Guidebook to African Bucket List Destinations
Whether it’s navigating a mokoro canoe safari through the winding channels of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, watching the sun rise over the Serengeti National Park, or summiting the snowy peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro—Africa is a wanderluster’s dream.
Here is our list of African bucket list experiences that should be on every bucket list!
Top African Bucket List Activities
See Victoria Falls
Witness the majesty of Victoria Falls! Hailed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders) is the world’s largest sheet of falling water. It can be accessed from both Zambia and Zimbabwe. Visiting Victoria Falls offers an awe-inspiring experience filled with natural beauty, adventure, and cultural insights.
Mokoro Through the Okavango Delta
Experience Botswana’s Okavango Delta as it was meant to be experienced–from a dugout canoe called a mokoro. The Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s largest inland deltas, and known for its richness and diversity of wildlife particularly during the winter months. The poler pushes against the riverbed to move the canoe forward. This method of propulsion is silent and gentle, causing minimal disturbance to the water and wildlife. The quiet movement of a mokoro allows for excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Passengers can often see animals such as hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and a variety of birds up close.
Climb Africa’s Highest Mountain, Kilimanjaro
Summiting Kilimanjaro is a significant personal achievement and an African bucket list item for many adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts. In Ernest Hemmingway’s famous short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”, he describes Africa’s highest peak as “wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun”, a fitting description for the Masai named Ngaje Ngai, or the House of God. The trek offers breathtaking views of the surrounding plains, valleys, and neighboring mountains. The sunrise from the summit, Uhuru Peak, is particularly spectacular.
Table Mountain | South Africa
Taking a cable car up Table Mountain in Cape Town is an iconic and must-do experience for several reasons. The cable car ride offers stunning 360-degree views of Cape Town, the Atlantic Ocean, and the surrounding landscape. The rotating floor of the cable car ensures that all passengers get an unobstructed view. The modern cable cars are spacious and comfortable, accommodating up to 65 passengers per trip. The floor of the cable car rotates, ensuring that all passengers can enjoy the panoramic views during the ride. This unique feature adds to the experience. Table Mountain is part of the Table Mountain National Park, home to unique flora and fauna. Visitors can see a variety of endemic plant species, as well as animals such as rock hyraxes (dassies) and numerous bird species and is a great addition to your African bucket list.
Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater | Tanzania
If Kruger is about the walking safari, then East Africa is where you go to experience the classic, sweeping plains of the Serengeti and the grassy expanse of the Masai Mara. However, visiting the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania for a half day or full day game drive, offers a unique and unforgettable experience due to its remarkable natural beauty, diverse wildlife. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact volcanic caldera. Its formation around two to three million years ago after a large volcano exploded and collapsed on itself makes it a fascinating geological feature.
The Ngorongoro Crater is home to approximately 25,000 large animals, including the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros). The concentration and variety of wildlife make it one of the best places for game viewing.
Witness the Magic of Africa’s Gorillas | Uganda or Rwanda
Anyone who has ever been to Uganda or Rwanda to see the gorillas, will tell you that it’s more than just a picture moment for the travel album–it’s an awe-inspiring experience that brings us face-to-face to our closest animal relatives. This is truly unforgettable and this once-in-a-lifetime experience offers a unique opportunity to observe these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. Mountain gorillas are critically endangered, and seeing them in their natural habitat is a rare and precious experience. The population is estimated at just over 1,000.
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