13 National Park Day Trips in South Africa Worth the Drive

1.Addo Elephant National Park All Inclusive Full-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 872 reviews · 9 hours · from $186Our pick

Spend nine hours exploring Addo Elephant National Park in an air-conditioned 4x4 Jeep, with every passenger guaranteed a window seat. Guides such as Freddy, John, Sidwell, and King Elvis are known for sharp animal spotting and lively park stories. Pickup, entry, two game drives, refreshments, and lunch are included.

“We booked for private tour for our family. We are so lucky on our safari tour because we got the best guide King Elvis. We had the lioness face to face in our vehicle. We had very nice packed lunch too. Highly recommend King, he is the best and truly knows where to find the animals. Thank you so much for the most memorable experience we had in visiting SA!”

Check availability →Read our review →

2.Kruger National Park Full Day Private safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 799 reviews · from $158Top rated

Leave Hazyview at 5:30 am for a private Kruger safari with a professional guide. The long day gives you time to seek the Big Five, cheetahs, African Wild Dogs, giraffes, rhinos, elephants, and birds. Breakfast comes from your lodge, while lunch is at a rest camp restaurant at your own cost.

“Didi proved to be quite an awesome guide—he was very knowledgeable about so many things in the park, and was able to answer all of our questions. He also got us up close and personal with white rhinos, elephants, leapards, zebras, giraffes, and countless other small gaRead more”

Check availability →Read our review →

3.Full Day Ultimate Pilanesberg National Park Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 718 reviews · from $159

Leave Johannesburg or Pretoria early for Pilanesberg National Park, then spend the day on two guided open-vehicle drives with a safari guide such as Clement or Sibu. Look for the Big Five, giraffes, hippos, zebras, and antelope, with lunch overlooking a waterhole between drives. Return transport is included.

“My very first Safari experience. The initial drive takes a while but once at the Safari it’s a magical place. Would 100 percent recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our review →

4.Kruger National Park – Private full day Safari trip.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 347 reviews · from $166

Spend about 10 hours exploring Kruger National Park from Hazyview with a private driver-guide from Kruger Gateway Safaris. Guides such as Gerrie Smith and Keegan tailor the day to your animal interests, help with photography, and provide bottled water. You pay the SANParks entry fee separately, and pickup from Kruger Gate or Skukuza costs extra.

“Excellent communication before and during the safari. Very knowledgeable on the park and the animals. Has clear passion for the job, which translates into an amazing customer experience. Will recommend to anyone visiting Kruger, and I will book again if I find myself at Kruger in the future.”

Check availability →Read our review →

5.Addo Elephant National Park All Inclusive Full-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 256 reviews · from $147

Spend about nine hours exploring Addo Elephant National Park from Port Elizabeth in an air-conditioned 4x4 with a guide such as John, Sidwell, Wanele, or Elvis. Park fees, lunch, transport, and hotel pickup are included. Expect close elephant sightings, expert wildlife spotting, and a genuine chance, not a guarantee, of seeing lions, rhinos, buffalo, and other animals.

“Seeing lions, elephants, zebras, …. The weather was perfect, very sunny. The explanations of our very kind guide Sidwell where very goods and he took time to do and repeat if asked.”

Check availability →Read our review →

6.Kruger National Park Full-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 205 reviews · 10 hours · from $105

Leave Hazyview before sunrise for a full day in Kruger National Park, entering through Phabeni Gate in an open safari vehicle. Your English-speaking guide, such as Stephen, Bradley, Remember, or Sipho, searches for the Big Five and lesser-seen cheetahs, wild dogs, snakes, and birds. Breakfast and lunch are at your own cost.

“It was great. Remember went out of his way to make sure we were all happy”

Check availability →Read our review →

7.Full Day Safari Tour of Pilanesberg National Park, Open Jeep experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 139 reviews · from $155

Travel from Johannesburg to Pilanesberg National Park in an air-conditioned vehicle, then spend the day in an open safari jeep with a local guide. The park is home to lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffaloes, cheetahs, hippos, and more. Lunch, entrance fees, and water are included, while breakfast is not.

“We had a wonderful experience. Excellent guides helped us and we saw wonderful wildlife and landscapes. Can’t recommend this company more!”

Check availability →Read our review →

8.Kruger National Park: Full-Day Game Drive with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 136 reviews · 1 day · from $109

Start early from your hotel or chosen Kruger gate and spend 9 to 10 hours in an open safari vehicle. Guides such as Jerry and Advocat use local tracking skills and updates from other drivers to seek lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo. Breakfast and lunch stops are included in the day, but food, drinks, and the park fee cost extra.

“Jerry was a great guid. He is kind and enthousiast the whole day. Gave a lot information and was in contact with other guides so we did see 4 leopards in total!”

Check availability →Read our review →

9.Addo Elephant National Park Full Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 110 reviews · from $169

Join African Sightings Adventure Tours & Safaris for a nine-hour Addo safari from Port Elizabeth. Guides such as Joel, Alan, and Stafford lead the search for elephants, lions, rhinos, zebras, buffalo, and other wildlife. Your day includes transport, park fees, binoculars, tea and rusks, bottled water, and a South African braai with vegetarian and vegan choices.

“Our experience today was terrific. The guide explained details about the animals and stopped so that we could take as many photos as we wanted. Tons of elephants, warthogs and zebras right next to our vehicle. The lunch he cooked was from the heart and delicious! VehRead more”

Check availability →Read our review →

10.Safaris in Kruger National Park Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $89Best value

Start early for an eight-hour open-vehicle safari in Kruger National Park with a qualified guide such as Kerry, Hayley, Tamsyn, Jan, or Jon. Learn about the park’s animals and plants while searching for lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, birds, and smaller wildlife. Pickup is offered, but park fees and meals cost extra.

Check availability →Read our review →

11.Addo Elephant National Park Tour – Full day of Wildlife Wonders

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $186

From Port Elizabeth, your guide drives you to Addo Elephant National Park for a seven-hour safari with park entry, lunch, water, and hotel, airport, or port transfers. Look for relaxed elephants, buffalo, lion, hyena, black rhino, zebra, antelope, and birds. Guide Alan is praised for choosing quieter roads and spotting unexpected animals.

“Very good Car. Alan was an excellent guide. He gave as many good and profunded informations. His special choice of the roads beside "where they all drive" helped us to unforgetable contact with animals, even totally unexpected as a hyena.”

Check availability →Read our review →

12.Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Safari From Johannesburg

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $225

Leave Johannesburg at 6:00 am for Pilanesberg National Park, where a certified ranger leads a three-hour open-vehicle safari. Look for lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, then return to Johannesburg after an optional lunch at your own cost. Hotel pickup, park fees, bottled water, and round-trip transport are included.

Check availability →Read our review →

13.Full-Day Kruger National Park Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 14 reviews · 9 hours · from $435

Travel from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park with an English-speaking guide, breakfast, lunch, snacks, and park fees included. You will stop in Middelburg and Nelspruit, then spend time at Skukuza and on a guided game drive. Guide assignments vary, though Nic has earned special praise for his broad South Africa knowledge.

“Wszystko było super przygotowane. Pełen profesjonalizm a zarazem miła i wesołą atmosfera. Dziękuję bardzo”

Check availability →Read our review →