Family Safaris – the legend of all family holidays
Close-up wildlife encounters, campfire evenings under the African night sky, and lodges that keep the kids happily busy while the adults actually relax. A family safari in Africa is a holiday that will go down in family history.
What to expect
Wildlife adventures for every age, lodges built around families, and plenty of time to simply be together.
Incredible destinations, endless variety
From Cape Town's beaches to the thundering Victoria Falls, Namibia's red dunes and the Indian Ocean islands, southern Africa is well connected by short flights. You can easily combine them into an epic family trip, with plenty of downtime to kick back and relax.
Up-close wildlife encounters
Tracking animals at sunrise, the excitement of the find, night drives after dark and close encounters with the Big Five – every sighting brought to life with riveting commentary from your private guide.
Fun for the little ones
Junior ranger programmes teach children to track animals, identify birds and make plaster casts of footprints, led by guides who love sharing the bush.
Family suites & private villas
Interleading family suites and exclusive-use villas with your own chef and guide team, give you space to enjoy your time together in complete privacy.
Safari at your own pace
A private vehicle and guide let you set the rhythm of each day, whether that means lingering at a sighting, heading back for a nap or stopping for snacks.
Spa & relaxation
While the children are busy with trusted childminders, you can take time for a spa treatment, a long lunch or a quiet afternoon by the pool.
Five-star shopping & dining
South Africa offers world-class food and wine at outrageously good value, alongside five-star shopping, from designer boutiques to beautifully crafted local design.
Time to reconnect
Away from busy schedules, it's easy to put screens aside and reconnect over shared sightings, lazy lunches and fireside stories beneath a sky full of stars.
Little explorers
Children can meet the Maasai in Kenya, the Himba of Namibia or the San of the Kalahari, and learning age-old survival skills gives them a perspective they'll carry for life.
Where could your family safari take you?
Each destination offers a different kind of adventure, and they're easy to combine into one unforgettable journey.
South Africa
The Serengeti hosts the herds for most of the year. Calving on the southern plains runs from around January to March, and dramatic river crossings in the north take place from around July to October. Nearby, the Ngorongoro Crater shelters lion, elephant and rare black rhino within its ancient volcanic walls. Tarangire National Park adds large elephant herds and towering baobabs to a classic northern circuit.
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is Africa's adventure capital, packed with fun and action for the whole family. Stand in the spray of the "Smoke That Thunders", cruise the Zambezi at sunset, raft the gorge or take to the canopy on a zipline. Afterwards, return to Big 5 safari at a private lodge nearby, with falls, river and wildlife all in one place.
Kenya & Tanzania
Vast herds, thrilling predator action and river crossings up close make the Great Migration a wonderful way to celebrate a milestone family occasion. You can choose between remote fly-in camps near the action or exclusive-use villas for the whole family.
Mozambique or Zanzibar
There's no need to swap your island dream for a safari when you can do both. After the bush, unwind with barefoot island days of snorkelling, dhow trips, beach horseback rides and warm turquoise water.
Namibia
Namibia has otherworldly landscapes, incredible light, off-grid desert luxury and remarkable wildlife, and its vast, silent spaces are full of family adventure. You can climb Dune 45 at sunrise, go quad biking, dune surfing and e-biking, and search for the Little Five. There are also Himba villages to visit, a prehistoric petrified forest to explore, shipwrecks to discover on the Skeleton Coast, and star beds in Dark Sky Reserves.
More to experience
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Penguins at Boulders Beach
Near Cape Town, a colony of African penguins waddles across the sand and swims in sheltered coves, and children love it.
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Devil's Pool
On the edge of Victoria Falls, older children and adults can peer over the drop from a natural rock pool, a thrill they'll talk about for years.
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Dune Surfing
Near Swakopmund, children and adults alike can race down Namibia's towering dunes on sandboards, then climb back up to do it all again.
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Hot-air ballooning
At sunrise, the whole family can float silently over the dunes of the Namib or the Serengeti or Masai Mara as the herds spread out below, before landing for a champagne breakfast.
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Riding on the beach
On Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago, horseback rides along the sand and through the shallows make an unforgettable family morning.
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Whale watching
From June to November, southern right whales gather along the Cape coast, with Hermanus offering some of the world's best land-based whale watching.
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Star beds
Some camps offer a night on an open-air star bed, where you can fall asleep as a family under the Milky Way and wake to the sounds of the bush.
LET US HELP YOU SHAPE YOUR SAFARI
Plan your family safari
Tell us who you're travelling with and what you're dreaming of. We know what works for families and how to make the trip seamless and memorable, so you can simply soak up this precious time together.