Best walking safaris in South Africa

Overview

For us, a walking safari is the ultimate wildlife experience. You will never forget the moment when, crouched low in the aromatic golden grass beside your armed guide, you watch elephants cross the river towards you! A walking safari is a gentle walk so it is suitable for any adventurous adult.

Dedicated walking safaris in South Africa

Rhino Walking Safaris offers two to three night stays at Plains Camp, a private concession in the Kruger National Park. You also have the opportunity to enjoy a sleep-out. This is in elevated tree-houses (on the 3 night safari). Similarly Simbavati Trails Camp , and the more rustic Africa on Foot both focus exclusively on walking safaris in the Timbavati Game Reserve.

Whilst in the far north of the Kruger, Pafuri Walking Trails is a 3 night walking safari in the dry winter & spring months. This is a very scenic part of the Kruger and ideally suited to walking safaris.

Down in the Cape, both Sanbona in the Little Karoo and Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape offer their 'Explorer camps'. These rustic walking camps are run from Friday to Sunday (2 nights). Gondwana Game Reserve also offers a three night walking safari trail staying at different tented camps each night.

In the Marakele National Park in the Waterberg Mountains, the stylish and eco-friendly Marataba Mountain Lodge is perfect for more adventurous souls. Combine safari walks with game drives for an adventure out in the bush.

Some Camps only offer walking safaris above. Whilst other safari camps offer a mix of walking or game drives. Usually with game drives in the hotter afternoons.

Morning Walks

If you aren't 100% sure, there are alternative ways to enjoy a walking in the bush. Many game lodges offer a short morning bush walk on request. However, some safari lodges - mentioned below - have a greater emphasis on walking than most. They offer longer 3-4 hour bush walks. These are not arduous but rather gentle explorations of the bush, giving you the opportunity to observe the game at close quarters, track spoor and gain a holistic sense of how the wilderness.

Popular tours & safaris

Rhino Walking Safaris in the Kruger

This three night luxury Rhino walking safari combines the best of both worlds with one night at Rhino Post Safari Lodge to enjoy 4x4 game drives, followed by two nights on a walking safari in the...

WHEN Apr - Sept

DURATION 3 Nights

FROM ₤ 1,092

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South Africa & Victoria Falls Adventure

Our South Africa & Victoria Adventure trip is ideal for anyone who's keen for some adventure whilst on holiday. We've included a number of active excursions in Cape Town and Victoria Falls so that...

WHEN Apr - Oct

DURATION 12 Nights

FROM ₤ 3,881

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Simbavati Wildlife & Walking

This is a fantastic combination of a top-notch private game lodge safari at Hilltop Camp. Followed by 2 nights of slowing down and enjoying a digital detox experience at Simbavati Trails Camp.

WHEN Mar - Oct

DURATION 5 Nights

FROM ₤ 2,194

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Download our Free Safari Planning Guide

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Accommodation

Plains Camp – Rhino Walking Safaris Kruger National Park

Rhino Walking Safaris at Plains Camp

Rhino Post Plains Camp is situated in the heart of the 12,000ha private wilderness concession in the Kruger National Park and is the only camp specializing in walking safaris in the Kruger. Built...

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Pafuri Camp

The Camp is situated along the banks of the Luvuvhu River in the far north of the Kruger National Park. This is the ancestral home of the Makuleke people. The remote 24 000 hectare concession is...

RATING Luxury

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Simbavati experiences Trails Camp sunset walk1

Simbavati Trails Camp

Simbavati Trails Camp is a gem; a luxury-yet-back-to-basics walking trails camp located in a secluded area of the Timbavati Game Reserve. It’s all about guided walks with expert guides, one of...

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10 out of 10 for everything

"The holiday was exceptionally good and we all enjoyed every moment, especially my son Stephen (10 years old). The fact that Stephen enjoyed it says a lot since he is a seasoned traveller (as are most expat kids) having been to almost 20 countries already in his lifetime. We returned with more than a thousand photos and wonderful memories of what Africa can offer at its best " - Family De Waal,

The whole travel experience was excellent!

"We were very happy with the kind and professional way our travel request was dealt with. We received an outlined itinerary swiftly with an elaborate description that sounded very attractive. A couple of changes were made to adapt it somehow a little more to our wishes. The whole procedure was easy going and agreeable. A last minute change concerning our rental car was dealt with swiftly and smo ..." - Mrs Fenagun, UK

WHAT AN AMAZING SAFARI! An outstanding job!

"WHAT AN AMAZING SAFARI! What an outstanding job you did! From the arrival of the guests to the end of the safari. I’ll speak on my behalf and let the other guests speak for themselves and give their own opinions. Let me just say the Safari amazing…., The team did an outstanding job, from the day of arrival at the airport with ground handlers to the drivers, to the departure da ..." - Mrs Carol Ndungu

Winning itinerary!!

"Without ever meeting us, Kate and Tash from Cedarberg Travel & African Safaris created a winning itinerary for my friend and I! The itinerary was well-balanced in its schedule, activity levels and locations. We started in Cape Town with several tours and an excellent tour guide named Tobi. Tobi quickly clicked with us, laughed with us, and answered all of our questions about aspects ..." - Mrs Myers

We will certainly use Cedarberg again

"All the arrangements worked perfectly – no hiccups at all. We will certainly use Cedarberg again and will recommend the company to others. We were particularly impressed by the fact that the ground agents met us from every flight and saw us on to the next flight so if anything had gone awry there was someone on hand to help us sort it out. As one gets older that is enormously comforting. " - Ms Sandra Clark, UK

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