36 Exciting Things To Do in Africa

The best things to do in Africa in 2026 include gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda, game drives across the Serengeti and Masai Mara, hot air balloon safaris over the plains, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, mountain climbing on Kilimanjaro and the Rwenzoris, white water rafting on the Nile and Zambezi, walking safaris in Zambia’s South Luangwa, scuba diving off Zanzibar and the Mozambique coast, bird watching across 2,300-plus recorded species, cultural village visits, horse riding through the bush, mokoro canoe rides in the Okavango Delta, beach holidays in Mauritius and the Seychelles, bungee jumping at Victoria Falls, and night game drives in reserves throughout East and Southern Africa. Africa draws travelers across every interest and budget, with activities ranging from multi-day treks to single-afternoon excursions. Permit and activity costs in 2026 span from around $30 for a snorkel trip to $1,500 for a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda.

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Rwanda

Gorilla trekking is the single most sought-after wildlife activity on the continent, and in 2026 it remains concentrated in three countries. The cost of a gorilla permit is $800 in Uganda and $1,500 in Rwanda. Gorilla trekking is done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, both located in the south-western region of Uganda. Only around 1,000 mountain gorillas remain in the wild globally, and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the better choice for budget-conscious travelers, as permits are cheaper and more habituated gorilla families are available. In Rwanda, trekking takes place in Volcanoes National Park, where the terrain features bamboo forests on volcanic slopes and the overall experience is considered more logistically polished. Permits for Bwindi should be booked three to six months in advance, as they sell out quickly during peak season in June through September and December through February. Uganda has introduced discounted low-season permits for 2026: traveling in April, May, or November drops the fee to $600 for foreign non-residents.

These trips provide an up-close encounter with endangered mountain gorillas and fund their conservation directly. Uganda has more than half of this population and these can be seen within Bwindi National Park, making it the premier gorilla destination by volume of habituated families.

Game Drive Safaris and the Big Five

The classic African wildlife safari centers on the game drive, and in 2026 it remains the primary activity for first-time and returning visitors alike. Game drives are done in four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruisers with viewing roofs, operating across Tanzania’s parks. Top parks offer opportunities for spotting the Big Five — lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros — as well as witnessing predator-prey dynamics. Most tour operators offer open safari vehicles for better sightlines, and many packages run twice-daily drives at dawn and late afternoon. The wildlife safari experience differs markedly by park: Serengeti is vast at 30,000 square kilometers, the Ngorongoro Crater concentrates animals in a 20-kilometer-wide caldera, and the Masai Mara is ideal for July to October crossings. Across African countries there are a number of lodges and safari operators catering to all tiers, and Kenya’s Masai Mara park fees run from $100 per person per day in low season to $200 in peak season from July to October.

Most game viewing on the African continent is done through game drives in Four Wheel Drive safari vehicles. Heading out before sunrise means better sightings, softer light for photography, and cooler temperatures. For dedicated photographers, a photo safari with a specialist guide and vehicle that has been modified with camera mounts is available from several operators in South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Hot Air Balloon Safari Over the Serengeti

A balloon safari over the Serengeti is one of the most distinctive ways to experience African wildlife from above. Expect to be in the air for between 40 and 60 minutes depending on weather. It is common to arrive in the dark, with the sunrise taking place while airborne. Once aloft, the balloon drifts with the breeze, and the pilot adjusts altitude to offer varying perspectives of the plains. Wildlife trails formed by generations of animals are visible from the air, and lions, hippos, and elephants can be spotted depending on where the balloon travels. A Serengeti balloon ride on 5–7 day safaris costs approximately $599 per person when booked as part of a package. Standalone bookings through Serengeti Balloon Safaris, the main operator in the park, run slightly higher. The best time is the dry season from June to October when wildlife concentrations are highest on the open plains.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda and Tanzania

Chimpanzee trekking is the second major primate activity in East Africa, and it draws visitors who either combine it with gorilla trekking or make it the primary focus of their trip. The main destinations in 2026 are Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda, Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda, and Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania. Kibale is consistently rated the best chimpanzee destination on the continent, with around 1,500 chimpanzees and a habituation rate that makes sightings highly likely. Chimp permits in Kibale cost $200 per person for foreign non-residents for a standard trek, and $250 for the chimp habituation experience. Nyungwe Forest National Park is worth visiting for its various primate species including chimpanzees, with hiking trails and a canopy walkway as signature experiences. Additional chimpanzee populations exist in the Central African Republic, though access there requires specialist planning.

Walking Safaris in the African Bush

Walking Safaris bring travelers onto the ground alongside a qualified armed ranger, covering terrain that vehicles cannot access. This format changes the entire dynamic of wildlife viewing — distances are judged differently, smaller animals and plants command attention, and the experience of moving through the same space as elephants and lions creates a far more visceral connection than a vehicle drive. The best destinations for walking safaris in 2026 include Zambia’s South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi national parks, Zimbabwe’s Hwange, and Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve, which is renowned for its birds and so much more, with large game present throughout the ecosystem. A walking safari in Malawi offers a quieter, less-visited alternative with good wildlife viewing and low tourist volumes. Most walking safaris run for two to four hours and cost between $80 and $200 per person depending on the park and operator.

Wildebeest Migration and River Crossings

The migration of the wildebeest is the largest overland animal movement on earth and draws more game drive bookings than any other single event in Africa. Each year, more than one million wildebeest, zebras, and antelopes cross the border between Tanzania and Kenya. July through October delivers peak drama at Mara River crossings, where wildebeest face crocodiles. For calving season, the southern Serengeti plains between Ndutu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are active from late December through March, with predators concentrating around newborn wildebeest. Book camps in the northern Serengeti for the river crossing season at least six months in advance, as availability at riverfront properties fills quickly. Mid-range camps run $300–$500 per night, while luxury options exceed $650. Booking conservancies like Olare Motorogi or Mara North rather than the central reserve gives access to night drives and walking safaris. The national parks, you will get a chance to visit throughout the migration circuit are protected areas where the full drama of the movement plays out year after year.

Mountain Climbing in Africa

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