More than just a walk in the park
Experience the majesty of the South African wilderness and the thrill of the wildlife on foot
Walking safaris in South Africa offer a completely different experience from traditional vehicle-based game drives. They allow you to connect more intimately with the wilderness, focusing on the smaller details and quiet moments that are often missed from a vehicle. From tracking wildlife on foot to learning about the plants, tracks and sounds of the bush, these safaris offer a deeper and more immersive perspective.
South Africa is ideal for walking safaris, thanks to its rich diversity of landscapes and wildlife. Most walking safaris take place during the cooler, drier winter months, when the bush is less dense and conditions are more favourable for spotting game. All walking safaris are led by highly trained, armed guides who prioritise your safety at all times – never hesitate to ask questions or voice concerns.
Many lodges across private reserves such as Sabi Sands offer short walking safaris as an alternative to morning or afternoon drives. These guided walks are a brilliant way to learn more about the environment and we highly recommend including one during your stay.
For a more adventurous experience, multi-day walking safaris are available in some of South Africa’s wilder reserves. These can last up to three or four days and vary in style. The most rugged involve carrying everything with you – food, clothing and bedding – and sleeping out under the stars at remote fly-camps. With only a crackling campfire and an ocean of stars for company, it’s a rare chance to disconnect completely and experience nature in its rawest form.
Alternatively, there are more comfortable options based out of a central bush camp. You’ll head out each day on long guided walks, either returning for lunch and rest in the heat of the day or taking packed lunches for full-day explorations. You’ll only need to carry a daypack, and evenings are spent back at camp enjoying a warm meal and sharing stories by the fire.
Tamara our South Africa specalist says:
"Walking safaris are probably the most unique and grounding experiences any can be lucky enough to have. There is something so humbling about being on foot and at eye level in the bush in Africa. Tracking elephants through the bush at sunrise in complete silence is difficult to put into words. When all you can hear is the nature around you and feel completely surrounded by a wild landscape. No matter how many walking Safari you go on, each one is out of this world!"
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How a walking safari in South Africa works
Small groups of guests are led by qualified and experienced game rangers and guides who are skilled at reading tracks and interpreting the bush. You’ll learn about tiny insects and reptiles, how guides track big game and also the finer elements of the fragile ecosystem which surrounds you… and of course if you’re fortunate, you’ll experience exhilarating experience of encountering wildlife on foot, including the Big Five.
Your guides will carry a rifle, but this is only used as a last resort. The purpose of a walking safari is to have a holistic experience, not to put you or the wildlife in a dangerous situation. Often wildlife sightings will be at a greater distance than they would be in a vehicle with the objective being to view the animals peacefully, without disrupting their natural behaviour.
In some instances, walking safaris will encourage you to leave your watches and mobile phones behind (unless you’re using it to take photos), which encourages you experience the freedom of not being bound by time or continuously meeting deadlines and appointments – allowing you to disconnect to reconnect.
Disconnect to reconnect
Whilst on a walking safari, guests may be included in a very important part of the experience – night watch at the campfire. This is the time where you can embrace silence, solitude and look into yourself. Qualities which are difficult to find in today's world of fast-moving technology and the constant pressure to be actively engaged, being distracted by a million things… finally, you can hear your own thoughts.
Depending on the walking safari experience you choose, will determine the kit you will have to take and carry yourself. Longer, wilderness and primitive trails which last between three to four days, will mean that you may have to carry enough food to last, changes of clothing, sleeping bag and a few other essentials. With basecamp walking safaris, you’ll only carry what you will need for the day as you will either be returning to the same camp or a team will have moved the camp to a new site and all your other luggage will have been transported for you.
Here are some great locations for longer walking safaris in South Africa.
Hluhluwe Imfolozi National Park, Kwa Zulu Natal
This is considered by many in the industry to be the true home of walking safaris in South Africa and within this Hluhluwe National Park there are some excellent options available with plenty of wildlife to encounter on foot including the Big Five. Most of the walking safaris take place in the vast wilderness areas of the Imfolozi section of the reserve, taking you over rolling hills, sand-banked rivers, open plains and acacia forests. The reserve has played an integral role in the survival of both the black and white rhino, if you’re lucky you may get to encounter these magnificent creatures on foot.
Shamwari Game Reserve, Eastern Cape
Explorers Camp. During South Africa’s summer season, Shamwari Game Reserve expands its activities to include walking safaris by setting up a wilderness bush camp on a granite plateau overlooking the reserve. From here walking safaris set out each morning to explore the beautiful wilderness of the Eastern Cape before returning to the bush camp each evening to relax and unwind in front of the fire.
Kruger National Park
Nearly 50% of the entire Kruger National Park is dedicated to wilderness which means that around half of it is devoid of tourists. These are the areas which the famous wilderness trails take place. Here is just a small selection available of the best walking safaris in the Greater Kruger Area.
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve – Considered to be one of the best options for a walking safari in the Kruger area and is classic Big Five and Game country. As with walking safari in Hluhluwe Imfolozi, there is a myriad of experiences available from the primitive trails where you carry everything you need to be self-sufficient to the base camp trails options. A typical walking safari in the Timbavati lasts three to four days.
Limpopo Trail, Kruger National Park – Located in the northern Pafuri section of Kruger, this walking safari offers the opportunity to explore one of the remotest corners of the national park. Huge forests of fever trees, vast herds of antelope as well as the Big Five. Nights are spent at a base campsite with walks taking place in the morning and afternoon – the middle of the day is spent relaxing around camp.
Klaserie Trail, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve – The least commercially developed of all the Kruger Private Game Reserves, thus offering a truly rustic, remote and pristine wildlife experience. Each day is spent walking through the 8,000 hectare private area and each night is spent in a new location in a fully set up mobile camp site in a scenic location. Klasierie enjoys a high leopard population – can you imagine the adrenaline rush of spotting a leopard on foot, even from a distance?
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