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Luxury Safari Lodges: Camps by Country, With What a Night Actually Includes

Luxury safari lodges in Africa by country, how per person per night pricing works, what is included, park fees, bush flights and when to go.

By Wijet Editors

At a glance

Luxury safari lodges at a glance

How rates work
Per person per night, sharing
Usually all-inclusive; confirm on each lodge's rate sheet
Bush flight luggage
15 kg in a soft bag
Safarilink baggage page, includes hand luggage
Gorilla permit, Rwanda
$1,500 per person
Rwanda Development Board set it in 2017; per visitrwandagorilla.com still $1,500 for 2026
Mara River crossings
July to October
Timing shifts with the rains

Luxury safari lodges sell by the person per night, and the rate normally covers your suite, all meals, drinks and two game drives a day. At Sabi Sabi in South Africa, for example, the 2026 to 2027 rate sheet lists a Luxury Suite at Selati Camp at R31,800 per person per night, sharing. Park fees, bush flights and flights from the US are separate.

This guide picks lodges by country, explains what a night includes, compares a lodge, a mobile camp and a tour operator, and totals a trip door to door. Where a lodge posts its rate sheet, we name it. Where it does not, we say so.

How Luxury Safari Pricing Works

Per Person per Night, Fully Inclusive

Most luxury safari lodges quote a rate per person per night, based on two people sharing. That rate normally includes accommodation, all meals, drinks (often including premium spirits and wine), and daily guided game drives. A solo traveler usually pays a single supplement.

The point to check on every rate sheet is the “excludes” line. Sabi Sabi’s rate sheet, for example, charges a Sabie Game Reserve conservation levy of R450 per person per night on top of the rate from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027, and excludes gratuities, spa treatments, airport transfers and premium wines. Other lodges list laundry, curios and special experiences as extras.

Conservation and Park Fees

Park and conservation fees are charged per person per night, and they are either folded into the lodge rate or added on top. The Rwanda Development Board raised gorilla permits from $750 to $1,500 per person in 2017, according to The New Times. The Rwanda operator visitrwandagorilla.com lists $1,500 per person per trek for foreign non-residents in 2026. The board announced promotional rates on January 5, 2026, valid through December 31, 2026 and not applying June to October, per KT Press, but the rates reported there are for African citizens and residents. Check the board’s current tariff before you book.

In Kenya, the Masai Mara operator site masaimara.travel lists the 2026 non-resident adult reserve fee at $100 a day through June 30 and $200 a day from July 1, and says Narok County set them. In Tanzania, the operator blog serengetiparktanzania.com lists the Serengeti adult non-resident fee at $83 in peak season and $71 in low season, VAT included, valid for 24 hours. Both are operator figures, not government documents, so confirm with the park authority.

Light-Aircraft Transfers and Luggage Limits

Many of the best camps in Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania are reached by small aircraft. Safarilink’s own baggage page states that the allowance to all its destinations is strictly 15 kg per person, including hand baggage, in soft bags, with a higher 20 kg limit for a few coastal destinations. Excess baggage is carried only if the payload allows, so pack a duffel, not a hard case, and ask your lodge about laundry so you can pack light.

Seasons: Green vs Peak

Peak season, the dry months, brings the highest rates and the clearest game viewing, because animals gather at water. The green season, when it rains, brings lower rates, fewer vehicles and lush scenery, but thicker bush. Many lodges post different rates for each season, and some close entirely for part of it.

The Best Luxury Safari Lodges by Country

The lodges below are picks to start from. We quote a rate only where the lodge publishes one; elsewhere, ask the lodge for its rate sheet for your dates.

South Africa: Sabi Sands

Sabi Sands, the private reserve that shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park, is where many first-time travelers start. The long-standing names are Singita (Boulders and Ebony), Londolozi and Sabi Sabi. Singita lists its Lebombo and Sweni lodges separately, under Kruger National Park itself.

  • Singita Boulders: a small riverside lodge in the Sabi Sand reserve. Who it suits: travelers who want the highest level of service and design.
  • Londolozi: a family-run lodge with several camps, from the Granite Suites to Tree Camp. Who it suits: travelers who want a choice of camps within one property.
  • Sabi Sabi: a larger operation with several camps, including Selati Camp and Bush Lodge. Who it suits: travelers who want a classic lodge at a slightly lower price.

Sabi Sabi publishes its rate sheet: from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 it lists a Luxury Suite at Selati Camp at R31,800 and at Bush Lodge at R29,600 per person per night sharing, plus the R450 levy. Singita and Londolozi quote on request, so ask for the rate for your dates.

Botswana: Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is a flooded wilderness with water-based and land-based camps. Wilderness and andBeyond run several camps. Access is by light aircraft, and luggage limits apply. Ask each camp for its rate sheet for your dates, and check whether the bush flight is priced in.

Kenya: Masai Mara

The Masai Mara is the best known reserve in Kenya, and the Mara River crossings draw the most visitors from July to October. The best lodges often sit in private conservancies around the main reserve, which limit the number of vehicles at a sighting. Conservancy fees are set separately from the reserve fee, so confirm them with the camp.

Tanzania: Serengeti and Ngorongoro

The Serengeti is Tanzania’s best known park, and the Ngorongoro Crater is a short drive from several lodges. Lodge options range from permanent camps to semi-permanent camps that move with the migration. Ngorongoro is run by a separate authority from the Tanzanian national parks, so its fees differ.

Rwanda: Gorilla Lodges

Rwanda’s gorilla lodges, near Volcanoes National Park, sell stays around a gorilla trek. The permit is a separate cost, and the lodge rate is separate again. The Rwanda Development Board sells the permit, directly or through licensed operators, per visitrwandagorilla.com.

Zambia and Zimbabwe

The Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa in Zambia are known for walking safaris, and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe adds a non-wildlife stop. Camps are smaller, so ask each one for its own rate sheet.

Luxury Safari Africa: Lodge vs Mobile Camp vs Tour Operator

You have three ways to buy a luxury safari in Africa. You can book a lodge directly, you can book a mobile camp that moves with the herds, or you can book through a tour operator that bundles lodges, flights and guides.

OptionWho it suitsWhat you manageTypical examples
Single lodgeOne base, one countryFlights, transfers, park feesSingita, Londolozi
Mobile campMigration chasersFewer logistics, fixed routeCamp operators in Kenya and Tanzania
Tour operatorMulti-country tripsLittle: operator handles itandBeyond, Wilderness, Abercrombie & Kent

Verdict: book a lodge directly for a single stop in one country, and use an operator for anything with two or more countries, bush flights and park permits.

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Singita, Wilderness and andBeyond are lodge operators with their own camps. Abercrombie & Kent is a tour operator that packages stays. Ask any operator which lodges they own, and which they resell, because that affects who sets the price.

What a Luxury Safari Costs, Door to Door

A trip’s total is the lodge nights plus everything around them. The headline lodge rate is not the final figure.

  • Lodge nights: per person per night rate, times nights, from each lodge’s rate sheet
  • Conservation levies and park fees: separate or included, depending on the lodge (Sabi Sabi lists R450 per person per night as extra)
  • Bush flights: priced per sector by the air operator, with a 15 kg soft-bag limit on Safarilink
  • International flight: see our guide to business class airlines
  • Tips: Sabi Sabi’s rate sheet excludes gratuities, which it leaves to the guest’s discretion; ask your lodge for its guidance

If a stop in Africa is part of a longer itinerary and you want to arrive on your own schedule, our private jet charter guide covers the cost.

When to Go

East Africa and southern Africa have different seasons. In Kenya and northern Tanzania, Africa Geographic says herds reach the Mara River area around July, crossings peak in August and taper off by late September or mid-October, and timing depends on rainfall. It puts calving in Ndutu and the southern Serengeti at roughly January through March, with the peak in February. For South Africa and Botswana, check each lodge’s own season calendar.

Pair a safari with other long trips: our guide to luxury train journeys covers Rovos Rail in South Africa, and our luxury hotels hub has beach stays for the end of the trip, including the Maldives.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a luxury African safari cost?
A luxury African safari costs a nightly rate per person plus park fees, bush flights, international flights and tips. Lodge rates vary by country and season, so read each lodge's rate sheet for your dates. Add the extras before you compare lodges.
What is the most luxurious safari in Africa?
There is no official ranking. Singita, Londolozi, Sabi Sabi and the andBeyond camps are widely named at the top of the market. Choose by country, season and the animals you most want to see, not by a single label.
Which company is best for a luxury safari?
It depends on the trip. Lodge groups such as Singita, Wilderness and andBeyond run their own camps, while Abercrombie & Kent packages stays across several lodges. Choose a lodge group for one stop and an operator for a multi-country trip.
Is a private safari worth it?
A private safari is worth it if you want your own vehicle, guide and schedule. Shared vehicles are cheaper, but you follow the group's timing. Private vehicles matter most for photographers and families. Check whether the lodge charges a private vehicle fee.
Do you tip at safari lodges?
Lodges usually treat gratuities as optional and separate from the rate; Sabi Sabi's rate sheet, for example, excludes them and leaves them to the guest's discretion. Ask your lodge for its guidance before you go.

Sources

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