National Parks in Africa

The flat-topped sandstone massif rising above Cape Town is one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks, reached by revolving cableway or a network of hiking trails. Its slopes shelter an astonishing wealth of endemic fynbos plants and command sweeping views over the city, ocean and peninsula.

Africa’s highest point and the tallest free-standing mountain on the planet rises in solitary splendour above the Tanzanian plains. Trekkers climb through steamy rainforest, open moorland and stark alpine desert to a glacier-capped summit, on an achievable yet utterly unforgettable high-altitude challenge that draws climbers worldwide.

A dramatic Ethiopian escarpment of jagged pinnacles and thousand-metre cliffs offers some of Africa’s finest highland trekking. Troops of shaggy gelada baboons graze the plateau, and the rare walia ibex clings to the sheer, mist-wrapped edges of this ancient, deeply eroded volcanic massif.

Second only to the Grand Canyon in scale, this immense gorge carves a snaking, layered chasm through the far south of Namibia. A famously demanding multi-day hike descends to the canyon floor, while viewpoints along the rim deliver vast, silent desert panoramas at sunrise and sunset.

Rugged volcanic hills, black lava flows and the crystal-clear Mzima Springs give this vast Kenyan park a wild, dramatic and distinctive character. Underwater hippo-viewing chambers, red-dust elephants and sweeping views toward Kilimanjaro reward those seeking spectacular scenery to go alongside their wildlife.

One of the world’s largest green canyons winds through South Africa’s escarpment in a lush spectacle of towering cliffs, rondavel-shaped peaks and deep river gorges. The scenic Panorama Route viewpoints, swirling Bourke’s Luck potholes and cascading waterfalls make it a highlight of the Mpumalanga highlands.

A remarkable mosaic of lakes, forested dunes, wetlands and coral reef stretches along South Africa’s subtropical coast, harbouring hippos, crocodiles, turtles and abundant birdlife. Its extraordinary blend of marine and terrestrial habitats earned it recognition as one of the country’s great natural wonders.

One of Africa’s oldest montane rainforests blankets Rwanda’s steep hills in dense, dripping green. A vertigo-inducing canopy walkway sways high above the treetops, and guided trails lead to chimpanzees, colobus monkeys and cascading waterfalls in a biodiversity hotspot of truly exceptional richness.

Encompassing part of the world’s oldest desert, this immense Namibian park spans towering apricot dunes, rugged mountains and endless gravel plains. Its haunting emptiness, ever-changing dramatic light and remarkable desert-adapted wildlife make it one of the entire continent’s greatest and most photogenic wildernesses.

Some of the tallest dunes on Earth glow deep orange around a cracked clay pan in the heart of the Namib. Climbing a crest at dawn, or wandering the ghostly, sun-blackened camel-thorn skeletons of nearby Deadvlei, delivers images of surreal, silent and utterly otherworldly beauty.

The country’s namesake mountain rears up in a jagged crown of glacier-carved peaks and shimmering alpine tarns. Trekkers ascend through bamboo forest and surreal giant-lobelia moorland to reach lofty mountain huts, on one of East Africa’s most rewarding, varied and beautifully scenic high climbs.

A soaring basalt escarpment straddling South Africa and Lesotho combines jaw-dropping cliffs and amphitheatres with ancient San rock art. Its plunging waterfalls, high passes and remote peaks offer some of the region’s finest hiking through a landscape of misty ridges and deep, green valleys.

Ethiopia’s vast Afroalpine highlands hold sweeping moorlands, tangled heather forest and the largest surviving range of the endangered Ethiopian wolf. Trekking or riding across the lofty Sanetti Plateau reveals endemic wildlife and enormous views from one of Africa’s highest all-weather mountain roads.

Home to North Africa’s highest peak, this Moroccan park in the High Atlas draws trekkers to stone Berber villages, terraced valleys and a summit reachable in a couple of days. Snow-dusted ridges, plunging gorges and mule tracks make it a scenic, culture-rich contrast to the desert below.

Rust-red dunes and dry, tree-lined riverbeds stretch across a vast semi-desert shared by South Africa and Botswana. The stark, endlessly photogenic Kalahari scenery, famous black-maned lions and raptor-filled skies define a remote, self-drive wilderness of huge horizons, deep silence and searing light.

Rugged hills, granite outcrops and the seasonal Great Ruaha River shape one of Tanzania’s largest and wildest parks. Its baobab-studded landscapes, remote setting and unusual blend of eastern and southern African species give it a raw, untrammelled beauty that few other parks can match.

A striking cluster of dramatic granite peaks erupts abruptly from the flat Namibian plains, glowing fiery red at dawn and dusk. Prized by rock climbers and photographers alike, its smooth domes, delicate natural rock arch and ancient San paintings make it one of the country’s most photographed landmarks.

One of the hottest and lowest places anywhere on Earth, this Ethiopian furnace of neon sulphur springs, blinding salt flats and bubbling lava lakes feels utterly alien. Guided expeditions cross the shimmering pans to reach volcanoes and mineral fields of surreal, almost extraterrestrial colour.