Big Five Safaris: the 15 Best Game Drives

Dubai: Sunrise Desert Jeep Safari with Wildlife Experience

1.Sunrise Desert Jeep Safari with Wildlife Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,782 reviews · 4 hours · from $51Our pick

Start before dawn with hotel pickup, then ride through Dubai’s desert in a 4WD as the sun rises. You’ll stop for photos, try sandboarding, enjoy Arabic coffee and a picnic breakfast, visit Al Qudra Lakes, and see an Arabian oryx feeding station. Guides such as Mustafa, Bhiru, and Nitin are often praised for safe driving and useful local insight.

“Was Amazing, more than expected. Good driver perfect experience .. I am highly recommend”

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Addo Elephant National Park All Inclusive Full-Day Safari

2.Addo Elephant National Park All Inclusive Full-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 872 reviews · 9 hours · from $186

Spend nine hours in Addo Elephant National Park with an English-speaking guide such as Freddy, John, Sidwell, or King Elvis. Travel by air-conditioned 4x4 with a window seat for every passenger, enjoy lunch and refreshments, and search for elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo, zebras, and more.

“Wonderful day that I’ll remember for a long time. Guide was very knowledgeable!”

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Udawalawe National Park: Elephant Safari with Expert Guide

3.Udawalawe National Park: Elephant Safari with Expert Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 641 reviews · 4 - 10 hours · from $30

Explore Udawalawe National Park by private 4x4 Jeep with a skilled driver-guide such as Gimhana, Udith, or Jayashan. Expect elephant herds, crocodiles, deer, buffalo, jackals, birds, and perhaps a leopard across a four to ten-hour safari. Hotel pickup is included in the Udawalawe area, while the park entry fee costs extra.

“Amazing experience! We booked the safari at 6 AM and we saw a lot of animals and a big group of elephants! Was incredible. Thanks a lot to our driver/ guide Gimhana that pick us up from the hotel, brought us the breakfast and was really friendly and with a super view! Thanks to him we saw a lot of hidden animals and we spent a great morning.”

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Big Five Game Reserve Wildlife Safari from Cape Town

4.Big Five Game Reserve Wildlife Safari from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 576 reviews · from $184

Ride from central Cape Town to Aquila Game Reserve in an air-conditioned coach, then join an English-speaking ranger for a three-hour open-vehicle drive through the malaria-free Karoo. Look for lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, hippos, and more than 170 bird species. Lunch, a welcome drink, and hotel transfers are included.

“Fun tour! Get to see all the big 5 although there are very few of each animal. It is a big zoo so don’t expect it to be like a proper safari but still a great experience. A lot of it actually done in travelling too and from the game reserve so be prepared to be on a coach for a while”

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Big Five Safari and Breede River Valley Guided Day Trip

5.Big Five Safari and Breede River Valley Guided Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 526 reviews · from $155Top rated

Travel from Cape Town through Du Toitskloof and the Breede River Valley to Aquila Safari Reserve. A professional guide such as Mike, Werner, or Jamie handles the long drive, while your reserve fee covers lunch, champagne, and a two to three hour game drive. Private safari vehicles cost extra.

“Werner my tour guide and driver was super! Fun, courteous, knowledgeable about the area and country. The winery was lovely and a good tasting. Aquila was great. I lucked out and had Jana as my guide. She is the conservationist for the reseRead more”

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Banff: Evening Wildlife Safari Guided Tour

6.Banff: Evening Wildlife Safari Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 465 reviews · 2 hours · from $55

Join a small-group evening drive through Banff National Park with an English-speaking guide such as Lucy, Jake, or Evie. Look for elk, deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, and, with luck, bears while enjoying Bow Valley views and learning how the park protects wildlife.

“Jeff the driver picked us up at the allocated time, he was very pleasant and friendly. When all the passengers where picked Jeff laid out the details of the trip and places we would stop at. The bus was very comfortable. Jeff was very knowledgeable on the wildlife in Banff and gave us a very good explanation on the life of the brown bear. Unfortunately there was not a lot of the animals that we hoped to see but the trip was very entertaining and we enjoyed it. Thanks David”

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From Stockholm: Moose & Wildlife Safari with Campfire Dinner

7.From Stockholm: Moose & Wildlife Safari with Campfire Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 437 reviews · 5 hours · from $160

Leave central Stockholm by minibus for a five-hour wildlife safari in the forest. Your English-speaking guide leads a short hike, helps build a campfire, and serves dinner with beer or juice before driving to several animal hotspots. Guides such as Daniel, Marcus, Andrew, and Nathan are praised for their nature knowledge and persistence.

“It was nice to get out of the city. Dinner around campfire with sunset in the forest was a great experience. We saw many deer and bunnies, however no moose although Rasmus tried really hard and drove to all the possible spots they would come out.”

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From Cape Town: South African Wildlife and Safari 2-Day Tour

8.South African Wildlife and Safari 2-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 411 reviews · 2 days · from $322

Travel from Cape Town or Stellenbosch to Oudtshoorn with guides such as Neville, Maudi, Ulrich, and Denver. Take a 4x4 safari at Botlierskop, a smaller-wildlife bush drive at Buffelsdrift, and optionally observe three rescued elephants. Expect long drives, scenic mountain roads, shared safari vehicles, and a choice of backpacker, guesthouse, lodge, or farmstay accommodation.

“The two day safari was really great! Uriel our guide was amazing and made the trip even better. He was so easy to talk to, informative and always able to support our requests. He made the journeys very funny with his great sense of humour. The safari was really good and we were able to see a range of different animals: elephants, zebras, giraffes and we were lucky enough to see cheetahs. We would definitely recommend this tour and 100% recommend Uriel as a tour guide.”

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From Johannesburg: Lion & Safari Park Half-Day Tour

9.Lion & Safari Park Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 384 reviews · 5 hours · from $167

Travel from Johannesburg or Pretoria in an air-conditioned vehicle, then join a one-hour open-vehicle drive at Lion and Safari Park. Expect close views of lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, and possibly a white lion. Guides such as Thapelo, Dusty, Sipho, and AJ have earned praise for their humor and animal knowledge.

“The park is a must see, we saw the feeding of the lions. Our guide from the tour company, Tumi was very friendly and knowledgeable.”

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From Sigiriya: Minneriya National Park Elephant Safari

10.Minneriya National Park Elephant Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 365 reviews · 4 hours · from $33

Travel by jeep from Sigiriya, Habarana, Dambulla, or nearby to Minneriya National Park for a four-hour safari. English-speaking guides such as Shan, Prasad, Janith, and Thilina track elephant herds, birds, buffalo, monkeys, and reptiles. If elephants have moved, the team may suggest Hurulu or Kaudulla instead.

“We really enjoyed our experience, in particular because our guide, Janith, did such an excellent job. He tried really hard to give us the best time and he seems to have an enviable instinct of where to go for the best views meaning we were very often in the ideal place to see the elephants. He also has sharp eyes and showed us a number of other animals. Overall he was outstanding.”

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Koh Samui: 4x4 Sightseeing Safari & Elephant Sanctuary Tour - The 4x4 ride gives the tour its character

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Koh Samui: 4×4 Sightseeing Safari & Elephant Sanctuary Tour

11.Koh Samui: 4×4 Sightseeing Safari & Elephant Sanctuary Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 364 reviews · 7 hours · from $58

Spend seven hours touring Koh Samui by 4x4, with hotel pickup, temple visits, a waterfall, coconut plantation, scenic lunch, and an ethical elephant sanctuary. You will prepare food and feed the elephants rather than ride them. Guides such as Luna, Nancy, Jackie, and Palmy are known for friendly commentary, while the open-top mountain ride adds a lively finish.

“I absolutely loved this tour!!! from the first minute!!!!! Jackie our tour guide was absolutely fantastic in every sense! he made us feel great all day long!!! the activity was exceptionnal, to start with we got picked up in a 4x4, and it felt so great!!! then we went on the roof for quite some distance and it was unbelievable, after great views, wonderful waterfall, coconut factory and the time spent with the elephants was magical, they got rescued from bad people and the sanctuary is helping them!!!! i hope they can continue their fantastic work!!!!”

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Yala National Park Wildlife Safari/ Game Drive – by Ajith Safari

12.Yala National Park Wildlife Safari/ Game Drive – by Ajith Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 351 reviews · from $18Best value

Join Ajith Safari Jeep Tours in Yala for a 4 to 14-hour game drive in a shared jeep holding up to six people. Choose morning, afternoon, seven-hour, or full-day timing. Guides such as Naja, Kasun, Bale, and Dilan are praised for finding leopards, elephants, sloth bears, and quieter tracks.

“Kanaka was an excellent driver and we saw a family of elephants which was very surreal. Highly recommended!”

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Half-Day Wildlife Safari Tour in Grand Teton National Park

13.Half-Day Wildlife Safari Tour in Grand Teton National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 341 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $170

Join Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris for a four-hour, small-group drive through the National Elk Refuge and Grand Teton National Park. Your guide may include Jeff, Abby, Barry, Jordan, or another naturalist who knows the area well. With a maximum of eight people, UHD binoculars, spotting scopes, snacks, and hotel pickup, you can focus on wildlife instead of driving.

“This is absolutely worth it! We saw an amazing close up view of a group of moose less then 150 feet away!”

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Private Jeep Safari at Minneriya National Park to Visit Elephants

14.Private Jeep Safari at Minneriya National Park to Visit Elephants

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 338 reviews · from $36

Take a private jeep from Sigiriya into Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Hurulu Eco-Park, with the guide choosing the best park for current elephant movements and weather. Expect three to four hours of wildlife viewing, hotel pickup and drop-off, and room for up to five adults. Afternoon trips can bring larger elephant gatherings, while mornings are cooler and quieter.

“Really good guide. They suggested we switched national parks, to see more elephants. It was good advice, as we saw lots of elephant herds, some very big. Nice long time in the park - 3 hours. Also saw a crocodile basking, mongoose, peacocks, eagles, reptiles, kingfisher. Great service, very flexible.”

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Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Full Day Big 5 Safari Tour

15.Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Full Day Big 5 Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 310 reviews · from $96

Leave St Lucia at 5:00 am for a full day in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. A ranger leads your open-air vehicle through the reserve, with chances to see the Big Five, cheetahs, and wild dogs. Breakfast, a South African braai lunch, water, blankets, park fees, and round-trip transport are included. Groups are limited to nine people.

“It was a fantastic day! Without going into the animals we saw, as that depends on luck, let me share the good and bad points of this tour. Arnaud, our guide, always had a smile on his face, answered every question, and provided a lot of inforRead more”

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