Elephant Tours in South Africa: The 15 Best Trips

1.Addo Elephant National Park All Inclusive Full-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 872 reviews · 9 hours · from $186Our pick

Join Afroventures Tours and Safaris for a nine-hour Addo safari from Port Elizabeth, Bluewater Bay, Colchester, or Addo. Ride in an air-conditioned 4x4 Jeep with a window seat for every passenger, search for elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo, and zebra, and break for lunch inside the park. Guides such as John, Freddy, Sidwell, and King Elvis are known for sharp animal spotting.

“Great safari in Addo! Our guide was excellent, we saw many animals, and learned a lot about the area. Highly recommended!”

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2.Addo Elephant National Park All Inclusive Full-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 256 reviews · from $147Top rated

Spend about nine hours exploring Addo Elephant National Park from Port Elizabeth in an air-conditioned 4x4 or minivan. A guide such as John, Sidwell, Wanele, or Elvis leads the search for elephants, lions, buffalo, rhino, zebra, and more. Hotel pickup, park fees, transport, and lunch are included.

“Being with the driver John. He was so good at finding the animals and know all the history of the area”

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3.Addo Elephant Full Day Safari with a Traditional South African Braai (BBQ) Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 218 reviews · from $172

Join a small group of up to nine for a nine-hour Addo Elephant National Park safari from Port Elizabeth. Guides such as Steve, Stephen, Siya, and Eddie are praised for sharp animal spotting and clear explanations. Two game drives, park fees, refreshments, and a fire-cooked braai lunch are included.

“We had a lovely day and saw over 100 elephants, lots of kudu, warthogs, zebra and baboons. Our guide Siya was very knowledgeable and good at spotting creatures large and small (dung beetles)! We really enjoyed it. The lunchtime braai was so delicious also which was a big bonus.”

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4.Addo Elephant Park All-Inclusive Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 199 reviews · 8 hours · from $176

Ride from Port Elizabeth into Addo Elephant National Park for morning and afternoon game drives. Your English-speaking guide, such as Nina, Gary, Emmanuel, or Xolisa, helps spot elephants, zebras, buffalo, rhinos, birds, and perhaps lions. The tour includes park entry, transport, a light lunch, and pickup from hotels, the airport, or harbour.

“Our tour Guide Nina was absolutely incredible! Me and my friend had a wonderful time. She arrived super early at our pick up and taught us so much during the whole day! The car was huge and very comfortable! I couldn’t ask for someone better to make our day even more special! We saw many many animals, specially Elephants, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, ostriches and many others! They were so close to us! I can say that was one of the most special days of my life so far! I am very grateful!”

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5.Garden Route and Addo Elephant Park 6-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 175 reviews · 6 days · from $852

Travel in a small group of up to 12 with an English-speaking guide such as Gareth, Christine, or Marc. Over six active days, you’ll visit Hermanus, Cape Agulhas, Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Tsitsikamma, Addo, and Mossel Bay, with accommodation, meals, canoeing, hikes, wine tasting, and a safari included.

“What an amazing week! Christine was an excellent guide, so full of energy and enthusiasm, making sure that everyone had what they needed and taking us safely from one beautiful place to the other. The places we visited were all so nice, I kept wanting to stay longer in each of them, saying “Next time..”. Yes, we did spend quite a lot of time in the bus to get between them, but that is after all unavoidable if wanting to visit them all. Shorter stops to stretch legs etc in between the main stops made the journeys feel shorter. The program was a good combination of beautiful nature and views,…”

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6.Addo Elephant Park Shore Excursion with BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 141 reviews · from $164

Meet your Into Tours guide near the Port Elizabeth cruise terminal for a full-day, small-group safari in malaria-free Addo Elephant Park. Travel in an air-conditioned vehicle, search for elephants, lions, and other wildlife, then enjoy a fire-cooked South African braai. Guides such as Nina and Gary are praised for attentive service and family-friendly care.

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7.Addo Elephant National Park Full Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 110 reviews · from $169

Spend about nine hours exploring Addo Elephant National Park from Port Elizabeth with guides such as Joel, Allan, or Stafford. The tour includes transport, park entry, shared binoculars, tea and rusks, and a freshly cooked South African braai with vegetarian and vegan choices. Expect a relaxed safari in a national park, not a private animal reserve.

“Super tolle tour. Alles perfekt organisiert. Einwandfreier Ablauf. Unglaublich was für ein spitzen BBQ. Guide und Fahrer top. Die Tour kann ich absolut empfehlen. DANKE für den tillen Tag”

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8.Addo Elephant National Park from Port Elizabeth – FD01

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · from $155

Leave Port Elizabeth at 7:30 a.m. for a full-day safari in Addo Elephant National Park. Your guide may be Anthony, Mervyn, Graeme, Alan, or Andrew, depending on the day. Travel in a small group of up to eight, look for elephants, lions, zebra, buffalo, kudu, ostrich, and birds, and learn how Addo protects its wildlife.

“My guide, Graeme, was really excellent and very knowledgeable about the mammals and birdlife in the Reserve. He really took a lot of time ensuring he showed me what I was hoping to see. Wonderful herds of elephant at a number of waterinRead more”

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9.Addo Elephant National Park Full Day Safari with Braai Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 77 reviews · 9 hours · from $208

Spend nine hours in Addo Elephant National Park with guides such as Joel or Brian, searching for elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, and more. Your day includes park fees, binoculars, drinks, a hot tea stop, and a sit-down South African braai cooked over an open fire. Pickup is available from Port Elizabeth and the cruise terminal.

“War fast eine private Tour mit nur 7 Leuten. Unser Guide Brian war super. Er hat sich viel Zeit genommen und alles genau und gut verständlich erklärt. Er hat alleine ein tolles, super leckeres Essen zubereitet. Elefanten haben viele gesehen, Giraffe, Zebras, Gnus uvm. Löwen leider nicht”

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10.5 Day Garden Route Tour and Addo Elephant National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · from $782

Travel from Cape Town in a group of no more than 13 for five busy days through Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Tsitsikamma, Addo, Hermanus, and the Garden Route Game Lodge. Expect long drives, two safari areas, an ostrich farm, optional Bloukrans bungy jumping, and guides such as Benjamin, Benji, or Von.

“Book the hostels they are all in a great location. In j bay right on the beach away from back packers. It’s a private room on the beach.”

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11.Addo Elephant Park:Safari Tour meet Big 5 to be satisfied

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 73 reviews · 6 hours · from $221

Meet Otto of OTTOURS at the Port Elizabeth harbour gate, then ride into Addo Elephant Park for a six-hour search for the Big Five and smaller animals. The day includes park entry, transport, refreshments, a picnic lunch, and a visit to the Interpretation Centre. Bring your passport, camera, binoculars, and a warm jacket.

“Otto hat hat sich super um uns gekümmert und versucht alle Tiere für uns zu sichten. Das Picnic war auch hervorragend. Alles in Allm empfehlenswert.”

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12.Addo Elephant 5 hour Morning Safari.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · from $123

Join Addo Game Drives for a five-hour morning safari from Port Elizabeth into Addo Elephant National Park. With a maximum of nine people, hotel transfers, a picnic brunch, and guides such as Langston or Steven, you’ll look for elephants, buffalo, lions, zebra, and antelope around the park’s waterholes.

“Hele grote groep olifanten. Geweldig om te observeren. Hele leuke vrouwelijke ranger, die heel duidelijk extra informatie gaf over de dieren en het park.”

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13.Addo Elephant Park Shore Excursion & Safari

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 72 reviews · 8 hours · from $159

Spend eight hours at Addo Elephant National Park with Addo Ventures And Guided Safaris. You get hotel or harbor pickup, park entry, an English-speaking guide, wildlife drives, snacks, drinks, and lunch at Jack’s Picnic Site. Expect elephants, zebras, warthogs, and perhaps lions or rhinos, with transport in an air-conditioned SUV or minibus.

“Overall, a very nice excursion. We saw many elephants, zebras, warthogs, and even a buffalo. During the lunch break, we enjoyed a shared meal with freshly grilled food, which was great. However, our guide didn’t provide much explanation, and we drove through the park in a closed van, which slightly diminished the safari experience. Still, a worthwhile trip for wildlife enthusiasts.”

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14.2-Day Addo Elephant Park Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 46 reviews · 2 days · from $597

Spend two days with an English-speaking guide in Greater Addo, combining a full-day safari, Sundays River cruise, dune tour, and giraffe tracking. Guides such as John, Sidwell, and Riccardo have led recent departures. Expect small groups of up to 12, one night in 4-star lodging, and close giraffe encounters, but note that the giraffe outing may include vehicle time.

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15.Addo Elephant Park and Giraffe Walk Full Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 46 reviews · 7 hours · from $211

Join an English-speaking guide for a seven-hour Addo safari from Port Elizabeth or Colchester. Spend six hours seeking elephants, buffalo, lions, rhino, and other wildlife, then enjoy a braai lunch before tracking giraffes on foot in the Sundays River Valley. Guides may include Ruag, Tony, or Alan McWilliam.

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