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South Africa Luxury Safari Tours
South Africa’s luxury safari tours take in some of the highlights of what is arguably the continent’s most diverse and developed tourist circuit. A trip might include the impressive cities of Cape Town and Stellenbosch, the fossil sites of the Cradle of Humankind, the ancient rock art of the Drakensberg mountains and the spring flowers of Namaqualand. The country’s 2,700km/1,680mi coastline is varied and scenic. As if that were not enough, South Africa is also a fabulous wildlife-viewing destination – from the vast Big Five country protected within the Greater Kruger, malaria-free Madikwe and Pilanesberg and the desert landscapes of Kgalagadi to the seasonal whale-calving grounds below Hermanus.
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4-Day Luxury Radisson Kruger Safari
$1,106 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)LuxuryHotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 4,453 Reviews
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Best Seller
11-Day Highlights of Kruger, Victoria Falls & Cape Town
$5,001 to $5,332 pp (USD)
South Africa & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Victoria Falls, Cape Town (City), Cape Town Airport (End)
African Family Safaris
5.0/5 – 19 Reviews
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7-Day South Africa Safari: Hluhluwe Elephant Coast
$3,099 to $3,959 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (KZN Parks), Elephant Coast (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Wayfairer Travel
5.0/5 – 208 Reviews
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Best Seller
5-Day Kruger Park, Private Game Park & Canyon Explorer
$1,396 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Hoedspruit (Town), Central Kruger NP, Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Johannesburg (End)
Shinzelle Safaris
4.6/5 – 82 Reviews
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![4-Day Luxury Kruger Park Safari and Panorama Route Tour]()
4-Day Luxury Kruger Park Safari and Panorama Route Tour
$1,689 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Wildlife Safaris
5.0/5 – 320 Reviews
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![4-Day Timbavati Luxury Fly-in Safari]()
4-Day Timbavati Luxury Fly-in Safari
$5,011 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
Ranger Buck Safaris
4.9/5 – 69 Reviews
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5-Day Luxury Ivory Moon Lodge Safari in the Kruger
$1,499 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Central Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Safarilink SA
4.9/5 – 1,094 Reviews
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3-Day Greenfire Game Lodge Safari
$899 to $1,019 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Greater Kruger, Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
The Kruger Safari Co.
4.9/5 – 301 Reviews
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4-Day Luxury Sabi Sands Safari & Treehouse Sleep-out
$9,977 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Skukuza (Start), Lion Sands GR (Sabi Sands), Skukuza (End)
Viatu
5.0/5 – 157 Reviews
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![12-Day Victoria Falls, Cape Town & Safari Journey]()
12-Day Victoria Falls, Cape Town & Safari Journey
$8,127 to $9,345 pp (USD)
South Africa & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Victoria Falls, Cape Town (City), Greater Kruger, Johannesburg (End)
Safari365
5.0/5 – 72 Reviews
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5-Day Luxury Kruger Park and Sabi Sand Safari
$4,480 to $4,860 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Johannesburg (End)
Safari.com
4.7/5 – 241 Reviews
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![5-Day Sabi Sands Fly-in Safari from Cape Town]()
5-Day Sabi Sands Fly-in Safari from Cape Town
$2,415 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Cape Town (End)
Safari Tailors
5.0/5 – 7 Reviews
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4-Day Kruger Safari Package Bush and Leopards
$1,521 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Olifants West NR (Greater Kruger), Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Ku Sungula Safari Lodge
5.0/5 – 22 Reviews
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![7-Day Sabi Sands, Timbavati & Kruger Big Five Safari]()
7-Day Sabi Sands, Timbavati & Kruger Big Five Safari
$2,901 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Skukuza (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Kruger Mpumalanga Airport (Mbombela / Nelspruit), Mbombela / Nelspruit (End)
Africa Incoming
4.8/5 – 32 Reviews
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8-Day Luxury Big Five Safari
$4,406 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Go Touch Down Travel & Tours
5.0/5 – 178 Reviews
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![4-Day Arathusa Safari Lodge Three-Night Escape]()
4-Day Arathusa Safari Lodge Three-Night Escape
$2,168 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Skukuza (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Hoedspruit (End)
African Wildlife Plains
4.8/5 – 12 Reviews
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![4-Day Sabi Sand or Greater Kruger Lodge Safari]()
4-Day Sabi Sand or Greater Kruger Lodge Safari
$1,466 to $1,670 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Hazyview (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Hazyview (End)
SafariLife
5.0/5 – 29 Reviews
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![3-Day Safari and Wine Tour – Cape Town]()
3-Day Safari and Wine Tour – Cape Town
$1,370 to $1,405 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)LuxuryHotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Aquila GR, Winelands, Cape Town (End)
Knap Tours
4.8/5 – 44 Reviews
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![3-Day Pilanesberg Luxury Safari at Ivory Tree Game Lodge]()
3-Day Pilanesberg Luxury Safari at Ivory Tree Game Lodge
$1,234 to $1,303 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Pilanesberg GR, O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Johannesburg (End)
Khalanga Safaris
4.8/5 – 108 Reviews
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3-Day Kruger - Tangala Safari Camp
$752 to $826 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start), Thornybush GR (Greater Kruger), Hoedspruit (End)
Traipsing Africa's Safaris and Tours
5.0/5 – 124 Reviews
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6 Questions About South Africa Luxury Safari Tours
Answered by
Philip Briggs
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Bradt guidebooks to African destinations, including the guide to South Africa.› More about Philip
6 Questions About South Africa Luxury Safari Tours
Philip Briggs
Why should I choose South Africa for a luxury trip?
“South Africa has many private reserves and concession lodges that cater specifically to the luxury market. All the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) are present in good numbers in the major private reserves. On luxury safaris, game drives and walks are generally guided by knowledgeable and experienced guides and trackers. A bonus of most private reserves and concession lodges is that night drives are permitted, as is a certain amount of off-road driving. This enhances the likelihood of close encounters with lions, leopards and other carnivores. As a bonus, South Africa has a very organized and efficient tourist infrastructure by African standards. This, combined with a luxury safari, makes it a reliable holiday choice for nervous first-time visitors to the continent.”
1What is included in a South Africa luxury safari?
“A South Africa luxury safari usually operates on an all-inclusive basis. This covers four- or five-star accommodation, all meals, and expertly guided activities such as game drives in open 4x4s. Some top-end lodges also include laundry and drinks in their prices. Booked directly through the lodge, prices are unlikely to include transportation there and back. However, any package price quoted by a tour operator should include road or air transfers from the specified starting point. Tips are not included in either case, and these can add up.”
2What parks do you recommend for a South African luxury safari?
“There are plenty of choices. In my opinion, the first choice for general wildlife viewing and Big Five sightings is a cluster of private reserves on the western border of Kruger National Park. These reserves are collectively managed and marketed as Sabi Sands. The only drawback to Sabi Sands is that some (not all) properties share traversing rights with several neighbors. The strict rules limiting vehicle numbers often result in a long wait to join a sighting or being hurried off to make space for another lodge’s clients. A better option, from this point of view, is Timbavati Nature Reserve, which borders Kruger, and has a scattering of exclusive concession lodges. A trip to Greater Kruger carries a low but genuine risk of contracting malaria, in particular during the hotter, wetter months of November to April. Many safari-goers, particularly those with young children, prefer to head to malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve for this reason. Madikwe boasts some superb luxury lodges and fine Big Five wildlife viewing. Convenient for those whose South African holiday includes the Western and Eastern Cape is a cluster of malaria-free private reserves situated in Addo Elephant National Park, inland of Port Elizabeth. The pick of the private reserves in KwaZulu-Natal is Phinda. It offers great Big Five viewing and is also maybe the most reliable place in South Africa to spot cheetah.”
3Can you describe a typical day on a South Africa luxury trip?
“Most lodges set in private reserves or concessions are exempt from the restrictions on driving between sunset and sunrise enforced in most national parks and public reserves. This has an impact on a typical day, allowing for a schedule that makes the most of the wildlife-viewing hours when predators are active. A typical day starts with a pre-dawn wake-up call and a pot of tea or coffee, before heading out on an early morning game drive. Return to the lodge mid-morning for brunch or late breakfast. Then plan on a long and relaxed lunch break, especially during the southern hemisphere summer when days are longer and temperatures higher. Following a nap or swim and a light afternoon tea, you head out on an evening game drive. This usually incorporates a sundowner drink and a night drive, where the tracker will use a spotlight to pick out wildlife ranging from chameleons and nightjars to genets and bush babies. After this, it’s back to the lodge for a three-course bush dinner and a drink around the campfire. Some lodges offer guided game walks to see birds and smaller wildlife, either first thing in the morning or – more commonly – after breakfast. These provide a welcome change of pace for those people spending more than two days on safari. Ideally, a game walk is undertaken in the morning cool rather than the heat of the afternoon.”
4What type of accommodation can I expect?
“Your South Africa luxury safari will almost certainly be based at exclusive small lodges offering the safari equivalent variation of a three- to five-star city hotel. Most of these lodges are designed to make the most of their African bush surroundings and are constructed from a combination of stone, canvas, wood and thatch. Some pricier lodges offer even more ambitious designs and facilities. Wherever you stay, accommodation will likely be spacious, comfortable freestanding units with en suite showers and private verandahs. Many lodges also have swimming pools, spas and/or quality gift shops. World-class cuisine is usually complemented by carefully selected Cape wines. The service is top-notch. The upmarket lodges in South Africa’s numerous private wildlife reserves are scattered all around the country. The most important and best of them are clustered in three areas: along the western border of Kruger National Park, in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal close to iSimangaliso and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, and in the Eastern Cape in the vicinity of Addo Elephant National Park. In addition to the private reserves, similarly exclusive lodges can be found in various concessions set within public reserves such as Kruger National Park and Madikwe Game Reserve.”
5How much will this safari cost?
“The price of the safari leg of a South Africa luxury tour depends on which part of the country you choose and how much luxury you want to experience. You’d be lucky to pick up an all-inclusive luxury safari package for less than US$250 to US$300 per day per person sharing. At the absolute top end of the range you might be looking at an all-inclusive daily price of US$700 to US$1,000 per person. Safaris in Sabi Sands and Phinda are more costly, while the concession lodges in Kruger and Madikwe are somewhat cheaper. Most lodges offer discounted low-season rates and special one-off packages during the southern hemisphere winter (May to September). This is the best time of year for Big Five sightings in most parts of the country.”
6South Africa Reviews
Lizzie authored many guidebooks, including Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
South Africa Is Rightly Celebrated for Its Magnificent Natural Beauty and Excellent Choice of Parks and Reserves
South Africa has a wonderful range of landscapes, a near-perfect climate, and a choice of destinations, activities and itineraries that’s virtually inexhaustible. Aside from its beautiful coastline and cosmopolitan cities – both of...
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...
DE
Anyone who has been to South Africa once will always want to go back!
Having done many safaris, mostly in our own car, and only seeing lions from a great distance, we opted for a guided safari this time. Besides all the other animals, we saw lions three times and cheetahs twice, and so close! We highly...
Beautiful country with lovely people
South Africa is a beautiful country! The people there are lovely – very warm, and very helpful. Setting up my Safari in Krueger national Park was terrific through Safari Bookings - easy to understand process, and responses were very...
CY
Beautiful country, returned home with beautiful memories
We booked some days in Johannesburg and some days in Kruger Np. We enjoyed every day. We loved Kruger NP and the wildlife, this place is so beautiful and always has something to surprise you with. We did experience a lot of wildlife even...
S A a vibrant colourful scenic country
South Aftica is a must see country. Firstly for the wildlife and the scenic areas where the wild animals live. Absolutely beautiful and an unforgetable place. Sabi Sands was my favourite safari park, as the vehicles went off the dirt...