Best Places to Go in Africa in 2026

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Putting together a list of the best places to go in Africa in 2026 is no easy feat.

While Europe has its stunning buildings, ancient places, and magnificent mountains, in Africa, you’ll find all of this and more, minus the extravagant prices and thronging crowds that make even the biggest spaces feel small.

Once a continent reserved for the brave few who dared to rough it, Africa has become increasingly more accessible to travellers of all kinds, and it is a particularly wonderful place for luxury travellers.

Staying out in the bush, in just about the middle of nowhere, but still enjoying spa treatments, gourmet food and 5-star hospitality, all while watching a herd of elephants drinking water at the dam across from your balcony, is an experience no other place can offer.

Travelling to Africa in 2026 is set to be all about refined experiences, calm safaris and fresh perspectives.

2026 is the year to expect the unexpected, a year to go into your travels with wide-eyed wonder, and to go with the flow.

And in this list of the best places to go in Africa in 2026, you’ll find the countries and their destinations that will allow you to do just that.

What is the best country to visit in 2026?

Every year, Africa has a tourist boom.

And that’s because Africa always has the power to surprise.

In every corner of the continent, you’ll find something to see, feel, and experience; not from the outside, but as though you’re fully part of the experience.

No matter which country you choose to visit in Africa in 2026, you’ll come across incredible people, varied landscapes, often filled with wildlife, and the most magnificent plants.

From the shifting sands in the Sahara and the Namib, to the exquisite emerald valleys of Zambia and the delta of Botswana, Africa reminds us that a holiday is, in a way, a living thing.

It teaches us, it gives us the space to breathe, and it leaves us totally changed.

As 2026 approaches, a year already stirring with possibilities, travellers like you are looking outward with the same sense of curiosity and awe that has guided adventurers for generations.

The world is vast, but the invitation to explore it is closer than it has ever been, especially if you are planning a trip to Africa.

Our Choice of the Best Places to Go in Africa in 2026

Although it is difficult, if we could only choose a few of the best places to go in Africa in 2026, it’s these:

South Africa

Go for the wildlife and the stunning weather, and stay for the luxury, quiet retreats

South Africa is a familiar name for lists like this, but for the coming year, we’re giving it a number 1 spot on our list of the best places to go in Africa in 2026.

Usually, the biggest draw, the one thing that persuades travellers to make that booking, is the wildlife.

South Africa has some of the world’s very best game reserves.

These include public parks like the Kruger National Park, and upmarket, luxury reserves like Sabi Sands, and in these parks you can see the Big 5, as well as endangered animals during guided game drives, and you can stay in some remarkable accommodation.

But South Africa is not on our list of the best places to go in Africa in 2026 because of its safaris.

It’s earned the top spot for its lesser-known, exclusive and quiet retreats.

Just a short drive out of the busy city of Cape Town, you’ll find the Cape Winelands. A series of old-world wine farms on sprawling estates, the area has become a hub for boutique country-style quiet lodges and guesthouses, where travellers can relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Botswana

Go for the Okavango Delta, and stay for the remoteness.

It’s so easy to lose yourself in the beauty of Botswana.

The country is one of Africa’s greatest strongholds for elephants, big cats, and rare species, all protected through some of the most successful conservation policies on the continent.

The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is usually the reason travellers come here, as there’s no other place where your safari takes place on a mokoro and glides through water channels, floodplains, and past game-dense islands.

But Botswana isn’t on our list for the best places to go in Africa in 2026 because of its wildlife alone.

It earns its place for its secluded, ultra-exclusive retreats.

The lodges are usually hidden deep within private concessions, and the guest numbers are purposefully kept low, making the experience ultra-exclusive.

Tanzania

Go for the Great Migration, and stay for the city of Arusha.

Each year, from around May to August, travellers flock to Tanzania to see the Great Migration.

Watching over 2 million wildebeest, zebra and other plains game antelope, stampede through the Serengeti-Mara, risking life and limb to cross the croc-infested Grumeti and Mara Rivers, while dodging lions and other predators, is a sight worth seeing

But it’s not the only reason why you should book a trip to Tanzania.

Arusha is probably a city you’ve never heard of, but after you read this, you’ll wish you had sooner.

Set at the foot of Mount Meru and surrounded by aromatic coffee farms and forests, Arusha is the kind of city that even surprises travellers who think they already know Tanzania.

Arusha is quickly becoming one of the best places to go in Africa in 2026, and aside from it being a city of forest hotels (Arusha sits right on the edge of a rainforest), it is also a gateway to Tanzania’s most iconic natural wonders.

Arusha serves as the starting point for safaris into the legendary Serengeti National Park, the wildlife-rich Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the dramatic landscapes of Tarangire National Park.

In the city itself, travellers can explore the country’s cultures, and in October 2026, they will be able to visit Dr. Jane’s Dream: The Goodall Centre for Hope, which will be within the renowned Cultural Heritage Centre.

Gabon

Go for the wildlife safaris, and stay for the isolation.

We won’t blame you if you’ve never heard of or know very little about Gabon.

This tiny country central African nation is shaping up to be one of the best places to go in Africa in 2026, thanks to a wave of new, world-class, almost isolated eco-lodges.

Those who have travelled to the country in the past are usually entranced by the nation’s pristine wilderness destinations, like Loango National Park, which is known as “Africa’s Last Eden”, a place of coastal lagoons, forests, gorillas, forest elephants, and chimpanzees.

There’s plenty of development happening in Gabon’s tourism industry, and in January 2026, a brand-new tented camp on the iconic Iguela Lagoon will open to travellers, giving them the opportunity to enjoy some of the best wildlife encounters.

Gabon is one place where you can feel a real sense of isolation, the kind that is enlightening and freeing, rather than frightening.

Namibia

Go for the desert, and stay for the northern attractions.

Namibia is a country often described as a moonscape, with its lunar-like mountains and undulating desert sands being huge and mostly devoid of life.

Out in those vast expanses and with such a small local population, Namibia is just the place to both lose and find yourself again.

Although places like Sossusvlei and the pans of Etosha have long been part of the main attractions of this striking destination, in 2026, it is the northern reaches that will be calling out to travellers.

The north of the country is known for being greener and, in some places, abundant with wildlife.

This area makes for a refreshing break from the hot and dry desert, and with its water-based safaris, it is just the place for a unique getaway.

Zimbabwe

Go for the Victoria Falls, but stay for the new range of luxury lodges.

If you haven’t picked up the travel vibes for the best places to go in Africa in 2026 yet, let’s remind you.

This coming year is all about laidback, calm and quiet holidays where you leave the rush at the airport and spend the rest of your time taking in every moment, at your own pace.

The year will also be about luxury stays, and that is just the kind of experience you’ll have when staying at one of the new luxury lodges at the Victoria Falls.

The Victoria Falls are the main attraction in Zimbabwe, and nothing will outshine them.

But even if you’ve seen it before, the new lodges are giving guests a whole new vantage point from which to admire the cascades, along with the most luxurious treatment.

Africa is easily one of the world’s most rewarding destinations. And if your soul is calling for an authentic holiday where the crowds never reach, these best places to go to in Africa in 2026.

In 2026, we dare you to be adventurous.