Honeymoon
Safari honeymoon: the best safari and beach trips for two
A safari honeymoon gives you lions at dawn, dinners under the stars and stories you will tell for the rest of your lives. Finish with a week on the beach, and you have one of the most memorable honeymoons in the world.
Picolo Editorial
Picolo's honeymoon guides contain no affiliate links. Our picks are made independently by our editors.
This guide covers where to go on safari, the lodges we recommend, how to add a beach at the end and when to travel. It is part of our best honeymoon destinations series and our guide to honeymoon ideas.
In short: a safari honeymoon
Best for: couples who want adventure first and rest afterwards.
Tanzania: the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, with Zanzibar a short flight away.
Kenya: the Masai Mara and the Great Migration from July to October.
South Africa: Kruger and private reserves, with Cape Town and Mauritius close by.
Zambia and Botswana: Victoria Falls and river safaris on the Chobe and the Zambezi.
Our first choice: a safari in Tanzania in the dry season, then a week on the beach on Zanzibar. Our guide to safari and beach in Zanzibar shows how to put the trip together.
Why a safari honeymoon
A safari is about early mornings, long days in the open and evenings by the fire with the sounds of the bush around you. It is an adventure you share from the first game drive, and it gives your honeymoon a story no beach can match. Most couples spend three or four nights on safari and then a week by the sea, so the trip ends with rest.
Where to go on safari
Tanzania: the Serengeti and Ngorongoro
Tanzania has the Serengeti, where the herds move across the plains, and the Ngorongoro Crater, where the lodges sit on the rim and look down to the crater floor. From Arusha or Kilimanjaro it is a short flight to Zanzibar for the beach. See our Tanzania safari guide.
Kenya: the Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is Kenya's best-known reserve, and from July to October the Great Migration crosses the Mara River. Many couples finish with a few cooler days near Mount Kenya. See our Kenya safari guide and the best time to visit Kenya.
South Africa: Kruger and the private reserves
South Africa combines easy safaris in Kruger and the private reserves around it with wine, food and Cape Town. It is also the easiest safari to combine with Mauritius, a short flight from Johannesburg. See our South Africa safari guide.
Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana: Victoria Falls and Chobe
Victoria Falls and the Chobe River give you elephants on the riverbank, sunset boat cruises and one of the great waterfalls of the world. See our guide to Botswana and Victoria Falls.
Giraffes on the Serengeti in the last light of the day. Photo: Crystal McClernon / Unsplash
Where to stay: six lodges and hotels for a safari honeymoon
Mara Serena Safari Lodge, Kenya
Mara Serena sits on a hill in the Mara Triangle, the western part of the reserve, with views over the plains and the river. It is a quieter part of the Mara, and a good base when the migration is in the area. See our Kenya safari guide.
Kapama River Lodge, South Africa
Kapama is in a private reserve near Hoedspruit, a short drive from the airport. The lodge runs two game drives a day with experienced trackers, and the private reserve means you get close to the animals. See our South Africa safari guide.
Kruger Shalati, South Africa
Kruger Shalati is a hotel in vintage train carriages parked on a railway bridge over the Sabie River at Skukuza. From the rooms and the pool you look straight down to the river and the animals that come to drink.
Royal Livingstone by Anantara, Zambia
The Royal Livingstone sits on the Zambezi just upstream of Victoria Falls, with a deck down to the river and its own path to the falls. In the evening you see the spray rising above the trees. See our guide to Botswana and Victoria Falls.
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town
The pink Mount Nelson stands in large gardens with Table Mountain right behind it, and afternoon tea on the terrace is a Cape Town tradition. A calm place to start or end a South African honeymoon. See our pick of the best hotels in South Africa.
Uzuri Villa, Zanzibar
After the safari, Uzuri Villa on the beach at Jambiani has only three suites and three junior suites, the day's catch for dinner and the sea at the bottom of the garden. We stayed here ourselves. Read our Uzuri Villa review.
Safari and beach in one trip
Tanzania and Zanzibar: a short flight from Arusha or Kilimanjaro takes you from the Serengeti to the beach. See our Zanzibar honeymoon.
South Africa and Mauritius: the flight from Johannesburg to Mauritius takes about four hours. See our Mauritius honeymoon.
Kenya and the Indian Ocean: from Nairobi you can fly on to Zanzibar or the Seychelles.
Mara Serena looks out over the Mara Triangle, the quieter western part of the reserve. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Getting there from London and Oslo
These are Picolo's estimates of the flying time, including one change where there is no common direct route:
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: about 11 hours 30 minutes from London and about 11 hours from Oslo.
Nairobi, Kenya: about 8 hours 30 minutes from London and about 10 hours from Oslo.
Johannesburg, South Africa: about 11 hours from London and about 13 hours from Oslo.
When to go
June to October is the dry season in East Africa and the best time for a safari in Tanzania and Kenya, when the grass is short and the animals gather by the water. The Great Migration usually reaches the Masai Mara from July. In South Africa, May to September is the dry winter, the best time to see wildlife in Kruger. See honeymoon destinations in June, July, August and September.
Plan the rest of your honeymoon
More safaris: our guide to safari holidays compares the countries in more detail.
Choose the beach: the Maldives, Mauritius or the Seychelles helps you pick the ocean.
Plan the trip: plan your honeymoon covers budget, length and booking step by step.
Our pick in South Africa
Kruger Shalati: a train on a bridge over the Sabie River
Kruger Shalati is one of the most unusual places to stay on safari: vintage train carriages parked on a railway bridge over the Sabie River at Skukuza, inside Kruger National Park. The rooms have large windows over the bush, and from the deck and the pool you look straight down to the river, where the animals come down to drink. It is the place we recommend for a safari honeymoon in South Africa.
Our verdict
What Picolo chooses: three or four nights on safari in Tanzania, then a week at Uzuri Villa or another small hotel on Zanzibar. For South Africa, Kruger Shalati or Kapama, then Cape Town or Mauritius.
Why: the safari gives you the adventure and the beach gives you the rest, and both routes connect with short flights.
The trade-off: a safari means early mornings, long drives and small planes, and the best lodges cost the most in the dry season, so book well ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Is a safari good for a honeymoon?
Yes, if you like adventure. A safari gives you shared experiences from the very first morning, and most couples combine it with a week on the beach so the trip ends with rest. Tanzania with Zanzibar and South Africa with Mauritius are the easiest combinations.
Which country is best for a safari honeymoon?
Tanzania is our first choice, with the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar a short flight away. Kenya is best for the Great Migration in the Masai Mara, and South Africa is the easiest to combine with Cape Town and Mauritius. Choose by the month you travel and the beach you want afterwards.
How many days do you need for a safari honeymoon?
Plan on three or four nights on safari and a week on the beach, about ten to twelve nights in all. That gives you several game drives without getting tired, and enough time by the sea to rest. With less time, choose South Africa, where the reserves are easy to reach.
When is the best time for a safari honeymoon?
June to October is the best time for a safari in Tanzania and Kenya, during the dry season. The Great Migration usually reaches the Masai Mara from July. In South Africa, May to September is the best time for wildlife in Kruger, while Cape Town is at its best from November to March.
Sources
This guide builds on Picolo's guides to safaris in Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and Botswana, our own stay at Uzuri Villa on Zanzibar, and the hotels' own information. The lodges are checked against their information on Hotels.com. The flying times are Picolo's estimates. Check the times with the airlines before you book. Last checked: 4 November 2026.
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