8 Best African Photo Safaris In 2025

Around this time of year, you may find yourselves scrolling enviously through social media seeing the extravagant holidays of your friends and family while you sit at home. Others may have returned from their vacations and now suffer post-travel blues. There is just one antidote to such ailments: book yourself something exciting for next year!

If you plan your 2025 travel adventure now, you’ll give yourself something to look forward to all year long. And when it comes to wildlife photography, it really doesn’t get much better than Africa. So let us help you by listing some of our best African photo safaris for next year, and invite you to join (at least!) one of them!

Credit: Shari Lee Thompson

1. Botswana Photo Safari

This is a great African photo safari for big cat lovers. This is a weeklong journey through the riverside wilderness of Botswana. Focusing on the Tuli block, this photography safari offers amazing animal-viewing opportunities, astonishing bird-spotting, and healthy populations of lions, leopards and cheetahs to photograph.

Described by Lonely Planet as ‘Botswana’s best-kept secret,’ Tuli Block features vast rocky plains, large river beds lined with giant trees, and clear blue skies, offering world-class wildlife photography opportunities. The area is home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, and numerous bird species, including Meyer’s Parrot and Verreaux Eagles.

You’ll be accompanied by experienced wildlife photographer, Alan Hewitt, who’ll provide personalized instruction helping you to end your trip with a packed portfolio and improved photography skills.

Dates: May 14 – 22, 2025 / July 18 – 24, 2025
Rate: USD 3995
Photography Leader: Alan Hewitt

2. Uganda Wildlife Photography Workshop

This exclusive photo safari in Uganda is one of the best African photo safaris if you’ve ever dreamt of seeing gorillas. Featuring a thrilling gorilla trek where you’ll get to photograph Mountain Gorillas in the wild up close, this trip takes you to some of the continent’s best wildlife photography opportunities.

This ten-day trip starts with a visit to Kibale Forest National Park, home to chimpanzees, various small monkeys, and an abundance of apes. Then, in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you’ll enjoy a more traditional safari experience, encountering large herds of elephants, buffalos, antelopes, and the famous tree-climbing lions .

You’ll also learn techniques for capturing stunning images in diverse environments, from dense forests to open savannahs from wildlife photography expert guide, Emil von Maltritz. You’ll return home with stunning images and a richer understanding of wildlife photography.

Dates: July 18 – 28, 2025
Rate: USD 9995
Photography Leader: Emil von Maltitz

3. Wildlife Photography & Conservation Workshop, Maasai Mara

For those passionate about conservation and photography, this project in the Maasai Mara offers an exhilarating blend of both. With a dual focus on photography and conservation, you’ll end this trip with stunning images and having made impactful contributions to wildlife preservation. This program promises an adventure packed with excitement, education, and the chance to make a real difference.

On this wildlife photography tour, you’ll travel across Kenya’s iconic Maasai Mara. You’ll enjoy quintessential African savannah and an impressive density of wildlife. What makes this one of our favorite African photo safaris of 2025 is the exclusive opportunity to learn about local conservation activities, document crucial conservation efforts, while enjoying some of the very best game viewing on the African continent.
Guided by experts, you’ll learn ethical wildlife photography and advanced conservation techniques, and take your craft with a camera to new heights. You can join for 2 to 6 weeks, and photographers of all levels are welcome.

Dates: July 13 – August 25, 2025
Rates: From USD 3995
Photography Leaders: Hanna Wigart & Sam Turley

4. South Africa Photo Safari

Embark on an unforgettable Big Five photography safari in South Africa’s Timbavati Game Reserve, an area renowned for its exceptional wildlife encounters, and in particular for its incredible leopard sightings. Nestled in a private reserve, surrounded by breathtaking scenery and an abundance of wildlife, this reserve offers the ideal setting for a wildlife photography safari.

Each day, you’ll set out on two 3-hour game drives with expert local guides, in search of the Big Five — lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalos — against the backdrop of this pristine wilderness. Your expert local guides and trackers will navigate the reserve, leading you to the best vantage points and ensuring close-up shots of the elusive leopard and endangered white rhino. You’ll be accompanied by acclaimed wildlife photographer Alan Hewitt, who will offer personal tutoring sessions with every photographer.
This safari is designed to provide the best possible photographic experiences, with game drives timed for optimal light and the best wildlife sightings. You’ll return home with a portfolio of impressive images and improved photography skills.

Dates: July 25 – 31, 2025
Rate: USD 3420
Photography Leader: Alan Hewitt

Credit: Shari Lee Thompson

5. Wildlife Photography and Conservation Program, Victoria Falls

Encounter Africa’s greatest wildlife along the banks of the Zambezi River, only a short distance from the wonder of the world, the Victoria Falls. This is a slightly different type of African photo safari; it lets you not just practice wildlife photography (and improve your skills through tutoring), but also complete photography assignments and conservation jobs that support the important work done there.

This program combines a great introduction to wildlife photography with a twist of some hands-on conservation work. Photographers on this program live and work on a private wildlife reserve bordering Zambezi National Park, home to elephants, lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, and various antelope species. You’ll enjoy unique photographic opportunities, including close-up shots of rescued animals, and assist in the day-to-day running of the sanctuary, taking part in jobs such as snare sweeps and alien plant control.

Dates: Regular start dates
Rates: From USD 2095
Photography Leaders: Evan Skjel & Dennis Mpofu

6. Wildlife Photography Internship, South Africa

For those looking to dive deeper into wildlife photography, this internship in South Africa offers extensive hands-on experience. Residing in a lodge surrounded by rolling savannahs, dense bushveld, and serene waterholes, you’ll spend your extended stay capturing the most majestic of Africa’s wildlife, from the awe-inspiring Big Five to giraffes, zebras, and antelope. Put simply, this is your chance to live and work as a wildlife photographer in one of Africa’s most famous wildlife reserves.

You’ll spend your days venturing on game drives that take you through private game reserves renowned for their high-quality intimate game viewing experiences. You’ll have opportunities to photograph dramatic predator-prey interactions, serene moments of wildlife in their natural habitats, and the striking landscapes that form the backdrop to your images.
Under the expert guidance of a professional wildlife photographer, you’ll delve into advanced techniques tailored to the unique challenges of wildlife photography. Interns will photograph a wide range of species and landscapes, building practical photography skills and an impressive portfolio.

Dates: Regular start dates
Rates: From USD 6455
Photography Leaders: Anique van der Kuil & Thomas Robinson

Credit: Sam Turley

7. Maasai Mara Photo Safari

Experience the essence of Africa with our Maasai Mara Photo Safari, where iconic landscapes and thrilling wildlife encounters await. This trip is your chance to capture a true spectacle of nature, the Great Migration, as you get to know the enchanted land that inspired the Lion King.

The Maasai Mara is the archetypal photo safari destination. The vast, rolling hills and grasslands are teeming with wildlife, offering excellent opportunities to photograph the Big Five against a stunning backdrop. As you explore, you’ll encounter a rich tapestry of animals, from majestic cheetahs and hippos to vibrant bird species. With every drive and click of the shutter, you’ll be capturing Africa’s most extraordinary wildernesses, creating a portfolio of images and memories that will last a lifetime.
As with all our photo safaris, this trip comes with an opportunity to sky-rocket your photography skills too. Guided by professional photographers Alan Hewitt and Kaleel Zibe, you’ll receive expert tuition tailored to all skill levels, from perfecting your camera settings to creative techniques and post-processing.

Dates: August 26 – September 2, 2025
Rate: From USD 7450
Photography Leader: Alan Hewitt

8. Namibia Photo Tour

Travel to the otherworldly landscapes of Northern Namibia and photograph its rare and unique desert-adapted animals on this one-of-a-kind blended landscape and wildlife photography tour. Taking you to the travel gems of Namibia, showing you waterfalls, mountainscapes, and coastlines, while packing in a wealth of wildlife photography action, this tour is a clear contender for the best photography safari 2025.

This tour covers a variety of breathtaking locations, starting with one of Africa’s largest game reserves, Etosha National Park. From there, you’ll explore the rugged terrain of the Kaokoveld region, the impressive Epupa and Ruacana Falls along the gorges of the Kunene River, and Namibia’s highest peak, Brandberg Mountain.

Photographers can expect to capture images of large herds of elephants, big cats, giraffes, kudu, zebra, ostriches, and oryx, as well as desert-adapted giraffes, lions, and elephants. What’s more, traveling in small groups with one instructor for every three participants, you’ll have personalized photography intuition throughout.

Dates: April 24 – May 9,, 2025
Rate: USD 8470
Photography Leader: Emil von Maltitz

Credit: Emil von Maltitz

Book Your Photography Safari for 2025!

Spare yourself the sorrow of wasting your summer break and plan your 2025 photo safari. It means you can spend the rest of the year looking forward to the adventure of a lifetime, exploring the African bush, communing with nature, and creating incredible photography along the way.

If you’re ready to start planning something incredible, get in touch with us to find your ideal safari and book your place.

Browse All Our Available Photography Safaris In 2025