Top 15 Safari Tours in South Africa

1.Pilanesberg Nature Reserve Game Safari

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

Leave Johannesburg early for Pilanesberg with hotel pickup, a roughly 2.5-hour drive, and two open-vehicle game drives totaling 4.5 to 5 hours. Guides such as Petrus, Martin, and Desmond track wildlife while you watch elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, and hundreds of bird species.

“À must do. We had a fantastic time, our guide Petrus was great, he did really manage to give us the best sights and yeppp he's funny as well, so there was really no doom time Shout out to Nikki as well, the driver who took us from Johannesburg to the Pilanesberg and back, he was kind and so careful ::)) Highly advised!”

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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 in a small group of up to 10, riding in an air-conditioned 4x4 with a window seat for every passenger. Guides such as Freddy, John, Sidwell, and King Elvis lead game drives, serve lunch, and help spot elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo, and smaller wildlife.

“Our Driver, guide was absolutely excellent, he made a very memorable day and experience, would highly recommend Sidwell and tour.”

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3.Kruger National Park Full Day Private safari

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

Start at 5:30 am from Hazyview for a private Kruger safari with a professional guide such as Senzo, Didi, or Patrick. Search for the Big Five, cheetahs, wild dogs, and birds, with breakfast and lunch stops at rest camps. Food and conservation fees cost extra.

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

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

Spend a full day in Pilanesberg National Park with hotel pickup, two open 4x4 game drives, and lunch overlooking a waterhole. Guides such as Clement and Sibu are praised for their animal knowledge and effort. Expect a long road day, often close to three hours each way.

“The experience was surreal!! Can't believe we get to be so close to the animals. There is nothing to fault this trip from start to the end!!”

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

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

From Perry’s Bridge in Hazyview, you’ll enter Kruger through Pabeni Gate for roughly nine hours of game viewing. Guides Gerrie Smith and Keegan are praised for animal knowledge, patience, and photography. The private format lets you set priorities, from big cats to birds, without sharing the vehicle.

“Absolutely amazing experience from start to finish. Gerrie was a fantastic guide and made the trip even more memorable with his knowledge, insights, and photographer skills. Gerrie brought us to every animal we wanted to see and allowed us Read more”

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6.5 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. Expect long drives, guided wildlife viewing, four breakfasts, several accommodation levels, and optional thrills such as bungy jumping, surfing, ziplining, and horseback riding.

“Had a great time with TK as our tour operator. The tour was amazing! We were able to do so many activities, and TK knew a lot about the region and was willing to help us with any question or quiery we might have. The only reason why I give this tour a 4/5 stars is because I Read more”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 256 reviews · from $147

From Port Elizabeth, you’ll spend about nine hours exploring Addo in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional guide such as John, Sidwell, Wanele, or Elvis. Expect close elephant sightings, possible lions and buffalo, lunch, hotel pickup, and a malaria-free park. Big cats are never guaranteed.

“All communications prior to tour were very good, prompt and clear. We were travelling on a cruise ship and found out the night before the tour that our ship was going to arrive in Port Elizabeth later than scheduled. We let them know and they Read more”

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8.Addo Elephant Full Day Safari with a Traditional South African Braai (BBQ) Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 218 reviews · from $172

Travel from Port Elizabeth or Colchester to Addo Elephant National Park for a small-group safari of up to nine people. Guide Steve, Siya, Eddie, or another local guide leads morning and afternoon drives, with elephant sightings, wildlife tracking, tea, snacks, drinks, and a South African braai included.

“We had a lovely day and saw over 100 elephants, lots of kudu, warthogs, zebra and baboons. Our guide Siya was very knowledgeable and good at spotting creatures large and small (dung beetles)! We really enjoyed it. The lunchtime braai was so delicious also which was a big bonus.”

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9.From Hazyview: Kruger National Park Full-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 205 reviews · 10 hours · from $105

Leave Hazyview before sunrise for a full day in Kruger National Park. Ride an open safari vehicle with an English-speaking guide such as Stephen, Bradley, Sipho, or Remember, stopping for breakfast and lunch at your own cost while searching for lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, and wild dogs.

“It was a pleasur to have the game drive with Stephen. He is a friendly tour guide and tries his very best to find all the big five. highly recommend 👌”

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10.Kruger National Park sunrise Morning Private safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 185 reviews · from $131

Start at 5:30 am for a six-and-a-half-hour private safari from Hazyview or a nearby Kruger gate. Your guide drives an open vehicle through the park in search of lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffalo, cheetahs, wild dogs, hippos, birds, and more. Guides may include Abraham N, Patrick, or Evenick.

“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.”

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11.Garden Route and Addo Elephant Park 6-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 175 reviews · 6 days · from $852

Travel from Cape Town through Hermanus, Cape Agulhas, Oudtshoorn, Wilderness, Knysna, Tsitsikamma, Addo, and Mossel Bay. Your English-speaking guide handles the driving while you canoe, hike, taste wine, visit an ostrich farm, and search for elephants, lions, rhinos, and buffalo.

“rochelle is the best guide ! thank her for such an amazing tour !”

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12.3-Day Budget Tent Kruger Park Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 163 reviews · 3 days · from $653

Travel from Johannesburg in a small group of up to nine for sunset and night drives, a full day in Kruger, tent camping, and a morning bush walk. Guides including Quinten, Vic, Andy, Ray, and Raymond help bring the bush to life. Lunches and drinks cost extra.

“the guides overall were really friendly and knowledgable, in particular Raymond was a very nice person and very experienced. The schedules were well organized Just the lack of the wifi on the first night could have been an issue if someone did not know, but our guide Raymond managed to solve this issue for us.”

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13.Marloth Park: Kruger National Park Safari Game Drives

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 115 reviews · 6 hours · from $61

Start before sunrise from your Marloth Park lodge and enter Kruger through Crocodile Bridge. A guide such as Jerry, Lucky, or Advocate leads a six-hour drive in a high open vehicle, with water included. Bring food and 440 ZAR in cash for park entry.

“I liked everything abiut the tour. Our tour guide was the best. Best experience i’ve had in Mpumalnga so far”

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14.Addo Elephant National Park Full Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 110 reviews · from $169

Set out from Port Elizabeth at 7:30 a.m. for a full day in Addo Elephant National Park. Guides such as Joel, Allan, and Stafford know the park well, and the day includes animal spotting, shared binoculars, tea and rusks, plus a cooked braai with vegetarian and vegan choices. Pickup and park fees are included.

“Joel from African Sighting Adventure is so wonderful as our tour guide. He is very knowledgeable and he has a very sharp eye sight. As you know Addo Elephant National Park is not a private park that raises animals for tourists taking pictures, it is a park that let animals live fRead more”

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15.Kruger Safari Tour – Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $77

Start at 5:00 a.m. for a 10-hour open-vehicle safari in Kruger National Park. Guides such as Bradley, Stephan, Remember, and Sipho focus on the Big Five while sharing facts about birds, trees, and animal behavior. Pickup is available in Hazyview and at Phabeni Gate.

“Absolutely amazing tours. I took 2 full day tours with Stephen as my, and pretty much the best guide I can imagine. We saw all the big 5, had great conversations and I learned so much. This guy loves his job and one can really feel that all the time.”

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