Cape Town Safari Prices
Cape Town safari prices: what a day trip to a Big Five reserve costs for one adult and for two, what lunch adds, the two-person minimums, and the fees paid on top.
A day safari from Cape Town to a Big 5 reserve costs about US$160 to US$300 per adult on GetYourGuide, and every one of these Cape Town safari packages includes the drive there and back. The difference is mostly food. Mathew transport and tours’ sunset safari, in the calendar below, is from US$165 per person (checked November 2026): on 27 November 2026, 15 January and 26 March 2027, US$165 for one adult and US$330 for two, with a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks but no lunch. A day with a buffet lunch and a longer drive is about US$300.
Pick your date and party size in the calendar: the price is per adult.
Five Cape Town safari day trips, priced
All taxes and fees included:
| Safari (operator) | Dates | 1 adult | 2 adults | Food | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safari Big 5 Game Reserve Sunset Game Drive (Mathew transport and tours) | 27 Nov 2026, 15 Jan and 26 Mar 2027 | US$165 | US$330 | Welcome drink, tea, coffee, snacks | 11:00 AM |
| Aqui Big Five Sunset Safari transport with food (African Macaw DMC and Safaris) | 27 Nov 2026, 15 Jan 2027 | US$159.59 | US$319.18 | Drinks and food | 11:00 AM |
| Big Five Safari Game Reserve Sunset Lunch & pickup (CHRISHANA TRAVELS ANDTOURS) | 27 Nov 2026 | US$180.61 | US$361.22 | Welcome drink, tea, coffee, snacks | Pickup 11:15 to 11:55 |
| Aquila Big 5 Sunset Safari with Buffet & Pickup (Zizo legacy tours and transport) | 27 Nov 2026 | Not sold for one | US$457.70 | A buffet | Pickup from 11:00 |
| Aquila Game Reserve Safari Tour with Lunch (Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa) | 27 Nov 2026, 15 Jan 2027 | US$298.71 | US$597.42 | Buffet lunch | 9:00 AM |
Prices checked on GetYourGuide in November 2026, for the dates shown.
What the table says:
- The two cheapest are within a few dollars of each other, and only one of them lists food.
- CHRISHANA TRAVELS ANDTOURS' safari has “Lunch” in its title and none in its include list, which matches the first row’s word for word apart from the reserve’s name. On 15 January and 26 March 2027 it was not on sale for one adult.
- Zizo legacy tours and transport's buffet safari needs at least two participants: one adult could not book on any of the three dates we tried.
- The one priced near US$300 is the only one here with a 9:00 AM start, a buffet lunch and a 3-hour game drive.
What the price does not cover
Lunch, on the safaris that list only snacks; drinks from the bar; and tips. Aquila Private Game Reserve’s own day safari page lists its options without prices, and its FAQ charges children aged 4 to 11 half the per-person rate; that applies when you book with the reserve, not to a package’s price.
The same idea on Viator, with a catch
Born in Africa Tours' Big Five Safari and Breede River Valley Guided Day Trip costs from US$187 per person on Viator (checked November 2026). That price is hotel pickup and drop-off, transport and a professional guide. The game park charge, which covers lunch and the game drive, is paid on top: R2,365 a person in the low season, R2,555 in the mid season and R2,785 in the peak season. Add it before you compare.
Which to pay for
From Cape Town: Safari Big 5 Game Reserve Sunset Game Drive
Hotel pickup in Cape Town, Sea Point or Camps Bay, the reserve's entry fee, a welcome drink with tea, coffee and snacks, and a 2-3 hour sunset drive. US$330 for two on 27 November 2026, 15 January and 26 March 2027.
Check dates →Cape Town: Aqui Big Five Sunset Safari transport with food
African Macaw DMC and Safaris includes drinks and food, bottled water, fast-track entry and pickup from ten points, at about the same price per adult.
See the safari →From Cape Town: Aquila Game Reserve Safari Tour with Lunch
Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa: a 9:00 AM start, a buffet lunch at Aquila Game Reserve and a 3-hour game drive. Aquila's entry fee is included.
See the safari →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.
Two days cost more and buy a second game drive: overnight safari from Cape Town.
The Sunset Safari 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.
Check dates