East Africa Budget Tours and Affordable Trip Packages 2025/2026
Unlock affordable adventures in East Africa. Looking for a cost-effective way to explore East Africa? Our budget-friendly tours deliver exceptional experiences without compromising on the quality of your journey.
Activities include
Age
Discounts
Duration
1 day64 days
Departures
Tour Types
Countries
Activities
Physical Rating
Accommodations
Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
We saw a T-shirt in Africa that said “it’s not a holiday, it’s an adventure!“ This sums up exactly what this trip is about. Although it took some stamina to camp the entire time and the bus trips were long to get from destination to destination, this was an adventure like no other. Spinning, two nights roughing it in Okavango Delta was magical and we heard lions roaring at night. Our guides were outstanding and the food was better than I could possibly expect, especially since our cook did it all in a campground the safari walks and drives did not disappoint!
Because we were there in July, the nights were bitterly cold, but we stayed cozy in the tents. This is definitely a trip for those seeking authentic adventure, but not for those who are uncomfortable with idea of sleeping in a tent for 10 days. Our Guide Pappy was, always so patient and so thorough with all of us and was a wealth of knowledge about the region. I love this trip, but it definitely is not for those unused to roughing it or are expecting luxury.
Road tripWildlife
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Sleeper Bus, Camping, Hotel
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Kh
Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Maun, Okavango Delta, Nata, Chobe National Park
The tour is very complete and the people has been amazing. However, I strongly recommend to improve the support for people with allergy/ dietary requirements. In my case I have coeliac disease and I felt not supported at all. The CEOs or hotels where not aware of my diet and most of the times I could not eat or I struggled to find safe food. While the rest of the group was having food together I had myself to speak with each cook, hotel and staff without the help of CEOs. I asked several times before joining the trip but even so it was difficult and I would have appreciated that hotels and CEOs were more supportive.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping
Age Range
18-39 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Nairobi, Stone Town, Arusha, Ser
Nairobi, Stone Town, Arusha, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar
Every single place that I visited from Vic Falls to Cape Town, it was totally full of epic. Astonishing, breathtaking, beautiful and wild side of Africa is what I experienced.
Road tripWildlife
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Tent, Sleeper Bus, Camping
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Groot
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Grootfontein, Etosha National Park, Spitzkoppe, Swakopmund, Sesriem, Bethanie, Fish River Canyon, Orange River, Western Cape, Chobe National Park, Bagani, Okavango Delta
I thought every single day was the best day of my life... Until the next day came along and overtook it, and then the next day and the next...
The Okavango Delta is pure magic. Easily the best place to see wildlife in Africa (and I have been to most of them on Contiki's). Its remote, there are barely any other tourists on safari out there and it felt like we were truly in Africa, experiencing it for how it should be and not a tourist destination to see wildlife. The camping set up there is awesome, you arrive and everything is set up from your tents and bedding, to a fire place to sit around at night, to a dining tent and chill tent on the river to watch elephants come downt to drink in the middle of the day - right in front of us! On the Game Drives we saw lions and even Wild Dogs (Painted Wolf) pups as well as the adults on the hunt. The safari vehicles had fridges to keep the beers cold, charge ports for our phones and a roof to climb on to watch the sunset over the Delta's waterways while lions were calling in the distance.
The Meerkats at the salt pans were amazing to see go about their day without even giving us a glance as we got close for photos and the sunset on the pans where you can see the horizon 360 degrees around you was extra special.
And Chobe was out of this world... That sunset on the river when everyone had left the park but we stayed in it at Contiki Special Campsite, plus the leopard in the tree... Goosebumps...
And I nearly forgot the adrendline and pure adventure of Victoria Falls. Bungeeing, rafting, heli flights, walking safaris... It has everything to get the heart racing but also some activity from sitting on safari vehicles. I guess some of the activities are pricey, but I felt super safe doing everything and would always rather pay a higher price for safety on the adventurous activities. I'd reccomend them all! The accommodation here felt so fancy with swimming pool, the spray of the falls in the distance, elephants drinking at the waterhole in front and out the back you could safely walk into town to do some shopping or exploring...
A trip I could VERY easily do again and again. Every safari drive is different with varying chances of seeing different animals doing different things (drinking/eating/hunting/playing with babies etc etc). Every drive felt special and unique...
The Africa bug has bitten me hard - I cant wait to go back
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Hotel, Lodge, Tent
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe Nati
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta
Set out on a quest for Africa’s legendary wildlife with the "Vic Falls to Kruger" tour, a 9-day road journey from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg. Travelers will experience the thrill of safari in three premier parks—Hwange, Matobo, and Kruger—searching for the Big Five and more. This moderately active group trip also invites you to connect with local culture in a Limpopo province village and discover South Africa’s modern capital. With all accommodations, meals, and transport provided, this tour package combines diverse landscapes, rich traditions, and world-class wildlife viewing. Particularly unique is its blend of top-tier game parks and authentic village interactions, making it a well-rounded trip for anyone passionate about nature and culture.
Road tripWildlife
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Sleeper Bus, Home-stay
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Hw
Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Matobo National Park, Makushu Village, Kruger National Park
It was my first time on a safari with my wife, I was amazed by how many destinations and experiences were included in the package we paid for. You get all your basis covered, access to the parks wildlife, locals and much more!
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Camping
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Arusha, Nairobi, Masai Mara, Tar
Arusha, Nairobi, Masai Mara, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Simba Camp
This was an excellent Safari. The Tour was as described for style and is not for the faint hearted. We observed all of the animals and birdlife you could wish for. This was a real adventure and both my Wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The itinery could do with an update although in the grand scheme of things would not have made much difference.
ExplorerWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Lodge
Age Range
18-75 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Nairobi, Maasai Mara National Re
Nairobi, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Livingstone, Lake Nakuru National Park, Jinja, Eldoret, Arusha, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Bagamoyo, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar, Mikumi National Park, Iringa, Chitimba Beach, Kampala, Kande Beach, Chipata, Lusaka, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Bunyonyi