The 15 Best Safaris and Game Drives in Durban

1.Half-Day Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 141 reviews · 6 hours · from $193Our pick

From Durban, spend six hours at Tala Game Reserve and the African Raptor Centre. Expect a guided wildlife drive in a closed vehicle, close rhino sightings, more than 370 bird species, and rescued eagles, owls, vultures, falcons, and hawks. Guides such as Freddy, Thami, Fortune, and Zamani are praised for their local insight.

“Excellent and very enjoyable day provided by Aaron, who went out of his way to ensure we all had a good view and interaction with the many animals.”

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2.Half Day Safari Tour from Durban

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 121 reviews · from $171Best value

Spend six hours exploring Natal Lion Park and Tala Private Game Reserve from Durban. You’ll ride in an air-conditioned vehicle with a guide such as Thami, Fortune, Freddy, or Bafana, see lions and elephants up close, then search Tala’s 3,000 hectares for rhinos, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest, and more.

“Aaron was an excellent tour guide and we had a very enjoyable day seeing all the amazing animals. Highly recommend if you only have one day in port.”

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3.Hluhluwe Imfolozi Big 5 Reserve day Safari from Durban

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

Set out from Durban at 6 a.m. for a 11 to 12-hour safari at Hluhluwe Imfolozi, about 2.5 hours away. Your guide leads the game drive and explains local wildlife and plants. Park admission, transport, guide service, and limited bottled water are included. Lunch and drinks are not.

“Our tour guide Nikolas was amazing. Very knowledgeable and a great person. 10/10 would recommend again!”

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4.Safari & PheZulu Village Day Tour from Durban

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $201

Travel from Durban to Natal Lion Park, Tala Game Reserve, and PheZulu Safari Park in an air-conditioned vehicle. Look for lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and antelope, then watch Zulu dancing and visit the reptile park. Guides such as Fortune, Freddy, Christo, and Ndu Nene have led this outing.

“Great wildlife sights, especially the elephants, comfy aircondit. bus. If you're Aussie don't bother with the crocs, but excellent opportunity to "cuddle" a snake - brilliant! The Zulu show was perfunctory (expected though, considering the tourist crowds H appy overall with this park.”

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5.Safari & PheZulu Village Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 24 reviews · 8 hours · from $242

Travel from Durban to Tala Game Reserve, the African Raptor Centre, and PheZulu Cultural Village in one full day. You’ll look for rhino, giraffe, hippo, and more from a closed vehicle, meet rescued birds of prey, watch Zulu dancing, and visit the reptile park. Guides may speak English, Greek, French, or Portuguese.

“The guide FRED is a superstar! Really enjoyed the day with him. Very knowledgeable and experience and knew where to find and CALL the animals. I bet even they know him by now :-) Very enjoyable, relaxed, no pressure experience and had the pleasure of listening to his own music. A talented guitarist, I truly enjoyed the day listening to his music, in the comfort of his powerful vehicle that ate up the terrain and took us effortlessly into all nooks and crannies of the reserve. Well done Fred! You deserve 10 STARS!”

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6.Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari & iSimangaliso Tour

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

You’ll leave central Durban early for a private, guide-led day combining an iSimangaliso hippo and crocodile boat tour with a closed-vehicle safari in Hluhluwe Imfolozi. Guides such as Zamani, Frédérick, and Bule are praised for wildlife knowledge, route-finding, and cultural insight. The day includes park entry, transport, and hotel pickup.

“Frédérick a été un guide formidable, il a fait en sorte que nous puissions voir le maximum d’animaux avec de précieuses explications. Merci à toute l’équipe pour l’organisation”

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7.Half Day Tala Game Reserve & Natal Lion Park from Durban

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 16 reviews · from $190

Travel from Durban to Tala Game Reserve for a wildlife drive, then continue to Natal Lion Park for lions and African and Asian elephants. The English-speaking guide shares facts about KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa. Pickup and drop-off are available from hotels, the airport, and cruise ships, but confirm the vehicle and port arrangements before booking.

“The trip itself was worth seeing. We saw many animals, and were able to get very close to some of them. Unfortunately, the weather put a damper on our plans (persistent, torrential rain). The guides made the most of it.”

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8.Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve Day Trip

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

You leave Durban early for a private, guide-led day at Hluhluwe Imfolozi, South Africa’s oldest game park. Expect a long drive, a closed-vehicle safari, and chances to see rhinos, elephants, giraffes, antelope, birds, and possibly the Big 5. Optional extras include Emtoneni Wild Cat Sanctuary, a wetland boat cruise, and a Zulu cultural visit.

“Absolutely loved my day trip to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve. Freddy is an incredible guide, and has so much experience finding the animals. We had so much fun on the tour and were able to see rhinos, giraffes, elephants, tons of antelope, crocodiles, birds… the list goes on and on. 100% recommend.”

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9.Tala Game Reserve & Natal Lion Park 1/2 Day Tour from Durban

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 13 reviews · from $190

Leave Durban at 7:30am for a two-hour game drive at Tala Game Reserve, then visit Natal Lion Park for lions, elephants, and smaller wildlife. Hotel, airport, and port pickup is included. English-speaking guides such as Timba provide local context, though park timing and vehicle arrangements can vary.

“Very nice guide and everyone on the safari in general. The only downside was that the air conditioning in the bus was much too cold, so everyone was freezing.”

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10.Full Day Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve with lunch

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

Leave Durban before sunrise for a small-group safari in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. An English-speaking guide takes you through prime rhino country, with chances to see elephant, lion, other wildlife, and hundreds of bird species. You get about 5.5 hours in the reserve, lunch at Hilltop Camp, and hotel pickup and drop-off.

“It was an amazing experience - it was just the right amount of time in the park. As I was a lone guest paying for a minimum of two people I think drinks should have been included with the meal. My guide was very knowledgable and I gained a lot of information which was enlightening.”

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11.Drakensberg Mountains & Nelson Mandela Capture Site Full Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · from $198

Spend about eight hours in a private vehicle from Durban, combining Howick Falls, the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Midlands Meander scenery, and uKhahlamba-Drakensberg rock art. Guides such as Brian or Timber may lead the day. Expect long drives, limited time, and walking that can become demanding near Monk’s Cowl.

“Though a long drive from the Port of Durban to Drakensberg Mountains, it worths a visit. Wish I have more time to hike 7 km to the top and see the rock arts.”

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12.Full Day Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve Tour from Durban

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · 10 hours · from $226

Leave Durban at 6am for the three-hour drive to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve. With guide Benson and a reserve guide, you’ll spend the day in a 4x4 among rhino, elephant, lion, zebra, kudu, and impala. The tour lasts about 10 hours, includes pickup, and is wheelchair accessible.

“Fantastic trip, great close encounters with Elephant, Lions and Rhino.. loved the dung beetles and great views of the park. Benson did everything possible to make it a day to remember!”

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13.Wildlife Lovers Big 5 Safari at 2 Game Reserves

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 14 hours · from $246

Leave Durban around 5 AM for a 2.5-hour Hluhluwe-Imfolozi drive in a Hyundai H1, then enjoy a four-hour open 4x4 safari at Manyoni Private Game Reserve. Expert guides, binoculars, hotel transfers, and multilingual wildlife books are included. Lunch is extra, and wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

“It was great! The private game reserve was excellent! Our driver Tambo and guide Wanda Boy were the best! Highly recommend.”

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14.Half Day Durban City Tour and Phezulu Safari Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $223

Spend six hours touring Durban’s Victoria Street Market, Zulu Medicine Market, and Botanic Gardens before heading into the Valley of a Thousand Hills. At Phezulu Safari Park, you’ll watch Zulu dancing, visit traditional huts, and take a game drive. English guiding, hotel, port, and airport pickup are included.

“Besuch SheZulu Nationalpark zu empfehlen, ansonsten hätte es eine Taxifahrt oder Uber auch getan. Preis überhöht, wenn man bedenkt, dass Eintritt Nationalpark nur 25 EUR kostet und ansonsten nichts geboten wird außer Hin- und Rückfahrt. Botanischer Garten ist eintrittfrei.”

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15.Half Day Phezulu Safari Park and Durban City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3 reviews · 6 hours · from $212

Spend six hours with an English-speaking guide, traveling from Durban to Phezulu Safari Park in the Valley of 1000 Hills. Look for giraffes, zebras, and wildebeest, visit a Zulu village, watch a dance performance, and see reptiles before touring Durban’s Golden Mile, promenade, and Victoria Street Market. Driver Jeff has earned special praise for his care.

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