National parks in Africa are some of the largest in the world – as well as the most spectacular.
Most of them have been created over the past century to help safeguard the continent’s wildlife from habitat destruction and poaching. Known for their natural beauty and diverse wildlife, Africa’s national parks have become premier safari destinations for increasing numbers of travellers in recent decades.
The page below details our picks of the very best national parks in Africa for wildlife spotting, with a focus on the top African safari spots of East and Southern Africa. (There are also some Indian and Sri Lankan national parks listed as these countries provide alternative safari activities and wildlife spotting opportunities of a high standard.)
The nature of the parks listed varies considerably in terms of the degree of accessibility and protection, the number of tourists, and the type of environment. This is something to bear in mind whilst researching which national parks you might want to visit on your next safari.
Africa’s best national parks for wildlife
Amboseli National Park
Crowned by Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is one of Kenya’s most popular parks. The name “Amboseli” comes from the Maasai language and means ‘salty dust’… peffect for those large herds of elephants that roam the park.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park lies in northern Botswana, bordering the Okavango Delta. It was the first national park to be established in the country and has one of the best concentrations of game in Africa.
Etosha National Park
A classic African national park – with excellent visitor facilities – housing the “big five” and much more in plains surrounding the huge central pan.
Kruger National Park
The centrepiece of South African national parks, Kruger National Park has a worldwide reputation as offering one of the best wildlife experience… and a great chance to spot the big five.
Lake Nakuru National Park
The stunning Lake Nakuru National Park is on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by bushy grasslands and woods. There are 56 species of mammals in the park, but the star show are the thousands of flamingos.
Namib Naukluft National Park
The oldest desert on earth, probably the most beautiful. In Namib Naukluft National Park giant dunes tower 300 meters into the air, and pockets of dried-out lakes serve as sporadic homes to forests of thousand-year-old dead trees. In a word, epic!
Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya’s most celebrated wildlife reserve is sandwiched between several other parks and reserves, so part of a much larger East African ecosystem – and a critical checkpoint for the Great Wildebeest Migration between July and October each year.
Parc National des Volcan
One of the best places in the world to see wild gorillas is without a doubt Parc National des Volcan – 160 km sq. of dense, wet jungle on the upper reaches of towering volcanos. It’s a long,sweaty walk to the very top of these peaks, but the reward is getting to see several fmailies of wild. habituated mountain gorillas.
Lake Manyara National Park
The park is dramatically marked off at its entrance by lush green vegetation, consisting of tall trees providing a home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. Further through the forest opens into woodlands and swamps beyond the soda lake itself.
Serengeti National Park
Declared a Game Reserve in 1929, the Serengeti National Park offer some of the greatest concentrations of plain animal left on earth. The vast plains are the centre of the Serengeti ecosystem, and today cover 14,762km sq, around the size of Northern Ireland.
Tsavo East & West
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National parks by country
Select a country below to read an in-depth review of its national parks, as well as maps, pictures, and links to further resources such as official tourism and park authorities.
Botswana
Aside from it’s many national parks – including Savuti – Botswana is renown worldwide for the Okavango Delta region in the north of the country, providing water and supporting an incredible array of African wildlife. All national parks in Botswana are run by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), based in Gaborone.
Kenya
Kenyan national parks include the world-famous Masai Mara and Amboseli National Parks – which can be uncomfortably heaving with tourists in January and February. Kenya has plenty of smaller, out of the way national parks, such as Hell’s Gate national park – that see only a trickle of visitors year-round.
Malawi
Whilst not as popular as it’s large East and Southern African neighbors, Malawi still offers comparable game viewing. The best time of the year for visiting national parks in Malawi is between August and November in dry season.
Mozambique
There are six national parks in Mozambique, including one off shore and one coastal park. Whilst they don’t have large amounts of game on offer to view, it’s an extremely peaceful and low-level tourist destination, and has some of the best marine parks in Africa nestled in the stunning Indian Ocean coast.
Namibia
Namibia is an enormous country, and one with large tracts given over to national parks. This gives Namibia the impressive status of being the country with the highest ratio of animals to humans in the world: In short, Namibia’s national parks are fantastic places to visit for safaris and wildlife watching. Highlights include: Etosha, Fish River Canyon, Namib Naukluft, Sperrgebiet, and Skeleton Coast national parks.
Rwanda
Rwandan national parks tend to focus on gorilla safaris, though there are also opportunities to hang out with habituated chimps, and the very rare golden monkey when taking a safari in Rwanda. As Rwanda’s a very small country there are just 3 national parks – including Nyungwe and Parc National des Volcans – all of which hug it’s borders with the neighboring countries.
South Africa
South Africa has a wealth of national parks covering around 3% of the total area of the country – over 35,000km sq. Most national parks in South Africa are easily accessible with good infrastructure and facilities, and can be visited in 2WD cars as self drive. Highlights include the world’famous Kruger national park, as well as Addo Elephant park. Parks and all facilities within them are managed by South Africa National Parks.
Tanzania
From Rubondo Island national park in Lake Victoria in the north, to mountainous chimp-filled forests around Lake Tanganika in the west, to the world-reknown Serengeti and Ngorogoro parks, and adjoining Lake Manyara, there’s plenty to see in Tanzania. And if it’s the big 5 you’re after, there are plenty of national parks to spot them when on safari in Tanzania.
Uganda
As well as the big five, Uganda is home to more than half the world’s remaining mountain gorilla, and plenty of chimps. It’s also recognized as one of the best places for bird spotting in the world. Most national parks in Uganda have a good range of accommodation, and the parks are easily accessible, making Uganda a great place for a safari.
Zambia
Zambia boasts 19 national parks across the country, with many enduring decades of poaching and habitat. However, a handful of national parks are jam-packed with wildlife and offer some of the best game viewing in Southern Africa. South Luangwa National Park is unparalleled in Zambia for scenery and variety and density of animals.
Zimbabwe
Hwange National Park is the jewel in the crown of Zimbabwe’s national parks – covering the largest area (14,650 sq km) and holding the most wildlife, including over 30,000 elephants. Across the countries’s national parks Zimbabwe is the premier destination in the world to see huge elephant herds and black rhinos.