Addo Elephant Park tour: 600+ elephants from Port Elizabeth

Over 600 elephants, relaxed enough for close sightings, across five distinct biomes in one park.

A full-day guided tour of Addo Elephant National Park departing from Port Elizabeth includes professional guide, hotel pickup, and lunch at the Main Rest Camp. The park holds the third-largest wildlife population in South Africa, with over 600 African elephants, the Big 5, and dozens of bird and antelope species across varying landscapes. You spend the morning and afternoon driving through the park with stops for wildlife viewing, break for lunch at the rest camp where an underground hide overlooks a watering hole, and return to Port Elizabeth by late afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Wildlife tour at Addo Elephant Park

• Hotel pickup in Port Elizabeth
• Drive 40 minutes to Addo Park
• Enter park via Southern Mayolweni Gate
• Explore park and spot Big 5 animals
• Lunch at Main Rest Camp
• Visit underground hide at watering hole
• Afternoon game drive to south gate
• Return to Port Elizabeth

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Port Elizabeth hotel, airport or harbour, then heads 40 minutes inland to Addo's Southern Mayolweni Gate. Once inside, you navigate the park's expanse with a professionally registered guide who knows where to find the animals and what you're looking at. The morning is spent driving through varying landscapes (grassland, dense bush, open plains) stopping when wildlife appears. Elephants are the draw, and they're known here for being the most docile in South African parks, which means closer views than you'd get elsewhere.

Around midday you reach the Main Rest Camp in the park's northern section, where lunch is served. The camp sits above a watering hole, and there's an underground hide you can visit to watch animals come down to drink without being seen. This is where the day's second half begins: after eating, you head back out into the park, this time working your way south toward the exit gate. The Big 5 (elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino) are all here, along with spotted hyena, zebra, warthog and a long list of birds and antelope. What you see depends on the day and the season, but the guide knows the routes and the patterns.

The whole outing runs seven hours door to door. Bottled water is included throughout, and the guide handles all the navigation and the stopping points. You're in a vehicle the entire time, so the pace is set by the route and the wildlife sightings, not by how far you want to walk. The park is malaria-free, which matters for families and anyone concerned about health risks on a wildlife tour.

What’s included

• Professionally registered guide who navigates the park and identifies wildlife.
• hotel, airport or harbour pickup and drop-off from Port Elizabeth.
• light lunch at the Main Rest Camp with access to the underground hide overlooking the watering hole.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (13 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Child (under 13)

GroupUp to 18

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 11 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Mosaic Tourism

Is this one for you?This is a shared guided tour, so you travel with other visitors in the same vehicle. Choose it if you want the guide's knowledge of where animals congregate and what species you're seeing, without the cost of a private vehicle. The shared format also means the guide can focus on wildlife spotting instead of driving alone. If you prefer to explore the park at your own pace or need privacy for a group, a private tour would suit you better, though this one's seven-hour structure and fixed lunch stop keep the day organized without requiring you to plan the route or timing yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 13).

How many elephants are actually in Addo Elephant National Park?

Addo is home to over 600 African elephants, the largest population in the park. They're known for being the most docile and relaxed of all elephants in South African national parks, which is why close viewing opportunities are common here.

What animals besides elephants will I see on this tour?

The Big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant) are all present in Addo. You'll also have chances to spot spotted hyena, zebra, warthog, and a wide variety of antelope species and birdlife across the park's different biomes.

Where do we stop for lunch, and what's included?

Lunch is served at the Main Rest Camp in the northern section of the park. Light lunch is included with the tour, and the rest camp has an underground hide overlooking a watering hole where you can watch animals drink without being seen.

How far is Addo Elephant National Park from Port Elizabeth?

The drive from Port Elizabeth to Addo's Southern Mayolweni Gate is approximately 40 minutes. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so you don't arrange your own transport to the park.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes hotel, airport or harbour pickup and drop-off from Port Elizabeth; a professionally registered nature guide; light lunch at the Main Rest Camp; and bottled water throughout the day. Any additional beverages or lunch upgrades can be arranged at checkout.