Privately Guided African Safaris
If you are dreaming of tracking wildlife on foot, capturing magic through your lens or making a real difference through conservation - we'll pair you with a private safari guide who gets you.
This is your journey, crafted just for you - so let's make it unforgettable!
Privately Guided African Safaris
Join us on a journey beyond the ordinary with our privately guided African safaris, tailored to bring you closer to the heart of Africa in comfort, style, and authenticity. We specialize in crafting bespoke itineraries that combine the privacy and flexibility you desire with the highest standards in luxury safari lodges, where every detail from lodgings to meals is curated to enhance your experience.
What is a privately guided Safari ?
A privately guided safari is a fully customized African safari experience where you (and your chosen travel companions, if any) explore the wilderness with your own dedicated professional guide from start to finish—rather than joining a group or relying solely on lodge-based guides.
1. Exclusive Guiding and Vehicles
You have a private specialist guide and a private 4x4 vehicle (or boat, mokoro, etc.), so every game drive, walk, or activity runs on your schedule. There are no mixed groups, so you can linger at a leopard sighting or head back to camp early if you wish.
2. Bespoke Itineraries
Every element of the trip is tailored: destinations, pace, and daily activities are planned around your interests—photography, birding, cultural immersion, or simply maximizing Big Five experiences.
3. Luxury Safari Lodges & Seamless Logistics
Your guide travels with you across camps and luxury safari lodges, ensuring continuity and a consistently high level of service, interpretation, and safety.
4. Depth of Knowledge & Personal Connection
A private guide provides detailed insights into animal behavior, tracking, and ecosystems, creating a richer guided wildlife tour than a standard lodge guide who changes daily. They also manage transfers, park permits, and timing, leaving you free to enjoy the journey.
5. Conservation Travel & Sustainability Focus
Reputable operators weave safari sustainability into the experience—partnering with eco-conscious lodges and supporting local communities—so your travel actively contributes to conservation. A privately guided safari delivers unmatched freedom, privacy, and expert interpretation, making it ideal for travelers seeking a deeply personal, conservation-minded African adventure.
Read our definitive guide to choosing the perfect private safari guide.
Discover what makes a great guide truly unforgettable and how the right one can transform your entire safari experience.
Private African Safari Packages & Tours
If you can dream it up, we can make it happen. Not only that - we can make it happen seamlessly. Our Privately Guided African Safari Packages & Tours are perfectly curated to match you - the below tours are simply inspiration to start the planning process. A Privately Guided Safari Tour is an incredible investment in your experiences and your time. A Private Safari Guide adds immense value to any safari but is often overlooked.
Privately Guided Southern African Safari Experience
12 Nights
From US$ 11,450.00
per person sharing
A journey through Southern Africa from Cape Town’s coast and winelands to Big Five safaris in Klaserie, the wonder of Victoria Falls, and the wildlife-rich Chobe Rive
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Klaserie Private Nature Reserve
- Victoria Falls
- Chobe National Park, Botswana
Privately Guided Botswana Explorer Safari
10 Nights
From US$ 28,187.00
per person sharing
An exclusive privately guided journey through Botswana’s pristine Okavango Delta, combining luxury, adventure, and legendary wildlife encounters.
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Duba Plains Explorer Camp
- Private Safari Vehicle & Specialist Guide
Privately Guided Conservation Experience
7 Nights
From US$ 12,025.00
per person sharing
An immersive Greater Kruger safari that blends hands-on conservation experiences with classic safari comfort and expert-guided exploration. Participate in rhino dehorning, telemetry tracking, and K9 anti-poaching demonstrations
- Manyeleti Private Nature Reserve
- Klaserie Private Nature Reserve
- Greater Kruger, South Africa
What Makes Our Privately Guided Wildlife Tours Exceptional
- Guided Wildlife Tours with a personal touch — your own Private Specialist Guide who understands your pace, interests (photography, birding, Big Five experiences), and priorities.
- Intimate encounters with wildlife — from lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo (the Big Five experiences) to lesser-known mammals and birds, your guide will help you see more than just what’s on the wildlife checklist.
- Cultural Immersion — learn from local communities, experience traditional music, ceremonies, and cuisines, deepen your connection with the land and its custodians.
- Travel with purpose — our safaris are rooted in conservation travel and safari sustainability, focusing on protecting ecosystems, supporting community well-being, and minimizing our environmental impact.
Travel with Purpose
If you are looking to expand your horizons, reduce your carbon footprint and travel ethically - take a look at our privately guided conservation safaris.
Engage with Experts in Conservation as you get a behind the scenes and in depth look at what it really takes to conserve Africa's wild spaces and the wildlife that relies on ethical safari travel.
Start Planning Your Privately Guided Safari Journey Today!
Enjoy a personalized safari experience from start to finish with your own dedicated private guide.
- One guide throughout your journey for true continuity
- Deep local insight and personal connection
- Better travel between destinations and countries
- Tailored experiences designed around your interests
Fill in the convenient enquiry form and an agent will respond to you within one business day
How does a Privately Guided Safari differ from a Regular Safari?
Deeper Insight into Customs and Cultures
A Private Specialist Safari Guide Travels for a living. They experience more destinations, cultures and local customs than a lodge guide. This allows them to share this insight with you when visiting foreign countries
Special Interests
A Private Guide often specializes in a field, like photography, or walking safaris or even conservation safaris. This means if you have a shared interest you have an expert by your side. We match our Private Guides to you to ensure seamless experiences
How to Book a Privately Guided Safari
1
Get hold of us via your preferred channel of
communication. You can chat to us via the website, fill in an enquiry form or book a consultation call directly.
2
Tell us about your dream safari, destination and experiences. If you have been on safari before let us know when and where and what your experience was like - we can then either match it or change it up completely.
3
Let's talk! Once we know a bit more about you, we will schedule a Safari Consultation Call at a time convenient to you. This gives you the opportunity to ask us any questions, or tell us about your bucket list.
4
Sit back and relax. Our team of experts, live and breathe Africa! We personally experience everything we recommend which means we act like safari match makers - giving you the best advice, locations and pricing.
There is a lot of noise on the internet; "Destination Guides", "How to Lists" etc, the list goes on an on. What there is very little of, is human connection. At Martin Meyer Safaris we don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We tailor each and every safari to your needs. Our experience, expertise and passion guide us when pairing you with destinations, locations, guides and experiences. This is not something that AI can generate, it comes from a deep love of the African Continent and an unwavering dedication to share it with unique individuals and not the mass market.
All this while still keeping in line with your budget, is what sets us apart from every other operator out there.
No Obligations, No noise
Just Sound Advice
Meet our Private Guides
Our Approach to Safari Sustainability & Conservation Travel
- We partner with eco-friendly luxury safari lodges that follow best practices in waste, energy use, and community engagement.
- Our guides are carefully selected & trained not only in guiding but also in understanding local conservation challenges and cultural sensitivity.
- With bespoke itineraries, we avoid over-crowding and ensure your safari has minimal ecological footprint.
- Support for local communities: your safari creates direct benefits through employment, purchase of local goods, and cultural exchange.
Start Planning your perfect African Safari!
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for when choosing a Private Safari Guide to ensure my guided wildlife tour is both educational and immersive?
When choosing a private safari guide, look for someone with expert knowledge of local flora and fauna, exceptional tracking and navigation skills, and the ability to share more than just Big Five sightings—inclusive knowledge of ecosystems, conservation issues, and cultural context. Also important: language skills, communication style, ability to customise the tour to your wildlife, photographic, or cultural interests.
How can a bespoke itinerary enhance both luxury safari lodges experience and Big Five experiences?
A bespoke itinerary allows you to choose your lodgings, pace of travel, and wildlife priorities (e.g. spending extra time searching for the Big Five), and to stay in luxury safari lodges that match your preferences (style, amenities, location). Being private and tailored means you can optimise travel time, avoid crowds, and maximise wildlife sightings—all enhancing your Big Five experiences.
In what ways does conservation travel intersect with safari sustainability on a privately guided safari?
Conservation travel means choosing operators, guides, and lodges that actively protect wildlife, support anti-poaching, habitat protection, and local livelihoods. Safari sustainability involves reducing environmental impact (energy, water, waste), respecting local cultures, supporting community projects, and ensuring that your wildlife tours and lodge stays give back. Together they ensure that your safari doesn’t just consume beauty, it helps preserve it.
What kinds of cultural immersion can I expect on a privately guided safari, and how is this different from standard safaris?
On a privately guided safari, cultural immersion might include visiting local villages, engaging with indigenous communities, attending traditional ceremonies or storytelling, cooking local foods, or learning about customs and languages. Because the safari is bespoke, time is built in for authentic, respectful interactions (rather than quick photo stops), and your guide will help interpret cultural cues sensitively.
How much does hiring a Private Specialist Guide add to the cost, and is it worth it for Big Five experiences and tailored wildlife tours?
The fee for a Private Specialist Guide can vary quite a lot depending on region, expertise, and specialisation—anything from ca. US$100 to US$700 per day.
It is generally worth it if you want greater depth in guided wildlife tours, more frequent sightings, personalised wildlife goals (especially Big Five experiences), photographic or birding-focused safaris, or custom schedule and pace that luxury safari lodges cannot always offer. The added cost tends to pay off in richer memories, smoother logistics, and higher overall satisfaction.
