birds and animals and dramatic Karoo landscapes.
Aquila, another top destination for family safaris in South Africa, welcomes explorers of all ages. There is an exciting Junior Ranger Programme, perfect for youngsters aged 4 to 12. This educational program lets them learn about amazing animals, track animal footprints, and discover the secrets of the Karoo wilderness.
Many reserves have an age restriction for children on game drives, but in Aquila, children can enjoy the game drives with their parents. The family-friendly lodge also has a dedicated Kids Adventure Zone for indoor and outdoor fun. Here, your little ones can enjoy the mini golf course, challenge you to a game of giant chess, build sandcastles, swing on the jungle gym, or unwind with electronic games. Come nightfall, the family can gather around the fire for a marshmallow braai (barbecue) and do stargazing under the star-studded Karoo sky. Child minding services are also available (at additional cost).
Check out other family-friendly Cape Town safari options to malaria-free Big 5 game reserves near the city.
The Garden Route is one of the most scenic stretches of land in southern Africa, with beautiful beaches and bays, lakes and mountains and indigenous forests. See our Garden Route travel guide for all the highlights.
These Garden Route tours depart from Cape Town in South Africa.
This family safari takes you through the beautiful Robertson Valley with its mountain scenery and vineyards. Then to Oudtshoorn to learn about ostriches and the astonishing Cango Caves. You take a hair-raising drive up the mountains of the Swartberg Pass and through breathtaking scenery and more beautiful mountain passes en route to the popular coastal town of Knysna, and then a safari in the private Botlierskop Game Reserve en route back to Cape Town.
The 4-Day Garden Route Tour spends 2 nights in Knysna with visits to the indigenous forests of Tsitsikamma National Park and breathtaking Natures Valley, with an option of visiting Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary and Tenikwa Wildlife & Rehabilitation Centre. Children of all ages are welcome on this family safari with accompanying parents or guardians. The Garden Route tours involve quite a bit of time on the road, so children need to be up for this.
Port Elizabeth (renamed Gqeberha) lies on the coast, with golden beaches lapped by the warm Indian Ocean. As you travel inland, the landscape transforms into a diverse wonderland of the rugged mountains of the Zuurberg range rising majestically above pockets of thick bushveld and sprawling grasslands that host the Addo Elephant National Park and other game reserves close by.
Experience Africa's iconic marine and land animals on this full-day family safari - a rare and unique wildlife adventure for children aged 5 & over.
This family safari tour begins with a boat trip in Algoa Bay (weather dependent) in the marine section of Addo Elephant National Park where you can spot whales, sharks, large dolphin pods, seals and the massive penguin colony of St Croix Island. In whale watching season (June to November ) southern right whales and humpback whales are often spotted here! This marine adventure is followed by a guided game drive in the inland section of Addo Elephant Park. The game drive takes you in search of the Big 5 – elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino, and leopard - and an abundance of other African wildlife and birds. Home to almost 700 elephants, Addo is one of the best places in Africa to see elephants in the wild.
Starting and ending in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), this affordable and malaria-free Big 5 safari explores Addo Elephant Park and Kariega Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape.
Spend the first two nights in Addo Elephant National Park, one of the most popular malaria-free Big 5 safari parks in South Africa In between game drives in the tour vehicle, relax at the rest camp that has a swimming pool, shop and restaurant, as well as a floodlit waterhole where wildlife can be viewed, even after dark. There is also an underground wildlife hide at the waterhole and a bird hide. There is an option of night drives in the SANParks open-sided game viewing vehicles but with a minimum age restriction of 7 years.
The next two nights are spent at Kariega Game Reserve, near Kenton-on-Sea about one and a half hours' drive away. Close encounters with lions, elephants, buffalos and rhinos are relatively common here. Kariega Game Reserve's Main Lodge caters to families with a dedicated "Kids on Safari" program offering a range of exciting adventures for the little ones. The energetic and knowledgeable staff lead children on guided trails within the lodge grounds, teaching them about the plants, insects, and animal tracks they encounter. They'll even get to make cool souvenirs by creating animal track moulds and "Bushman paintings." The playroom is stocked with toys, books, and even wildlife DVDs to keep all ages entertained. Older children (16+ years) may join the guided bush walk alongside experienced rangers. Child minding services are also available (at additional cost).
See more Addo Safari options for a malaria-free family safari in South Africa.
Less than a three-hour drive from Johannesburg, Pilanesberg is one of the best destinations for family safaris in South Africa, and it's home to the Big 5 animals.
The Pilanesberg National Park is South Africa's fourth-largest game park, covering approximately 55,000 hectares (135,908 acres). It is one of the best Big 5 game reserves near Johannesburg and one of the country's most easily accessible safari parks. This malaria-free game reserve features unique geology because it is in an extinct volcano. Spend a day on a safari game drive, or stay over at Bakubung Bush Lodge, where children of all ages are welcome.
Bakubung Bush Lodge overlooks a large waterhole where you can sit back and watch the resident pod of hippos wallowing, while other animals come down to the water's edge to drink. The lodge offers daily game drives as well as a bush braai (barbeque) on a Wednesday and Saturday evening. They have both tennis and volleyball courts, as well as a children’s playground and board games. The Junior Ranger program is a week-long programme teaching children about the wild, with different activities each day. At the end of the week, children are awarded a certificate at a graduation ceremony. Each day of the programme can also be taken on its own. Child minding services are also available (at additional cost).
This Pilanesberg safari includes easy pick-up and drop-off options from any Johannesburg hotel and spends 3 nights at Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge. The lodge boasts a dedicated playground with a trampoline while budding naturalists can embark on guided bush walks or learn about animal tracking alongside experienced rangers. There is an underground hide for a unique perspective on animals visiting the lodge's waterhole, two swimming pools, one perfect for tiny tots, mini-golf, tennis courts for friendly family matches, and a selection of board games for cosy evenings. For those aged 6-12, the exciting Junior Ranger program is a week-long programme teaching children about the wild, with different activities each day. At the end of the week, children are awarded a certificate at a graduation ceremony. Each day of the programme can also be taken on its own. Child minding services are also available (at additional cost).
The Kruger National Park is South Africa's largest, most popular game reserve. It has a wide variety of habitats and many rest camps with conveniences and facilities to suit every family. Read more in our comprehensive Kruger National Park safari guide.
Most Kruger National Park tours depart from Johannesburg.
Tour Length — 3 days
This Kruger National Park safari spends two nights at a safari lodge inside the renowned Timbavati Private Game Reserve, sharing unfenced boundaries with Kruger Park. Timbavati is world famous for its legendary pale lions (the white lions of Timbavati) and today hosts a healthy pride of these unique lions, considered to be the ancestors of all white lions worldwide. The tour includes Timbavati game drives and a morning game drive in Kruger National Park proper. In the heat of the day, retreat to the lodge, where the kids can enjoy the swimming pool, relax in a shady spot or play board games and pool on the upper deck overlooking a bustling watering hole watching animals coming to drink. After high tea at the lodge, head back into the game-rich bush in search of more of the wildlife! Children aged 2 & over are welcome.
Tour Length — 3 days
Children of all ages are welcome on this budget-friendly Kruger safari. Spend two nights at a safari lodge located in a private nature reserve bordering Thornybush Nature Reserve, 400 hectares of prime bushveld in the Greater Kruger Park area.
Enjoy game drives in the reserve and then relax at camp and enjoy views from the lodge's viewing decks as animals come to drink at the nearby watering hole. There is a swimming pool for cooling off, a lush garden perfect for exploring, and evenings spent by the campfire in the outdoor boma area, enjoying refreshments under the African sky. Spend a day inside the Kruger National Park in search of its many animals.
Namibia is a country of vast open spaces and the oldest desert in the world. It is home to an incredible array of wildlife specially adapted to live in these African desert environments. Fascinating Etosha National Park is one of the largest national parks in Africa and Swakopmund is Namibia's adventure capital by the sea. Read more in our comprehensive Namibia travel guide.
Tour Length — 3 days
This camping adventure starts in Swakopmund, finishes in Windhoek, and is suitable for children aged 5 & over. It is a full participation Namibia camping safari which means that guests are responsible for putting up and taking down their own tents and cleaning their own dishes.
Etosha National Park is over 22,000 km² (8,494 mi²) in size, located in northern Namibia. At its heart is Etosha Pan, a massive salt pan, fringed by sparse bush that hosts an incredible array of wildlife. You can look forward to two nights camping at Okaukuejo Rest Camp which has a swimming pool, shop & restaurant, and a floodlit waterhole that allows for watching wildlife inside the camp, day and night. Spend a full day on a game drive safari in Etosha Park, viewing all sorts of animals like lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and more. Then head back to camp to spend unforgettable evenings around the campfire under the most breathtaking star-studded skies.
Kenya promises a family safari adventure for your whole clan with some of the most famous 'Out of Africa' safari destinations and fascinating culture, with opportunities to visit traditional Maasai villages and learn about their way of life. The Masai Mara is world-famous for its incredible concentration of animals, from the Big 5 (lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, and Cape buffalo) to zebras, giraffes, and wildebeest. Seeing these animals in their natural habitat will be a magical experience for children of all ages. See our comprehensive Kenya travel guide.
Tour Length — 4 days
This exciting 4-day camping safari adventure, starting and ending in Nairobi, is available to children of all ages, travelling with accompanying parents or guardians. The adventure takes you to Kenya's legendary Masai Mara Reserve via the scenic Great Rift Valley. You spend three nights at a tented camp set on the banks of the Oloirigynyisho River where zebras, wildebeest, elephants and other wildlife regularly come to drink. The camp boasts a swimming pool to cool down in between game drives. Epic Masai Mara balloon trips can be arranged at extra cost (and must be booked in advance), as well as cultural tours for your children to experience local Masai culture.
Tour Length — 12 days
Children of all ages are welcomed on this small group tour travelling in a small private group of 6 people at most, starting and ending in Nairobi. This is the ultimate Kenya Wildlife Safari exploring a diversity of world-class game parks, including the famous Masai Mara, Samburu National Park, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, and Tsavo West.
Travel through incredible African scenery, from the Great Rift Valley to open savannah plains and views of Africa's tallest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Apart from Masai Mara, highlights include viewing hippos swimming beneath the surface of the water from the underwater viewing chamber at Tsavo West National Park. Stay in an authentic tented safari camp inside Amboseli Park near the Tanzania border that has fantastic views of Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance. Visit Sweetwater's Game Ranch near Mount Kenya which is a chimpanzee rehabilitation sanctuary. The Samburu area is also home to interesting people with a rich indigenous heritage. At Lake Nakuru, get the chance to see one of the largest concentrations of white and black rhinos in the country, together with vast flocks of flamingos and other birds.
Tanzania offers a good range of family safaris. It boasts some of the most definitive African Safari destinations, particularly the wildlife-rich 'northern safari circuit' which includes the famous Serengeti plains and the fascinating Ngorongoro Crater. Along the balmy Indian Ocean coastline lies exotic Zanzibar Island, a perfect tropical beach destination. Read more about this fascinating country in our Tanzania travel guide.
Tour Length — 7 days
The tour begins and ends in Arusha, the gateway to Tanzania's Northern Safari Circuit. This is a small group tour, travelling with 12 people at most and staying at a combination of tented camps and well-selected safari lodges. The itinerary may have some long travelling days, so we would not recommend this trip for children under the age of 6 years.
This family safari adventure of a lifetime explores the famous northern safari circuit of Tanzania, game viewing in three of the country's best safari parks in just one week! Explore Serengeti National Park which aptly derives its name from “Siringitu”, the Maasai word for endless plains that truly appear to stretch onto infinity, providing prime hunting territory for Africa's big cats, especially cheetahs. Go game viewing in Lake Manyara Park, hosting tree-climbing lions. Also visit Ngorongoro Crater, known as the Eden of Africa and home to a dense population of Africa's Big 5 (lions, elephants, buffalos, rhinos, and leopards) and many other animals and birds.
Tour Length — 4 days
Enjoy a family beach holiday after your safari adventure or for a perfect escape from regular life or the cold weather! This short Zanzibar Beach Resort Package is one of the most affordable Zanzibar vacation packages to this true tropical paradise. Read our comprehensive guide to Zanzibar Island.
Zanzibar has a treasure trove of experiences for the family! The resort offers beautiful beaches, a range of water sports & land-based activities, and delicious meals at various restaurants. Children will enjoy excursions like exploring the Jozani Forest with its playful red colobus monkeys or visiting the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre. Historic Changu Island is home to giant Aldabra tortoises, while a snorkelling trip offers a peek into Zanzibar's vibrant underwater world teeming with colourful fish. Kids may also enjoy a spice farm tour, sail on a traditional wooden dhow, or a fascinating reef walk at low tide, discovering hidden marine life exposed by the retreating ocean. And when it's time to cool down, the resort's massive swimming pool, just steps from the beach, awaits!
The Okavango Delta in Botswana is one of the world's most unique safari destinations. It is a river delta with no route to the sea, so it empties into the vast Kalahari desert. The year-round water supply makes it a magnet for wildlife, large and small and is a true bucket list safari destination. Read more about the Okavango Delta in our comprehensive guide.
Tour Length — 5 days
The tour begins and ends in Maun, Botswana, travelling into the idyllic Okavango Delta by road and returning in a light aircraft. The first two nights are spent at Xaoo Safari Camp, a family safari camp nestled on a forested island overlooking the Okavango Delta flood plains. Each day you explore more of this fascinating area, embarking on a morning and afternoon activity of your choosing - a mokoro ride in traditional-style mokoro canoes, a walking safari, a 4x4 game drive, or a cultural village tour.
Then fly by helicopter over Moremi Game Reserve to the northern floodplains of the Khwai River where an impressive variety of wildlife gathers. The next two nights are spent at Camp Khwai, a well-positioned tented camp overlooking the Khwai River floodplain. Elephants, antelopes, and predators all concentrate in and around the Khwai River Area, making it a great place for wildlife spotting. Note: The family safari tent sleeping 5 carries no age restrictions - but a private vehicle must be booked for activities. The return transfer to Maun is in a small plane – this offers sweeping aerial views over the fascinating Okavango Delta.
With so many incredible destinations to choose from, Africa awaits your family! The best family safari for you will depend on your children's ages and interests, your budget, and the wildlife you'd most like to see. Think about the activities offered beyond game drives, like kid-friendly camps with amenities and experiences that will keep them engaged. For more tips see How to Plan a Family Safari in Africa with Kids?
This list of African places gives just a taste of the many fantastic family safaris available. Chat with a friendly consultant at African Budget Safaris for help picking the African family safari that suits you best. By choosing locations and activities that cater to everyone, you're sure to create lasting memories that will ignite a lifelong love of nature and wildlife in your entire family.
Explore these destinations mentioned in this post.
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