Editor’s Note: Originally published July 21, 2023 — this article has been refreshed with the latest information to help you plan your trip.
You can spend ten minutes watching elephants beside the road and then devote the rest of the morning to a leopard that may or may not be hiding in a tree 200 feet away, which is part of the gamble travelers accept when they set out to see Africa’s Big Five. Lion, leopard, African elephant, rhinoceros, and Cape buffalo were grouped during the big-game hunting era for the danger involved in pursuing them on foot, a label South African Tourism says originated with hunters and was later adopted by the safari industry. The name survived, although its meaning has shifted dramatically, and today it has become one of safari travel’s most familiar wildlife goals.
Plenty of parks have several of the five, while a smaller group supports the complete lineup, and even then the animals rarely cooperate with a checklist. Rhinos can be difficult to find, leopards disappear into vegetation with impressive efficiency, and weather or seasonal movement can change an otherwise promising game drive. The best odds begin with choosing a destination where all five species are established, and these seven parks and reserves span everything from East Africa’s migration corridors to major conservation success stories farther south.
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Wildebeest may dominate the Serengeti’s reputation, but the park’s nearly 15,000 square kilometers also support the full Big Five across a remarkably varied landscape. Lions are regularly seen on the open plains and around rocky kopjes; elephants and buffalo move through woodland and riverine areas; and leopards tend to stay in trees and thicker cover. Rhinos are the toughest of the five to find, which makes a longer stay especially useful for anyone hoping to complete the set.
The scale of the Serengeti also means a safari can shift dramatically from one area to another, with different habitats producing different wildlife combinations. Beyond the Big Five, the Serengeti supports more than 500 bird species and large populations of giraffes, zebras, gazelles, hyenas, and other mammals. As a result, the drives rarely hinge on a single sighting. For travelers specifically planning around the Big Five, the Serengeti offers both the species diversity and the space to spend real time looking for them.
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Across the Maasai Mara’s grasslands and river corridors, all five members of the Big Five are present, although they rarely reveal themselves with equal generosity. Lions are regularly seen in the open, elephants and buffalo move across the plains and toward water, while leopards favor thicker vegetation and black rhinos tend to take more searching. The reserve also supports cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, and large antelope populations, giving each game drive plenty to work with beyond the five animals most visitors arrive hoping to see.
The Mara’s network of open plains, riverbanks, and wooded areas gives guides several habitats to search over the course of a stay, which can be especially useful when leopard or rhino remains elusive. From roughly July through October, wildebeest and zebras arriving with the Great Migration add huge concentrations of prey and predator activity to the landscape, although the Big Five live in the reserve year-round.
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Travelers who prefer more control over the day can cover Kruger in their own vehicle, stop at a waterhole for as long as they like, and decide whether one more distant patch of spotted fur deserves another twenty minutes with the binoculars. South African National Parks allows self-driving across much of the park alongside guided drives and lodge-based safaris, giving Kruger a level of flexibility that works across a wider range of budgets and travel styles. All five members of the Big Five are among the park’s wildlife, along with an enormous supporting cast spread across nearly two million hectares.
Kruger’s size makes where you stay almost as important as how long you stay, since vegetation, water availability, and animal density change considerably between regions. Spending several nights in one area or moving between camps lets travelers cover more than one habitat. At the same time, early mornings and late afternoons generally bring more wildlife activity than the hottest part of the day.
Akagera National Park, Rwanda
A safari in Akagera now comes with one of the continent’s most ambitious recent rhino stories, following years of wildlife reintroductions that restored species once lost from the park. Lions returned in 2015, black rhinos followed in 2017 and 2019, and southern white rhinos arrived in 2021; in June 2025, African Parks moved another 70 southern white rhinos into Akagera, substantially expanding the park’s rhino population and strengthening its role in regional conservation.
The landscape also gives Akagera a very different feel from the broad grasslands associated with classic East African safari imagery, since woodland, savanna, lakes, and wetlands all fit within the same park. Game drives cover the areas where lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos move, while boat trips on Lake Ihema add hippos, crocodiles, and waterbirds to the day. Travelers can spend the morning looking for rhinos on land and the afternoon watching elephants feed near the water, which gives the itinerary more variety than a string of vehicle-only game drives.
Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi
Majete’s Big Five status came through more than two decades of wildlife restoration, beginning after African Parks and Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife took over management of the reserve in 2003. More than 3,000 animals from 17 species have since been introduced, including black rhinos in 2003, elephants in 2006, leopards in 2011, and lions in 2012, while buffalo were also among the species restored to the reserve. African Parks now manages a protected area where all five animals occur again.
Visitors can explore part of the reserve independently, with self-driving currently permitted on 55 kilometers of road and another 350 kilometers accessible by 4×4. Guided drives also help when wildlife moves into thicker woodland. The Shire River, grassy clearings, and dense vegetation create a safari where animals can appear suddenly and disappear just as quickly, particularly leopards. Majete also works well within a longer Malawi itinerary for travelers continuing toward Lake Malawi or other parts of the country.
Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe
Gonarezhou regained its place among full Big Five destinations in 2021, when black rhinos returned after an absence of almost 27 years and joined a park already known for its large elephant population. The Gonarezhou Conservation Trust manages more than 5,000 square kilometers of southeastern Zimbabwe in partnership with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, with lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino now sharing the landscape with more than 450 recorded bird species.
The park suits travelers comfortable with longer distances, rougher roads, and fewer safari vehicles, and Gonarezhou recommends a high-clearance vehicle, preferably a 4×4, for exploring much of its road network. The cooler, drier months fall in the middle of the year, while September and October bring much hotter, drier conditions before the rains return toward the end of the year. The famous Chilojo Cliffs will inevitably end up in plenty of photographs. However, anyone keeping a Big Five tally will spend just as much time watching riverbeds, woodland edges, and tracks for signs of movement.
Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa
More than 600 elephants live in Addo, according to SANParks, so the animal advertised in the park’s name is usually easier to find than some of its fellow Big Five members. More than 400 Cape buffalo also roam the park, while lion, rhino, and leopard complete the five, with SANParks warning that leopard sightings remain rare. Anyone hoping to see the entire set will want more than a rushed overnight visit.
Addo’s location in South Africa’s Eastern Cape also makes it easy to combine with Gqeberha and a longer coastal itinerary. The park itself stretches beyond the conventional safari landscape into a marine environment where southern right whales and great white sharks have led SANParks to promote a broader “Big Seven.” For travelers focused on the traditional Big Five, book the main Addo game area, with both self-drive routes and guided game drives available.
