The 15 Safaris in Johannesburg That Earn Their Price

From Johannesburg: Pilanesberg Nature Reserve Game Safari - The open-vehicle game drives: where guides like Martin and Petros make the day

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,327 reviews · 12 hours · from $186Our pick

Full-day Pilanesberg safari from Johannesburg with two open-vehicle drives, Big Five chances, a lunch stop by water, and expert guides.

“It was great. We were wandering the vast bush land in complete sync with nature. It was a beautiful experience. We spotted a Baboon, hippos, impalas, Rhinos, Herds of elephants, Giraffes, leopard (not so clearly), Zebras & wildebeests. The ride was comfortable to & fro Jburg and the guide in Pilanesburg was good and witty. The whole trip was on time.”

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Full Day Ultimate Pilanesberg National Park Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria

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

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

Full-day Pilanesberg Big Five safari with two open-vehicle drives, waterhole lunch, and hotel pickup from Johannesburg. Worth the long day.

“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.”

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Early Morning Balloon Safari with Breakfast from Magaliesburg

3.Early Morning Balloon Safari with Breakfast from Magaliesburg

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 418 reviews · from $240Top rated

Early morning hot air balloon over the Magaliesbergs and Cradle of Humankind, with guided commentary, a certificate, and breakfast.

“Wow ! Gorgeous flight absolutely must go here ! Gourmet breakfast after ! Highly highly recommend ! Very professional team”

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From Johannesburg: Lion & Safari Park Half-Day Tour

4.Lion & Safari Park Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 384 reviews · 5 hours · from $167

Half-day lion safari from Johannesburg with an open-vehicle drive, chance of white lions, and easy pickup and drop-off.

“Amazing. Sello was a great guide and driver and at the park handed over to Big Boy who did a wondeful job. 5 stars for both of them and the tour.”

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From Johannesburg: 3-Day Budget Tent Kruger Park Safari

5.3-Day Budget Tent Kruger Park Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 163 reviews · 3 days · from $653

A budget 3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg with Balule sunset drive, Orpen wildlife day, bush walks, BBQ dinner, and canyon scenery.

“This was an amazing experience. The drivers and staff were wonderful to meet and had great energy during our experience. They care about the animals and the park and are knowledgeable to answer any questions you may have. The option to tent camp was very cool. It was a more stable tent so it wasn’t super scary. The safari itself was great. We saw so many animals!”

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

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

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

Open-jeep safari from Johannesburg to Pilanesberg with pickup, Big Five chances, lunch, guides and water, starting 6:00 am.

“An absolutely wonderful experience!! From the driver to and from our hotel, to our safari guide, everything was perfect. We actually saw a herd of about 15 elephants (including babies) that came almost up to the jeep. Lions, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, hippos, rhinos, antelope, and even crocodiles. A “must do” excursion!!”

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Safari Flight

7.Safari Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 107 reviews · from $198

Fly over UNESCO Cradle of Humankind game reserves by hot air balloon for possible Big Five sightings, then enjoy breakfast and a pilot certificate.

“A fantastic experience. Well organised and exceptional service. Great commentary and knowledge sharing by yhe pilot. Thank you”

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Full Day Exquisite Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg

8.Full Day Exquisite Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 89 reviews · from $204

Full-day open-air safari to Pilanesberg from Johannesburg, with door-to-door pickup, two game drives, lunch, plus scenic Hartbeespoort Dam views.

“Our driver to the park was exceptional. Jason Pollard was very informative and smooth as a driver. The park, for a fenced in park, was larger than I thought with much more diversity. Our guide was very knowledgeable. If you can’t do a open national park like what you would see in Tanzania, this is a great alternative.”

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Cradle of Humankind Tour with Lion Safari from Johannesburg

9.Cradle of Humankind Tour with Lion Safari from Johannesburg

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $207

A full Johannesburg day combining an open-vehicle lion safari with the Cradle of Humankind and Sterkfontein Caves.

“Jason was very knowledgeable. The Lion Safari was great. Our tour guides were very nice and interactive.”

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Captivating Safari Lion Park Experience (Half Day Guided Tour)

10.Captivating Safari Lion Park Experience (Half Day Guided Tour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 62 reviews · from $94Best value

Half-day guided safari from Johannesburg with pickup and a close-up park drive featuring lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffes, and zebra.

“The worst tour company I’ve worked with. Solly only drove us to the park from our hotel, he was very full of himself. The guide that worked for the Lion safari park was great, he made our experience a little better. I would not recommend anyone booking with this company, but the Lion park is a nice place to visit with another tour company or driven by self. This tour company charges too much just to be driven to the park, you can take an Uber and get a better overall experience.”

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Johannesburg: 2-Day 4-Star Pilanesberg Safari

11.2-Day 4-Star Pilanesberg Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 61 reviews · 2 days · from $609

2-day Pilanesberg Big Five safari from Johannesburg with 4 drives, sunrise viewing, and 4-star lodge dinner and breakfast.

“Mye for pengene! Nydelig sted og veldig god mat!”

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3-Day Kruger National Park Open Vehicle Safari

12.3-Day Kruger National Park Open Vehicle Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · from $770

Small-group, open-vehicle Kruger safari from Johannesburg with park bungalows, park fees included, and Big Five spotting with expert guides.

“September 2024 - First of all our consultant Tanja was fantastic she's very patient knowledgeable and extremely pleasant to work with. she put together a phenomenal package from Southern Kruger to kambaku Private Lodge to Cape Town to Read more”

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Johannesburg: 4-Day Classic Kruger National Park Safari

13.4-Day Classic Kruger National Park Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 52 reviews · 4 days · from $1,120

4 days of Big Five thrills in Balule and Kruger, with open-vehicle drives, armed bush walk, and a Marula Tree Boma braai.

“10/10 safari experience. Very well organised, from collection to the game drives. Lovely friendly staff and very knowledgable safari guides. The food was amazing and they went above and beyond to accommodate for dietary reqs. Having breakfast and seeing an elephant walk past the lodge on multiple days was surreal! Lovely pool at Tremisana and time to enjoy the sun. Would highly recommend Viva Safaris”

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All Inclusive 3 Day Kruger Safari Adventure From Johannesburg

14.All Inclusive 3 Day Kruger Safari Adventure From Johannesburg

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · from $1,012

3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg with dawn drives, Crocodile River sightings, 2 nights in A/C rooms, and a braai under stars.

“Booked this earlier in 2024 for three day trip in January 2025. Got too busy to do more detailed research and find alternatives and as time came near and I saw more reviews, I wished it wasn’t so late and could have switched bookings Read more”

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