Wildlife Tours & Cruises
Get up close and personal to incredible endemic species and experience breathtaking one of a kind encounters on a wildlife tour or cruise. From the plains of Africa and the rainforest canopies of Borneo to the wilds of Alaska and the shores of the Galapagos, there are 627 wildlife adventures to choose from for your next exploration of our incredible planet.
Popular Trips
12 Days Lima to Lima
Operator: Intrepid Travel
From
2,206pp
Save
485pp
11 Days Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires
Operator: Collette
From
10,449pp
Save
400pp
16 Days Cape Town to Johannesburg
Operator: Cosmos
From
5,780pp
Save
150pp
14 Days Johannesburg to Cape Town
Operator: Collette
From
7,399pp
Save
550pp
Discover
Popular encounters and experiences on a specialist wildlife tour
Polar Bears of Churchill 
Borneo Wildlife Adventure 
Spot the Big 5 
Trek to the Mountain Gorillas 
Island Hop the Galápagos Recent Reviews
What our clients are saying about their wildlife tours and cruises
Unforgettable travel through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana
Splendors of South Africa & Victoria Falls with Chobe River Cruise
Darwin, NT, NT, Australia, Mar 2026
Key highlights:
- Cape Town city and surrounding areas - There is so much to do in this fun and vibrant city and nearby towns. Food was exceptionally good, and noticeably cheaper than comparable culinary experiences in Australia, especially around the V&A Waterfront. The full day Cape Winelands private day wine tour (optional excursion available through read more Globus) to select wineries in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl was excellent (non-alcoholic beverages also available).
- Hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg presented as luxurious especially the à la carte and breakfast buffet experience at Sandton Sun & Towers.
- Land game drive (safari) experiences in Kruger National Park were exciting and thrilling. It’s a pity there was a last minute change to accommodation due to Makalali Main Lodge’s sudden closure resulting from extreme weather event damage in March 2026. The Elephant Walk Tented Camp was a nice alternative and was right next to the Crocodile Bridge gate entrance meaning quicker access to the National Park. Loved how each luxurious air conditioned tent had its own ceiling fan over the bed and seperate modern toilet and shower.
- River cruise on the Zambezi River, near Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe side) was a great way to see hippos up slightly closer than normal given the safety of the large cruising vessel.
- 3 night stay on Chobe River Cruise (Namibian and Botswana sides) was the ABSOLUTE highlight. The main boat is modern and gets refurbished each year (usually in January/ February). The service was excellent, plenty to eat and drink and the cruise includes all the water safaris as well as the opportunity to go fishing and visit Ijamwe village in Namibia, where the Subia language is spoken. The water safaris offered a unique experience especially seeing the wild animals living in/ coming down to the river to eat, hunt and play.
- Well arranged transportation between Zimbabwe/ Botswana/ Namibia especially the water border post crossings.
Tips:
1. Consider travelling a few days earlier to Cape Town to go to places not covered in the Globus tour. Google ‘Unlimited Premium Pass’ for itinerary ideas: https://capetown.citypass.co.za/about-the-premium-unlimited-pass/
2. Consider booking a safari in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, available through Illala Lodge’s tours and activities desk. A game drive on a private reserve offers a more personalised, high-end experience.
3. Avoid going on the ‘Victoria Falls cultural tour’ optional excursion available through Globus (terrible experience, pure money grab). On the contrary, the traditional Ijamwe village visit in Namibia (inclusive as part of the Chobe River cruise) was informative and memorable.
4. If going on the Chobe River cruise, you will likely need a visa to enter Namibia. To save time, and not have to wait in the stifling heat outside the customs border shipping container office, suggest coming with a prepaid e-visa (note: hard copy paper visa applications on site at the customs makeshift post can take ages to process).
5. Make sure you have a copy of your yellow fever vaccination certificate handy especially if there are any recent passport stamps from relevant countries or you risk being asked for bribes (e.g. USD, AUD, hiking shoes on your feet) by Zimbabwean airport officials on arrival.
- Cape Town city and surrounding areas - There is so much to do in this fun and vibrant city and nearby towns. Food was exceptionally good, and noticeably cheaper than comparable culinary experiences in Australia, especially around the V&A Waterfront. The full day Cape Winelands private day wine tour (optional excursion available through read more Globus) to select wineries in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl was excellent (non-alcoholic beverages also available).
- Hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg presented as luxurious especially the à la carte and breakfast buffet experience at Sandton Sun & Towers.
- Land game drive (safari) experiences in Kruger National Park were exciting and thrilling. It’s a pity there was a last minute change to accommodation due to Makalali Main Lodge’s sudden closure resulting from extreme weather event damage in March 2026. The Elephant Walk Tented Camp was a nice alternative and was right next to the Crocodile Bridge gate entrance meaning quicker access to the National Park. Loved how each luxurious air conditioned tent had its own ceiling fan over the bed and seperate modern toilet and shower.
- River cruise on the Zambezi River, near Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe side) was a great way to see hippos up slightly closer than normal given the safety of the large cruising vessel.
- 3 night stay on Chobe River Cruise (Namibian and Botswana sides) was the ABSOLUTE highlight. The main boat is modern and gets refurbished each year (usually in January/ February). The service was excellent, plenty to eat and drink and the cruise includes all the water safaris as well as the opportunity to go fishing and visit Ijamwe village in Namibia, where the Subia language is spoken. The water safaris offered a unique experience especially seeing the wild animals living in/ coming down to the river to eat, hunt and play.
- Well arranged transportation between Zimbabwe/ Botswana/ Namibia especially the water border post crossings.
Tips:
1. Consider travelling a few days earlier to Cape Town to go to places not covered in the Globus tour. Google ‘Unlimited Premium Pass’ for itinerary ideas: https://capetown.citypass.co.za/about-the-premium-unlimited-pass/
2. Consider booking a safari in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, available through Illala Lodge’s tours and activities desk. A game drive on a private reserve offers a more personalised, high-end experience.
3. Avoid going on the ‘Victoria Falls cultural tour’ optional excursion available through Globus (terrible experience, pure money grab). On the contrary, the traditional Ijamwe village visit in Namibia (inclusive as part of the Chobe River cruise) was informative and memorable.
4. If going on the Chobe River cruise, you will likely need a visa to enter Namibia. To save time, and not have to wait in the stifling heat outside the customs border shipping container office, suggest coming with a prepaid e-visa (note: hard copy paper visa applications on site at the customs makeshift post can take ages to process).
5. Make sure you have a copy of your yellow fever vaccination certificate handy especially if there are any recent passport stamps from relevant countries or you risk being asked for bribes (e.g. USD, AUD, hiking shoes on your feet) by Zimbabwean airport officials on arrival.
This was an amazing trip. Yarina Lodge is a wonderful place to go. Room facility is good and clean. A special praise to the staffs - the management, the restaurant, the kitchen, they are very attentive care. The guide is very professional, he customize programs according to your fitness level and requirement. This is a place for relaxation and also adventure.
Well led tour by our trusty tour guide Jonathan Mueller
Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana
Leone, NSW, Australia, Nov 2025
We felt very safe and well managed on our trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our only disappointment was the lack of animals, in particular in Pilanesburg N Park. Having 5 safaris there was too many for such a poorly maintained road system. We all struggled with how rough the tracks were and the lack of animal sightings didn't help. The lodge read more was also not to our taste - too snooty. The Wallow Lodge and Chobi lodge were much better for our tastes. I will go back and do at least one more safari trip but will research the parks being offered in much greater detail before committing.
Great way to see both Senegal and The Gambia
Senegal & The Gambia
Ron, VIC, Australia, Oct 2025
Was a great trip. Some accommodation very simple but lots of great experiences including sleeping on deck of a river boat. Most of my party of ten were keen bird watchers who were very happy. First time I had taken an Encounter trip but would certainly do another. Appreciate the wonderful assistance of Tracey through the entire booking process.
Fantastic trip ...especially Amazon
South America Getaway with Amazon
Chris , QLD, Australia, Oct 2025
Thanks Georgie for fantastic arrangements as usual for a really great trip. True highlights were iguazu Falls and the Amazon...both SO much better than my expectations which were already high. 2 days in Manaus before the trip started was ideal as the jet lag and long travel to manaus took some adjustment. Outstanding tour guides in Amazon and Iguazu read more and good elsewhere made for a wonderful trip. Loved the small group tour ...just 13 of us. Perfect. Highly recommend this trip for a great pace and itinerary.
Galapagos Adventure: Snorkelling & Sea Lions
Galápagos Adventure: Snorkelling & Sea Lions
David, NC, United States, Sep 2025
The tours and activities were great! Really enjoyed our leader. Felt like he was very knowledgeable and he was very personable. One complaint-breakfasts were way too small. Nina from Global Journeys was extremely helpful. Especially since I made arrangements kind of last minute.
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