A holiday to Swaziland – now officially Eswatini – rewards those who look closely: a kingdom where rhino roam royal reserves, communities open their homes, and ancient traditions are very much alive.
Eswatini tours take you into one of Southern Africa's most distinctive and least-visited kingdoms — a compact highland country where conservation, culture and community sit at the centre of every experience. Rhino roam in protected reserves, lions patrol royal parklands, and communities like Shewula have built their livelihoods around welcoming curious travellers. This is a destination that rewards those who slow down.
Our small group Eswatini tours cover the full circuit of the kingdom's finest reserves and communities, from the walking trails and wildlife of Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary to the rhino encounters at Mkhaya Game Reserve, big game at Hlane Royal National Park, and community life at Shewula Mountain Camp on the Lubombo escarpment. Eswatini also features as a highlight on our wider Southern Africa Explorer, making it an ideal addition for those combining a Swaziland trip with South Africa, Mozambique and beyond.
Eswatini (Swaziland)
Small-group departures led by local experts, plus private tailor-made itineraries shaped around your interests, pace and dates.
Eswatini has invested heavily in rhino conservation, and the results show. Mkhaya Game Reserve and Hlane Royal National Park between them offer some of the most reliable and up-close rhino encounters in Southern Africa — without the crowds of better-known destinations.
Eswatini is one of Africa's last absolute monarchies, and that identity shapes daily life across the country. From the royal game reserves to the community at Shewula, the traditions here are practised rather than performed — giving every Eswatini holiday a depth that's difficult to find elsewhere.
Unlike most safari destinations, Eswatini's reserves actively encourage walking and cycling among the animals. Mlilwane and Mbuluzi in particular offer foot-level encounters with giraffe, zebra and antelope that feel worlds away from a conventional game drive.
Shewula Mountain Camp on the Lubombo escarpment is a model of community-led tourism — built and run by the local Swazi people, with proceeds staying in the community. An Eswatini trip that includes Shewula means your travel is directly supporting the people who call this land home.
See itinerariesEswatini (Swaziland) rewards travellers who slow down — the best stories are found off the tour-bus route.
From the field
Our dedicated Eswatini tours depart in August and October — both excellent times to travel. August falls in the dry season, when vegetation is lower, wildlife concentrates around water sources, and conditions for game viewing and walking safaris are at their best. October brings warmer temperatures as the rains approach, with landscapes beginning to green and birdlife increasing across the reserves. Our Southern Africa Explorer, which includes Eswatini, departs in September and April. If you'd like to plan Eswatini travel outside our scheduled departures, our team can build a tailor-made itinerary to suit your preferred dates.
Looking to travel outside the typical windows? Our Eswatini (Swaziland) tailor-made team can advise on the best time for you.
Dispatches, field notes and practical advice from our specialists.
Reviews from across our small-group programme. Independently rated 4.9 Excellent on AITO by 250+ travellers.
“An amazing trip! We had the most amazing holiday — over two weeks we had a taste of the cities, the culture, the mountains, a safari, and time at the beach. Our driver/guide made the whole trip very relaxing, and we were welcomed warmly by everyone we met, enjoying fabulous food and drink along the way. Undiscovered Destinations planned a really amazing itinerary for us with great hotels, a fabulous guide/driver, and interesting places to visit — they took great care to ensure we had an excellent holiday. We look forward to booking another holiday with them in the future. Thank you, Mark!”
Anna
“This adventure was always going to be very full-on, which is how we like our trips. I didn't count on getting bronchitis and ending up in hospital, however. The itinerary was quickly amended to avoid high-altitude destinations as much as possible while still making sure we had a chance to enjoy interesting experiences. While obviously sad to have missed some of the original sites, the revised itinerary was the only sensible option under the circumstances. I was extremely impressed with how Undiscovered Destinations and their local team handled the situation — taking the stress out of it, smoothing the way, rearranging the itinerary and booking new hotels, translating for me with the medical staff, and making sure I always had transport, medicines and anything else I needed. Nothing was too much trouble, and they kept in touch with me, each other, and the insurance company throughout. I can't recommend them enough!”
Grete
“My wife and I had a wonderful tour with Undiscovered Destinations. We had a different guide at each stop, and all of them were friendly, cheerful and knowledgeable. The local people were welcoming, and we always felt safe and comfortable. The beaches were spectacularly beautiful and empty of people, with warm, clear water, and each stop had its own character — some we loved for their unspoiled scenery, others for their history and the warmth of the welcome. We took the opportunity to snorkel on one of the most pristine reefs we've experienced, swimming with sea turtles and enormous manta rays that came right up to us out of curiosity. A wonderful destination for nature lovers.”
Frank
“Excellent. Action packed. Our local agent was excellent, and a good choice by Undiscovered Destinations. Because there were only two of us on the holiday, we had different guides at each stop, each one making sure we were handed over safely. All manner of transport was used, and we appreciated the different guiding strategies, the wealth of information given, the high level of English, and the genuine wish to show off their country at its best. Excellent.”
Cathy
“Far exceeding my expectations, this was one of the best trips I've ever done. A beautiful destination, with interesting history, lively ceremonies, lovely people and — surprisingly, for somewhere that sees so few tourists — absolutely no hassle on the streets. Excellent service from start to finish, with a first-class tour leader.”
Lynn
“We had a two-week trip with Undiscovered Destinations, flying in for two days first to break up the journey. It was a great trip, because we managed to see so much more than just the capital cities. This was the fourth trip we've taken with Undiscovered Destinations, and each one has been wonderful. Our guides were lovely — very professional and helpful. We rate UD very highly.”
Andy
“We had a fabulous trip with an excellent local guide, who took great care of us and enthusiastically shared his knowledge of both ancient and recent history, with lots of fascinating personal stories of his own life. We highly recommend this trip — Undiscovered Destinations were great to work with, and we hope to use them again.”
Jennie
“Everything was great — we got to witness a wonderful variety of wildlife, and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and the hospitality of the people. A fabulous trip from start to finish.”
Debbie
“Excellent all-round trip. Drivers were conscientious and careful, accommodation was better than expected, and the scenery was stunning throughout.”
Alexis
“Fabulous, unusual destination, and great people. A private tour of somewhere little-visited, with great service from start to finish and excellent knowledge and advice from Undiscovered Destinations throughout.”
Steve
“An amazing trip! We had the most amazing holiday — over two weeks we had a taste of the cities, the culture, the mountains, a safari, and time at the beach. Our driver/guide made the whole trip very relaxing, and we were welcomed warmly by everyone we met, enjoying fabulous food and drink along the way. Undiscovered Destinations planned a really amazing itinerary for us with great hotels, a fabulous guide/driver, and interesting places to visit — they took great care to ensure we had an excellent holiday. We look forward to booking another holiday with them in the future. Thank you, Mark!”
Anna
“This adventure was always going to be very full-on, which is how we like our trips. I didn't count on getting bronchitis and ending up in hospital, however. The itinerary was quickly amended to avoid high-altitude destinations as much as possible while still making sure we had a chance to enjoy interesting experiences. While obviously sad to have missed some of the original sites, the revised itinerary was the only sensible option under the circumstances. I was extremely impressed with how Undiscovered Destinations and their local team handled the situation — taking the stress out of it, smoothing the way, rearranging the itinerary and booking new hotels, translating for me with the medical staff, and making sure I always had transport, medicines and anything else I needed. Nothing was too much trouble, and they kept in touch with me, each other, and the insurance company throughout. I can't recommend them enough!”
Grete
“My wife and I had a wonderful tour with Undiscovered Destinations. We had a different guide at each stop, and all of them were friendly, cheerful and knowledgeable. The local people were welcoming, and we always felt safe and comfortable. The beaches were spectacularly beautiful and empty of people, with warm, clear water, and each stop had its own character — some we loved for their unspoiled scenery, others for their history and the warmth of the welcome. We took the opportunity to snorkel on one of the most pristine reefs we've experienced, swimming with sea turtles and enormous manta rays that came right up to us out of curiosity. A wonderful destination for nature lovers.”
Frank
“Excellent. Action packed. Our local agent was excellent, and a good choice by Undiscovered Destinations. Because there were only two of us on the holiday, we had different guides at each stop, each one making sure we were handed over safely. All manner of transport was used, and we appreciated the different guiding strategies, the wealth of information given, the high level of English, and the genuine wish to show off their country at its best. Excellent.”
Cathy
“Far exceeding my expectations, this was one of the best trips I've ever done. A beautiful destination, with interesting history, lively ceremonies, lovely people and — surprisingly, for somewhere that sees so few tourists — absolutely no hassle on the streets. Excellent service from start to finish, with a first-class tour leader.”
Lynn
“We had a two-week trip with Undiscovered Destinations, flying in for two days first to break up the journey. It was a great trip, because we managed to see so much more than just the capital cities. This was the fourth trip we've taken with Undiscovered Destinations, and each one has been wonderful. Our guides were lovely — very professional and helpful. We rate UD very highly.”
Andy
“We had a fabulous trip with an excellent local guide, who took great care of us and enthusiastically shared his knowledge of both ancient and recent history, with lots of fascinating personal stories of his own life. We highly recommend this trip — Undiscovered Destinations were great to work with, and we hope to use them again.”
Jennie
“Everything was great — we got to witness a wonderful variety of wildlife, and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and the hospitality of the people. A fabulous trip from start to finish.”
Debbie
“Excellent all-round trip. Drivers were conscientious and careful, accommodation was better than expected, and the scenery was stunning throughout.”
Alexis
“Fabulous, unusual destination, and great people. A private tour of somewhere little-visited, with great service from start to finish and excellent knowledge and advice from Undiscovered Destinations throughout.”
Steve
Every one of our Eswatini (Swaziland) journeys can be rebuilt around your dates, pace and interests — or we’ll design something entirely new.
We’ll build one around you.
If you'd like to explore Eswatini outside our scheduled group departures, or prefer a private Eswatini holiday built around your own pace and interests, we can design a tailor-made itinerary for you. Whether you want to focus on the wildlife reserves - Mlilwane, Mkhaya and Hlane - or build in more time with the Shewula community on the Lubombo escarpment, a private trip gives you the flexibility to go deeper. Eswatini also pairs naturally with South Africa and Mozambique, and we regularly design Eswatini travel packages that take in the wider Southern African region. Contact our team to start planning your tailor-made Eswatini tour.
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Our Eswatini tours start from £2,995 per person for the 12-day Kingdom of Eswatini group tour, with our 15-day Southern Africa Explorer - which includes Eswatini alongside South Africa and Mozambique - from £4,495. Prices cover accommodation, overland transport, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees and most meals. International flights, visas and travel insurance are arranged separately. Full pricing and departure dates are listed on each individual tour page.
Shared across all tours that visit this destination. Read alongside your individual tour dossier for trip-specific details.
We constantly monitor the travel advice posted by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Travel Advice and will always advise clients of any warnings before departure. At the time of writing, there are no FCDO warnings against travel to the parts of Eswatini that we visit on our tours. Please contact us if you have any specific concerns or would like to know what measures are in place to keep your trip safe and trouble-free.
Please note this information applies primarily to British citizens — nationals of other countries should check current advice with their respective government travel authority.
Join a small-group departure, or let our Eswatini (Swaziland) specialists craft a private journey shaped around your dates and interests.
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