In a nutshell
- You’re in Cape Town and want to go on a safari in South Africa? We’ve got you covered — here are the four best game reserves for a safari from Cape Town, with honest advice on which ones are actually worth your time.
- You can book safaris through the official websites or directly together with an overnight stay on Booking.com. Safari costs typically run 20–40 euros on top of any accommodation.
- Our top pick: Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. You’ll have a real chance at seeing the Big 5 and it genuinely feels like one of the great national parks.
- Animal welfare matters a lot to us when it comes to game reserves — so we’ve only included reserves that take it seriously. (Yes, that means we left some famous ones off the list.)
The Best Game Reserves for Safaris near Cape Town on a Map
First, let’s show you the game reserves on a map.
We’ve marked Cape Town too, so you can get a feel for where each reserve sits and which one fits best if you’re planning a road trip through South Africa.
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
- Drive time: 3.5 hours
- Animals: Big 5, hippos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, wildebeest, and more
- Game drives: early morning and evening, each lasting 2.5–3 hours
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is our top pick for a safari near Cape Town. It’s farther away than the others, but in return you have a real shot at seeing the Big 5 and a huge variety of other animals.
What we love most is that animal welfare is taken seriously here. The reserve is vast — twice the size of Munich! There are no fences, and the animals aren’t fed. Everything is left to the course of nature.
That said, you can’t do this one as a day trip from Cape Town. To join a safari here, you need to book an overnight stay at Sanbona Reserve. With one night, you get two game drives — one in the evening when you arrive and one the following morning. There are even special safaris for children.
When you book, you can specify whether you’d like to be picked up in Cape Town. Or if you’re traveling South Africa by car, you can drive to the reserve yourself.
Book an overnight stay including safaris at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
Villiera Wildlife Sanctuary
- Drive time: 45 minutes
- Animals: giraffes, zebras, antelopes, many bird species
- Game drives: morning and midday, two hours each
If you want a safari from Cape Town without a long drive, Villiera Wildlife Sanctuary is a great pick. It’s perfectly set up for a one-day safari — just 45 minutes from the city.
The sanctuary doesn’t have a huge variety of large animals, but it has something genuinely special going for it. It’s located in the Cape Winelands between Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek, and it’s also a wine estate. That means you can combine your safari with a wine tasting — every game drive includes one afterward. How great is that!
To get there, you’ll need a rental car or can arrange a private driver through your accommodation in Cape Town. The sanctuary doesn’t offer pickups from Cape Town, and it doesn’t have the option to drop you directly at the wine estate near Stellenbosch. Overnight stays aren’t available here either.
Book a safari at Villiera Wildlife Sanctuary on the official website
Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve
- Drive time: 2.5 hours
- Animals: zebras, antelopes, small antelopes, ostriches, leopards, and more
- Game drives: scheduled upon request, approximately 2.5 hours long
Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve is a bit farther than Villiera — about 2.5 hours from Cape Town. You’ll need a rental car or a private driver to get there.
What makes Drie Kuilen stand out is the option for a self-drive safari. All you need is a 4×4 rental car. The official website has a map of the roads inside the reserve. As a day visitor, no advance booking is required — you just pay a small fee at the entrance.
Prefer a more relaxed experience? You can also stay overnight in the reserve, with at least one game drive included. Day visitors who’d rather skip the self-drive can request guided game drives through the website.
Book an overnight stay including safari at Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve
Melozhori Game Reserve
- Drive time: 2.5 hours
- Animals: giraffes, antelopes, zebras, porcupines, leopards, buffalo, and more
- Game drives: tailored to individual preferences at the time of booking
Rounding out our recommendations is the Melozhori Game Reserve. You’ll need a rental car or private driver to reach it.
Melozhori is home to a solid variety of large animals, though no predators in the traditional sense. That’s actually what makes it special — you’re allowed to go on hikes and mountain bike rides through the reserve too. Yes, there are leopards, but they’re so reclusive and so rarely spotted even on game drives that you really don’t need to worry about them.
To join safaris and explore the reserve on foot, you’ll need to stay at Melozhori for at least two days.
Book an overnight stay at Melozhori Game Reserve including safari on the official website
Other Game Reserves
Beyond our four picks, there are two more reserves that come up constantly in recommendations for safaris from Cape Town.
Those are the Aquila Game Reserve and the Inverdoorn Game Reserve. Both are about a two-hour drive from Cape Town, both have the Big 5, and both offer half-day and full-day safari tours from the city.
However, neither reserve takes animal welfare particularly seriously. They feel more like large zoos — animals are fed, vehicles crowd around them, and fences keep the lions separated from other animals. Their popularity also means they deal with significant overtourism.
For those reasons, we don’t recommend Aquila or Inverdoorn for your safari. We wanted to mention them briefly so you know exactly why they didn’t make our list.
Frequently Asked Questions about Safaris near Cape Town
Is Cape Town good for safaris?
There are places in South Africa better suited for a safari — like Kruger National Park or the Garden Route. But you can absolutely do great safaris departing from Cape Town.
Just keep in mind that you’ll usually need to drive at least an hour to reach the nearest game reserves.
How expensive are safaris from Cape Town?
It depends on what you’re after.
If you just want to join a safari in a reserve, expect to pay around $20–40. If you choose one of the reserves where an overnight stay is required to access the game drives, you’ll be paying the accommodation rate on top of that.
How dangerous is a safari in South Africa?
Safaris are generally not dangerous as long as you stay in the vehicle. Honestly, driving in regular traffic is statistically more risky than going on a game drive in a 4×4.
That said, you should always follow a few basic rules, never get out of the vehicle on your own, and listen to your ranger’s instructions at all times.
What are the Big 5 on a safari in Africa?
The Big 5 are the elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, and leopard.
The name doesn’t refer to their size — it actually comes from how difficult these animals were for big-game hunters to track and hunt on foot.
Big 5 safaris are now the most popular safari experiences across Africa.
What are Game Reserves?
Game Reserves are protected natural areas. Most are privately owned, though state-run ones exist too.
They’re home to a wide variety of wildlife, which is exactly what makes them ideal for safaris.
When is the best time for a safari from Cape Town?
The best time to visit for safaris from Cape Town is December through February. The weather is pleasantly warm and it rarely rains.
Is a safari better from Cape Town or Johannesburg?
Objectively, a safari from Johannesburg is the stronger choice — that’s where you’ll find the massive Kruger National Park, with an incredible variety of wildlife.
That said, many visitors only have two weeks or less and fly into Cape Town without making it to Kruger at the other end of the country. In that case, a safari along the Garden Route or a safari near Cape Town is a fantastic alternative.
And honestly, it’s also a great way to test the waters and see whether safaris are your thing before committing to one of the major national parks.
