Ride abroad · Africa
Horse Riding Safaris
A horse riding safari is a riding holiday in African game country, usually four to ten nights, riding two to eight hours a day among zebra, giraffe, antelope and, on some rides, elephant.
At a glance
What should you know first?
- WhereKenya, Botswana, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia
- Riding levelIntermediate plus to experienced on most rides; beginners at some South African game farms
- Hours in the saddle2 to 8 hours a day, depending on the ride
- Typical trip4 to 10 nights
- Weight limit85kg to 96kg on most rides; up to 110kg at a few game farms
- Group sizeUsually up to 8 riders; up to 12 on some rides
- TackEnglish, endurance or South African trail saddles
- Riding hatsCompulsory on many rides
- Price guide
Higher to premium, per person, before flights
What it is
What is a horse riding safari?
A horse riding safari is a holiday in African game country where you watch the wildlife from the saddle rather than from a vehicle, with a guide riding in front.
Big game riding
Plains game riding
Trail across country
Most riding safaris are camp based or mobile. On a camp-based week you ride out from one lodge or tented camp and come back to the same bed each night. On a mobile safari the camp moves ahead of the riders, so you cover new ground every day.
Many camps add game drives, walks or mokoro trips between rides, as some do in the Okavango Delta. With your guide you ride zebra, giraffe and antelope country on every safari, and elephant and buffalo country on the big game rides.
The guides choose your horse, and they may change it during the week. At a Delta camp most guests ride three or four different horses over seven nights.
Where to go
Where can you go on a horse riding safari?
You can go on a horse riding safari in Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia, and each country offers a different kind of week.
Botswana and Kenya hold most of the big game rides. In the Okavango Delta the floods arrive in May and June, and much of the riding crosses shallow water until the dry season firms the ground.
South Africa has the widest range for your level. Some Waterberg game farms sit outside the malaria area, stay open all year and take beginners, while a big five safari in the same region takes experienced riders only.
Namibia is the desert choice. Its rides are long trails from the interior to the Atlantic coast, with desert-adapted elephant and rhino in Damaraland.
Zambia is the newest name on the list for most British riders. The rides near the Zambezi run six nights with five riding days, two to five hours a day, among giraffe, buffalo, zebra, eland and sable.
Riding level
What riding level do you need for a riding safari?
For most riding safaris you need to be an intermediate plus or experienced rider, confident at walk, trot, canter and gallop in open country.
Beginner
Intermediate plus
Experienced
It suits you if
- You ride at least once a week and are confident at every pace outside an arena
- You can ride for four to six hours and do it again the next day
- You want to see game at the pace of a horse, with no engine noise
It is not for you if
- You are still learning to canter in open country, unless you choose a plains game lodge
- You would rather watch big game from a vehicle
- You weigh more than the published limit for the ride you want
The wording differs from ride to ride, but the standard is close. Masai Mara operators ask for riders who can gallop out of trouble. A Delta camp asks riders to gallop over uneven ground if instructed, and another asks for experienced riders because the area holds potentially dangerous game.
Your fitness counts as much as your riding. A big game week means four to six hours in the saddle on consecutive days, often with rising trot for long stretches.
Weight limits sit between 85kg and 96kg on most rides. One Delta camp enforces its 90kg limit strictly, another takes riders up to 105kg subject to availability, and a South African group of lodges lists 110kg.
Safety
How safe is riding among wild animals?
Riding among wild animals carries a real risk, and operators manage it with experienced guides, horses schooled around game and a strict rider standard.
Guides
Rider standard
Horses
Riding hats
Weight limit
Back-up
The rider standard is part of the safety plan. On a big game ride you may be asked to gallop out of trouble, on uneven ground and in company. For that reason Masai Mara operators do not accept novice, beginner or intermediate riders on their rides.
Insurance is the other part. Many travel policies exclude riding or attach conditions to it, and a safari needs cover that names riding off road and includes medical repatriation from remote country. Some Tanzanian rides include air ambulance cover in the price, and horse riding travel insurance sets out the clauses that decide a claim.
When to go
When is the best time to go on a horse riding safari?
The best time for most riding safaris is the dry season, roughly May to October, when the ground is firm and game gathers near water.
Kenya
Botswana
Tanzania
Namibia
South Africa
Zambia
Each Namibian route runs on only a few dates in its season, and the Mara rides are scheduled from June to October. The season for a single ride can be shorter than the season for its country, so your dates may decide the ride as much as the country does.
Cost
How much does a horse riding safari cost?
A horse riding safari is a higher price for a short South African week and a premium price for most big game weeks, per person sharing and before flights, with a week in the Masai Mara at the highest.
Wild Coast river-trail mini safari
Price guide
Higher
Waterberg game-farm week
Price guide
Higher
Lowveld bushveld week near Kruger
Price guide
Higher
Tuli Block reserve week
Price guide
Premium
Zambezi conservancy safari
Price guide
Premium
Okavango Delta camp week
Price guide
Premium
Laikipia ranch week
Price guide
Premium
Wildebeest migration safari in the Serengeti
Price guide
Premium
Okavango Delta big game week
Price guide
Premium
Kilimanjaro foothills mobile safari
Price guide
Premium
Namibian desert-to-coast trail
Price guide
Premium
Masai Mara big game week
Price guide
Premium
Prices change with the season, and the peak months cost more. One Okavango Delta camp is sold by the night, and its peak nightly rate is roughly one and a half times its low-season rate, so a longer stay adds up quickly.
On a Tanzanian mainland safari the price covers accommodation, meals, most drinks, guides, park fees, air ambulance cover and airport transfers. On a Serengeti migration safari the light aircraft transfer is an extra cost, so ask what the quoted price leaves out.
The rides we recommend
Which horse riding safaris do we recommend?
We know horses, and we know the people who run these rides. Tell us how you ride and where you want to go, and we will put you with the right one.
Waterberg game-farm week
A South African game farm with about 90 horses, plains game and polocrosse, outside the malaria area and open all year.
Okavango Delta floodplain camp week
Riding through the Delta floods and dry plains, with two guides on every ride carrying a rifle and a radio.
Masai Mara mobile safari
A mobile safari across the Mara at four to six hours and 20 to 30km a day, with a vehicle standing by.
Zambezi conservancy safari
Rides in a conservancy near the Zambezi, from tents on wooden platforms, among giraffe, zebra and sable.
Kilimanjaro foothills mobile safari
Fast riding through the Kilimanjaro foothills and the Maasai steppe among elephant and plains game, from mobile camps.
Namibian desert-to-coast trail
Nearly 300km towards the Atlantic coast at 20 to 50km a day, on Arab, Haflinger, Lipizzaner and Trakehner crosses.
Common questions
Riding safari questions
Is a horse riding safari dangerous?
Riding among wild animals carries a real risk, which operators manage with trained guides, horses schooled around game and a strict rider standard. On some rides the guides carry a rifle and a radio, and riders must be able to gallop out of trouble. Riding hats are compulsory on many rides.
Can beginners go on a horse riding safari?
Yes, at some plains game farms in South Africa, such as those in the Waterberg, which take beginners to experienced riders. The big game rides in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia ask for intermediate plus or experienced riders.
What is the weight limit on a riding safari?
Most riding safaris set a limit between 85kg and 96kg. A few go higher: one Delta camp takes riders up to 105kg subject to availability, and a group of South African lodges lists 110kg.
How many hours a day do you ride on a safari?
Most big game rides spend four to six hours a day in the saddle. The Zambian rides run two to five hours a day, and the Namibian desert trails can reach eight hours.
Do you need your own riding hat on a safari?
A riding hat is compulsory on many safaris, including Delta camps, the Tanzania mainland rides and some South African game farms. Many riders take their own so that it fits, and some camps ask for a hat to PAS 015 or BS EN 1384 standard.
Which country is best for a first riding safari?
South Africa suits a first riding safari, because game farms in the Waterberg take riders of every level and stay open all year. Riders with more experience often choose Botswana or Kenya for the big game rides.
Where to go next
More riding holidays
Tell us how you ride
Tell us your level, your dates and where you have in mind, and we will point you to the ride that fits.