What is the luggage restrictions for the African safari?

Luggage weights on safari You'll get a great bird's eye view of the scenery below, but your luggage will have to meet strict weight limits. Typically on safari your baggage weight limit will be: 20kg (44lbs) in Southern Africa. 15kg (33lbs) in East Africa.



Luggage restrictions for an African safari in 2026 are exceptionally strict, primarily due to the weight and size limits of small bush planes used to reach remote camps. Most regional air charters (like those in the Okavango Delta or Serengeti) limit passengers to a total of 15kg to 20kg (33lb to 44lb) per person, including hand luggage. Crucially, your bags must be soft-sided (duffel style) with no hard frames or wheels. This is because the luggage pods on "bush" aircraft like the Cessna Caravan are irregularly shaped; hard suitcases simply will not fit. In 2026, many safari-goers utilize high-tech, lightweight technical gear to stay within these limits. Most camps offer daily complimentary laundry services to compensate for the fact that you can only pack 3 or 4 days' worth of clothing. Over-packing in 2026 is a major logistical issue; if your bag is too heavy or too rigid, you may be forced to leave it at the hangar or pay for an extra seat on the plane just to transport your luggage to the lodge.

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Kenya. Safarilink - weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 27 inches (70cm) x 23 inches (60cm) x 13 inches (35cm).

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Each checked bag can weigh 50 pounds or less and be 62 inches in size (length + width + height). What is considered excess baggage? To check more than two bags, each extra bag will result in an additional charge each way as long as it is no bigger than 62 inches (L+W+H) and weighs 50 lbs. or less.

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Jeans are okay to wear, but when you're limited in luggage weight and planning to have laundry done in camp, a lighter weight zip off pant will be easier to carry and dry faster. While Africa is comprised of a lot of desert and can get very hot at certain times of year, it's not always hot.

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Can you wear white on safari? White stands out more than any other colour in the African bush and so isn't suitable for safari activities.

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Avoid black and dark blue clothing (both colors attract tsetse flies), and leave bright-white items at home; safari parks are often dusty, and white clothes may get dingy. You want to see wildlife on safari, not look like it!

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That depends if you have several kg overweight and are asking for the price per kg or if you really just only have one single kg extra. For a singe kg above the limit you most probably will not get charged, especially not on a full service airline. There is usually a tolerance in the range of 2–3kg, sometimes up to 5.

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Short answer: Of course you can, but you're going to be charged for excess baggage by almost any airline in the world. Some airlines may overlook the charges if you're traveling on a first class ticket (British Airways First passengers max allowed is 32kg/70lbs, most airlines are about the same).

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Major US domestic airlines carry-on policies
  • Personal item: 18 x 14 x 8 inches, free, no weight limit.
  • Carry-on: 22 x 14 x 9 inches, free, must fit in the sizer at the airport (including handles and wheels), no weight limit.


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Check your airline's carry on weight limits before you fly. Most likely, you'll be able to carry 15-22 lb. Choose a travel backpack that weighs 20% or less of that limit so that you'll have 80% of the limit for your stuff. When you start packing, remember to wear your heaviest stuff or put it in your personal item.

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Each passenger may carry liquids, gels and aerosols in travel-size containers that are 3.4 ounces or100 milliliters. Each passenger is limited to one quart-size bag of liquids, gels and aerosols.

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On all flights, except to and from the United States, each passenger can purchase a checked luggage weight allowance of 20 kg, 25 kg, 30 kg, or 40 kg. It doesn't matter how many bags the total weight is split into, but no bag can be over 32 kg (70 lbs) in weight and 319 cm (126 inches) in total dimensions.

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