We Just Made Getting to Africa in 2026 Much Simpler
For many travelers, an African safari lives in the category of someday.
Not because they do not want to go, but because planning Africa can feel overwhelming. There are endless camps, routing combinations, online opinions, flight options, seasons, and price points. For first-time safari travelers especially, it can be difficult to know where to begin — or who to trust.
Explorer Safaris were created to simplify that.
After decades designing safaris throughout Africa, Bushtracks has taken some of the regions, camps, wildlife activities, and routing we believe work best and built them into three fully curated small-group journeys through Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
These are not large group tours or generic packaged trips. They are real safaris designed by people who know Africa deeply.
Why 2026 Is a Great Time to Go
All 22 Explorer Safari departures for 2026 are now open for booking.
For travelers who have been thinking about Africa for years, our Explorer Safaris make it possible to put the trip on the calendar. And if we start planning today, you’ll have more flexibility around flights, departure dates, and coordinating travel with family or friends — while still leaving plenty of time to prepare properly for the journey.
Even travelers who are not currently passport-ready still have time. U.S. passport processing times have improved significantly in recent years.
And unlike many safari itineraries that can quickly climb well beyond $10,000–$15,000 per person, Explorer Safaris currently begin at approximately $4,176 per person depending on route and season.
The Kind of Safari People Dream About
One of the things that makes Explorer Safaris special is the style of safari itself.
These journeys are built around many of the moments people imagine when they first think about Africa: open vehicle game drives, river safaris, bush flights, tented camps, lantern-lit dinners, early morning coffee before sunrise, and long evenings around camp after a day in the bush.
Two routes include bush flights aboard light aircraft, allowing guests to reach remote safari regions in a matter of hours while seeing rivers, floodplains, wildlife areas, and rural landscapes from above along the way.
The camps selected for Explorer Safaris are intentionally classic in atmosphere and style, and connected to the landscape and safari tradition itself.
Guests will enjoy exceptional guiding, thoughtful hospitality, excellent food and service, beautifully designed accommodations, and carefully paced safari days throughout the journey. Think canvas under the stars, fresh tracks on the road in the morning, and the unmistakable feeling of being out in wild Africa.
Every Route Includes More Than Just Game Drives
Depending on the itinerary, Explorer Safaris may include:
- River safaris along the Chobe or Zambezi Rivers
- Night game drives
- Walking activities and guided bush experiences
- Bush flights
- Victoria Falls and a 5-course meal on our historic train at sunset
- Elephant-rich wildlife regions
The collection includes:
- Victoria Falls & Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
- Livingstone, Zambia & Chobe National Park, Botswana
- Livingstone & Lower Zambezi, Zambia
Each route was designed to offer a different perspective on Southern Africa while keeping travel days manageable and the wildlife experiences varied.
Africa Is Easier to Reach Than Many Travelers Expect
Southern Africa is highly accessible from both the United States and Europe, with commercial air access into gateways including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Livingstone, Victoria Falls, Kasane, and Lusaka.
That is part of the value of working with a company that has spent decades operating safaris throughout the region. Travelers do not need to spend months trying to decode routing, camp combinations, seasons, or online recommendations themselves. The planning has already been done thoughtfully by people with deep experience on the ground.
And if travelers do have questions, the Bushtracks team is there to help every step of the way.
Ready to Start Planning?
Browse our three Explorer Safaris to compare destinations, activities, camps, and 2026 departures — or contact the Bushtracks team directly for help deciding which safari is the best fit: safariexperts@bushtracks.com, 707.433.4492.
