African Safari Holidays 2026–2027 | Bespoke Tailor-Made Safari Packages

What Makes a Bespoke African Safari Holiday Different

A great African safari holiday is not pulled off a shelf — it is designed around you. Where mass-market tours march fixed groups through fixed itineraries, a bespoke safari holiday is built from a blank page: your travel dates, your budget, the pace you enjoy, and the animals and landscapes you have always dreamed of seeing. That single difference is why discerning travellers from the UK, USA, Europe and Australia return to specialist operators year after year.

At Beyond Africa Safaris we have spent years refining tailor-made journeys across the continent, and our travellers consistently rate us 4.9 out of 5. Every holiday is handcrafted by Cape Town–based specialists who have slept in the camps, driven the roads, and know which guide, which month and which corner of the bush will turn a good trip into the holiday of a lifetime.

When you plan a bespoke safari with us, you are never routed through a call centre. You work directly with a dedicated consultant who shapes your route, matches you to the right lodges for your style and budget, and remains reachable before and throughout your trip. This is the quiet luxury that defines a truly tailor-made safari holiday: everything considered, nothing left to chance.

Ready to start designing your trip? Speak to a Beyond Africa Safaris specialist or browse our tailor-made safari packages.

The Finest Safari Holiday Destinations for 2026–2027

Africa is vast, and the right destination depends entirely on what you want from your holiday. Below are the six regions we build the most bespoke safari holidays around — each with its own signature wildlife, season and atmosphere.

Serengeti, Tanzania — The Great Migration

The Serengeti is the stage for the Great Migration, the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth — nearly two million wildebeest and zebra moving in an endless loop across the plains, pursued by lion, cheetah and crocodile. For a classic Serengeti safari holiday, time your trip for the dramatic Mara River crossings (July–October) or the calving season on the southern plains (January–March), when predator action peaks.

Masai Mara, Kenya — Big Cats & Culture

The Masai Mara is the northern continuation of the Serengeti ecosystem and arguably the finest big-cat destination on the continent. A Masai Mara safari holiday pairs extraordinary lion, leopard and cheetah sightings with warm Maasai hospitality and the option of a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the plains — unforgettable for first-timers and seasoned safari-goers alike.

Okavango Delta, Botswana — Water Safari

The Okavango Delta is a shimmering inland water wilderness where you explore by mokoro dugout canoe as much as by 4x4. Botswana's low-density, high-value model means uncrowded sightings and some of Africa's most exclusive camps. An Okavango Delta safari holiday is the connoisseur's choice — elephant, wild dog, lion and lechwe among palm-fringed channels.

Kruger, South Africa — Accessible Big Five

South Africa's Kruger region offers the easiest, most reliable Big Five safari holiday on the continent, with excellent value and direct road or short-flight access. A Kruger safari holiday pairs beautifully with Cape Town and the Winelands, and malaria-free private reserves make it ideal for families with young children.

Sabi Sands, South Africa — Luxury & Leopards

Bordering Kruger with no fences between them, the private Sabi Sands reserve delivers the finest leopard viewing on earth alongside world-class luxury lodges. A Sabi Sands safari holiday is the gold standard for travellers who want five-star comfort, off-road traversing rights and intimate, unhurried sightings.

Bwindi, Uganda — Mountain Gorillas

For a truly life-changing addition, trek into the misty forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to spend one hour with a habituated family of mountain gorillas. A Bwindi gorilla trek pairs seamlessly with an East African savanna safari for the ultimate two-ecosystem holiday.

What's Included in Our African Safari Holiday Packages

One of the biggest questions first-time travellers ask is simply: what do I actually get? Our all-inclusive African safari vacations are designed so that once you arrive, everything is handled. A typical Beyond Africa safari holiday package includes:

• Accommodation: Hand-picked lodges and tented camps matched to your style — from characterful classic camps to ultra-luxury private suites
• All meals: Full board at camp, often with bush breakfasts, sundowners and private dining
• Game drives & activities: Twice-daily drives, plus walking safaris, mokoro trips or balloon flights where offered
• Expert guides: Professional, often privately dedicated guides who transform every sighting into a story
• Park & conservation fees: All national park, reserve and concession fees included
• Internal flights & transfers: Light-aircraft bush flights and road transfers between camps
• 24/7 support: A dedicated consultant and on-the-ground backup throughout your trip

International flights, visas, travel insurance, gratuities and premium drinks are typically excluded and quoted separately so your package price stays transparent. For a deeper breakdown, see our guide to all-inclusive African safari tours.

African Safari Holiday Packages & Pricing

Safari pricing is often opaque elsewhere — here it is in the open. These are honest starting points per person for our most popular tailor-made holiday styles (land-only, excluding international flights). Final pricing depends on season, lodge choice and group size.

Want a precise quote for your dates? Request a tailor-made itinerary or explore our full safari package collection — every price is built around you, with no hidden extras.

Family Safari Holidays

A safari is one of the few holidays that genuinely thrills every generation at once. For family safari holidays, we build around three priorities: safety, pace and wonder. Malaria-free private reserves in South Africa's Eastern Cape and Waterberg are ideal for families with younger children, offering Big Five game viewing without the need for anti-malarials.

Many of our favourite family lodges offer interconnecting family suites, dedicated children's guides, shorter age-appropriate drives, and "junior ranger" programmes that teach tracking, conservation and star-gazing. For teenagers, add a walking safari, a canoe trip or a gorilla trek to turn the holiday into a rite of passage they will never forget. We quote children's rates transparently and match every family to lodges that truly welcome them.

When to Go & How to Plan Your Safari Holiday

Timing shapes everything on safari. As a rule, the dry season (June–October) delivers the finest game viewing — thinning vegetation and shrinking waterholes concentrate wildlife, and it coincides with the dramatic Mara River crossings of the Great Migration. The green season (November–March) rewards travellers with lush landscapes, newborn animals, spectacular birdlife, fewer crowds and noticeably lower prices.

Our planning advice is simple: decide what matters most — the Migration, Big Five, water safari, gorillas or beach — and we will build the route and timing around it. For luxury lodges in peak season (July–October), we recommend booking 10–15 months ahead; green-season trips are often comfortable at 6–9 months. To go deeper, read our month-by-month timing guide below and talk to a specialist about your exact dates.

Let's build your safari holiday. Speak to a Beyond Africa Safaris specialist or explore our tailor-made safari packages. For timing, see our guide to the best month for an African safari.

Frequently Asked Questions — African Safari Holidays