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From Cape Town · Big Five Game Reserve · Sunset Game Drive
Cape Town Safari Trip
Pickup in Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay, about two and a half hours by car to a Big 5 private reserve in the Karoo, and a 2-3 hour sunset game drive in an open safari truck with a ranger. The reserve's entry fee, a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks are included; lunch is not on the list.
Pick your trip
A Day Safari, or a Night at a Lodge?
A Cape Town safari trip is a long day inland: about two and a half hours by car to a private Big Five game reserve in the Karoo, a game drive in an open truck, and the drive back. The sunset safari in the calendar below, Mathew transport and tours’ From Cape Town: Safari Big 5 Game Reserve Sunset Game Drive, is from US$165 per person (checked November 2026). That buys hotel pickup in Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay, the round trip, the reserve’s entry fee, a welcome drink with tea, coffee and snacks, and a 2-3 hour sunset game drive with a ranger. Lunch is not on its list.
From Cape Town: Safari Big 5 Game Reserve Sunset Game Drive
Pickup in Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay at 11:00 AM, the reserve's entry fee, a welcome drink with tea, coffee and snacks, and a 2-3 hour game drive at sunset. About 9 hours in all.
Check dates →From Cape Town: Aquila Game Reserve Safari Tour with Lunch
Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa starts at 9:00 AM and serves a buffet lunch at Aquila Game Reserve before a 3-hour game drive. Aquila's entry fee is included.
See the safari →From Cape Town: 2-Day Safari at Garden Route Game Lodge
Bokbus Garden Route Adventure Tours: two days with Hermanus and Cape Agulhas, a sunset safari and a morning game drive at Garden Route Game Lodge, dinner and a night in a chalet or lodge room. At most 12 guests.
See the trip →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date, option and group size, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Not sure a day is enough? Overnight safari from Cape Town sets the two-day trips against the day.
- 4.6 / 5 886+ Reviews
- About 2.5 hours By car each way between Cape Town and the game reserve on the sunset safari; the whole day is about 9 hours
- Entry fee included The reserve's entry fee, a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks are in the sunset safari's price; lunch and extra drinks are not
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Sunset Safari Includes
Hotel pickup and drop-off, the round trip, the reserve's entry fee, a welcome drink with tea, coffee and snacks, and a 2-3 hour sunset game drive with a ranger. Extra drinks are paid for at the bar.
Mathew transport and tours's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- Go in search of African wildlife in the bush as the sun begins to set
- Join a tour from Cape Town to visit the Big Five Private Game Reserve
- Keep an eye out for Africa's Big Five and other native wildlife species
- Explore the park with a knowledgeable and experienced game ranger
- Benefit from a convenient package tour with round-trip transportation
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Round-trip transportation to the Big Five Private Game Reserve
- Big Five Game Reserve entry fee
- Welcome drink
- Complimentary teas, coffee, and snacks before the game drive
- 2-3 hour sunset game drive in an open safari truck
- Experienced game ranger
Not Included: Additional drinks (available to purchase)
How the Sunset Safari Day Runs
About nine hours from pickup to drop-off, much of it on the road. Times are approximate.
Pickup in Cape Town
From Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay, with one start time: 11:00 AM.
The Drive Inland
About two and a half hours by car to a Big Five private game reserve in the Karoo.
Welcome Drink, Then the Game Drive
A welcome drink with tea, coffee and snacks, then a 2-3 hour sunset game drive in an open 4x4 safari truck with a ranger. Lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo are what you look out for; no sighting is promised.
Back to Cape Town
Time by the pool or the bar, then the drive back to Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay. The day is about 9 hours in all.
Photo Gallery
The Reserve in the Karoo
Open safari trucks, dry Karoo veld and the animals the ranger looks for as the light goes.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Mathew transport and tours, from Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay, with a ranger on the game drive. The reserve's entry fee, a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks are included; lunch is not. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Plan the Safari
Cape Town Safaris, One Question per Page
Which reserve is near Cape Town, Aquila, the sunset drive, the Big Five, prices, whether a day is worth it, overnight trips and where to stay for the pickup.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Safari prices are in US dollars, per person, and change with the date, the option and your group size.
Four Cape Town Safari Day Trips Side by Side
The sunset safari against a cheaper one with food, a sunset safari with a buffet, and a day with a buffet lunch and a morning start: what each includes, when it starts and who it suits. Prices on GetYourGuide, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Sunset safari, no lunch | Sunset safari with food | Sunset safari with a buffet | Buffet lunch, morning start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$165 per person (checked November 2026) (one option, an 11:00 AM start; US$330 for two adults) | From US$160 per person (checked November 2026) (an 11:00 AM start; US$319.18 for two adults) | From US$230 per person (checked November 2026) (at least 2 participants; US$457.70 for two adults on 27 November 2026) | From US$300 per person (checked November 2026) (a 9:00 AM start; US$597.42 for two adults) |
| Start | 11:00 AM start | 11:00 AM start | Pickup from 11:00; the truck boards between 16:00 and 18:30 | 9:00 AM start |
| How Long | 9 hours | 9 hours | 9 hours | 8 hours |
| The Reserve | The Big Five Private Game Reserve, in the Karoo | Not named; the road runs through the Huguenot Tunnel | Aquila Private Game Reserve | Aquila Game Reserve |
| Food and Drink | A welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks; no lunch on the list | Drinks and food, and bottled water | A buffet and a welcome drink | A buffet lunch, a welcome drink and a bottle of water |
| Game Drive | 2-3 hours at sunset, in an open safari truck | At sunset, in an open 4x4 | In a 4x4 open truck with an Aquila ranger | 3 hours, in an open vehicle |
| Who Can Book | One adult or more | One adult or more | At least 2 participants; not suitable for back problems or mobility impairments | One adult or more |
| Best For | A sunset drive with snacks, from Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay | Food included, for about the same price | Two or more who want a buffet at Aquila | A buffet lunch and a 3-hour drive, starting in the morning |
| Check dates | See the safari | See the safari | See the safari |
Other Ways to Do It
Three More Safaris from Cape Town
The same sunset drive from more pickup points, a two-day trip with two game drives, and a day on Viator with the game park charge paid on top. One card per trip.
SIX PICKUP POINTSCape Town Big Five Safari Game Reserve Sunset Lunch & pickup
CHRISHANA TRAVELS ANDTOURS drives to Aquila Private Game Reserve for a 2-3 hour sunset game drive in an open safari truck with a ranger, from six pickup points including Camps Bay, Sea Point, the V&A Waterfront and the city centre. Aquila's entry fee, a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks are included. Lunch is in the title but not in the include list.
TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHTFrom Cape Town: South African Wildlife and Safari 2-Day Tour
Hotspots2c Tours' two days to the Garden Route and the Klein Karoo: a shared 4x4 game drive of about two hours at Botlierskop, a night in Oudtshoorn in the package you choose, a bush drive at Buffelsdrift, and Route 62 back. About 900 km of road in all. Not suitable for children under 8.
GAME PARK CHARGE EXTRABig Five Safari and Breede River Valley Guided Day Trip
Born in Africa Tours' Big Five safari and Breede River valley day on Viator: hotel pickup and drop-off, transport and a professional guide. The game park charge, which covers lunch and the game drive, is not in the price: R2,365 low season, R2,555 mid season and R2,785 peak season per person.
Safari from Cape Town
How a Cape Town Safari Day Works
Which reserve the sunset safari goes to, the day hour by hour, what it costs and leaves out, the lions, and malaria.
Cape Town safaris come in two shapes: a day at a private reserve two or three hours inland, or two days with a night at a lodge. Every South Africa safari tour from Cape Town on this site is one or the other.
Which reserve the sunset safari goes to
Its destination is given as the Big Five Private Game Reserve, in the Karoo veld, with no other name. The people who take it supply one: at least 23 of its 350 most recent reviews (3 June to 11 November 2026) name Aquila. Aquila Private Game Reserve calls itself home to all five of the Big Five and puts itself about 175 km from Cape Town, on the N1 towards Touws River. Aquila safari from Cape Town has what the reserve sells itself and which other Cape Town safari tours go there.
Other reserves within a day’s reach of the city, Inverdoorn and Sanbona, are compared in safari near Cape Town.
The day, hour by hour
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Pickup in Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay (the start time) |
| About 2.5 hours | The drive to the reserve by car |
| On arrival | A welcome drink, then tea, coffee and snacks |
| Late afternoon | The 2-3 hour sunset game drive in an open 4x4 safari truck, with a ranger |
| After the drive | Time by the pool, or a drink from the bar |
| About 9 hours after pickup | Back at your drop-off in Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay |
The game drive is the point of the day, and it is late on purpose: towards evening the animals move to the water holes after a hot day in the Karoo. One reviewer on 19 October 2026 had the drive start at 16:00 and run for about two and a half hours. The rest of the nine hours is the road and the lodge.
For the sunset drive with the lowest fuss, a hotel pickup and nothing to organise, this is the trip.
Check dates for the sunset safari
What it costs, and what it leaves out
On 27 November 2026, 15 January and 26 March 2027 the sunset safari had one option, starting at 11:00 AM: US$165 for one adult and US$330 for two (checked November 2026). Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
What it does not include is lunch. The include list stops at a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks, and extra drinks are paid for at the bar. Several recent reviewers describe a buffet at the lodge, so you may well eat; just don’t plan on it. If a meal matters, two other Cape Town safari tours put food on the list: African Macaw DMC and Safaris' sunset safari with food is from US$160, and Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa's day with a buffet lunch is from US$300 (checked November 2026). Cape Town safari prices puts every option in one table.
The lions, and the fence
These are private reserves, and they are fenced. Aquila’s own FAQ says its lions are kept in a spacious, secure enclosure that is separate from the reserve’s free-roaming wildlife, to comply with provincial and national conservation regulations (November 2026). At least 6 of this safari’s 350 most recent reviews use words like zoo, fence or enclosure. Most guests are happy all the same: 268 of those 350 reviews give five stars. Is a Cape Town day safari worth it? weighs it up.
Malaria
Aquila, Inverdoorn and Sanbona each call themselves malaria-free. South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases places malaria transmission in the country’s north-east, mainly the low-lying parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal (FAQ dated December 2023).
A day, or a night
Planning Cape Town and a safari in one week? A day keeps your hotel; a night changes the day: Aquila’s overnight guests get an afternoon and an early morning game drive, and Sanbona, about 3.5 hours away by Route 62 in its own words, sells stays across three lodges. Bokbus Garden Route Adventure Tours' two-day safari, with over 1,000 reviews, goes further, to Garden Route Game Lodge. Overnight safari from Cape Town compares them.
Staying in town the night before? The pickup areas are in where to stay in Cape Town.
The Sunset Game Drive from Cape Town
Mathew transport and tours: hotel pickup, the round trip, the reserve's entry fee and a 2-3 hour sunset game drive with a ranger. Starting from US$165 per person (one option, an 11:00 AM start; US$330 for two adults).
Check datesCape Town Safari Trip: Questions
The price, what the day includes, how far the reserve is, the Big Five and the lions, malaria, children, cancelling, and staying a night.
The sunset safari on this page is from US$165 per person (checked November 2026). On 27 November 2026, 15 January and 26 March 2027 there was one option at that price for one adult and US$330 for two. A day with a buffet lunch, Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa's day at Aquila, is from US$300 (checked November 2026). See Cape Town safari prices.
Hotel pickup and drop-off, the round trip, the reserve's entry fee, a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks before the drive, and a 2-3 hour sunset game drive in an open safari truck with a ranger. Lunch is not on the include list, and extra drinks are paid for at the reserve. Several recent reviewers describe a buffet at the lodge; count on the snacks, not on a meal.
About two and a half hours by car each way on the sunset safari, which takes about 9 hours in all. At least 23 of its 350 most recent reviews (3 June to 11 November 2026) name Aquila Private Game Reserve, which puts itself about 175 km from Cape Town by the N1 towards Touws River. See safari near Cape Town.
From Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay, with an 11:00 AM start. The sunset drive is late in the day, so the morning is free. A few recent reviews describe pickups running late or a pickup message arriving late the night before: keep your phone on and the hotel's name to hand.
Not for certain. The drive is a search for lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo, not a promise of them. Several recent reviewers saw four of the five and missed the leopard. See the Big Five safari from Cape Town.
No. Aquila's own FAQ says its lions are kept in a spacious, secure enclosure separate from the reserve's free-roaming wildlife, to comply with provincial and national conservation regulations (November 2026). A few reviewers call the reserve fenced or zoo-like for that reason. See is a Cape Town day safari worth it?
Aquila, Inverdoorn and Sanbona all describe themselves as malaria-free. South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases puts malaria transmission in the north-east of the country, mainly the low-lying parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal (FAQ dated December 2023).
The sunset safari states no age limit. It is a long day for small children: about two and a half hours in a vehicle each way. Aquila's own child rates (3 and under free, 4 to 11 half the per-person rate) apply to bookings made with the reserve, not to a package's price.
Yes, up to 24 hours before, for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.
Yes. Bokbus Garden Route Adventure Tours' two days at Garden Route Game Lodge adds a night, a dinner and a second game drive, from US$613 per person (checked November 2026). See overnight safari from Cape Town.
Still have questions? Email us at info@capetownsafaritrip.com