Aquila Safari from Cape Town

Aquila Private Game Reserve is the Big Five reserve the Cape Town day trips go to: about 175 km from the city by the N1 towards Touws River, by its own FAQ. It sells its own day safaris, but leaves the drive from Cape Town to you or charges extra for it, so most visitors take a package that includes the road. The one in the calendar below, CHRISHANA TRAVELS ANDTOURS’ Cape Town Big Five Safari Game Reserve Sunset Lunch & pickup, names Aquila Private Game Reserve and its entry fee in what it includes, and is from US$181 per person (checked November 2026). Despite the title, lunch is not on its include list: a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks are.

On 27 November 2026 it was US$181.44 for one adult and US$361.22 for two, with pickup slots from 11:15 to 11:55. On 15 January and 26 March 2027 it was not on sale for one adult, so pick your date in the calendar before you plan around it.

What Aquila is

Aquila describes itself as a 10,000-hectare conservancy for antelope and small game that became a Big 5 reserve as lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo and Cape leopards were brought in. It says it is home to all five of the Big Five, and that it is malaria-free. People search for it as the Aquila game lodge, the Aquila reserve in Cape Town or even the Aquila safari park; it is a private game reserve in the Karoo, a long drive from the city, with a lodge, a spa and overnight rooms.

Its FAQ also answers the question many day visitors ask afterwards: the 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). The other animals roam the reserve.

How far is Aquila game reserve from Cape Town?

About 175 km on Aquila’s FAQ and about 177 km on its Cape Town safari page; our own routing from Cape Town Station also comes to about 177 km. The reserve says the drive takes less than 2 hours, and adds that peak traffic can make it longer. The route is the N1 towards Touws River, then the signs to the reserve.

The Cape Town tours allow more: the sunset safari packages give about two and a half hours by car each way, from hotel pickups across the city.

Aquila’s own day safaris

Aquila lists these day options on its own site (November 2026):

The options page shows no prices. Aquila’s FAQ puts its day game drives at 2 to 3 hours, charges children aged 4 to 11 half the per-person rate and lets those 3 and under in free; those are the reserve’s own rates for its own bookings, not a package’s.

The Cape Town tours that go to Aquila

Three GetYourGuide listings name Aquila in what they include or in their title:

Prices checked November 2026. Start times as read for our dates.

The site’s main sunset safari, Mathew transport and tours' Safari Big 5 Game Reserve Sunset Game Drive, has an include list that matches the first row’s except for one thing: it names its reserve only as the Big Five Private Game Reserve. Its guests name it: at least 23 of its 350 most recent reviews (3 June to 11 November 2026) mention Aquila.

Which Aquila safari day trip to book

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.

Want the reserve to yourself for a night? Aquila sells overnight stays with an afternoon and an early morning game drive; overnight safari from Cape Town compares them with the two-day tours.