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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 Sabi Sand Reserve Luxury Safari, Greater Kruger
$3,048 to $3,282 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryBush Camp
You Visit: Skukuza (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Kruger (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 162 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Luxury Radisson Kruger Safari
$882 to $970 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 – 1,594 Reviews
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4-Day Sabi Sand Safari with Elephant Plains
$1,174 to $1,311 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Hoedspruit (End)
Indigo Safaris
4.7/5 – 137 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
5-Day Sabi Sands and Kruger Safari
$3,132 to $3,750 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Discover Africa Safaris
5.0/5 – 472 Reviews
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5-Day Luxury Sabi Sands Promotion
$3,119 to $5,460 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
Safari.com
4.7/5 – 186 Reviews
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Best Seller
4-Day Kruger Luxury Safari
$1,299 to $1,429 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Junglers Adventure Tours
5.0/5 – 26 Reviews
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3-Day Greenfire Game Lodge Safari
$811 to $890 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.
5.0/5 – 160 Reviews
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Best Seller
4-Day Luxury Mdluli Game Lodge Kruger National Park
$775 to $841 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Gems of Africa Safari and Tours
4.9/5 – 109 Reviews
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3-Day Kruger National Park Safari Experience
$770 to $838 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)LuxuryPrivate Villa
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Elephant Herd Tours & Safaris
4.9/5 – 114 Reviews
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7-Day Panorama Route, Blyde River Canyon & Kruger Park
$3,870 to $4,099 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Guest House
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Panorama Route (Highlight), Moholoholo (Wildlife Sanctuary), Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Kruger NP, Central Kruger NP, Greater Kruger, Johannesburg (End)
Mmilo Tours
5.0/5 – 130 Reviews
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4-Day Fly-in Ecoluxury Safari in Malaria-Free Madikwe
$3,996 to $4,396 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Madikwe GR, Johannesburg (End)
Viatu
5.0/5 – 54 Reviews
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5-Day Game Drives, Boat Trip, Heritage Waterberg Tour
$3,056 to $3,117 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kaingo GR (Waterberg Biosphere Reserve), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Knap Tours
5.0/5 – 2 Reviews
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5-Day Timbavati's Aerial Odyssey a Safari like No Other
$1,127 to $1,274 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
African Wildlife Plains
5.0/5 – 4 Reviews
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4-Day The Best of Both Worlds-National and Private Parks
$1,534 to $1,781 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start), Klaserie NR (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Hoedspruit (End)
Wildlife Encounters
5.0/5 – 22 Reviews
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8-Day Cape Town & Greater Kruger Park Safari
$4,546 to $4,733 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Cape Peninsula, Winelands, Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Explore & Travel Africa
5.0/5 – 42 Reviews
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4-Day Sabi Sand Safari
$1,381 to $1,589 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Johannesburg (End)
SafariLife
4.9/5 – 17 Reviews
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6-Day Kruger Package Bush and Elephants
$2,021 to $2,213 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 – 10 Reviews
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12-Day Jewels of Southern Africa
$11,985 to $16,225 pp (USD)
Botswana, South Africa & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Okavango Delta, Chobe NP, Victoria Falls, Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger), Johannesburg (End)
Safari Online
5.0/5 – 128 Reviews
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5-Day Luxury Safari Big Five
$1,955 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, Johannesburg (End)
Go Touch Down Travel & Tours
4.8/5 – 160 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Pilanesberg Luxury Safari
$831 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)LuxuryLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Pilanesberg GR, Johannesburg (End)
Safari With Us
5.0/5 – 226 Reviews
6 Questions About South Africa Luxury Safari Tours
![Philip Briggs](https://cloudfront.safaribookings.com/assets/experts/84x84/Philip_Briggs.jpg)
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
![](https://cloudfront.safaribookings.com/assets/experts/42x42/Philip_Briggs.jpg)
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
![](https://cloudfront.safaribookings.com/assets/experts/42x42/Lizzie_Williams.jpg)
Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the 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
South Africa has a wonderful range of landscapes, a near-perfect climate, and the choice of destinations, activities and itineraries is virtually inexhaustible. Aside from its beautiful coastline and cosmopolitan cities – both of which I...
![](https://cloudfront.safaribookings.com/assets/experts/42x42/Anthony_Ham.jpg)
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....
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Wild
When we went on our very first game drive, we saw the Big 5! Greenfire Game Lodge was absolutely immaculate and a great deal for the price! The food was amazing, the staff was all extremely nice, friendly, and helpful, and the game...
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Surpassed expectations
We went to South Africa for our honeymoon, and we weren't disappointed! The safari portion of the trip was a clear highlight - so much so that we are already discussing coming back. The food and wine in both Cape Town and Franshoek were...
Pilanesberg is a safe area with beautiful landscape and a chance to see many animals during 3/4 days
Our combo Sun City / Pilanesberg was great. First two days at Sun City with the kids in this huge fun park and the Cascade Hostel delivered fantastic breakfasts. The family room was also perfect to check the activities of the kids in the...
Wonderful wildlife, sunrises, sunsets, lodges, diverse landscapes, highly recommend visiting.
Stayed in Kambaku Safari Lodge, Timbavati Private Game Reserve then Arathusa in the Sabi Sands, spending 3 nights in each resulting in 6 game drives at both reserves. Lots of wildlife viewing, excellent guides, staff, food and...