Written by the Paramount Gorilla Expeditions team, based in Uganda, on night game drives and walking safaris in East Africa.
A standard daytime game drive misses a large part of the bush, because many animals are most active at night. Night drives and walking safaris show you a different side of the same landscape. They are not allowed everywhere, so they are worth planning around.
Night game drives
Night drives use a red-filtered spotlight that disturbs animals less than white light. They reveal nocturnal wildlife such as leopard, hyena, genet, civet, bushbabies and the night-time behaviour of lions. They are generally permitted in specific private conservancies and concessions, not inside most core national parks, where driving after dark is restricted.
Walking safaris
Walking safaris move slowly on foot with an armed ranger who reads tracks, dung, alarm calls and plants. You notice small things a vehicle misses, and you learn to read the bush instead of simply watching it from a seat. They suit reasonably fit visitors, and rules differ by park and conservancy.
Where to find night game drives and walking safaris
Private conservancies bordering the Masai Mara, some camps in the Serengeti region and some Ugandan parks offer these activities. Core reserves are more heavily regulated. Ask us which of your camps allow them.
Which should you add?
Neither replaces a classic game drive, but both deepen a trip. We suggest adding at least one to any stay of more than four nights at a camp that offers them. See Kenya luxury conservancy safaris and first-time safari planning.
A simple way to include both
The easiest way to add night drives and walks is to spend at least two or three nights in a private conservancy. Our Kenya Private Conservancy Safari (8 days, from $7,400) is built around exactly that, using the conservancies bordering the Maasai Mara where both activities are allowed. Elsewhere, tell us they matter to you and we will choose camps that offer them.
Safety
Follow your guide's instructions at all times. In unfenced camps, always use the escort offered after dark. See is East Africa safe to visit?.
See also: the Lake Mburo guide.
Add night game drives to your safari
National park fees are set by the Kenya Wildlife Service, and Magical Kenya, the Kenya Tourism Board, publishes official visitor information. Park fees are set by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and, for the crater, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority. We confirm the current fees for your dates in every quote.
Prefer two wheels to two feet? Read the cycling safari guide for Uganda.
For the gentle Crescent Island walk and Hell's Gate on foot or by bike, read our Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate guide.
On foot you will meet the animals in our Little Five guide: sengi, weaver, tortoise, antlion and beetle.
Leopard, the hardest of the Big Five on a day drive, is explained in our Big Five vs Big Nine guide.
Night drives are the best way to find a leopard; our leopard guide explains how guides track one.
For Uganda's longest forest walk, from Buhoma to Nkuringo, read our Buhoma to Nkuringo trek guide.
For a quiet forest walk with a birding guide, read our birding in Bwindi guide.