The 15 Best Safaris in South Africa

From Johannesburg: Pilanesberg Nature Reserve Game Safari

1.Pilanesberg Nature Reserve Game Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,327 reviews · 12 hours · from $186Our pick

Leave Johannesburg early for Pilanesberg Nature Reserve, about two hours away. You get two open-vehicle game drives totaling 4.5 to 5 hours, lunch at a rest camp, and guides such as Petrus, Martin, and Desmond who explain the animals and bush. Expect elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, birds, and a fair chance of seeing several Big Five species.

“This is a great day trip from Joburg for an authentic safari experience. Thomas our driver was communicative and professional, pointing out interesting things on our way to Pilanesberg. Thabo our guide was also great. Very knowledgeable. Of course you can’t control what you will and won’t see but we were fortunate enough to see a leopard and had incredible elephant and rhino sightings. Lunch is a bit basic but overall would recommend the trip”

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From Cape Town: 2-Day Safari at Garden Route Game Lodge

2.2-Day Safari at Garden Route Game Lodge

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 928 reviews · 2 days · from $533

Spend two full days traveling from Cape Town to Garden Route Game Lodge with an English-speaking guide and up to 12 people. Stop in Hermanus, Betty’s Bay, and Cape Agulhas, then take sunset and morning safari drives, sleep in a 4-star chalet, and enjoy dinner and breakfast. Guides such as Chris, Vaughan, Benjamin, and Frank are praised for their local insight and careful driving.

“The drive was nice. The stops for Cape Agulhas, Hermanus, and Betty’s Bay were wonderful! The Game Lodge was very nice and the stay was lovely. Abie the safari guide was amazing! Vaughn was knowledgeable and ready a quip at all times. We really enjoyed the trip!”

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Addo Elephant National Park All Inclusive Full-Day Safari

3.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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Kruger National Park Full Day Private safari

4.Kruger National Park Full Day Private safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 799 reviews · from $158Top rated

Start around 5:30 a.m. from Hazyview and spend up to 9 hours exploring Kruger National Park with a private guide. Your guide helps search for the Big Five, cheetahs, African Wild Dogs, and birdlife, while your group controls the pace. Collect breakfast packs before pickup, then stop at one rest camp for breakfast and another for lunch, paid separately.

“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”

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Full Day Ultimate Pilanesberg National Park Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria

5.Full Day Ultimate Pilanesberg National Park Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 718 reviews · from $159

Leave Johannesburg or Pretoria early for Pilanesberg National Park, then join two open 4x4 drives with a professional guide. You will search for lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo, stop for lunch beside a waterhole, and return by air-conditioned minivan. Guides such as Clement and Sibu are praised for their animal knowledge and good humor.

“Great experience. Our guide at the park was very funny and knowledgeable. The food provided was good as well.”

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Big Five Game Reserve Wildlife Safari from Cape Town

6.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

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

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

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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Early Morning Balloon Safari with Breakfast from Magaliesburg

8.Early Morning Balloon Safari with Breakfast from Magaliesburg

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 418 reviews · from $240

Meet Bill Harrop’s Original Balloon Safaris early in the morning for a one-hour flight above the Magaliesbergs and Cradle of Humankind. Your pilot provides live commentary, and the roughly four-hour outing includes post-flight drinks, a sparkling wine buffet breakfast, and a flight certificate. Hotel transport is optional.

“The trip was smooth and soothing, enjoyed every moment of it. I would recommend to everyone. The pilot was very knowledgeable and make the trip quite enjoyable”

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

9.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

10.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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Kruger National Park – Private full day Safari trip.

11.Kruger National Park – Private full day Safari trip.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 347 reviews · from $166

Spend about 10 hours exploring Kruger National Park from Hazyview with a private driver-guide. Gerrie Smith and Keegan are among the guides associated with this experience. You enter through Pabeni Gate, spend roughly nine hours in the park, and search for lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffalo, birds, and smaller wildlife without camping overnight.

“Gerrie was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the animals and knew where to take us to see more animals. We were able to see the big five and many other more.”

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Full-Day All Inclusive Safari with Traditional Braai Lunch

12.Full-Day All Inclusive Safari with Traditional Braai Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 345 reviews · 9 hours · from $186

Join a small group of up to nine for morning and afternoon game drives in Addo Elephant National Park. Guides such as Steven, Stephen, and Mostaff search for elephants, lions, rhino, buffalo, zebra, and more, while sharing useful facts about animal behavior. A fire-cooked braai with three meats, salads, bread, drinks, and vegetarian choices is served inside the park.

“Steven is a Great Guide! He took all the time we needed to watch the lions, saw nearly everything in the bushes and did a great lunch! We would recommend this tour everyone!”

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2 Day Safari Experience from Cape Town

13.2 Day Safari Experience from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 326 reviews · from $447

Leave Cape Town at 6am for Cape Agulhas and Garden Route Game Lodge, where sunset and early morning drives seek the Big Five. Guides such as Chris, Benjamin, Vaughan, and Frank are praised for informative, caring service. Return via Hermanus and Betty’s Bay, with lodging, dinner, breakfast, transfers, and two drives included.

“I, honestly, don't know where to start... Chris was not only our driver, but an awesome guide. He took us to so many great spots on the way to our final destination with really good food!! Once we got to the game lodge, we were welcomed by the friendly staff and went to Read more”

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Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Full Day Big 5 Safari Tour

14.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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5 Day Garden Route and Addo Safari – Best of South Africa Small Group Tour

15.5 Day Garden Route and Addo Safari – Best of South Africa Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 291 reviews · from $575

Travel from Cape Town through Route 62, Oudtshoorn, Addo, Jeffreys Bay, Tsitsikamma, Knysna, and Wilderness. You will ride with an English-speaking guide, stay in three accommodation levels, visit an ostrich farm and Cango Caves, and take a two-hour Addo game drive. Guides such as Isaac, Maudi, Neville, and Uriel are known for careful organization and local insight.

“Maudi was a great tour guide! The tour and sites were amazing. Maudi was very engaging, kept the tour on track and made us all feel like a family. Highly recommended tour!”

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