21 day African safari tours 

3 weeks in Africa on a safari tour, does it get any better? So much to see and plenty of time to do it. On a 21 day African safari, you can take in the stunning plains of Tanzania, the unique Okavango Delta in Botswana, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and conclude your trip in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Safaris can be customized to suit your needs, but rest assured, you’ll see all of the Big 5 (lion, leopard, African buffalo, elephant and rhino) in incredible sunset locations from the Serengeti to the unrivaled Kruger National Park, where the excitement of open vehicle game watching and walking safaris can be combined. So, what are you waiting for?

The best 21 day African safari Tours

Price of a 21 day African safari?

Expect a starting price of $3,500 per person for a 21 day tour, while luxury tours start at about $9,500.

Safari packages to the Africa safari span a wide price range, influenced by several variables. The biggest factor determining the price of a safari is the level of accommodation. This will ultimately categorize tours as being budget, mid-range or luxury and of course shared tours are usually cheaper than private tours.

This is especially the case for single travelers. On a 21 day trip you might want to consider a fly-in safari, but these are considerably more expensive than road safaris. Check out the seasons too; low-season prices can be favorable and while you’ll probably get some rain at this time, it’s when the scenery is at its best.

Tour breakdown for 21 days on an African safari

Depending on the country or combination of two countries selected, safari visitors have the option to see wildlife parks in one or multiple countries on a combination safari.

Safari tour highlights

  • See the Great Migration of 1 million wildebeest in Tanzania and Kenya
  • Discover the Big Five in Namibia including the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo
  • Track gorillas and chimps in the Uganda jungle
  • See the unrivaled Kruger NP in South Africa where visitors can find over 12,000 elephants, 27,000 African Buffalo, 2,000 leopards and 2,800 lions
  • Explore Africa’s best beaches with Camps Bay Beach in Cape Town or. Nungwi Beach in Zanzibar
  • Private tour guide in English and other languages
  • Game drives in comfortable, open top safari vehicles
  • World class safari accommodation including lodges and tented camps

Tour inclusions

The following details typical tour inclusions and exclusions on the best 21 day African safari package:

Tour inclusionsTour exclusions
Game drives per the itinerary as well as pick-up and drop-offVisa fees, laundry services, drinks including mineral water at the hotels
Experienced english-speaking guide and driverInternational/domestic flights
Transport and park entrance feesCultural visits to Maasai villages (15 USD p/p)
Accommodation (full-board safaris)Tips to the driver guides, waiters and porters
Park fees
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and bottled water
Government taxes

Safari essentials and information

Is a 21 day safari in Africa sufficient?

21 days is more than enough to experience the incredible wildlife and sights of an Africa safari. The number of days needed to properly do an Africa safari can range from 1-2 days to 1-2 weeks, depending on how much time and budget a visitor has.

Each day consists of an early morning game drive and a late afternoon game drive, certainly sufficient time to view the big 5 and incredible scenery.

On a 21 day safari trip, you can even break up the drive to or from any park with an overnight stay in a park en route to your next destination such as the Serengeti NP in Tanzania, the world famous Kruger National Park in South Africa or the unrivaled Masai Mara in Kenya.

Overall, 21 days is a good amount of time for a safari in the Africa safari if it is part of a larger Africa tour, but if not, allocating a few more days to your safari would be ideal where possible.

Accommodation offered on a 21 day African safari?

After a long day surveying the incredible Africa landscape and wildlife on offer, guests can look forward to the very best safari accommodation the Africa safari has to offer. The accommodation here is excellent with numerous options from tented camps, luxury lodges to camping grounds.

From camping in the bush with amenities to mid-range and luxury lodges located inside park reserves, there’s something for everyone. On a safari, high-end lodgings are commonly used on fly-in safari packages and excellent wining and dining is very much the norm.

Many are small designer ecolodges, often made to blend into the environment whilst others near watering holes are superb for wildlife viewing and guests can enjoy a front-row seat to spot the wildebeest and zebras crossing the river.

Animals on an African safari?

You’ll find just about everything on an Africa safari! The continent is home to the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo) and visitors will also find spotted hyenas and hippos depending on the particular country and park you visit.

Tanzania contains the highest concentration of lions in the world with over 3,000 of them found in the Serengeti alone and about 1.5 million wildebeests, in addition to wildebeest, gazelle, giraffes, black rhinos. A view of these huge wildebeest crossing the crocodile infested river Mara has been included in the 7 wonders of natural Africa.

If you enjoy driving, it is possible to visit the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater on a 21 day road safari. This combination gives you a reasonable chance of seeing all the Big Five in a short time. Ngorongoro is the only reliable park in Africa to see black rhino in the wild.

Uganda is a safari destination with a reputation for low density tourism, eco-friendly lodges and political stability whilst South Africa is the continents most popular and best-developed travel destination, famed for its sun-soaked beaches and vast wildlife-filled game reserves. It also provides exceptional opportunities to combine safari trips with wineland tours.

What countries are a must on a 21 day African safari?

There are many 21 day safaris on offer in Africa, so you do have choices on what you can fit into your safari.

The most-popular option is a Big 5 wildlife tour where you’ll see the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo in stunning parks such as the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania or Kruger NP in South Africa.

The continent has so much to offer and choosing may come down to personal preferences and the length of time it takes to travel to your destination with Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia and Uganda all offering incredible wildlife tours.

Lucky visitors can also hop between countries such as the Ngorongoro Crater, also in Tanzania or combine your 21 day safari with a neighboring country such as Kenya with gems like Masai Mara, which consistently rank in the top destinations for safari-goers in Africa.

FAQs

How much spending money do I need for a 21 day African safari?

Visitors should budget for approximately $300 for an African safari per person per day, including food and accommodation. Botswana safaris can be more expensive than their continental counterparts due to the higher costs of accommodation and food.

What animals will I see on a 21 day African safari tour?

Visitors on a 21 day African safari will see the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo), hyenas, wildebeest, giraffes, cheetah, zebras, endangered black rhinos, hippos, crocodiles and much more.

What is the best time to go on a 21 day African safari?

The best time to go on a 21 day African safari is in the Dry season (from late June to October). This period offers the best wildlife viewing in general – with the wildebeest migration as its absolute highlight.