A Kosher Safari Before or After Pesach 2027

Many families already travel for Pesach. The weeks either side of it are some of the best value in the safari calendar. We don't run Pesach programs. What we do is plan private glatt-kosher safaris that end in time for you to get home or to your Pesach program, or that start once Yom Tov is over. You keep your Pesach plans exactly as they are and add Africa next to them.

Pesach 2027 dates and your two windows

• Erev Pesach: Wednesday 21 April 2027 (bedikat chametz Tuesday night, 20 April)
• Pesach: Thursday 22 – Thursday 29 April 2027 (in Israel, until Wednesday 28 April)
• Before Pesach: about Thursday 8 – Monday 19 April. Back home, or at your Pesach destination, with a day or two to spare. Shabbat HaGadol is 17 April.
• After Pesach: from Sunday 2 May (Isru Chag is Friday 30 April) through May. Lag BaOmer is 25 May.

Why April and May work so well

• Southern Africa's autumn. In South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe the rains are ending, the bush is green, the days are warm and the nights are cooling. Game viewing is strong in Kruger and the private reserves, and at Victoria Falls the water is at its fullest.
• Shoulder-season rates. Peak season (June–September in southern Africa) costs 20–40% more. April and May give you the same lodges at a better price and with fewer vehicles at sightings.
• Short and focused. A 5–8 night safari fits neatly around Pesach. Families often find the pre-Pesach week the easiest time to travel, while the rest of the world is still at school.

Three ways families do it

1. Safari, then home for Pesach. Seven nights in the Sabi Sands or a malaria-free reserve, flying home by 19 April. We build the trip so you're not bringing chametz-cleaning stress with you.

2. Safari, then straight to your Pesach program. Going to a Pesach program in South Africa, Europe, Dubai or Israel? Start in the bush and we'll get you to the airport in good time for Erev Pesach. Johannesburg and Cape Town connect easily to Europe and Israel.

3. Pesach program, then safari. Spend Yom Tov wherever you like, then fly to Johannesburg after Isru Chag for a week in Kruger, Victoria Falls or Botswana. Your kids get a holiday they'll actually remember.

See also: South Africa in March · Cape Town in March · Kruger in May · Botswana in May · Victoria Falls family safari · Malaria-free safari

Kashrut either side of Pesach

• Before Pesach: the trip runs on our normal glatt-kosher catering with your mashgiach and chef. Nothing about it affects your home or program kashrut.
• After Pesach: tell us if you want bread and other chametz only from suppliers who sold their chametz over Pesach, and we'll plan the sourcing with your mashgiach.
• Sefirah: if you keep the Omer customs, tell us, and we'll leave music out of the evening program.

Where to go, and where we'd skip in April

Best fit: South Africa (Kruger and the Sabi Sands, Madikwe, Pilanesberg, Cape Town), Botswana (Chobe, Okavango), Victoria Falls.

Think twice: Kenya and Tanzania in April and early May are in the long rains. Some camps close, and roads can be hard going. If East Africa is your dream, we'll usually point you to summer 2027 instead.

What it costs

Most before- or after-Pesach safaris fall in our Classic (5–7 nights, about $5,000–$8,000 per person) or Premium (8–12 nights, about $8,000–$14,000 per person) range. That's all-inclusive with mashgiach, meals, drives, park fees and in-country flights; international flights are extra. Shoulder-season timing usually puts you towards the lower end. See pricing.

Book early for April 2027

The flights around Pesach fill up fast. Tell us your dates now and we'll hold lodges with a 30% deposit (balance 60 days before departure). Send us your Pesach plans and we'll send a proposal that fits around them within 48 hours.