Safaris · NATIONAL PARK SAFARIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 national park safaris in South Africa justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
Leave Cape Town by air-conditioned minibus for Aquila Private Nature Reserve, crossing the Hex River Valley. After a buffet lunch, join an English-speaking ranger for a two-hour open-vehicle safari. You may see lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and up to 172 bird species.
“It was great! Our guide Kayim was fantastic, great ride”
Leave Johannesburg early for Pilanesberg, then spend 4.5 to 5 hours on two open-vehicle game drives. Guides such as Petrus, Martin, Solly, and Desmond track elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, and big cats. Hotel pickup, lunch, and return transport are included, but the park fee is extra.
“It was a long day but definitely worth it. We saw a lot of animals, the tour guide was very friendly and she did everything for us to see as many animals as possible. We even saw a lioness. Lunch was alright, nothing special. Can recommend the tour!”
Ride from Port Elizabeth, Bluewater Bay, Colchester, or Addo in an air-conditioned 4x4 with a guaranteed window seat. Your English-speaking guide, often Freddy, John, Sidwell, or King Elvis, leads two game drives, lunch, and wildlife watching in Addo.
“Wow, this day was just incredible! It’s worth every penny. My guide John/Kagisho was very kind and I wouldn’t have seen half the animals, if i wouldn’t have had his spotting skills and knowledge about the park. The Picknick was nice too. We even got so lucky to see two lioness up close.”
Set out from Hazyview at 5:30 am for a private, full-day Kruger safari with a professional guide. You will search for the Big Five, cheetahs, African wild dogs, and birds, with breakfast and lunch stops. Guides such as Senzo, Didi, and Patrick are praised for their wildlife knowledge and care.
“Didi proved to be quite an awesome guide—he was very knowledgeable about so many things in the park, and was able to answer all of our questions. He also got us up close and personal with white rhinos, elephants, leapards, zebras, giraffes, and countless other small gaRead more”
Leave Johannesburg or Pretoria early for Pilanesberg National Park, then join two open 4x4 game drives with a safari guide such as Clement or Sibu. You’ll pause for lunch beside a waterhole and return after an unusually full day of wildlife viewing, transport included.
“Very good tour, worth every penny. Seen all the animals except a lion lol but it was cool to see rhinos and leopards!! Definitely recommend”
Spend about nine hours traveling from Cape Town to malaria-free Aquila Game Reserve, where an English-speaking ranger leads a three-hour open-vehicle drive. Expect lions, rhinos, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, birds, a buffet lunch, and scenic Karoo views. Guides such as Denver, Max, Josh, and Abriel have earned particular praise.
“We are not really animal friendly but the whole experience of this safari was amazing, from the friendly and helpful driver/tour guide to the guide on the safari bus. Had an amazing day”
Travel from Cape Town to Aquila Private Game Reserve with guides such as Dona, Elda, or Frank, then ride an open safari truck at sunset. Expect a long but scenic day, a 45-minute wine tasting, welcome refreshments, buffet food, pool time, and a good chance to see four of the Big Five.
“The trip was amazing, both the driver to Aquila and the safari tour guide were amazing. They both explained things very well. On the way from CPT to Aquila our driver explained some history about CPT, the winefarms and the wars, it kept the drive entertaining. Shoutout to Dona (our driver) (with one a)😉. The safari tour guide was also very good. The park itself is beautiful aswell, it’s not the biggest, but it was big enough to see a lot of animals. We managed to see 4 out of the big 5. The leopard was the only one we didn’t see. Apart from the animals in the big 5…”
Travel from Cape Town to Aquila Private Game Reserve for a sunset drive in an open 4x4 truck. You’ll have round-trip transport, a welcome drink, snacks, and an experienced ranger. The reserve offers close animal sightings, though the long drive and bumpy truck ride require patience.
“We had tue most amazing day, our driver Dona was absolutely amazing , told us so much about South Africa in our drive qas very friendly and made us all very comfortable was also a fantastic driver felt very safe. We saw 4 of the big 5 the Aquila Game reserve was absolutely magnificent we had a great guide Tyler he made every effort possible to make our Safari perfect. Thank you for such a wonderful experience.”
Leave Hazyview early for a 10-hour private safari through Kruger National Park. Guides such as Gerrie Smith and Keegan tailor the day to your animal priorities, provide water, and may take wildlife photos for you. Park entry fees are extra, and pickup from some Kruger hotels costs more.
“This is one of the best private safari. Our guide did his best and we spotted the big five. We took excellent photos to make this a memorable experience. Highly recommended”
Meet your English-speaking ranger at the Safari Center for a two-hour drive across a 2,200-hectare reserve below the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Look for rhinos, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, antelope, birds, and possibly two of the Big Five. Bring a warm layer.
“Really nice facility and park. Game Driver was very friendly and knowledgeable. For the price, it really is a great deal. We had the opportunity to see a good variety of animals. Visiting from Canada, we wanted to do a Safari near Kruger but couldn't make it work. This obviously wasn't that, but it was a great first experience and helped fill the void until next time. Highly recommend if you're in Plett - for the price you might as well try it.”
From Port Elizabeth Harbor, you’ll ride to Schotia Private Game Reserve for a five-hour open-vehicle safari. Guides such as Norman, Donald, Marilyn, and Robert work hard to find lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, hippos, and more. Snacks, drinks, park fees, and return transport are included.
“Marilyn was a wonderful guide, the drive to the reserve was only an hour or so (there was an accident that delayed us a bit but that’s travel!) We saw lots of animals, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, rhino and hippos many varieties of antelope and we had a glimpse of a lion! Like all nature tours you never can guarantee seeing anything but we saw so much thanks to our lively guide. We were given snacks and drinks, made to feel welcome, a very nice way to spend a day. I would highly recommend this trip.”
You’ll explore Addo Elephant National Park for about eight hours in an air-conditioned 4x4, with guides such as John, Sidwell, Wanele, and others leading the search for elephants, lions, buffalo, rhino, zebra, and more. Hotel pickup, park fees, transport, and lunch are included.
“Our driver allowed us to open the back door of the minibus in front of buffalo. He let a man leave the vehicle to take a close up of an ostrich. The minibus broke down in front of 3 thankfully sleeping lions resulting in him having to leave the vRead more”
Leave Hazyview before sunrise for a 10-hour Kruger safari through Phabeni Gate. Your English-speaking guide, such as Bradley, Stephen, Sipho, or Remember, searches for the Big Five and lesser-seen animals from an open vehicle. Food and park entry are extra, but pickup, water, and return transport are included.
“Just a perfect day being guided by Remember, a very competent guide and a lovingly soul. We saw a lot of animals (including big cats like a lion, several lionesses and a leopard), beautiful creatures living in their natural habitat. Thank you so much for the moving experience!”
Start at 5:30 am from Hazyview and enter Kruger National Park at opening time in a private open safari vehicle. Your guide searches for lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, cheetahs, wild dogs, and birds. Guides such as Abraham N and Patrick are praised for sharp wildlife knowledge.
“It was just a fantastic experience. Krugerpark has shown itself at its best. Patrick our Guide has a passion for wildlife and nature. He can explain about the animals but also has a huge knowledge about the smallest little creature. And at some sightings we were just on our own. We will come back asap.”
Leave Johannesburg before breakfast for Pilanesberg National Park in an open-sided safari jeep. A local driver handles the long transfer, while a park guide such as Tshepo, Ambos, Peter, or Tummy helps you search for lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffaloes, and more. Lunch, park fees, and water are included.
“We had a wonderful experience. Excellent guides helped us and we saw wonderful wildlife and landscapes. Can’t recommend this company more!”
Dunes, game drives, camps or snow.
