100 Best Things to do in Africa (Ultimate Bucket List for 2026)

Africa is not a single destination — it’s a continent of contrasts, where vast deserts meet lush rainforests, ancient civilisations sit beside modern cities, and wildlife still roams freely across iconic savannahs. From world-famous safari experiences to hidden cultural gems, this is your ultimate guide to the best things to do in Africa.

This bucket list covers wildlife, adventure, culture, beaches, landscapes, and history across the continent. I have done several of them but the rest remain on my bucket list for now.

100 Best Things to Do in Africa

Iconic Safari & Wildlife Experiences

Elephants in Chobe National Park

1. Witness the Great Migration — Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
2. Safari in the Serengeti — Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
3. See gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest — Uganda
4. Spot the Big Five in Kruger National Park — South Africa
5. See chimpanzees in Kibale Forest — Uganda
6. Track cheetahs in the Kalahari — Botswana / Namibia
7. Watch lions hunting in the Okavango Delta — Botswana
8. See flamingos at Lake Nakuru — Kenya
9. Visit Lake Bogoria flamingos — Kenya
10. See hippos in Liwonde National Park — Malawi
11. Watch wild dogs in Ruaha National Park — Tanzania
12. Watch elephants in Chobe National Park — Botswana
13. Visit David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust — Nairobi, Kenya
14. See lemurs in Berenty Reserve — Madagascar
15. Spot Ethiopian wolves in the Bale Mountains — Ethiopia

Deserts, Landscapes & Natural Wonders

Sossusvlei and Deadvlei

1. Feel the mist at Victoria Falls — Zambia / Zimbabwe
2. See the Blyde River Canyon, the greenest canyon in the world — South Africa
3. Explore the Sahara Desert by camel — Morocco
4. Watch sunrise over Sossusvlei dunes — Namibia
5. Stargaze in the Namib Desert — Namibia
6. Visit Fish River Canyon — Namibia
7. Explore the Blue Nile Gorge — Ethiopia
8. Visit the Ngorongoro Crater — Tanzania
9. Hike the Drakensberg Mountains — South Africa / Lesotho
10. Enjoy the views at the Cape of Good Hope, the edge of Africa — South Africa
11. Go to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa

Beaches, Islands & Coastal Escapes

Anse Source D'Argent

1. Sunbathe on Diani Beach — Kenya
2. Explore Zanzibar's beaches — Tanzania
3. Relax at Anse Source d'Argent — La Digue, Seychelles
4. Visit the Bazaruto Archipelago — Mozambique
5. Discover Mnemba Island — Tanzania
6. Explore the Quirimbas Archipelago — Mozambique
7. Swim in Lake Malawi — Malawi
8. Visit Watamu beaches — Kenya
9. Enjoy 5-star luxury on Mauritius Island — Mauritius
10. Explore the Cape Verde Islands — Cape Verde

History, Culture & Ancient Civilisations

The Pyramids of Giza

1. Explore the pyramids of Giza — Egypt
2. Discover the Valley of the Kings — Luxor, Egypt
3. Walk through the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela — Ethiopia
4. Visit the ancient obelisks of Aksum — Ethiopia
5. Explore Great Zimbabwe ruins — Zimbabwe
6. Visit the ruins of Carthage — Tunisia
7. Discover Leptis Magna — Libya
8. Explore Timbuktu — Mali
9. Visit Gorée Island — Senegal
10. Tour the Kigali Genocide Memorial — Rwanda

Cities, Markets & Cultural Experiences

Market in Marrakech

1. Walk the Marrakech medina — Morocco
2. Explore the tanneries of Fez — Morocco
3. Visit Chefchaouen, the Blue City — Morocco
4. Discover Stone Town — Zanzibar, Tanzania
5. Explore the museums of Addis Ababa — Ethiopia
6. Visit the markets of Nairobi — Kenya
7. Explore Kampala's city markets — Uganda
8. Discover the medina of Tunis — Tunisia
9. Visit Dakar's arts scene — Senegal

Adventure Activities

Mount Kilimanjaro (cc: Sergey Pesterev)

1. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro — Tanzania
2. Bungee jump off Bloukrans Bridge — South Africa
3. White-water raft the Zambezi River — Zambia / Zimbabwe
4. Paraglide over the Atlas Mountains — Morocco
5. Hot air balloon safari over the Masai Mara — Kenya
6. Kite-surf at Dakhla Lagoon — Morocco
7. Surf at Jeffreys Bay — South Africa
8. Kayak the Okavango Delta — Botswana
9. Trek Mount Toubkal — Morocco

Hidden Gems & Unique Experiences

The Golden Rhino - Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (cc: Wikimedia Commons)

1. Explore Lake Bunyonyi — Uganda
2. Visit Lake Turkana — Kenya
3. Discover the stilt villages of Lake Nokoué — Benin
4. Explore Ilha de Moçambique — Mozambique
5. Visit Swakopmund — Namibia
6. Explore Virunga National Park — DR Congo
7. Visit Volcanoes National Park — Rwanda
8. Discover Olduvai Gorge — Tanzania
9. Explore Mapungubwe heritage site — South Africa
10. Visit Sidi Bou Said — Tunisia

Scenic Drives, Rail & Epic Journeys

Rovos Rail in Matjiesfonein

1. Drive the Garden Route — South Africa
2. Travel the Panorama Route — South Africa
3. Ride a luxury train from Cape Town to Pretoria — South Africa
4. Explore Lake Victoria by boat — East Africa
5. Take a dhow cruise along the coast — Mozambique
6. Take a felucca on the Nile — Egypt

Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences

Norwegian Dawn docked in Cape Town

1. Sleep under the stars in the Kalahari — Botswana
2. Camp in the Sahara Desert — Morocco
3. Watch humpback whales in Hermanus — South Africa
4. See turtle hatchings in Watamu — Kenya
5. Experience a Maasai cultural encounter — Kenya / Tanzania
6. Stay in a treehouse safari lodge in Tsavo — Kenya
7. Watch the Milky Way from the Namib Desert — Namibia
8. Cruise from Mauritius to Cape Town

More Must-Do Experiences Across Africa

Cape Agulhas

1. Explore Siwa Oasis — Egypt
2. Visit Zanzibar spice farms — Tanzania
3. Explore the Tassili n'Ajjer rock art — Algeria
4. Visit Lake Retba, the Pink Lake — Senegal
5. Explore the shores of Lake Tanganyika — Tanzania / DR Congo
6. Visit Lamu Old Town — Kenya
7. Discover the Simien Mountains escarpments — Ethiopia
8. Hike the Fish River Canyon trails — Namibia
9. Visit the southernmost tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet — South Africa
10. Discover the prehistoric rock art of the Sahara — Algeria / Libya
11. Visit the Coptic monasteries of Wadi Natrun — Egypt
12. Take a pirogue along the Niger River — Mali

“Africa is mystic; it is wild; it is a sweltering inferno; it is a photographer’s paradise, a hunter’s Valhalla, an escapist’s Utopia.” – Beryl Markham

See my favourite books about Africa.

Sara Essop

Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world on her blog "In Africa and Beyond". Although she has been to 53 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.