Walking Holidays & Safaris

From guided walking holidays in South Africa to walking safaris in the Zambian bush; the memories of walking in Africa will stay with you forever…

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Overview

Luangwa-Safari-House-Giraffe-on-the-walk
From guided walking holidays in South Africa, to a hike up Table Mountain...Or from a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro to a walking safari in Zambia... The memories of walking in Africa will stay with you forever. There are so many ways to enjoy a walking holiday or walking safari in Africa that it’s helpful to look at all your options…

First, we should declare that a walking holiday and a walking safari are two completely different trips or activities. So we have separate pages on each type of walking vacation in Africa. However, both are ideal for people who want to get away from the modern constraints of life and connect with the simpler joys of nature.

These walking pages offer a selection of private walking tours, 'slack-packing' walking trails & the best walking destinations in South Africa. Plus some of the best walking safaris in Zambia, Zimbabwe & Botswana...

Walking Destinations within South Africa

Walking in South Africa

South Africa offers plenty of hiking trails. In these pages, we guide you towards the best walking areas and best lodges to stay. In the popular walking areas, you will find detailed maps and guide books to help you choose a suitable walk. Many lodges have walking trails on their property or nearby. We tailor-make self-guided walking holidays in South Africa using some of these favourites.

We also offer some privately guided walking tours in South Africa; in the Cape, the Cederberg and the Drakensberg mountains.

Walking Safaris in Africa

For any adventurous adult, a walking safari has to be the ultimate wildlife experience! So what do we mean by a walking safari? At its simplest, it is a walk in the company of a game ranger, usually armed, through big game country. There is nothing to compare with the exhilaration of walking through the bush as your ranger explains the way in which the bark of one tree may be used as a medicinal remedy. Or the leaves of another is distilled to make a formidable alcoholic drink!

South Africa walking safaris - Simbavati Trails CampThis is a way of gaining a deeper holistic understanding of the whole ecosystem, rather than a strenuous walking experience. (But general fitness will add to your enjoyment.) However, it is always possible to come upon a herd of buffalo or rhino, so a walking safari can be an exhilarating adventure!

Walking safaris come in various formats. From a 3-4 hour bush walk, to staying at a bush camp focused on walking, to a classic walking safari of several days walking from one 'fly camp' to another. (A fly camp denotes a simple mobile camp often with dome tents and shared facilities. It contrasts with a bush camp which is also a simple tented camp but with larger meru-style tents and en suite bathrooms.)

We offer walking safaris in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. See our dedicated pages below...

Best time for a Walking Safari or Tour?

Walking safaris in Africa

Again, this depends on whether its a walking holiday or a walking safari! Most of Southern Africa is characterised by sub-tropical rainy summers and dry sunny winters. Thus the ideal time for walking safaris is between May and September.

However, the Cape of South Africa has a Mediterranean climate so there we recommend between August and December (spring & early summer), and again between March and May (late summer & autumn).

Useful Blog Articles on Walking Safaris in Africa:

Top picks for Walking Holidays & Safaris

Download our Insiders Guide to Zambia Safaris

Major attractions, sample tours & camps, and the low-down on best areas to visit! Get our free guide here
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The trip was amazing
"I will write in detail about all the places. In the meantime, I just wanted to write you a quick note to say THANK YOU so much for putting a wonderful trip together for our family. From the beginning to the end the trip was amazing. I will highly recommend you to anyone in the future for South Africa. " - Mr Gord Dubey, USA
Tailor make it all to suit
"Peter got it from the start of my gabbled explanation of reason for trip and abnormal itinerary. He pieced it all together and I always felt confident, even before the trip. " - Mr & Mrs Leake, UK
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
Special memories
"I would like to thank you for the very full and comprehensive travel documents you put together for us – it made our trip so easy! The organisation was perfect and it was so helpful to have contact names for our hosts along the way! Our trip has certainly wetted our appetite for more holidays farther from home and other parts is SA. I have no doubt we’ll be returning one day! My ove ..." - Mr Mo Hemsley, UK
Vacation of a lifetime
"Milandi and the Cedarberg team not only planned each detail but also gave us helpful tips in advance to help us prepare for our holiday. Once in SA, there was never a need to contact Cedarberg because each day’s activities went off without a hitch " - Mr & Mrs La Doe, USA
 
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Anja du Plessis

AFRICAN TRAVEL SPECIALIST

Hi I'm Anja, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience GET IN TOUCH