Quick answer: The best safari activities beyond game drives are hot air balloon flights, walking safaris, horseback and camel rides, night drives, mokoro canoe trips, gorilla and chimp trekking, helicopter flights, elephant orphanage visits, cultural village visits and bush meals. Most cost between US$20 and US$800 per person. Some, like walks and night drives, are often included in your camp rate. Your lodge decides what you can do, so choose your activities first and your lodges second.

Why Add Activities to a Safari?

Activities fill the gaps between game drives and show you the bush from a new angle. A normal safari day has two drives. One starts at dawn. The other starts around 4 pm. Midday is for lunch and rest, because the animals rest too. Add one activity a day, and you see Africa from the air, on foot, on water and after dark.

Safari Activities at a Glance

Prices are per person. Rounded at US$1 = €0.87 = £0.75.

The 10 Activities in Detail

1. Hot Air Balloon Safari

A balloon flight is the best way to grasp how big the Masai Mara and Serengeti really are. You launch at first light and drift for about an hour over the herds. A champagne bush breakfast waits where you land. Mara flights cost US$450–635. Serengeti flights cost US$550–690. Seats are limited, so book 3–6 months ahead for July to October.

Good to know: Most operators set a minimum age of 7. Read our full guide to hot air balloon safaris in Africa for launch sites and operators.

2. Walking Safari

A walking safari teaches you the small details a vehicle drives past. You read tracks and learn which plants local people use as medicine. An armed ranger and a trained guide lead groups of no more than 6–8 people. Zambia’s South Luangwa is the home of the walking safari. Norman Carr pioneered it there in the 1950s. Ruaha and Nyerere in Tanzania, Mana Pools in Zimbabwe and Kruger’s wilderness trails are also excellent.

Good to know: Minimum age is usually 12 to 16. Walks are often included at camps that offer them, but not all camps do.

3. Horseback and Camel Safaris

Riding puts you closer to plains game than any vehicle can. Zebra, giraffe and wildebeest see a horse as another grazer and often let you ride alongside. The Okavango Delta, Laikipia and the Chyulu Hills are the top riding areas. Multi-day riding safaris need confident riders who can trot and canter. Most stables cap rider weight at about 90–95 kg.

Camel safaris suit everyone else. They run in Laikipia and Samburu in northern Kenya. You need no riding experience, and children love them.

4. Night Game Drives

Night drives show you the animals you will never see by day. Look for leopard, hyena, genet, bushbaby, porcupine and civet. Most national parks and reserves in Kenya and Tanzania do not allow night drives. To do one, stay in a private conservancy such as those around the Masai Mara, a private reserve like Sabi Sand in South Africa, or in Zambia’s South Luangwa.

5. Mokoro and Canoe Safaris

A mokoro trip is the quietest way to explore the Okavango Delta. A mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe. A local poler stands at the back and pushes you through the reeds. You glide past water lilies, reed frogs and grazing elephants at water level. The best water levels run from June to September. For more adventure, canoe the Lower Zambezi in Zambia or Mana Pools in Zimbabwe with a guide, past hippos and elephants.

6. Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking

Gorilla trekking gives you one hour with a habituated family of mountain gorillas. Only 8 visitors may see each family per day. A permit costs US$800 in Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga parks and US$1,500 in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Treks last 1–6 hours on steep, muddy ground. Trekkers must be at least 15. Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda’s Kibale Forest costs US$250.

Good to know: Book permits 6–12 months ahead for June to September. Our Uganda or Rwanda gorilla trekking comparison explains which country suits you.

7. Helicopter Flights

A helicopter flight shows you landscapes that roads cannot reach. The classic is the 12–13 minute “Flight of Angels” over Victoria Falls, which costs about US$150–210. In Kenya, private charters fly from Laikipia to Mount Kenya’s glaciers, the Suguta Valley and Lake Turkana. Charters are priced per flying hour, so ask for a quote.

8. Elephant Orphanage Visit

Visiting a rescue centre is the ethical way to get close to elephants. We no longer recommend elephant-back rides. Training an elephant to carry riders involves harsh methods, and animal-welfare groups campaign against the practice.

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery in Nairobi opens to the public from 11 am to 12 pm daily. You watch orphaned calves drink their milk and roll in the mud. The minimum donation is about US$20. Since September 2023, visitors also pay the Nairobi National Park entry fee. Book online in advance. Other good options are Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Samburu, run by the local community, and Lilayi Elephant Nursery near Lusaka in Zambia.

Good to know: It fits well on your arrival or departure day in Nairobi. Pair it with the Giraffe Centre in Karen.

9. Cultural Village Visits

A village visit helps you understand the people who share the land with the wildlife. Popular choices are Maasai villages near the Mara and Amboseli, Hadzabe hunter-gatherers at Lake Eyasi in Tanzania and San communities in the Kalahari. Expect to pay US$20–80 per person. Choose visits where the fee goes to the community. Always ask before you take photos.

10. Bush Breakfasts, Sundowners and Bush Dinners

Bush meals turn an ordinary safari day into a memorable one. A bush breakfast is served in the open after a dawn drive. Sundowners are drinks and snacks at a viewpoint as the sun sets. A bush dinner is a lantern-lit meal around a campfire. Most mid-range and luxury camps include at least one. Elsewhere, expect to pay US$50–150 extra.

Which Safari Activities Suit You?

Planning Tips From Our Team

• Pick lodges by activity. Night drives and walks usually mean a private conservancy, not a national reserve.
• Check age limits early. Walks, gorilla treks and balloons all have minimum ages.
• Book permits first. Gorilla permits and peak-season balloon seats sell out before lodges do.

Frequently Asked Questions

What activities are included in a safari package?

Most packages include game drives, park fees and meals. Walks, night drives and bush meals are often included at conservancy camps. Balloon flights, gorilla permits and helicopter flights are almost always extra.

Is a hot air balloon safari worth the money?

For most first-time visitors, yes. It gives you a view of the migration herds and the plains that no vehicle can match.

Are elephant rides ethical?

No. We do not book them. Visit a rescue centre such as the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery in Nairobi instead.

Plan your safari with a local expert. Hallmark Travel Planners has built safaris across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and southern Africa since 2006. Tell us which activities interest you, and we will match them with the right camps and send a tailored quote.