Safari Tours in Zululand: 15 That Survive a Close Look

1.Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Full Day Big 5 Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 310 reviews · from $96Our pick

Start at 5:00 am in St Lucia and ride into Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in an open safari vehicle with a ranger. The small group, early start, breakfast, South African braai lunch, water, blankets, and included conservation fees make this a practical full-day wildlife outing. Guides such as Arnaud are known for sharp spotting and clear answers.

“It was a fantastic day! Without going into the animals we saw, as that depends on luck, let me share the good and bad points of this tour. Arnaud, our guide, always had a smile on his face, answered every question, and provided a lot of inforRead more”

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2.Hluhluwe-Imfolozi: Big 5 Full or Half-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 280 reviews · 390 - 510 minutes · from $87

Start early from St Lucia or meet at Nyalazi Gate for a small-group safari in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. Your English-speaking ranger searches for lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, leopards, cheetahs, and wild dogs, while explaining Zulu history and wildlife. Full-day trips include breakfast and a South African braai lunch.

“Kyle was a perfekt Guide- it was a wonderful Trip!”

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3.iSimangaliso Wetland Park Night Drive Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · 3 hours · from $46

You leave your St Lucia accommodation at 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM for a three-hour drive through iSimangaliso Wetland Park. An English-speaking guide, such as Sakile, uses a spotlight to find nocturnal animals, from tiny creatures to hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, and possibly leopard. Small groups are limited to 10 people.

“Sakile heeft ons alles goed uitgelegd en deed de moeite om veel dieren te vinden. het was echter aan het regenen en heel koud. Je moet echt de moeite doen om veel te zien. We waren die middag al op dezelfde weg door het park gereden omdat we het strand wilden zien en hebben toen meer dieren gezien als in de avond. Wij zouden deze tour niet meer boeken.”

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4.Hluhluwe Imfolozi Big 5 Reserve day Safari from Durban

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $210

Spend about 11 to 12 hours traveling from Durban to Hluhluwe Imfolozi, South Africa’s oldest protected area. A guide such as Sibo or Nikolas leads the game drive, with chances to see lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, leopards, giraffes, zebras, and more. Transport, entry, guiding, and limited bottled water are included.

“There are not much wild animals to be seen. I really would not recommend this safari to anyone who is expecting to see the big 5.”

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5.iSimangaliso Sunset Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 39 reviews · 3 hours · from $39

Join an English-speaking guide for a three-hour sunset Jeep drive through iSimangaliso Wetland Park’s Eastern Shores. From St Lucia, look for elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippo, hyena, leopard, zebra, and antelope while the light fades. The small group holds up to nine people, and coffee, tea, and biscuits may be provided on cooler days.

“iSimangaliso Park is truly magnificent, and the guide is very professional and knowledgeable. We did the park as a self-drive, but the guided visit is a real added value and not to be missed. I absolutely recommend it!!”

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6.Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari & St Lucia Boat Safari Day Tour from Durban

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · from $259

Leave Durban at 6am for a two-hour boat safari on the St Lucia estuary, then continue inland for a three-hour Hluhluwe-Imfolozi game drive. Expect hippos, birds, rhinos, zebras, and impalas, with a chance of seeing more of the Big Five. Guides such as Freddy, Thami, Vusi, Vuzi, and Zamani have been praised for their friendly service.

“Thami was an amazing guide!! Beautiful animals in an amazing park!! We were able to see an incredible amount of wildlife.”

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7.iSimangaliso Sunset Game Drive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · from $36Best value

Join a small group of up to six people for a three-hour sunset game drive into iSimangaliso Wetland Park’s Eastern Shores. Hotel pickup from St Lucia is included. Guides such as Bheki and Theo may point out elephants, rhinos, hippos, birds, beetles, and nocturnal animals as daylight fades.

“Seeing the rhino up close. The view from the lookout point Friendly guide Bheki. Smell of the trees.”

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8.Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve Full Day Game Drive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $265

Leave Richards Bay at 5:00 AM for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, Africa’s first dedicated game reserve. Your private group travels with a local guide, with breakfast, lunch, and snacks included. Guides such as Teshni and Tony have helped guests spot wildlife while sharing details about plants, animals, and the park.

“This tour was nothing but amazing! We were traveling with a toddler and booking this tour made our port stop seamless. From the start, Teshana picked us up at the port and introduced us to our tour guide, Shaquila (pretty sure I spelled both Read more”

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9.Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari & iSimangaliso Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 12 hours · from $280

Travel from Durban to iSimangaliso Wetlands Park for a boat trip among hippos and crocodiles, then continue to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi for a closed-vehicle safari. Guides such as Zamani, Frédérick, and Bule are praised for animal knowledge and local insight. The day includes park entry, transport, and hotel pickup, but not meals.

“My brother and I had a great time with this safari. Communication with the organizers was smooth and fast, transportation was perfect, the tour guide was excellent. We were satisfied with everything. Thank you!”

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10.From Richards Bay: Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 15 reviews · 6 hours · from $242

Travel from Richards Bay Harbor to Hluhluwe Imfolozi National Reserve for a six-hour, closed-vehicle game drive. An English, French, Greek, or Portuguese-speaking guide leads you through South Africa’s oldest reserve, where lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and rhino roam. Pickup is included within 5 km of the harbor, but food and drinks are not.

“Ne pas admettre des clients de différentes langues ensemble.”

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11.Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 12 hours · from $242

You’ll leave Durban early for a private, guide-led drive to Hluhluwe Imfolozi, South Africa’s oldest game park. Guides such as Freddy, Aaron, and Nene have been praised for spotting animals and explaining what you see. A closed vehicle and entry fees are included, while lunch and optional extras cost more.

“il faudrait préciser le programme. Le guide est venu nous chercher comme prévu à 6h00 puis premier arrêt toilette café à peine une demi heure plus tard!puis 2ème arrêt toilette café carburant vers 7h30 puis arrivée au parc vers 9h00.Puis arrêt café toilette à 11h00 puis reprise SAFARI jusqu'à 13h30 où on fait nouvel arrêt toilette mais rien pour manger. On savait que le lunch n'était pas inclus mais on pensait pouvoir acheter quelque chose dur place.Le guide à alors dit qu'il n'y avait pas de problème qu'on allait dans une station sans nous dire que c'était à une heure de route sur le trajet de retour. En résumé départ…”

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12.Full Day Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve with lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 12 reviews · 12 hours · from $280

Leave Durban around 5:30 AM for a full-day safari in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. An English-speaking guide leads wildlife drives through South Africa’s oldest proclaimed reserve, famous for white rhino conservation. You’ll stop for lunch at Hilltop Camp, with hotel pickup, transport, and return included.

“We had a wonderful life experience, and our tour guide was incredible, friendly what a sweet woman. a big shout out to Thompsons traveling agency we are content and happy. Cheers to the future”

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13.Hluhluwe Big 5 Safari with Pro Zeiss Binoculars

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 11 reviews · 14 hours · from $202

Leave Durban at 5 am for Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park, where you will take morning and afternoon game drives on both the Imfolozi and Hluhluwe sides. Small groups of up to eight use a Hyundai H1 with wide opening windows, Zeiss Terra ED binoculars, and multilingual guidebooks. Lunch is at your own cost.

“Top! il viaggio per arrivare è lungo, ma vale davvero la pena! Mai visto animali cosí da vicino. Veramente un’esperienza indimenticabile!”

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14.Cape Vidal Full-Day Snorkeling Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 10 reviews · 8 hours · from $92

Join an English-speaking guide for an eight-hour small-group outing from St Lucia. Ride through iSimangaliso Wetland Park, look for rhinos, elephants, hippos, and birds, then snorkel for two hours at Cape Vidal. Guides such as Sakhile, Kyle, Spi, and Johan have led this trip, which includes breakfast, a braai lunch, gear, towels, and transport.

“What an absolutely amazingly memorable tour. Sakhile (known as Shakira to us😉🤣) is such an awesome tour guide and more over so humble and kind. What an amazing start to the New Year, we will remember the day with fond memories and will definitely recommend it to all, however it will need to include Sakhile😉🤣”

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15.Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park – Open Safari Vehicle Game Drives

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 8 reviews · 3 - 9 hours · from $191

Join Bushbaby Safaris for a private 3, 6, or 9-hour open-vehicle drive through Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Meet your English or Zulu-speaking guide in Saint Lucia, Hluhluwe, Mtubatuba, or Bushlands. Guides such as Sifiso Dube bring local insight, while the park offers rhinos, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, birds, picnic stops, and wide-ranging scenery.

“Hele fijne en gezellige begeleiding! Hadden veel kennis over alles wat daar te zien en te vinden is. Brachten ons ook netjes thuis!”

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