loading spinner
South Africa/Zambia/Botswana

Lions, Hippos & Zebras, Oh My! An African Safari With Your Family

Program No. 20948RJ
Search for amazing animals in their natural habitat, make friends with rescued elephants and learn to track wildlife as you explore South Africa, Botswana and Zambia with your family.

Enroll with Confidence

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more

Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Age 10 - 17
ROOMING OPTION PRICING
The figures below indicate the rooming options available.
DATES
Jun 25 - Jul 8, 2024
Per Adult
7,899
Per Child
7,099
Select
Jun 25 - Jul 8, 2024
-
7,899
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
8,199
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
Select Date
Jul 5 - Jul 18, 2024
Per Adult
7,899
Per Child
7,099
Select
Jul 5 - Jul 18, 2024
-
7,899
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
8,199
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
Select Date
Jul 12 - Jul 25, 2024
Per Adult
7,899
Per Child
7,099
Select
Jul 12 - Jul 25, 2024
-
7,899
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
8,199
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
Select Date
Filling Fast!
Jul 16 - Jul 29, 2024
Per Adult
7,899
Per Child
7,099
Select
Jul 16 - Jul 29, 2024
-
7,899
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
8,199
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
Limited Space
Jul 19 - Aug 1, 2024
Per Adult
7,899
Per Child
7,099
Select
Jul 19 - Aug 1, 2024
-
7,899
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
8,199
/ Adult
7,099
/ Child
SOLD OUT

At a Glance

Picture it: Giraffes quietly grazing on leaves. Zebras basking in the warm sun. Cape buffalo staring at you with curiosity. And a wildlife expert teaching you about it all! Talk about the most amazing classroom of all time!! Alongside your family, you’ll step right into the “Lion King,” as you search for big cats on safaris through protected reserves. From experts, you’ll even learn what it takes to survive in the African wild as you get up close to the largest animal that calls this place home – an elephant!
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles daily over uneven and potentially slippery terrain. Game drives over bumpy, dusty terrain in open safari vehicles. Elevations of 5,575 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Test your tracking skills both on foot and on expert-led game drives as you search for lions, rhinos, leopards and more.
  • Grab your binoculars and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife during a sunset boat ride on the Zambezi River.
  • Fall in love with Victoria Falls – one of the largest waterfalls on Earth!

General Notes

This is a Family program for participants, their adult children and grandchildren ages 10 and up. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Helen Malisan
Helen Malisan’s passion for exploration began in high school when she visited Italy, her ancestral country. After completing her final year at school, she immediately joined South African Airways where she worked for 10 years. In 1993, her love for nature and South Africa inspired her to complete the necessary courses to become a wilderness excursion leader, spurring her career as a safari leader in Namibia and Zambia. Helen says her interest in people, nature and animals inspires her work.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Helen Malisan
Helen Malisan View biography
Helen Malisan’s passion for exploration began in high school when she visited Italy, her ancestral country. After completing her final year at school, she immediately joined South African Airways where she worked for 10 years. In 1993, her love for nature and South Africa inspired her to complete the necessary courses to become a wilderness excursion leader, spurring her career as a safari leader in Namibia and Zambia. Helen says her interest in people, nature and animals inspires her work.
Profile Image of Lisa Reed
Lisa Reed was born in Zimbabwe, spent her school years in South Africa, and now lives in Botswana. She has worked or visited most Southern and East African safari destinations, and has managed safari camps on her own and with others since being in Botswana. Lisa has a natural affinity with adults and children, and enjoys passing on her years of experience and knowledge to the next generation. She has been leading safaris for Road Scholar for more than 15 years.
Profile Image of Keith Chisnall
Keith Chisnall View biography
A local of northern Zimbabwe, Keith Chisnall relishes in showing the bush culture to travelers from around the world. As a child, Keith learned the medicinal value of bush plants, how to track animals, tribal customs and the indigenous flora and fauna, and his knowledge has only grown since then. He’s worked as an engineer, salesman and detective, but his most meaningful work has been in leading educational adventures. After over 20 years of experience leading groups in “Big Five” territory, you can rely on Keith to explain every aspect and every detail of the wilderness!
Profile Image of Chris Chiparaushe
Chris Chiparaushe View biography
Chris Chiparaushe was born in Zimbabwe and exposed to the bush from an early age when he herded cattle with his grandfather over school holidays. He learned a lot about animals, birds and plants from his grandfather, and knew from an early age that he wanted to work in hospitality. He studied tourism management in Victoria Falls and has been a professional leader since 1998. He is especially passionate about birding and astronomy and loves teaching travelers about Southern Africa’s rich history and culture.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Long Walk to Freedom
by Nelson Mandela
An unpretentious tale of an extraordinary life. Mandela recounts the circumstances of his imprisonment and ultimately his successful drive to end Apartheid.
The Big Conservation Lie
by John Mbaria, Mordecai Ogada
This book takes the reader through Kenya’s conservation ‘industry’ and the players therein with all their prejudices, weaknesses and commitment to causes. It is a call to indigenous Africans to claim their place at the table where the management of their natural resources is being discussed, and invites well-meaning donors to look beyond the romantic images and detect the possible role of their money in the disenfranchisement of a people.
It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers)
by Trevor Noah
Adapted for ages 10 and up, Trevor Noah gives a harrowing look at life in South Africa under apartheid and country's lurching entry into a post-apartheid reality. Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and is the current host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show on Comedy Central.
Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales Of A Botswana Safari Guide
by Peter Allison
These safari stories are entertaining, humorous and educational. Enjoy true tales from top safari guide Peter Allison.
The Safari Companion
by Richard Estes
An encyclopedic guide to the behavior of Africa’s mammals by a noted scientist.
The Last Elephants
by Colin Bell & Don Pinnock
African savanna elephants--among the most magnificent and beloved of our fellow mammals--are an extraordinary, social, and intelligent species. The Last Elephants, an homage to these animals and a clarion call for their preservation, is based upon a shocking finding: savanna elephant populations across Africa are being decimated, with two to three murdered every hour for their ivory. Without action, these elephants soon will vanish from our world. They are a species in imminent danger of extinction, and it is up to us to save them.
David Livingstone: African Explorer
by John Tiner
As one of the greatest explorers who ever lived, Livingstone's exciting exploits in Africa tell a story of unsurpassed courage and determination. Recommended for ages 10 - 14 years.
Cry, the Beloved Country
by Alan Paton
Considered one of the greatest works in South African literature, Cry, the Beloved Country details the state of racial affairs in South Africa through the story of a Zulu pastor, Stephen Kumalo, and the search for his son in Johannesburg who is accused of murdering the white social reformer Arthur Jarvis. Written before the implementation of the apartheid system, nevertheless, the novel would continue to carry profound resonance as a proxy for lessons concerning apartheid-era South Africa. Cry, the Beloved Country is a cry for South Africa; a cry for its land, people, and the hope for its freedom from hatred, fear, and poverty.
Southern Africa Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide
by Mike Unwin
A popular, photographic guide to the mammals, birds, reptiles and habitats south of the Zambezi. With 300 color photographs and illuminating text.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah
A harrowing look at life in South Africa under apartheid and country's lurching entry into a post-apartheid reality told through the prism of Trevor Noah and his family. Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and is the current host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show on Comedy Central.
Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book
by The Nelson Mandela Foundation
The fantastic, heroic life of Nelson Mandela is brought to life in this graphic work. Nelson Mandela's "Long Road to Freedom" electrified the world in 1994 with the story of a solitary man who, despite unbelievable hardships, brought down one of the most despised regimes in the world. Fifteen years after the publication of the "Long Road to Freedom" comes this fully authorized graphic biography, relaying in picture form the life story of the world's greatest moral and political hero. Recommended for ages 10-14 years old.
Out of Darkness, Shining Light
by Petina Gappah
So begins Petina Gappah's powerful novel of exploration and adventure in nineteenth-century Africa—the captivating story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary Dr. Livingstone's body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there.
Lonely Planet Southern Africa
by Anthony Ham
This hefty practical guide to the nine nations of southern Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland (Eswatini), Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho, is ideal for independent travelers on a multi-country tour.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.