Best budget safaris

The tour companies that offer the best prices on African safaris

You don't want to skimp on an African safari—but you don't want to overpay, either.

It is easy to find $10,000 safaris where you stay in the top game lodges and camp (or glamp) in luxury safari "tents" complete with teak flooring and canopy beds accopmpanied by an army of servants and porters. All very "Out of Africa."

What is trickier is finding reliable safari outfitters who will take you to the same parks, the same cultural experiences, and the same game drives for under $5,000.

That's where this list comes in handy: A selection of safari specialists that, while often also offering high-end trips and custom safaris, also caters to the "budget sdafari" market with reasonably priced African tours where you usually stay in guest houses, standard game lodges (rather than $1,000-per-night ones), and regular old on-the-ground tents. Just that little tweak (and maybe you carry your own bag) can cut the cost of a safari in half—and make it far more memorable.

Top values in African safaris

• Lion World Tours (www.lionworldtravel.com) - All over Africa.
• Eyes On Africa (www.eyesonafrica.net) - This African safari generalist also offers great you standard "value safaris" (as well as photo workshops and custom trips), but also runs nearly 100 budget safaris all over sub-Saharan Africa for under $4,000. They save largely by staying in ground tents, cabins, and gueshouses rather than luxury tents and high-end game lodges (though a few are lodge trips). Land-only rates on the "budget safaris" range $1,490–$2,600 for many one-week safaris; $1,850–$3,200 for two weeks, from $3,500 for three weeks. (They can arrange for airfare for about $1,500–$2,000 from the East Coast of the U.S., $2,000 from the West Coast.) They do everything from traditional game drives to walking safaris, yacht charters to kayak adventures, plus thematic tours (cultural or animal, from flamingos to an elephant eco-lodge). Their catalogue covers Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar, Malawi, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, and the Seychelles.
• Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) - This leading small-group adventure travel specialist offers 118 African trips, ranging from short breaks to epic month-long overlanders, a whopping 85 of which cost $5,000 or less. Week-long trips range $615–$3,000 (that first number is not mising a "1" in the front or anything; they even do week-long Kenya safaris from just $827); two-week safaris $TK–$TK, and three weeks from $TK. They also offer cushier safari lodge trips, though the starting price jumps to $3,000. They cover South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.
• G Adventures (www.gadventures.com) - Another prime small group adventure travel specialist, G Adventures offers 80 African trips, 73 of which cost $5,000 or less (and those few that do not are all three- to five-week epic trips). They range from half-week camping safaris to 40-day/5-country overlands from Cape Town to Nairobi. All are either small group (average 12, max 16), with a few independent, and most are camping style with a few simple hotels, huts, or guest houses—though some trips are "upgraded" and stay luxury tents or game lodges.
• 2Afrika (www.2afrika.com) - All over Africa.
• Goway (www.goway.com) - All over Africa.
• Sunny Land Tours (www.sunnylandtours.com) - Egypt, Morocco.
• Ritz Tours (www.ritztours.com) - South Africa, Kenya, Egypt.