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South Africa Private Safari Tours
It’s difficult not to fall in love with South Africa when you visit and explore the country on a private safari. This kind of safari (where you’ll have the guide, driver and vehicle just for you and the others in your own traveling party) means that you’re in charge of your own safari experience, without having to accommodate the wishes of others whom you don’t know. You decide when to stop and when to move on, and you’ll have an expert guide at your disposal at all times to explain what you’re seeing. Yes, it’s more expensive than a group safari, but there’s no better way to enjoy the amazing wildlife and equally spectacular landscapes that South Africa has to offer.
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Top Rated Operator
8-Day Cape & Garden Route Low-Key Self-Drive Tour
$777 to $922 pp (USD)
South Africa: Self-drive
Mid-range Guest House & HotelYou Visit: Cape Town (Start), Cape Peninsula, Franschhoek (Cape Winelands), Oudtshoorn (Garden Route), Knysna (Garden Route), Port Elizabeth (End)
Indigo Safaris
4.8/5 – 125 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
11-Day South Africa & Mauritius Family Safari & Beach
$6,928 to $7,621 pp (USD)
South Africa & Mauritius: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Resort
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Madikwe GR, Bel Ombre (Town & Beach), Mauritius (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 149 Reviews
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4-Day Kapama River Lodge Game Safari
$2,008 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kapama GR (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
Ranger Buck Safaris
5.0/5 – 27 Reviews
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5-Day Kruger Park Safari + Panorama Route with Transfers
$1,283 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourGuest House
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Graskop (Panorama Route), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Khalanga Safaris
5.0/5 – 62 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
6-Day Sabi Sands and Kruger Park Safari
$4,081 to $4,477 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Discover Africa Safaris
4.9/5 – 420 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Sabi Sands Tented Camp Safari
$937 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Safari With Us
5.0/5 – 217 Reviews
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4-Day Luxury Lodge Safari in the Greater Kruger
$963 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Balule NR (Greater Kruger), O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Johannesburg (End)
Shinzelle Safaris
4.9/5 – 63 Reviews
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4-Day Kruger Safari, Soweto & Apartheid Museum
$862 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Soweto (Johannesburg), Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Nhlalala Travel
4.9/5 – 33 Reviews
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Best Seller
5-Day Luxury Kruger Park and Sabi Sand Safari
$2,921 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Chalet
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
Safari.com
4.7/5 – 186 Reviews
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3-Day Fly-in Luxury-Eco Safari to Madikwe Game Reserve
$1,961 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Madikwe GR, Johannesburg (End)
Viatu
5.0/5 – 42 Reviews
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8-Day Panorama Route Tour Safari & Cape Town Escape
$5,706 to $11,187 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Panorama Route (Highlight), Lion Sands GR (Sabi Sands), Cape Town (City), Cape Town Airport (End)
African Wildlife Plains
5.0/5 – 2 Reviews
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3-Day Zula Lush Private Reserve Pilanesberg
$1,548 to $1,834 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Soweto (Johannesburg), Pilanesberg GR, Cradle of Humankind (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Zula Zula Adventure Bus
5.0/5 – 2 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day 3 Nights Luxury Fly in Safari Kruger National Park
$3,482 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
African Welcome Safaris
5.0/5 – 230 Reviews
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Best Seller
10-Day Kruger Park & Cape Town South Africa Safari
$5,018 to $5,252 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Cape Peninsula, Cape Winelands, Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Explore & Travel Africa
5.0/5 – 33 Reviews
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6-Day Family Safari for 4 to 2 Reserves Greater Kruger
$1,730 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Balule NR (Greater Kruger), Greater Kruger, Klaserie NR (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
Wildlife Encounters
5.0/5 – 20 Reviews
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5-Day 4 Star Panorama Route & Greater Kruger Park Safari
$1,883 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Panorama Route (Highlight), Greater Kruger, Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Mmilo Tours
5.0/5 – 123 Reviews
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3-Day Kruger - Shiduli Private Game Lodge
$510 to $702 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start), Karongwe GR, Hoedspruit (End)
Traipsing Africa's Safaris and Tours
5.0/5 – 100 Reviews
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6-Day Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge, Kruger National Park
$2,817 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
BST Tours
4.8/5 – 30 Reviews
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6-Day Kruger Package Bush and Elephants
$2,209 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Olifants West NR (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Ku Sungula Safari Lodge
5.0/5 – 10 Reviews
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4-Day The Greater Kruger Tshukudu Safari
$1,515 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Tshukudu GR, Kruger NP, O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Johannesburg (End)
Go Touch Down Travel & Tours
4.6/5 – 154 Reviews
5 Questions About South Africa Private Safaris
Answered by
Anthony Ham
Anthony has been traveling to, and writing about, safaris in southern Africa for nearly two decades. He has co-written Lonely Planet’s ‘South Africa, Lesotho & Eswatini’ and ‘Southern Africa’ guidebooks, and he is the author of ‘The Last Lions of Africa’.› More about Anthony
5 Questions About South Africa Private Safaris
When is a private trip recommended in South Africa?
“The best time for going on a South Africa private safari is during the Dry season months of May to September. Throughout this period, you can expect generally fine conditions, with mild daytime temperatures. The only downside about traveling at this time is that it can get very cold at night, especially from June to August. The Dry season is also the best time to go looking for wildlife in South Africa. That’s because as waterholes dry out, it’s easier to find the animals close to the last remaining sources of water. If you’re a birder, you may want to consider the period from November to April. This is when migratory birds from Europe and North Africa spend time in southern Africa in their hundreds of thousands. Whenever you’re planning to travel, you should always try and avoid South African school holiday periods. At such times, accommodation, roads and safari trails are often crowded to an uncomfortable level.”
1Will we spend all our time with the guide on a private safari?
“On most private safari tours in South Africa, the guide will be with you whenever you need them, and you’ll be on your own for as much of the rest of the time as you’d like. Unless your private trip is a self-drive safari, you’ll need a guide and a driver when exploring the parks and reserves. Take this as an opportunity to learn about the animals and landscapes you’re seeing and ask as many questions as you like about local life. You may end up making lifelong friends with those who are looking after you. When you’re not out looking for animals, or when you’re not traveling between destinations, you’ll have lots of time to be alone. Many hours in a safari day are given over to relaxing, eating and drinking, and it will be up to you whether you want company or not.”
2Which parks and reserves should we visit on a private South African safari?
“South Africa has an exceptional portfolio of parks and reserves, and which ones you visit will depend on what sort of holiday you’d like to have. A good place to start is trying to decide which animals and landscapes you’d like to see and then doing your own research to plan which places are best for seeing them. If you want wildlife to be the centerpiece of your safari, consider the country’s northeast, where there’s a good chance you can see the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino), as well as cheetah, African wild dog, hyena, giraffe, zebra and so much more. Kruger National Park is rightly famous around the world for its incredible wildlife-viewing possibilities. But you can also see many of the same animals with fewer crowds and possibly even have a more exclusive safari experience in the neighboring reserves, such as Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Pilanesberg Game Reserve is similarly good, but busy, so why not consider Mapungubwe National Park in the far north, or Madikwe Game Reserve, both of which are much more intimate. These are just the start, with so many other possibilities right across the country.”
3How much do South African private safari packages cost?
“There are as many different safari packages and tours as there are safari operators in South Africa. As a result, prices vary greatly, from a base of US$150 per person per day for a private budget camping safari, up to US$600 per person per day, or even more, for a luxury private safari. Factors that can affect the per-day cost of your safari include the number of days you’ll be traveling, how much of the country you wish to see, and when you plan to go on safari. Traveling in high season (which can include local school holiday periods) is usually more expensive than traveling at other times. You should always make sure that you understand what is and what isn’t included in the quoted cost of any safari. As a minimum, expect the quoted price to include a private guide, driver and vehicle, as well as all accommodation, park entry fees, guided game drives, meals and water. Apart from game drives, ask which (if any) activities are included as well.”
4What type of vehicle can I expect?
“On most South Africa private safari tours, you’ll spend a large proportion of your time getting around in a 4WD vehicle. This is certainly the case for the time you spend inside the country’s parks and reserves, where your driver will take you around in a 4WD safari vehicle. These specially adapted vehicles most often have open sides (which are perfect for seeing, and feeling close to, the animals), canvas roofs (to keep out the sun and any rain) and tiered seating. For getting between the various destinations that are a part of your safari, you will most likely travel in a normal 4WD vehicle (which won’t be open-sided). This may vary depending on the size of your traveling party and whether you need a larger vehicle or extra vehicles. It is also possible that you may need to fly between destinations, either in a commercial plane (for getting between South African towns) or a small (six- to 20-seater) charter plane. The latter is used primarily for flying into the small airstrips in more remote and/or exclusive areas of some parks and reserves.”
5South Africa Reviews
Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.
Where Big Five safaris are big business, there’s a wealth of choice
Glorious images of elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and buffalo parading through pristine bush are central to South Africa’s popular image. So it comes as a surprise to some first-time visitors that, in reality, the proportion of this...
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-watching opportunities stretch far beyond...
Stunning diverse natural beauty
Cape Town has so much to offer, stunning sea views, beautiful beaches, mountains, vineyards and wildlife nearby. Our experience of penguins, whales, dolphins and baboons was amazing . Then the big 5 at Aquila Game Reserve was a hit. A...
Far exceeds your expectations
Really enjoyed my safari with Viva Tours in South Africa; the 6 day safari was a luxury because I had time to do 2 full days in Kruger Park and numerous game drives in their private reserve to ensure I saw all of the big five animals as...
SA in general? It’s nice bin muged en a lot of people want something from you. I’m not used
About the safari it was nice only 3 days is more then enough. I was lucky enough to see the big 5 in the Kruger park. But I would say the bush walk was boring so not really necessary if you ask me. Or you have to be lucky to see ontregeling...
Spectacular 😍
We traveled to South Africa for a family holiday in March. We choose Kruger National Park for our safari destination and Nhlalala Travel for our tour guide. We stayed in the Kruger Gate Hotel which was fabulous. We did a sunset safari, full...