Group riding safaris: The ultimate adventure for friends and family
There’s a particular kind of magic in galloping across an open plain with the people you love most, the dust billowing up behind you, a dazzle of zebra in the distance. Going on a group riding safari with your friends or family isn’t just a holiday; it’s a shared adventure that becomes the story you’ll all tell for years, the one that starts with “remember when we…” It combines the thrill of the wild with a closeness and quiet you can never quite recreate. Cliché as it sounds, this really is the bucket-list trip worth saving for.
Coordinating riders and non-riders, different budgets, mixed abilities, and the logistics of adding a beach or city break before or after your ride takes real experience, and it’s exactly where we excel. Aardvark Safaris has spent years designing and running group riding safaris across Africa, including hosting our own trips, so we know firsthand what it takes to make a large group safari run smoothly, from the saddle fittings to the sundowners. We understand the dynamics of a group holiday because we’ve lived them and hosted our own groups, not just booked them.
Some rides reward larger groups with a complimentary saddle, either lowering the cost for everyone or letting a host join completely free, the kind of insider perk you only uncover when you know these camps and riding safaris inside out. Smaller groups are just as welcome, and there’s something special about setting off on a new adventure with a handful of close friends, whether you’re marking a milestone birthday or simply joining like-minded travellers for the ride of a lifetime.
Splashy canters through the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Celebratory riding safari – The Okavango Delta, Botswana and Victoria Falls, Zambia
Surprise 50th birthday celebrations – “Without a doubt the most incredible holiday we’ve been on”
Olympic event rider Austin O’Connor had no idea what was coming when his wife, Amy, secretly organised a surprise riding safari to Macatoo Camp (African Horseback Safaris) in the famous Okavango Delta, joined by a group of eight close friends. The trip was rounded off with some well-earned R&R at Victoria Falls, in the exclusive-use River Farmhouse at Waterberry Lodge on the banks of the Zambezi. The group was a mix of seasoned riders, including 5-star event riders and fellow Olympians, and complete non-riders, yet everyone came away raving about the experience, regardless of how much time they spent in the saddle. They loved it so much, in fact, that they named a horse after Macatoo!
“Lucinda is honestly the best in the business! It was a surprise for my husband’s 50th, and until we met all our friends in the bar at Heathrow, he didn’t have a clue!” – Amy O’Connor
50th birthday celebrations, Botswana
A small group safari – Karongwe Private Reserve, Great Kruger, South Africa
Alan and his two friends spent a wonderful seven nights on a riding safari with Wait a Little, on the outskirts of the Kruger in the Karongwe Private Reserve, a trip that deepened their friendship and left them with new ones along the way.
“From start to finish, our riding safari with Wait A Little Horse Safaris was an absolute dream. A mix of stylish lodges, a night of fly camping under the stars by the fire, and two luxurious nights at Wait A Little’s Xidulu Camp made for the perfect escape. The combination of accommodation, coupled with wonderful food and hospitality, really made you feel at home and left you with a pang of sadness when it was finally time to leave. It truly was a trip of a lifetime: new friends made from all over the world, incredible memories with old friends, and moments to cherish forever.” – Alan Thompson
Alan on safari, South Africa
Exclusive desert delight with new and old friends – Damaraland ride, Namibia
“We all had the most incredible time! We were looked after brilliantly, and it was just completely wonderful.” – Titch Tetley
The riding safaris offered by Namibia Horse Safaris are typically sold out two or more years in advance, and those who join tend to come back again and again. This girls’ trip was no exception! Alice, our managing director, hosted a private ride here herself a few years ago, and those who joined her well and truly caught the bug for this incredible country and its riding opportunities. It’s a good example of how our own hosted trips often spark group adventures of their own. So much so that a group from Alice’s hosted trip rallied thirteen women for a 10-day exclusive riding adventure across Damaraland at the end of 2025. They slept under the stars every night, with fast-paced gallops across the endless desert to clear the morning haze. A true adventure that brought new and old friends together, bonded by their love of horses and the vast Namibian wilderness.
Photo by Emmy Meiklejohn
If you are travelling solo, we recommend joining a group riding safari
Travelling solo on a riding safari means joining a small group of like-minded people who share your love of horses and wild places, with an experienced host and guide by your side throughout, so you’re never on your own. By the end of the trip, you’ll likely have formed the kind of bond that takes most people years to build. Sometimes the best friendships are formed along the way. Plenty of our riders set off alone and arrive at camp as strangers, only to leave as firm friends. Our team rides these very trips as guests too, arriving as strangers and leaving as friends, just like you will, so every recommendation we give you comes from firsthand experience.
Offbeat Riding Safaris, Kenya
What next?
From matching riders and non-riders to the right camps and lodges, to coordinating everyone’s different travel dates, to bookending your riding safari with time at the beach, Victoria Falls or a city break in Cape Town. We handle every detail behind the scenes, so all you and your group need to do is turn up and enjoy the ride.
Nothing demonstrates our experience with group safaris quite like the fact that we host our own. Lucinda, our riding safari expert, is leading a fully booked Masai Mara riding safari this summer, alongside Olympic event rider Austin O’Connor, a multi-repeat client of Aardvark Safaris. Saddle spaces on our hosted trips go quickly, so if you’d like to join a future ride, the best time to register your interest is now. If you’re putting together your own group of friends or family, get in touch today. The sooner we start planning, the more choices you’ll have over dates, camps, and availability.
Hello! I am 57 years old, and would love to go on a horse-back safari! I have limited experience on horse-back, but have had enough to know that there is still alot to learn. I would be willing to take riding lessons to better prepare for this trip. I would be travelling solo, with the purpose of making new friends, improving my own leadership and connectivity abilities (I know horse-work is great for both!), and learning about the African surroundings! Any information you could give me to help me find the perfect camp to attend would be so appreciated! I’d like for the camp to be at least 7 days.
Dear Terri, thank you for your comment! I have passed your details over to one of our riding safari travel experts who will be in touch shortly to chat through some options with you. Best wishes, Maggie