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South Africa Private Safari Tours
It’s hard 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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4-Day Entabeni Safari with Lakeside Lodge
$949 to $1,092 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Entabeni GR (Waterberg Biosphere Reserve), Johannesburg (End)
Indigo Safaris
4.9/5 – 178 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
12-Day Luxury Kruger Safari & Mauritius Escape
$6,399 pp (USD)
South Africa & Mauritius: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp & Resort
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (City), Grand Baie (Town & Beach), Black River, Mauritius (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 195 Reviews
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4-Day 4 Star Mabula Game Lodge Big 5 2Hrs 30Min from Jhb
$858 to $961 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Mabula GR (Waterberg Biosphere Reserve), Johannesburg (End)
Gems of Africa Safari and Tours
4.9/5 – 158 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Private Kruger National Park Safari
$1,381 to $1,667 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Central Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Wild Planet Safari
4.9/5 – 240 Reviews
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![9-Day Luxury Cape Town, Kruger NP and Victoria Falls]()
9-Day Luxury Cape Town, Kruger NP and Victoria Falls
$5,379 to $6,611 pp (USD)
South Africa & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Kruger NP, Victoria Falls (End)
Off2Africa Travel
5.0/5 – 180 Reviews
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7-Day Ultimate Kruger Safari Tour
$2,176 to $2,634 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range HotelYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Johannesburg (End)
Red Africa Safaris
5.0/5 – 125 Reviews
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Best Seller
![10-Day Kruger Private Reserves & Cape Town]()
10-Day Kruger Private Reserves & Cape Town
$4,604 to $5,088 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Klaserie NR (Greater Kruger), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Cape Town (End)
Safari Online
5.0/5 – 137 Reviews
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![5-Day Kruger National Park South & Panorama Route]()
5-Day Kruger National Park South & Panorama Route
$1,199 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Kruger NP, Matsamo Cultural Village (Cultural Village), Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Nhlalala Travel
4.9/5 – 90 Reviews
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4-Day Private Kruger Park Safari and Panorama Route Tour
$1,468 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Junglers Adventure Tours
5.0/5 – 66 Reviews
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![4-Day Classic Kruger Safari]()
4-Day Classic Kruger Safari
$1,283 to $1,343 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Khalanga Safaris
5.0/5 – 91 Reviews
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![7-Day Two Kruger Private Reserves]()
7-Day Two Kruger Private Reserves
$2,440 to $3,576 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start), Klaserie NR (Greater Kruger), Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger), Hoedspruit Airport (Hoedspruit), Hoedspruit (End)
African Family Safaris
5.0/5 – 10 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
$4,428 to $4,877 pp (USD)
South Africa: Self-driveLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Hermanus (Whales), Knysna (Garden Route), Plettenberg Bay (Garden Route), Tsitsikamma (Garden Route NP), Lalibela GR, Cape Town Airport (End)
Viatu
5.0/5 – 124 Reviews
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4-Day Kruger Park Safari and Panorama Route Tour
$1,152 to $1,233 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Mmilo Tours
5.0/5 – 139 Reviews
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6-Day Kruger Package Bush and Elephants
$2,078 to $2,437 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Olifants West NR (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Ku Sungula Safari Lodge
5.0/5 – 20 Reviews
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4-Day Walking Safari - Africa on Foot, Wilderness Trails
$937 to $1,028 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetTented Bush Camp
You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start), Greater Kruger, Hoedspruit (End)
JourneyTo
5.0/5 – 23 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
![3-Day Sabi Sands Tented Camp Safari]()
3-Day Sabi Sands Tented Camp Safari
$914 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Safari With Us
4.9/5 – 250 Reviews
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3-Day Ivory Tree Lodge, Pilanesberg
$913 to $1,122 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Pilanesberg GR, Johannesburg (End)
BST Tours
4.8/5 – 32 Reviews
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Best Seller
4-Day Kwa Maritane Lodge Fully Inclusive Safari Package
$844 to $955 pp (USD)
South Africa: Self-drive
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Pilanesberg GR, Johannesburg (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 3,520 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
![7-Day All Inclusive Safari in Madikwe & Sabi Sands]()
7-Day All Inclusive Safari in Madikwe & Sabi Sands
$7,894 to $8,391 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Madikwe GR, Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Discover Africa Safaris
5.0/5 – 557 Reviews
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3-Day Buffalo Rock a Hidden Gem in Kruger
$443 to $475 pp (USD)
South Africa: Self-driveLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Hazyview (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Kruger NP, Hazyview (End)
SafariLife
5.0/5 – 25 Reviews
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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
Anthony Ham
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, accommodations, 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 to decide which animals and landscapes you’d like to see, and then do your own research to plan which places are best for seeing them. If you want wildlife to be the centerpiece of your safari, consider visiting the country’s northeast. Here there is 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 also busy. So why not consider Madikwe Game Reserve or the private Welgevonden 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 accommodations, 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...
US
Incredible
Loved South Africa and will definitely go back. Our guide was very knowledgeable and took the time to stop the truck to explain and answers our questions. I highly recommend Wild Planet Safari and Eric our Tour Guide and Goodwill or...
IT
Amazing
We enjoyed a lot our 2 day safari at Pilanesberg Park. We stayed one night at Yvory Lodge, a five star accomodation. All details have been respectful at high level, from the pick up at our hotel. Strongly recommended.
US
Stunning vacation destination PACKED with wildlife!
We spent over a week in South Africa, and it was not nearly enough time. Getting there from the northwest US took a very long time, especially with insane flight delays, but the minute we arrived, it was amazing. We stayed in Camps Bay,...
Country of wonders
This was our first time to South Africa and we have had a smashing time from the start to the end. We landed in Johannesburg late and were going to another domestic flight, everyone in the airport was helpful to let us go through, simply...