The Classic Safari Company is Australia’s leading African safari company and bespoke travel specialist. Since 1992 we’ve been designing unique itineraries to some of the world’s finest wilderness regions embracing the exotic, the remote and the curious.
We believe the journey begins as soon as you chat with one of our consultants or walk into our safari-inspired Woollahra office. Here, you can sink into a leather armchair, lay out the maps and start planning your next great adventure, whether that be a traditional ‘Big Five’ safari or something else entirely. Our team members travel extensively, and many have been with us for decades, representing more than 100 years of collective experience. They bring a remarkable depth of knowledge to the planning process, designing every holiday to perfectly suit your style, preferences and pace. No two journeys are ever the same.
With unique access to pristine wilderness areas, the finest lodges, and behind-closed-door cultural experiences, ours are real adventures in unreal style. From A-nthropology to Z-oology, we specialise in voyages of discovery for enquiring minds.
Authentic encounters can never be packaged!
“Bespoke” means that no two journeys are ever the same. Our experienced travel consultants take the time to truly understand what is important to you, then draw on their extensive first-hand experience to design a tailor-made itinerary that perfectly suits your preferred style, pace, interests and requirements. Nothing is off the shelf.
We are well known for our African safaris across countries such as Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In response to guests who loved our approach but wanted to travel further afield, we expanded our portfolio to include Northern Africa – including Morocco, Ethiopia and Egypt – the Indian subcontinent (India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan), Latin America (including Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador and the Galápagos), and the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. We also have expertise in specialist interests such as expeditionary cruising and horse riding journeys.
Yes. Our attentive, collaborative approach is perfect for first-time safari-goers who may require a little more input or reassurance when planning their trip, whether that involves choosing a destination, navigating visa requirements, understanding seasonality or anything else. We have plenty of experience that first-timers can draw upon.
We usually recommend booking 12 to 18 months ahead, simply to provide the greatest choice, especially if you are travelling as a group of family or friends. We preferentially work with small, specialist outfitters whose camps and lodges often accommodate only a handful of guests. Having said that, by tailoring every aspect of your itinerary, we can coordinate each individual element to create a fabulous trip, even at the last minute.
Both. Alongside fully private, individually designed itineraries, The Classic Safari Company runs a limited number of small-group journeys for special-interest travellers such as photographers and horse riders. Our collection of “Journeys for Women” offers small-group, ladies-only departures uniquely designed and hosted by Classic Safari Company Director Sarah Hoyland.
The Classic Safari Company holds ATIA accreditation, meaning it operates in compliance with Australian Consumer Law and the ATIA Charter and Code of Conduct. For our clients, this provides a recognised layer of consumer protection when booking significant international travel. We meet the industry’s highest standards for professionalism, expertise and consumer protection.
The range of experiences we offer is very broad ranging from traditional games drives to self-drive and horseback safaris, hands-on wildlife conservation, expeditionary cruises, a special birthday surprise, private air safaris, multi-day walking expeditions, small group and special-interest departures, the ladies-only Journeys for Women collection, and much more besides.
Our experiences are anchored in wilderness and nature, while cultural destinations have a deep sense of place and authenticity.
With 35+ years of relationships with premier camps, boutique hotels, specialist guides and operators across Africa, India, Latin America and beyond, we can suggest and create experiences that most wouldn’t know were possible.
Yes, and family travel is a genuine specialty of our team. The Classic Safari Company designs holidays for every family configuration, from young children through to teenagers and multi-generational groups travelling together, and the team draws on first-hand experience travelling with their own children when building each itinerary.
Certain partner camps, lodges and hotels specialise in child-friendly stays, with dedicated guides and activities such as nature treasure trails, cooking classes or informal games with local children, while malaria-free reserves in destinations such as South Africa are particularly well suited to families with very young children.
For larger, multi-generational trips, private villas and homes can accommodate grandparents alongside grandchildren, with private vehicles, dedicated chefs and childminders on hand so that every generation’s needs, and pace of travel, are catered for under one roof.
Sample family itineraries have been designed across destinations including Botswana, Kenya, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand and Ecuador and the Galápagos, giving a strong sense of the breadth on offer, though as with all bookings, the final itinerary is built entirely around your family, rather than picked from a shelf.
Yes, this ethos lies at the core of how the company operates rather than functioning as a side initiative or afterthought.
The Classic Safari Company works exclusively with lodges, camps and operators who are recognised for genuine conservation and community credentials, prioritising properties that protect wildlife and habitats and that channel tourism revenue back into the regions they operate in.
Beyond property selection, the company also contributes a portion of every client sale to a range of conservation charities and grassroots organisations. In 2025, for example, this included donations of close to AUD $5,000 each to the Pride Rock Trust School and the Tikki Hywood Foundation, the latter supporting pioneering pangolin conservation and rehabilitation work in Zimbabwe and Cameroon.
For clients who want to extend their impact further, the team can also point to additional, more targeted options, such as elephant orphan sponsorships or wildlife rescue centres, for those looking to support conservation beyond their own travel.
Learn more about our conservation initatives and conscientious practices: Conservation at the Heart of Travel
An absolutely fantastic travel company - every one of the many trips they have organised for us over 22 years have been faultless and fabulous.
Judith & Roger Williams
Would do it all again and not change a moment. Best holiday ever!
The McGowan Tribe
It certainly was the best trip we have EVER had. The experiences were mind blowing. We want everyone we know to experience Africa - the animals, the people - magical.
Jo-anne & Dean Mifsud
The Classic Safari Company is the best I have dealt with. Extremely knowledgeable & professional, friendly, patient & understanding of first timers to Africa.
Annette Whiley
Classic Safari Company were brilliant - 10/10
Di & Kingsley Yates
Classic Safari is the place to go to for "top end" adventure travel.
Ron & Alison Guthrie
If you want the most sensational experience in Africa let Julia and the staff at Classic Safari Co plan it for you! Their knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for their job means your every wish will be fulfilled.
Miriam & Joseph Harrison
Their experience and knowledge of Africa is evident and we couldn't have been happier with the total package. This has given us a taste for Africa - now we are ready for more.
Andrew & Pip Stevens
Classic Safari Company has done it again! A unique experience that ticked all the boxes - wildlife, culture and dining experience. A dream come true!
Ros Wheeler
Absolutely everything was first class & so well organised.
Simon & Jackie Adams
The trip of a lifetime, couldn't have dreamt of a better adventure if I tried.
Emma Jeffcoat
You can't improve on perfection. I had my best birthday and holiday with my family celebrating my 80th birthday in Africa. Everything that Julia organised was perfect and the whole trip was a highlight!
Buckingham Family
Everything was perfect! Advice and information on destinations and activities hit everything I had hoped to experience. I contacted the Classic Safari Company upon recommendation and have now, in turn, recommended to others.
Tim Bradley
Very knowledgeable and patient. Our trip was all that we hoped for. Wonderful!
Jane & Robert Happell
Thank you for making our trip to Africa so spectacular. The attention to detail really made it special. It really was the trip of a lifetime.
Paul Cozzi
An amazing experience - the best family holiday we have ever had. We were extremely impressed by the meticulous attention to our itinerary. I can't speak highly enough of all the elements of this exciting journey!
Sheryl & Robert Taylor
We loved it all. Our son wants to go back tomorrow. We would ALL go back again!
Laurence & Remi Cunningham
Classic Safari are the people who genuinely know other culture and offer incredible insight to perfectly meet your expectations.
Melanie McMillan & Iain Jones
The trip exceeded my expectations and was the best family holiday I have ever had. Our children simply loved it and now I know more about African wildlife than they do about our own farm animals.
Rowntree family
We are so happy we put our trust in CSC, we had an amazing adventure and would recommend them to anyone.
Kim & Brad Balance
Julia you did a fantastic job - everything was first class. Well organised, efficient and stress free. We all agreed it was the best holiday we've ever had. Cant wait to travel with CSC again.
Milford family
We wanted the opportunity to see as many wildlife parks as possible and the Classic Safari Company provided an action-packed itinerary that included six, with 11 tiger sightings and nine leopard. This was overlaid with an introduction to Jaisalmer, Jaipur and the 'real' India. Pench and Panna were the hidden gems of a really great trip, very well organised, seamless and enjoyable. As a solo traveller I felt incredibly safe at all times. I want to go back!
Mark Taylor
Exellent and wonderful, reaching way above expectations.
Elizabeth Mackintosh
Thank you for putting together the ancestral adventure of a lifetime. I cannot speak highly enough of the trip.
Jenny Kidd
