Private safaris and group joining safaris are the two main ways to explore Kenya and Tanzania with Africa Events & Incentives, and the one you pick shapes your budget, comfort, and flexibility. This guide compares them side by side so you can choose the right fit.
What Is a Group Joining Safari?
On a group joining safari, you share the safari vehicle and the guide’s services with a maximum of 6 clients (budget camping) or 7 clients (en-suite accommodation). Everyone gets a window seat. Itineraries cannot be customized, and daily timings are fixed throughout the tour.
Accommodation can be customized to a certain extent for some nights. Group joining safaris are cheaper than the corresponding private safaris.
We offer private safaris throughout the year. Group joining safaris run on select dates between June to October and December to February in Tanzania, and throughout the year in Kenya.
What Is a Private Safari?
On a private safari, the vehicle and guide are reserved exclusively for your party. You have the whole vehicle to yourselves, plus the guide’s undivided attention, for a more informative and personalized experience.
Your guide can customize the itinerary, accommodation and daily game drive timings to a reasonable extent to suit your party’s needs.
Private Safaris vs Group Joining Safaris: Key Differences
Who Each Safari Suits
Group joining safaris are geared towards backpackers, solo travelers, couples on a tight budget, and people who want to meet different people and cultures. Most clients are young adults in their 20s and 30s.
Private safaris suit travelers who want a more comfortable tour, have preferences for specific parks, wildlife or accommodation, have special requests, or simply want a more relaxed experience.
Itinerary Customization
Group joining itineraries are fixed. We currently offer group joining tours in Tanzania and Kenya lasting 2 to 8 days.
Private safaris can be any length, from 1 to 30+ days, and we can build a custom itinerary around your preferences.
Tour Availability
Group joining safaris are offered on select dates in Tanzania but all year round in Kenya. Each vehicle carries a maximum of 7 clients, so group tours can fill up close to departure dates.
A private safari can start on any date of the year for any number of clients. Some accommodations book out in advance, and in that case we offer alternatives.
Safari Vehicle and Guide
Both safari types use a 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof, seating up to 7 clients plus the driver. For smaller groups (1 to 3 travelers), we sometimes provide a shorter Land Cruiser that seats up to 5 clients and a driver.
Your guide will be an English-speaking, professionally trained wildlife guide. On group joining safaris, your vehicle and guide may change midway depending on the itinerary. All vehicles and guides are arranged directly by Africa Events & Incentives and are not outsourced to third parties. On private safaris there is usually no need to change vehicle or guide.
Pick-up on Day 1
For group joining safaris, pick-up is offered from any location in Arusha or Nairobi between 6:00 and 8:30 AM. The exact time depends on the itinerary and cannot be altered. The estimated time is given in your itinerary, and we advise arriving a day early to rest.
Pick-up may be in a safari Land Cruiser or a regular transfer vehicle. If it’s a transfer vehicle in Arusha, you’ll move into a Land Cruiser before entering the national park.
For private safaris, pick-up is at an agreed time from any Arusha or Nairobi hotel, between 5:00 and 10:00 AM based on your preference. You’re collected in the same Land Cruiser you’ll use for the whole safari, with your guide.
Delays in Pick-up
Group joining safaris collect clients from different points, so one client’s delay affects everyone. Please keep strictly to the timings from your briefing manager. The pick-up vehicle can wait a maximum of 20 minutes and may depart on the operations manager’s call.
If that happens, you may pay for a separate transfer, upgrade to a private safari for an additional fee, or reschedule to the next available date (rescheduling fees apply).
On a private safari the vehicle is exclusively yours, so we can wait longer. An extreme delay could still cost you the Day 1 game drives, as game drives are only allowed between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM in all parks and reserves.
Game Drive Duration
Group joining safaris involve about 7 to 9 hours of travel per day, including pick-ups, game drives and drop-offs. This cannot be customized. Where clients in one vehicle stay at different nearby accommodations, expect about 20 extra minutes of driving before and after game drives.
Private safari timings are flexible and follow your interests. Each evening your guide will discuss the next day’s plan with you.
Accommodation
Group joining safaris use a fixed set of default accommodations, usually lower priced but of good standard. Their names are listed in your quotation. In some locations you can pay extra to upgrade to a higher-tier property within a 20-minute drive of the default one. Upgrades must be confirmed at booking.
If a default property is unavailable, we book a similar-tier property nearby and tell you before booking.
Private safaris offer a wide choice, from budget camping to high-end luxury lodges.
Add-on Activities
Some activities, such as hot air balloon safaris and Maasai village visits, are possible on group joining safaris. Others, like hiking, may not be feasible because the whole group follows one schedule.
On a private safari you can add activities at extra cost, such as a Maasai village visit, a trip to Olduvai Gorge, a balloon safari, canoeing (Lake Manyara and Arusha National Park), hiking and cycling.
Meeting New People
Sharing a Land Cruiser on a group joining safari lets you make friends and learn about other cultures as well as the African wilderness. Group composition can change over the trip, since some clients leave after shorter tours while others join for overlapping days.
On a private safari you can still meet other guests in the evenings at your accommodation, but there is less opportunity than on a group tour.
Luggage
Group joining clients should bring only one bag or backpack each. Extra luggage inconveniences fellow travelers and can crowd the seating area if it doesn’t fit in the boot.
Luggage is rarely an issue on private safaris, except with bush flights or a full vehicle of seven clients.
Safari Decorum
Group joining clients are asked to keep to timings, be considerate of fellow travelers and the guide, and not monopolize the guide’s attention. All clients get window seats but should rotate between the front and back rows by mutual agreement. The guide settles any seating disputes.
Private safaris don’t have these issues, though we ask all clients to respect local people, cultures, laws and regulations.
Which Is Better: Private Safari or Group Joining Safari?
Group joining safaris give good value for money for solo travelers and for couples saving on costs, though they offer less privacy.
If you want extra comfort, convenience and your own schedule, choose a private safari. We recommend private safaris for travelers with children, family members or elderly companions, and for wildlife photographers, because they offer far more flexibility.
Plan Your Safari With Africa Events & Incentives
Ready to compare options? Browse our Kenya safari deals or resident packages, or contact our team to tailor a private safari. For park rules and conservation information, see the Kenya Wildlife Service.
