Embarking on a safari tour from the vibrant City of Cape Town, South Africa, is like stepping into a world where urban chic meets untamed wilderness. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned safari enthusiast, Cape Town offers a gateway to some of Africa's most iconic destinations.
Get ready to explore the best safari tour options in Cape Town! But before diving in, let's clarify one thing: not all Safaris are created equal. It's like comparing a friendly football game in the park to a high-stakes professional match. Sure, they're both football, but the experience is entirely different. So, let's discover each Safari's pros and cons and discover the wild wonders that await you!
Safari Options from Cape Town
Botswana
Kruger National Park
Zimbabwe
Namibia
Zambia
Garden Route (South Africa)
Local Cape Town
Check out Where to go on Safari in Africa?
Cape Town - Safari Flight times and Approx Return Flight Costs:
Start | Destination | Approx Flight Time | Approx $ (return) |
Cape Town | Johannesburg | 2 Hours | $90-240 |
Cape Town | Hoedspruit (Kruger National Park) | 2 Hours | $200-400 |
Cape Town | Namibia | 2.5 Hours | $180- 400 |
Cape Town | Botswana | 3 Hours | $180- 500 |
Cape Town | Zimbabwe | 3 Hours | $180- 500 |
Cape Town | Zambia | 3 Hours | $180- 500 |
Cape Town | Garden Route | 1 Hour | $100- 200 |
How to get to Sabi Sands
Sabi Sands (A part of Greater Kruger National Park) is one of the best places on the planet to view wildlife. Sabi Sands also has some incredible luxury safari lodges (Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Ulusaba (Virgin Limited) private game reserve)
In terms of flights to the Sabi Sands - there are 3 options to consider:
Cape Town to Hoedspruit (Sabi Sands and Timbavati Reserves)
Cape Town to Mpumalanga (Southern Sabi Sands)
Cape Town to Skukuza (Kruger National Park and Southern Sabi Sands)
Luxury Cape Town and Safari Package
Its become very popular for international tourists to combine a stay in Cape Town with a Luxury Safari. Tourism's own surf 'n turf! Here is a list of some of our favourite companies that offer Luxury Cape Town and Safari Packages.
Stanley Safaris. (Bespoke Safari Itinerary Experiences)
Stanley Safaris was started by Shaun Stanley in 2020. Shaun is one of the most respected Safari experts in the world. Having been in the industry for over 30 years (from starting out as a Guide), his new company specialises in Luxury and Unique Safari Experiences. We love his personal touch and you can always trust Shaun to put together the Safari itinerary of your dreams.
Safari Video: SoCoMunity for Stanley Safaris
One of the pros about using a company like Stanley Safaris is that you will pay exactly the same price if you go directly to the lodge. Companies like Stanley Safaris are unbiased when planning itineraries and find you the best experiences to fit your budget and requirements.
African Bush Camps
African Bush Camps have many Lodges throughout Southern Africa, specialising in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Beks Ndlovu founded African Bush Camps. Beks is a Professional Guide from Zimbabwe passionate about preserving remote lands and Africa. African Bush Camps do great conservation work too.
Go2Africa (Biggest Safari Booking Agent)
Go2Africa is the biggest Safari booking company in the world. They offer excellent service and a very informative website. They are one of the most trusted players in the Safari booking game.
Best Time to Visit Cape Town for Safari
The Best Time for Safari is the winter months of June to October. The Winter Months are the dry months, which means there is less vegetation and fewer watering holes. This results in Animals gathering together at water holes that haven't dried up, making game viewing a lot easier, add to that the winter months are a lot cooler with less rain. That said you can have a great Safari experience all year round, each season brings unique aspects to the table.
When is the best time to visit Cape Town? Traditionally, most tourism to Cape Town happens in the summer months, from November to February. Much like Safari, Cape Town is beautiful all year round. Decide what experience you want and plan around that.
To Summarise, The Best times to Visit Cape Town and go on Safari are November, February, and March. These transition months between Summer and winter are low season, which means better prices and more value.
Cape Town to Kruger National Park Safaris
This is a very popular option for tourists visiting Cape Town and having a world-class experience.
The Kruger National Park is one of the biggest National Parks in the world 19,623 km2 (7,576 sq mi) and it is famous for its incredible Wildlife Viewing.
How to get to Kruger National Park From Cape Town
Driving: Driving From Cape Town to Kruger national park will take you about 20 hours, it's almost a complete cross-country trip (South Africa) if you have got time and want to drive across South Africa this is an option.
Fly into Johannesburg and Rent a Car from ORT. This is one of the cheapest ways to get to Safari from Cape Town. The drive from Johannesburg to Kruger is around 5 hours.
Fly directly into Kruger or Next to Kruger (Hoedspruit). If you value time and not money, this is a very convenient way to get to Safari. A flight into Kruger can be 2-3x the price of flying into Johannesburg. However, in 2 hours, you will be in the heart of Safari, being picked up at the Airport by your Safari Guide in a game-viewing vehicle.
Safari From Cape Town to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
With a 2-hour direct flight from Cape Town to Harare (Zimbabwe), this is a really great option if you are looking to combine Cape Town, Safari and Victoria Falls.
Cape Town and Garden Route Safaris
The Garden Route has some great Safari options if you want somewhere between flying to a major Safari reserve and visiting a Safari lodge near Cape Town.
Can I have a Safari Experience in Cape Town?
There are some fun Safari Experiences near Cape Town if you have a limited budget or time. However, if you want a true safari experience, some of the best national parks, safari lodges, and game reserves are within 2 to 4 hours of Flight from Cape Town. Don't get us wrong, there are some Beautiful lodges 1-2 hours away from Cape Town, and you will see animals (sometimes even the big 5), BUT it's just on another level when you are in a big national park like Kruger National Park.
International Direct Flights to Cape Town
Cape Town now has multiple direct flights from America (Thank You Delta), Uk, Europe and Asia. So why not fly direct into Cape Town, spend a couple of days (or weeks) exploring the mother city, and then catch a short direct flight to one of these amazing Safari locations?
Domestic Flights from Cape Town to Safari
Kruger National Park (South Africa)
Sabi Sands (South Africa)
Hoedspruit (Limpopo)
Safari Experience Ideas.
The Zebra Migration in Nxai Pan Botswana
About the author:
Craig Howes is the founder of CityofCapeTown and SoCoMunity. He is a world-renowned Safari and Wildlife Photographer and filmmaker from Cape Town. In 2020, Craig Howes was awarded the World Safari Influencer of the Year.
