Is an African safari worth it? Yes an African safari is worth it 100% of the time, even with how much an African safari costs! If you love animals, if you enjoy unique vacations/holidays, if you want to experience travel unplugged from work, phone calls, and the internet, then a safari is one of the most incredible trips you can take.

But you do not have to take our word for it. Let us break down what it’s like to go on an African safari and then let you decide if a safari is worth it for you.

This blog has been updated with new information in December 2024! [Original blog was published in 2020.]

 

What Does an African Safari Cost and What Do You Get?

Dollar for dollar, African safaris are one of the most expensive vacations you can take. A luxury African safari can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 USD. It all depends on where you go on safari—South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, etc.—what season you go on safari, and how long you stay there. Also, please note that an African safari cost is usually divided up PER PERSON and per night.

So, is an African safari worth the price, and what do you get for the cost of a safari?

All-Inclusive

Most safaris are all-inclusive. This means that the nightly price for your lodge or camp covers everything: food, safari activities (game drives, mokoro, boating, walking safaris, etc.), and even most alcoholic drinks. The good news is that this means you can more easily budget your safari upfront and know exactly what an African safari costs from the very beginning.

At Brave Africa Safaris, your all-inclusive safari cost includes:

• Lodging
• All meals, snacks, and in-house beverages (including local beers and wines)
  • One premium liquor a day
• All-day safari activities, including game drives, mokoro, village visits, walking safaris, etc.
• Daily laundry and cleaning services
• Road transfers between locations/camps while with Brave Africa
• $50 or $35 nonprofit donation per guest

Exclusivity

The higher you budget for an African safari, the more exclusive your experience will be. That is because the high cost includes private concessions, campsites, and locations not drowning in tourists. These off-the-beaten-path safaris cost more but also provide far more premium animal encounters. You won’t be in the middle of thousands of tourists, pushing through crowds to see a single lion on the ground. This makes an African safari worth it if you can afford it.

Exclusivity is one of the things that makes a Botswana safari so special. Botswana limits the number of lodges, camps, and tourists that can be in any location at one time. This means that there is serious crowd control, the animals are not used to humans, and there are many times on safari when you are alone. But a Botswana safari is also one of the most expensive safaris you can go on. You pay for exclusivity, but it is worth it. We promise. Botswana is one of the few countries left in southern Africa where a safari harkens back to the early years of adventures in the wilderness. Botswana’s safari tourism model is fewer tourists and better experiences. At Brave Africa Safaris, our vehicles max out at six guests (two per row) and six tents (12 guests total at camp and two safari vehicles).

An African safari should be about you, the animals, and nature. The value of an exclusive African safari experience cannot be overstated. It’s a chance to truly get away from it all: turn off the cell phone, disconnect from WiFi, say goodbye to people, and get in touch with Mother Nature. The key is choosing an African safari experience that focuses on exclusivity.

What Does an African Safari Cost?

Okay, so what does an African safari cost? It will vary wildly between locations.

• Kenya and Tanzania have many more affordable options ($500 – $700 per person per night), but you will face large crowds and less luxurious accommodations.
• South Africa has some of the most luxurious lodges in all of Africa and some of the most budget safari options. You can get a day pass to drive through Kruger Park in your own vehicle for very cheap. Or you can book a lodge in the exclusive Sabi Sands for more than $1000 – $3000 per night per person.
• Botswana is one of the most exclusive countries for a safari and one of the most expensive. Most of Botswana is ultra-luxury, costing upwards of $1500 per person per night. But there are also many incredible mid-range options, such as Brave Africa Safaris, which costs $600 – $900 per person per night.
• Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Nambia are great options, with a range of African safari costs from $500 to $1000 per person per night.

There is also a difference in the price of an African safari depending on the season.

• Green Season is typically December – March and is also “wet” season. You might experience rain during your safari and the dense greenery might make it more difficult to find animals, but prices will be a few hundred dollars cheaper per person and night.
• Shoulder Season is typically April, May, June, and November. This is a great time to visit because the crowds are fewer and the temperatures are more mild. You will also save on your nightly rate.
• High Season is July – October and is the most popular time to go on safari. This is winter in southern Africa, and animals tend to be easy to find as they gather at the few watering holes and cannot hide in greenery.

At Brave Africa Safaris, our cost is broken up by season. And we offer discounts for the more nights you stay with us and the more people in your group. Below is an image of our 2025 Botswana safari rates.

Why is an African Safari Better Than a Zoo?

Beyond price, many guests’ next question about whether an African safari is worth it is related to the experience. You can see wild animals in a zoo, how is an African safari better? What is the experience like, especially when animals are not guaranteed?

African Wildlife on Safari

An African safari is an adventure. It is your chance to see animals in their natural habitat. This makes all the difference. Animals on a safari are engaging. They eat, walk, play, fight, chase, run, and interact in a thousand different ways. This means that you can see the same animal every day, and every time, it is new and exciting. Natural animal behavior makes a huge difference.

And then there’s the variety of wildlife. Yes, a zoo has all types of animals, but an African safari is better because the animals are not divided by fences and in human-created habitats. You can sit in your safari vehicle and watch elephants alongside hippos, impala, zebra, and wildebeest. And in the next second, you can find lions or wild dogs.

You never know what type of wildlife you’ll see on your African safari, but every day, every hour, it will be something new. Just make sure you choose an exceptional location for your African safari where wildlife is plentiful. Not all destinations are created equal.

Botswana has almost double the elephants of ANY other country in Africa—over 130,000—along with 163 other species of mammals, including the usual suspects: lions, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, wildebeest, zebra, rhino, etc. The country is also home to more than 550 species of birds, including many rare and endangered species you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. And if you’re worried about going on a family safari with kids? Don’t be.

Nature Retreat

Beyond the wildlife, what makes an African safari worth it are the pristine and stunning landscapes. You will enjoy Mother Nature’s most impressive theater on a breathtaking scale. Explore vast swaths of wilderness where everything is raw, rugged, and stunning. Africa boasts a vibrant ecosystem with everything from dusty red deserts to lush swamplands, sweeping floodplains, expansive savannas, and vibrant forests. You’ll drive through rivers, explore lagoons, have lunch at elephant watering holes, hike rocky outcrops, and more.

The landscapes on an African safari will enchant you as much as the wildlife. And the best part is that you will enjoy these gorgeous landscapes without worrying about crowds—if you go to the right safari locations. Regardless of where you choose to go on your African safari, we can almost guarantee you’ll be talking about the beauty of nature for years to come.

5 Tips to Ensure Your African Safari is Worth It!

If you want an African safari to change your life and be “the best trip you’ve ever taken,” not just any safari will do. You must ask the right questions and choose a safari worth the hype and the cost. We recommend giving yourself the largest budget possible, so you can pay for the experience, accommodations, and location that best fits your dreams.

And do your research! Reach out to travel agents who specialize in African safaris. Read all the blogs you can! Ask questions of friends, family, and acquaintances who have gone on safari. If you will pay for the cost of an African safari, make sure you get everything you want!

Here are five tips to consider to ensure your African safari is worth it!

1. Choose the Right Location (Country and Region)

Forget about the name. You might have heard about Kruger and the Serengeti because they are well-known safari locations, but that does not automatically make them the best location for your safari. Lesser-known parks and locations can offer a far better experience with fewer crowds and more wildlife.

After all, animals don’t like to be around people, so popular is not always better. For example, Botswana’s Okavango Delta might be a lesser-known safari location, but the experience is superior to the crowded national parks in South Africa. In Botswana, you’re more likely to have untouched wilderness and wildlife not used to cars. In Botswana, you can also go off-road, experience walking safaris, night drives, water safaris, and so much more.

 

Do your research about all the different safari areas in Africa, and then choose the destination that best fits your needs and wants. And don’t forget to choose the right time for your safari! Not all seasons offer the same experience.

2. Pick the Best Safari Lodge or Camp for You

Whether or not your African safari is worth it will depend on the camp, lodge, or self-drive experience you choose. Do you have a tight budget that will limit where you stay, or are you willing and able to splurge for some luxury experiences? The bargain safari mindset might not give you the best experience.

An African safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people, so planning to do it right is essential. If you want a picture-perfect African safari that exceeds your expectations, you need to choose a safari lodge or safari camp that fits what you want.

There are a few things to consider.

• What luxury amenities are essential to your happiness? Do you need flushing toilets? Is WiFi a must? Are you willing to sleep on a cot, or do you want mattresses? Are you comfortable in a luxury tent, or do you need a lodge? Do you need daily laundry services?
• What features does your safari vehicle offer? Beyond the camp, you will spend most of your time inside your game drive vehicle. How nice are their vehicles? Are they new? Do they have charging options, refrigeration, windows, open-air, etc.?
• How good are the staff? Unlike a big chain hotel, the staff on an African safari will greatly impact your experience. You’ll interact with the staff regularly, especially the guide and camp manager, so you want to choose a safari camp where the staff receive good reviews and are focused on customer service.
• How important is the food? Not all African safari operators have a permanent chef on staff to create inspired meals that you’ll love.
• Do you want to change operators between locations or stick with the same operator, guide, staff, the entire time? A mobile lodge like Brave Africa Safaris, offers a consistent experience for guests even while changing safari locations. A traditional lodge requires you to pay for transportation—usually via plane—to get to each new destination.
• Is caring for the environment important to you? There are many environmentally friendly operators who use solar power, reduce their plastic use, and give back to conservation efforts.
• What is their game drive experience like? We’ll discuss this more below, just remember the entire point of an African safari is to see the animals and get out on game drives. Don’t focus so much on the luxury of your tent that you neglect the most important element: their focus on wildlife viewing.

3. Ask About the Quality of Your Guides: It Is Essential

A safari guide is essential to a great experience. You might think that you can get away with a lower budget by self-driving, but we can guarantee that the money savings will NOT make your African safari worth it! A safari guide is an expert animal tracker, nature enthusiast, encyclopedia, and more! Their knowledge and passion for the African bush will enhance your African safari to be worth it.

Safari guies are responsible for:

• Finding the animals,
• Telling you about what you’re seeing (it’s the difference between watching a National Geographic special with the voiceover or completely silent),
• Getting you to the remote locations,
• Keeping you safe,
• And more.

You’ll spend nine to twelve hours a day with your safari guide. They will be one of your best friends on your trip and will 100% make your African safari worth it. Without a great safari guide, you might as well head to your local zoo and walk around yourself.

 

Read more about the importance of safari guiding here.

4. Focus on Game Drives: That’s What You’ve Paid Big Money For!

The ENTIRE point of going on an African safari is to go on game drives. Only when you’re in the safari vehicle and driving away from camp in search of animals are you experiencing the value of your safari! People often forget that the purpose of a safari is to offer the BEST wildlife experiences and not just luxury camping.

 

For example, when the Points Guy went on his safari in Tanzania, he ended up VERY disappointed because while he paid top dollar for a luxury camp, the game drives failed to deliver. This ruined his entire trip and made his African safari not worth it.

Creature comforts are only one piece of your safari. You won’t be happy if you unknowingly compromise your African safari experience by asking for WiFi and forgetting about game drives. On most traditional safaris, game drives happen in the morning and evening for three to four hours each. We created Brave Africa Safaris to maximize game drive time and opportunities. We can do all-day game drives if you want, which means, from sunrise until sunset, you are out on safari to see the animals.

The key is to ask where your money is going. Do you want your money going toward exclusive pools and alcohol or spending time with the animals?

5. Spend Enough Time on Your African Safari

Plan enough time for your African safari if you want it to be worth it. The travel and cost might be too high if you can only spend three to four days on safari. While even a day is amazing on safari, the extended time out in the bush makes the biggest difference.

Since every single day and hour is unique on an African safari, the more time you have to explore and see what the wildlife has to offer, the better. Three days is barely enough time to taste what an African safari is truly like. Instead, we recommend planning at least seven days and six nights on safari. This will give you enough time to truly immerse yourself in Mother Nature.

Remember, National Geographic documentaries are filmed over months. Their photographers spend weeks at a time in the bush to get that once-in-a-lifetime shot. You can’t expect to go out in a few days and see it all. Check out our Magic of The Okavango Safari for 9 nights if you want to maximize your experience.

Final Thoughts: Is an African Safari Worth It?

At the end of the day, whether or not an African safari is worth it is up to you! Only you can decide if the experience is something you will enjoy. Just do your research before you plan your trip. Since an African safari can be expensive, you do not want to make the wrong decisions and regret it.

Reach out to us or an experienced travel agent to get all your questions answered. The only way an African safari is not worth it is if you book the wrong trip for your expectations.