The 8 Game Drives in Cape Town That Earn Their Price

1.Big Five Game Reserve with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,409 reviews · 9 hours · from $236Our pick

Leave Cape Town by air-conditioned minibus for Aquila Private Nature Reserve, about 2.5 hours away. After a welcome drink and buffet lunch, join a two-hour open-vehicle safari with an English-speaking ranger. Expect close views of lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, and more, with guides such as Trevor, Aiden, or Kayim leading the drive.

“What a great trip! First, our driver, Denver, was amazing and even came back after I left my hat in his van! The resort is BEAUTIFUL! Be aware that while the food is free, any drinks you order with lunch does have a charge (but it’s VERY minimal). Our safari guide Trevor was AMAZING! We saw 4/5 Big Five animals and he made sure to turn our jeep so we all got great views and great pictures. The animals all seem very happy and while contained, have so much room to roam. The presence of babies for several species indicates they are happy and living life. The ride is BUMPY…”

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2.Gansbaai: Marine Big 5 Boat tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 593 reviews · 2.5 - 10 hours · from $155

From Gansbaai, cruise the Dyer Island ecosystem aboard a wheelchair-friendly whale-watching boat. A marine biologist explains the wildlife while you search for whales, sharks, seals, dolphins, and penguins. Expect coffee and muffins before departure, soup afterward, and optional Cape Town or Hermanus transfers. Weather, tides, and animal behavior determine the schedule and sightings.

“Amazing tour. We were very lucky when it comes to seeing animals. The crew was excellent and the soup afterwards delicious. Highly recommended”

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3.Big Five Game Reserve Wildlife Safari from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 576 reviews · from $184

Spend about nine hours traveling from Cape Town to Aquila Game Reserve, a malaria-free private reserve in the Karoo. An open-vehicle drive lasts about three hours, followed by a buffet lunch. Guides such as Mike, Abriel, and Habibi have earned praise for their animal knowledge and warm style. Expect a scenic but bumpy day.

“Our driver to the safari was Denver. He was amazing. He was accommodating, personable and professional. I had terrible motion sickness and he stopped and allowed me to get a stomach remedy from a nearby pharmacy so my daughter and Read more”

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4.Big Five Safari and Breede River Valley Guided Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 526 reviews · from $155Top rated

Travel from Cape Town through Du Toitskloof Pass and the Breede River Valley to Aquila Private Game Reserve. A professional guide such as Mike, Werner, or Jamie handles the drive, while a reserve ranger leads the 2 to 3 hour safari. Expect a buffet lunch, champagne, optional wine tasting, and a busy but rewarding day.

“It was my very first safari ever and it was absolutely amazing. Mike went above and beyond! He managed everything extremely well and thanks to him I did not have to que a single time. Also his knowledge about the area is huge. You can Read more”

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5.Aquila Game Reserve Sunset Game Drive

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 508 reviews · 9 hours · from $168

Travel from Cape Town to Aquila Private Game Reserve for a sunset drive in an open 4x4 truck. Expect a long but scenic day, a 45-minute wine tasting, welcome drinks, snacks or buffet food, and a ranger-led search for lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, leopards, giraffes, and more. Guides such as Elda, Dona, Frank, and Josh are often praised for their local knowledge and warm style.

“The trip was amazing, both the driver to Aquila and the safari tour guide were amazing. They both explained things very well. On the way from CPT to Aquila our driver explained some history about CPT, the winefarms and the wars, it kept the drive entertaining. Shoutout to Dona (our driver) (with one a)😉. The safari tour guide was also very good. The park itself is beautiful aswell, it’s not the biggest, but it was big enough to see a lot of animals. We managed to see 4 out of the big 5. The leopard was the only one we didn’t see. Apart from the animals in the big 5…”

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6.Aquila Game Reserve Sunset Game Drive

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 350 reviews · 9 hours · from $167

Travel from Cape Town to Aquila Private Game Reserve for a sunset safari in an open 4x4 truck. Your English- or French-speaking guide may be joined by an experienced ranger such as Elda, Yannick, or Jean-Claude. Expect welcome drinks, snacks, close wildlife sightings, and a long but scenic day.

“Absolutely brilliant day! We were picked up by our lovely guide Mr Yannick. He was brilliant, really responsive via messaging, picked us up in a lovely car, told us lots of information about Cape Town. The safari / game drive was brilliant! Would highly recommend. Again Yannick was fab, waiting for us post game drive to take us back to the hotel , would highly recommend Emily”

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7.Marine Big 5 Ocean Safari from V&A Waterfront

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 278 reviews · 1h 30m · from $68Best value

From the V&A Waterfront, you’ll join an English-speaking crew aboard a luxury catamaran for a 90-minute search for Cape Town’s Marine Big 5. Expect Table Mountain and 12 Apostles views, seasonal wildlife, binoculars, muffins, hot chocolate, and a professional crew including guides such as Leslie, Bennie, and Patrick.

“Great tour, great guys. 10/10 tour. Love the sunfish and muffins”

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8.Aquila Game Reserve Safari Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 183 reviews · 8 hours · from $342

Spend eight hours traveling from Cape Town to Aquila Game Reserve, with hotel pickup, a welcome drink, buffet lunch, and a 3-hour open-vehicle game drive. Guides such as Tina, Thomas, Fin, and Josh have helped make the safari informative and relaxed. Expect close views of four Big Five animals, but do not count on seeing a leopard.

“fabulous day out at the safari park.saw all the animals except for the elusive leopard. he is there.thomas our guide was excellent, stopped on the way for refreshment and toilet stop.if you love wildlife and a nice guide,book this. well worth the money.”

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