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Safaris From Cape Town - Compare 211 Tours
With its unforgettable seaside setting at the base of Table Mountain, Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful and likable cities. It is also, justifiably, the most popular tourist attraction in South Africa. The city center is renowned for its compelling array of museums, galleries, historic landmarks, markets and restaurants, while out-of-town attractions include beautiful beaches, scenic walking trails, sophisticated wine estates, clifftop lighthouses and breeding colonies of penguins and seals. For many visitors, however, a perfect South African itinerary would combine a few days in Cape Town with a safari to see lions, elephants, giraffes and other wildlife in their natural habitat, and here we explore how to do that.
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Best Seller
3-Day Luxury Sanbona Dwyka Tented Lodge Cape Town Safari
$1,694 to $2,091 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)LuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Sanbona WR, Cape Town (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 5,561 Reviews
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Best Seller
5-Day Sabi Sands Nkorho Fly-in Safari from Cape Town
$3,803 to $4,183 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Cape Town (End)
The Kruger Safari Co.
5.0/5 – 353 Reviews
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9-Day Luxury Cape Town, Kruger NP and Victoria Falls
$5,626 to $7,530 pp (USD)
South Africa & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Kruger NP, Victoria Falls (End)
Off2Africa Travel
5.0/5 – 242 Reviews
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3-Day Luxury Ivory Moon Lodge - Fly in from Cape Town
$1,289 to $1,634 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Safarilink SA
4.9/5 – 1,838 Reviews
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![9-Day Classic Sabi Sand, Kruger and Cape Town Safari]()
9-Day Classic Sabi Sand, Kruger and Cape Town Safari
$4,776 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Cape Peninsula, Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Klaserie NR (Greater Kruger), Hoedspruit Airport (Hoedspruit), Johannesburg (End)
Explore and Travel Africa
5.0/5 – 89 Reviews
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![8-Day Cape Town and Sabi Sand Safari Honeymoon]()
8-Day Cape Town and Sabi Sand Safari Honeymoon
$10,319 to $11,031 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Sabi Sabi GR (Sabi Sands), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Discover Africa Safaris
4.7/5 – 598 Reviews
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![10-Day Affordable - Cape Town, Kruger & Victoria Falls]()
10-Day Affordable - Cape Town, Kruger & Victoria Falls
$3,561 to $4,785 pp (USD)
South Africa & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Kruger NP, Victoria Falls, Johannesburg Airport (End)
African Family Safaris
5.0/5 – 30 Reviews
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![13-Day Cape Town and Garden Route Big Five Safari]()
13-Day Cape Town and Garden Route Big Five Safari
$5,702 to $6,272 pp (USD)
South Africa: Self-driveLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Hermanus (Whales), Knysna (Garden Route), Plettenberg Bay (Garden Route), Lalibela WR, Cape Town Airport (End)
Viatu
4.9/5 – 187 Reviews
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![5-Day South Africa Garden Route & Addo Escape]()
5-Day South Africa Garden Route & Addo Escape
$1,617 to $1,649 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 3 people per vehicle)
Mid-range Guest House & HotelYou Visit: Cape Town (Start), Botlierskop GR, Tsitsikamma (Garden Route NP), Addo Elephant NP, Cango Caves (Garden Route), Route 62 (Highlight), Cape Town (End)
Knap Tours
4.8/5 – 56 Reviews
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![10-Day City, Beach & Safari]()
10-Day City, Beach & Safari
$5,891 to $6,095 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Ballito (Town & Beach), Manyoni GR (KZN Parks), Durban (End)
Safari Online
5.0/5 – 148 Reviews
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![5-Day Cape Town, Garden Route & Addo Safari]()
5-Day Cape Town, Garden Route & Addo Safari
$1,696 to $1,764 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Guest HouseYou Visit: Cape Town (Start), Mossel Bay (Town), Oudtshoorn (Garden Route), Knysna (Garden Route), Addo Elephant NP, Gqeberha / Port Elizabeth (End)
Rawson Touring
4.5/5 – 4 Reviews
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![13-Day Luxury Cape Town, Garden Route & Safari]()
13-Day Luxury Cape Town, Garden Route & Safari
$3,688 to $4,984 pp (USD)
South Africa: Self-driveLuxuryTented Camp & Guest House
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Franschhoek (Winelands), Oudtshoorn (Garden Route), Plettenberg Bay (Garden Route), Amakhala GR, Chief Dawid Stuurman Airport (Gqeberha / Port Elizabeth), Gqeberha / Port Elizabeth (End)
Journey Africa
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![7-Day Cape Town-Okavango Delta Safari]()
7-Day Cape Town-Okavango Delta Safari
$3,395 to $4,325 pp (USD)
Botswana & South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range Tented Camp & Guest HouseYou Visit: Cape Town (Start), Okavango Delta, Maun (End)
Compass Odyssey
4.7/5 – 372 Reviews
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1-Day Cape Town City and Surrounds as You Like
$237 to $254 pp (USD)
South Africa: Day tourPrivate tour
You Visit: Cape Town
Mmilo Tours
5.0/5 – 143 Reviews
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![4-Day Cape Town City Tour]()
4-Day Cape Town City Tour
$681 to $754 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryHotel
You Visit: Cape Town
Africa Incoming
4.9/5 – 69 Reviews
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![4-Day Cape Town Essentials Tour]()
4-Day Cape Town Essentials Tour
$1,119 to $1,286 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range Self Catering AccommodationYou Visit: Cape Town (Start), Table Mountain (Cape Town), Cape Peninsula, Winelands, Cape Town (End)
SafariLife
5.0/5 – 35 Reviews
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![7-Day Cape Town Cycle Tour - Premium]()
7-Day Cape Town Cycle Tour - Premium
$3,873 to $4,454 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range Guest House & HotelYou Visit: Cape Town (Start), Grabouw (Town), Stellenbosch (Winelands), Cape Town (City), Cape Town Surrounds, Cape Town Airport (End)
Outland Travel
5.0/5 – 7 Reviews
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![3-Day Luxury Coastal Stay in the Mother City]()
3-Day Luxury Coastal Stay in the Mother City
$858 to $1,506 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryHotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Cape Peninsula, Cape Town Airport (End)
The Eco Travel Boutique
5.0/5 – 3 Reviews
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![5-Day Cape Town Highlights Private Tour]()
5-Day Cape Town Highlights Private Tour
$1,301 to $1,343 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range HotelYou Visit: Cape Town (Start), Cape Peninsula, Robben Island (Cape Town), Cape Town (End)
Jangwa Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 32 Reviews
Related Searches
5 Questions About Safaris From Cape Town
Answered by
Philip Briggs
Philip is an Africa-specialized travel writer who grew up and lives in South Africa. He has visited Cape Town and most parks in South Africa in the course of researching guidebooks such as ‘The Rough Guide to Game Parks of South Africa’ and ‘DK Eyewitness Top 10 Cape Town and the Winelands’.› More about Philip
5 Questions About Safaris From Cape Town
Philip Briggs
What is the closest Big Five safari destination to Cape Town?
“Many first-time visitors to Africa hope to see all of the Big Five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). The closest Big Five destination to Cape Town is Aquila Private Game Reserve, which lies off the N1 highway 175km/110mi northeast of the city. This affordable quick-fix reserve is aimed at those who want to tick off as many iconic large mammals as possible in a short time. On any given game drive, you should see elephant, white rhino, buffalo, lion, giraffe, zebra, hippo and a variety of antelope (black rhino and leopard are present but harder to find). Aquila is very packaged and in many ways like a glorified zoo, so don’t come here expecting a wilderness experience. The only other Big Five safari destination within a three-hour driving radius of Cape Town is the private Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. Extending across 580km²/224mi² of the semi-desert Karoo, this exclusive reserve is notable for its ruggedly mountainous scenery. It offers a slow, holistic safari experience that’s best enjoyed over a 3- or 4-day stay. A highlight of Sanbona is its white lions (whose striking color is due to a rare recessive gene), but visitors also stand a good chance of seeing elephant, white rhino, buffalo, giraffe and various antelope. Other Big Five safari options within reasonable driving distance of Cape Town include Garden Route Private Game Reserve and Gondwana Game Reserve, both of which lie about four hours east of Cape Town at the base of the Langeberg Mountains. These reserves are especially convenient to those visiting the Garden Route as well as Cape Town.”
1Can you do a self-drive safari from Cape Town?
“It is perfectly possible to drive yourself from Cape Town to any of the above reserves. However, none of them actually caters to self-drivers, so you’ll end up leaving your car parked for the duration of your stay while you do guided game drives. Probably the best self-drive safari destination that’s reasonably accessible from Cape Town is Karoo National Park, which is a five- to six-hour drive inland on the N1 toward Johannesburg. This wonderfully cheap, scenic and tranquil park is a great place to see dry-country wildlife such as Cape mountain zebra, gemsbok and red hartebeest. It also hosts small populations of lion, leopard and black rhino, but you’d be lucky to see any of them. Cape Town is also a potential starting point for self-drive safaris to the more distant likes of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Addo Elephant National Park. However, these would need to be combined into a longer road trip rather than visited as self-standing destinations.”
2Can you visit Kruger National Park from Cape Town?
“Cape Town and Kruger National Park are South Africa’s two most iconic tourist destinations, but they lie at opposite ends of the country, in the extreme southwest and far northeast respectively. Given that the shortest driving route between them is 1,860km/1,155mi, it is not realistic to visit Kruger by road from Cape Town, unless you’re including both on a longer grand tour of South Africa. However, it is very easy to visit Kruger on a fly-in safari from Cape Town. A domestic carrier called Airlink operates direct daily flights between the two, and many other airlines offer same-day flights that involve a quick change of plane at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport.”
3What other safari destinations can you fly to from Cape Town?
“Cape Town International Airport is a well-connected travel hub, which means that Cape Town could be used as a starting point for safari packages to many different places in South Africa and neighbouring countries. Within South Africa, flights from Cape Town to Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) bring you within easy striking distance of several Big Five destinations including Addo Elephant National Park and the private Amakhala, Kwandwe and Shamwari Game Reserves. Likewise, there are numerous flights from Cape Town to Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport, from where you can drive to the likes of Madikwe and Pilanesberg Game Reserves. Farther afield, it is possible to fly directly from Cape Town to Maun (Botswana), the main springboard for safaris into the Okavango Delta. Flights to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) or Livingstone (Zambia) provide access not only to the iconic Victoria Falls but also to world-class national parks such as Chobe (Botswana), Kafue (Zambia) and Hwange (Zimbabwe).”
4Can you do a malaria-free safari out of Cape Town?
“Most of South Africa is free of malaria, as are all safari destinations near Cape Town. This includes all reserves/parks in the Western Cape (Aquila, Sanbona, Garden Route, Gondwana, Karoo), Eastern Cape (Addo Elephant, Amakhala, Kwandwe and Shamwari) and North West Province (Madikwe, Pilanesberg). If you want to totally avoid exposure to malaria, be aware that there is a slight risk in Kruger and a greater one in neighboring countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.”
5South Africa Safari Reviews
Lucy is travel writer for a range of publications, including Lonely Planet's guides to Africa, Southern Africa and South Africa.
An Array of Animals
Of all the African countries people visit on safari trips, South Africa is probably the easiest to travel around. Infrastructure is excellent, accommodation for every budget is abundant and wildlife-viewing opportunities stretch far beyond...
Anthony is a photographer and writer for travel magazines and Lonely Planet, including the guides to Kenya and Botswana & Namibia.
South Africa: World-class Safaris
South Africa is one of my favourite places to go on safari, with all the necessary ingredients for a wildlife experience that will begin your enduring love affair with the continent. Primary among these ingredients is the wildlife. Nowhere...
CA
An impressive country
We loved our trip, 6 days in Jo’burg and 8 in safari. We developed a connection with the city that will stay with us forever, the feeling from the inside of a giant country that is building its way towards the hopes of Mandela and a whole...
NZ
Short safari left us keen for more
We were off to birdwatch Madagascar, and we had to go through Johannesburg. So we thought, why not have a short safari to Kruger on the way? We used Safari Bookings to help us get quotes and chose a two-night three-day package. It was...
South Africa offers one of the most extraordinary safari experiences imaginable. During my stay at Kruger Shalati, the Train on the Bridge, I experienced the very best of Kruger National Park. From exceptional game drives with my guide,...
NZ
Outstanding Experience in South Africa
Our whole trip to South Africa was nothing short of sensational. It was the trip of a lifetime! The advice and recommendations from our travel expert Liezel Knott at Safari-online.com were outstanding. Liezel Knotts recommendations for...