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National Parks in Africa
Africa's national parks and game reserves offer sanctuary to a world of wildlife. Within their boundaries lives a diverse and abundant animal kingdom. Experience first hand, facing life and death as predators track their prey across the savannah. Witness the natural beauty of vast grasslands, mountain rainforests, lush waterways and dusty bushveld. By visiting the national parks in Africa you will be supporting the conservation of some of the world's most precious flora and fauna, as well as their pristine habitats.
1. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Ngorongoro is one of the most stunning natural wonders in the world with an enclosed area of about 260 square kilometres. Swampy wetlands, open savannah, woodlands and a lake are all set within steep, rocky, forest-clad walls which climb 610 metres to the crater’s rim. Because the sides of the crater are very steep, the area has become a natural enclosure for a wide variety of wildlife. Flamingo, hippo, black rhino, Cape buffalo, zebra, eland and warthogs graze the plains while predators such as lions, cheetahs, leopards and scavenging hyenas can all be easily spotted and photographed. Masai tribesman - easily visible in their traditional scarlet robes - can also be seen guiding their cattle down the steep crater walls.
Best time to visit: The Ngorongoro Crater is a fantastic year-round destination. However, if you want to escape the crowds, head out around April-May during the rainy season.
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Learn more about the Ngorongoro Crater Safari
2. Victoria Falls, Zambia
Victoria Falls, part of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The falls are the widest sheet of falling water on earth and have been honoured with UNESCO World Heritage Site status. With falls cascading along its 1.7 kilometre length, it’s hard to imagine its grandeur, so you really have to see it to believe it.
Be prepared to get wet with adrenaline-pumping adventure options. Rafting, bungy jumping and canoe trips can be organised locally (seasonal).
Best time to visit: The falls are at their most spectacular from February to April when the Zambezi River is at its most powerful and it can be more difficult to photograph in the wet season of May to June. Rafting and swimming in Devil's Armchair are safest when the river recedes around July through to December.
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3. Kruger National Park, South Africa
The world-renowned Kruger National Park (also known simply as The Kruger) offers an experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Among the wildlife here are 1,982 types of plants and trees, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammal species. The Big 5 are well represented, with around 1,500 lions, 12,000 elephants, 2,500 Cape buffalos, 1,000 leopards and 5,000 rhinos (black and white) roaming the park. Hippopotami, giraffes, zebras, various antelope species and endangered wild dogs can also be seen.
Best time to visit: Winter from May through September, provides great wildlife watching with low grass, bare bushes and trees and wildlife congregating around watering holes. The spring brings newborn animals and the summer brings lush vegetation.
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4. Addo Elephant National park, South Africa
The Addo Elephant National Park stands as a true conservation success story. In 1931 when the park was inaugurated, only eleven elephants remained. Today the 164,000 hectare sanctuary is home to 450 elephants as well as about 48 endangered black rhino, Cape buffalo, a variety of antelope species, and the unique flightless dung beetle which is found almost exclusively in Addo. The park is also famous for having the largest coastal dune field in the southern hemisphere.
Best time to visit: During the dry winter season of June to August there is less rainfall, more animals near watering holes and the shorter grass makes wildlife easier to spot.
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Group Tours to National Parks in Africa
We have numerous tours which visit various National Parks all over Africa. Some of our tours to Africa, such as Mara & Serengeti, focus on seeing as much of a select group of national parks as they can. Some tours, such as Botswana & Namibia, also visit other highlights of Africa as well. We have a total of 25 tours in Africa but even if none of that takes your fancy, make an enquiry with our Tailor-made specialists and build an itinerary of your own!
Kruger to Vic Falls
Duration:14 Days
Route:Pretoria to Livingstone
Tour Code:AFKF
Botswana & Namibia
Duration:13 Days
Route:Livingstone to Windhoek
Tour Code:AFBN
5. Chobe National Park, Botswana
Renowned for its huge elephant population, Chobe National Park has an estimated 70,000 to 120,000 elephants roaming across its 11,000 square kilometre area. The park offers extreme contrasts in terms of landscape and vegetation, which varies from almost tropical swamplands to severe desert-like spaces, vast grasslands to sandy woodlands and Acacia scrub. Take a safari into the pristine wilderness and watch the world's largest land animals move across the plains.
Best time to visit: Chobe National Park has great wildlife viewing all year round but the best time to visit is the drier, cooler winter months from June to October.
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Learn more about the best time to visit Botswana
6. Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Okavango Delta is a network of waterways, lagoons, swamps and wooded islands, fed by the Okavango River. Ranging over 15,000 square kilometres, the wetlands sustain a diverse array of wildlife as the water fans out to empty into the dry yellow sands of the Kalahari Desert. The best way to explore this natural wonder is by mokoro, a shallow boat fashioned from a single tree trunk. There is plenty of wildlife to see with tens of thousands of elephants, several thousand hippos, aquatic antelope species and migratory birds inhabiting the delta.
Best time to visit the Okavango Delta: The best game viewing occurs in the drier period of May to October, but for lush vegetation and bird populations, visit in November to April.
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7. Serengeti, Tanzania
The keen rival of the Masai Mara, the Serengeti is renowned as being one of the best national parks in Africa. 15,000 sq km of arid plains and swaying savannahs, interspersed with acacia trees make up this classic example of a safari experience. With such a large area, game drives will often feel like you have the entire park to yourself. This is the perfect spot for ticking off the big 5, especially as it is home to the largest lion population in the world. One of the biggest highlights of visiting the Serengeti is experiencing The Great Migration during December - July where millions of zebra, wildebeest and gazelle roam the lands migrating to the greener Masai Mara, predators silently following behind.
Best time to visit: The Serengeti is an all year destination however if you want to witness the Great Migration, it reaches the Mara River around July - August.
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8. Etosha National Park, Namibia
Etosha, meaning "great white place" was declared a national park in 1907 and covers an area of 22,270 square kilometres in the far north of Namibia. The park is dominated by a massive mineral pan which covers about 25% of the park and provides a silver-white backdrop to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. The reserve is home to some 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and surprisingly, one species of fish. Most visitors will see many antelope species, elephant, giraffe, rhino and lions and a few visitors may see the elusive leopard, black rhinos and cheetahs. Many of the park's water holes are floodlit at night, offering visitors the chance to see a lot of game in once place.
Best time to visit: You'll find it easier to spot larger concentrations of animals during the dry season from May to September when animals congregate around the water holes.
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Learn more about the Namibia Desert
9. Masai Mara, Kenya
Often referred to and widely known as the greatest game reserve in the world, the Masai Mara provides the quintessential African safari experience. It’s like stepping onto the set of the Lion King. The biggest highlight of visiting the Masai Mara is to fall witness to The Great Migration. Millions of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra migrate to the Serengeti plains during July - October in a swarming stampede, with predators such as lions, cheetahs, jackals and leopards following closely behind. Dry savannahs transverse as far as the eye can see, whilst hippos and crocodiles bathe in the low rivers. The raw, wild beauty at the Masai Mara can impress even the most avid of safari-goers and is well-known as one of the top things to do in Africa.
Best time to visit: In general, the best months for game viewing in Kenya are June - October. If you want to witness the Great Migration, it reaches the Mara River around July - August.
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10. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
One of life’s greatest wildlife experiences is tracking Gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Impressively, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to nearly half the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Trek through one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, passing through lush, mountain rainforest, serene streams and breathtaking viewpoints. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to the most mammal species in Uganda where as well as tracking gorillas you can also see forest elephants, bushbucks, giant forest hogs, duikers, African golden cats and 11 other species of primate.
Best time to visit: Best time to visit: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is open all year round however there is less rain between June - August and December to February making hiking much easier on the trails.
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What to pack for a Gorilla Trek
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