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African Family Safaris & Tours
An African family safari is never less than a magical experience. Seeing the wonders of Africa through the eyes of your children might be the best family holiday you’ll ever take. Many people think that taking children on holiday to Africa is loaded with risks, but the truth is there are few safety concerns. Here are the answers to some key questions to ensure that your family safari is a trip you’ll all talk about for years to come.
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Top Rated Operator
10-Day Safari (Including Serengeti) & Zanzibar Extension
$3,760 to $4,800 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Central Serengeti, Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (End)
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
4.9/5 – 440 Reviews
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Best Seller
9-Day Luxury Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Zanzibar & Others
$3,911 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Northern Serengeti NP, Nungwi (Zanzibar), Zanzibar (End)
Savannah Explorers
5.0/5 – 485 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
8-Day Great Migration Safari
$3,135 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Central Serengeti, Northern Serengeti NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro, Arusha (End)
Safari Soles
5.0/5 – 246 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Mid Range Tour to Serengeti Wildebeest Migration
$2,310 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro Airport (End)
Meru Slopes Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 307 Reviews
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Best Seller
6-Day Meet Big 5 and Special 5 Animals Game Drive Safari
$2,222 to $2,595 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Samburu NR, Lake Nakuru NP, Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Morning Star Tours & Travel
4.9/5 – 166 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Taste of Kenya - Mid-Range
$1,100 to $1,590 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Lake Nakuru NP, Nairobi (End)
Spirit of Kenya
4.9/5 – 485 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Mid-Range Lodge Group Tour
$1,485 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)
Mid-range Lodge & Tented Bush CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Suricata Safaris
5.0/5 – 1942 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Midrange Tanzania Safari Adventures (Big 5)
$2,448 to $2,477 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Kilimanjaro Adventure Safari Club
5.0/5 – 147 Reviews
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10-Day Best of Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Beaches
$2,519 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Stone Town (Zanzibar), Zanzibar (Beach), Zanzibar Airport (End)
See Endless Adventures Tanzania
5.0/5 – 27 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
6-Day Midrange Private Safari
$1,870 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 474 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
11-Day Northern Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar
$7,771 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 149 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Comfort Northern Circuit Best Safari Experience
$2,668 to $2,822 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
African Big Cats Safaris
5.0/5 – 359 Reviews
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5-Day Comfort Safari in Kenya
$1,425 to $2,044 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Lake Naivasha (Naivasha), Amboseli NP, Nairobi (End)
Kameraz of Afrika
4.8/5 – 98 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Private Kruger National Park Safari
$1,255 to $1,381 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger, Central Kruger, Johannesburg (End)
Wild Planet Safari
4.9/5 – 206 Reviews
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3-Day Safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park
$880 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Queen Elizabeth NP, Entebbe Airport (End)
Lulu Safaris Uganda
5.0/5 – 76 Reviews
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6-Day Rwanda Wildlife Safari and Cultural Vacation Tour
$2,193 pp (USD)
Rwanda: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & HotelYou Visit: Kigali (Start), Kigali Airport (Kigali), Akagera NP, Volcanoes NP (Gorillas), Lake Kivu, Kigali (End)
Hermosa Life Tours and Travel
5.0/5 – 102 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
12-Day Pearl of Africa Adventure - Mid Range
$3,768 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Guest HouseYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Murchison Falls NP, Kibale NP (Chimps), Queen Elizabeth NP, Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Mburo NP, Entebbe (End)
Grassrootz Adventures
5.0/5 – 191 Reviews
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5-Day Taste of Tanzanian Wilderness
$1,420 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & HotelYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Arusha NP, Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Msangai Adventure Safaris
5.0/5 – 68 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Tanzania Safari with Two Nights at Serengeti
$1,881 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Meijo Safaris
4.9/5 – 149 Reviews
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13-Day Tanzania Explorer Safari
$4,604 to $4,824 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Moshi (Start), Arusha (City), Tarangire NP, Olduvai Gorge (Highlight), Northern Serengeti NP, Central Serengeti, Southern Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi, Lake Manyara NP, Zanzibar (Beach), Stone Town (Zanzibar), Zanzibar Airport (End)
RO Scavenger Safaris
5.0/5 – 21 Reviews
6 Questions About Family Safari Tours
Answered by
Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler is the author of many guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Bradt, including guides to Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania. He has traveled widely in Africa and spends time there each year on safari. He has two young children who have accompanied him on safaris in Africa.› More about Stuart
6 Questions About Family Safari Tours
Is it safe to bring children on a safari?
“First-time safari-going parents are often worried about how safe a safari is with children. A primary concern is whether there’s any risk of their children having a potentially dangerous encounter with wild animals. The truth is that it’s very safe taking children on a safari as long as you to abide by park rules. In fact, it’s probably one of the safest kinds of family holidays you can go on with kids. That said, it’s important to keep a watchful eye on younger children to avoid them wandering off. This is especially the case with unfenced camps and lodges. Otherwise there are very few health and safety issues to consider.”
1How old should children be to go on a safari?
“Many parents are keen to show their children the wilds of Africa at the earliest possible age. We first took our two children on a Kenyan safari when they were four years old and 18 months old. Our older child has hazy memories of the trip, while the younger one doesn’t remember anything about it. Our children are now aged eight and five. We have just returned from another safari with them, and this time it was far more rewarding for both them and us. If I were to recommend a suitable age to start taking children on safari, it would be from age eight upwards. From this age, they begin to appreciate the activities on tour, and get as much enjoyment out of watching the wildlife as you. Plus, they are starting to understand the concept of patience and silence, though whether they’ll stick to it is another thing entirely! Teenagers typically find the idea of going on holiday with parents intensely boring. However, parents of teens have commented on how an African family safari was the one holiday that their children seemed excited to go on.”
2How do I prepare the kids for an Africa family safari?
“There’s little in the way of pre-trip planning required for children. Give them African wildlife books to read or show them African wildlife films. Beyond that, chances are the children will be even more excited than you about the prospect of a family African safari. Before setting off, make sure that the children know a safari is unlikely to be a non-stop roll call of thrilling animal sightings. Explain to them that patience and stealth are essential to spotting wildlife. The quieter they are and the more they wait, the more likely they will be to see something truly exciting. Try and get them excited about seeing the little creatures, or even the unusual plants and trees.”
3Will we be able to stay in family rooms?
“Most rooms in safari camps and lodges are set out for couples. Some of the top-end, exclusive places do have a family room or tent, normally comprised of interconnecting rooms. These places can be very expensive. Keep in mind that not all these places accept younger children. Larger, mid-range lodges used by big tour groups invariably have a few rooms suitable for families and will usually take children of all ages. If a place doesn’t have dedicated family rooms, they might be happy to put an extra mattress on the floor. Budget accommodation is rarely kitted-out for families. However, South Africa’s national park-run cottages are often suitable for families. Camping safaris are fun for children but you do need to keep an eagle eye on them to stop them wandering off.”
4Do we need to take precautions for malaria?
“This depends on the countries and regions you will be visiting. Malaria is present in Africa so it is highly recommended that you consult a travel doctor before departure. Above about 1,500m/4,921ft, malaria isn’t an issue. Even if a park is malaria-free, you should consider what other regions you will be visiting and whether these are also malaria-free. Your travel doctor will be able to advise. General precautions recommended for the whole family: use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and trousers in the evening and sleep under nets. Equally, adults and children should ensure all standard vaccinations are up to date. ”
5What should I consider when choosing an Africa family safari?
“Not all safari camps and lodges will accept children below a certain age, usually 12 years. This rule is most likely in low-capacity, exclusive, unfenced camps. It’s very important that you confirm before booking whether a place will accept children. You also need to consider transport and safari vehicles. On a safari package, you will be expected to share a safari vehicle with other people. This should be fine if your children are teenagers. If you have younger children, you should consider hiring a vehicle on an exclusive basis. In fact, you might find you are obliged to do so. Including younger children in a safari vehicle with people you don’t know can lead to a stressful game drive for everyone involved. Other paying travelers are unlikely to want to compromise their safari experience for the benefit of younger children. Consider your schedule carefully. It’s easy to try and cram far too much into too short a time. Do this and you will end up spending more time traveling between parks and lodges than enjoying the wildlife. On a family safari, concentrate on one small area and mix in plenty of other activities alongside the classic safaris. Many camps offer options such as walking safaris, though often there are age restrictions on these as well. Other options may include ‘warrior’ training, learning how to track wildlife and village visits. In our experience, village visits are often a child’s favorite experience on a safari. ”
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