Addo Elephant National Park Game Drive & Sunset River Cruise

Hunt for 700 free-roaming elephants and the Big 5 across open savanna, then drift downriver as light fades.

A full-day guided game drive and river cruise in Addo Elephant National Park, a malaria-free reserve home to roughly 700 elephants, zebra, kudu, warthog and the Big 5. The tour includes park entry, an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional guide, bottled water and tea, and ends with a sunset cruise on the Sundays River watching for birds and game. Minimum two persons. Single travellers pay a supplement.

Step-by-step itinerary

Game drive and sunset river cruise

• Game drive in Addo Elephant National Park
• Sunset river cruise on Sundays River

The experience

The day starts with a game drive through Addo Elephant National Park, where the landscape opens across grassland and scrub thick with wildlife. You'll move slowly through the reserve in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional guide who knows where the elephants congregate and what the smaller animals (dung beetles, kudu, warthog, ostrich) signal about the season and the hour. The park sits malaria-free, which means no medication worries before you go. Bottled water and tea travel with you, and park entry fees are already settled.

As the afternoon light softens, you leave the game drive and board the Sundays River for a sunset cruise. The boat moves slowly downstream, and the guide watches the banks and the water for birds and any game that comes down to drink as day turns to dusk. This is a different kind of watching: stationary, quieter, the river itself part of the rhythm instead of the vehicle's movement. The cruise closes the day as the light merges into shadow.

Vehicle type is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis: the operator aims to assign 4x4 Landcruisers to these tours, but a seat on a 4x4 cannot be guaranteed. If a Landcruiser is not available, you'll be assigned to another tour vehicle. The tour runs 11 hours total. A minimum of four persons is required. If you're travelling alone, a single supplement applies.

What’s included

• Park entry and conservation fees.
• professional guided game drive.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water and tea.
• sunset river cruise on the Sundays River.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 to 80 years) · Under 13: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 15 pickup points.

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

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Alan Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this shared group drive if you want a guide who knows where the wildlife congregates. Book private if you need to set your own pace or route through the park.

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Top questions

How many elephants will I see in Addo Elephant National Park?

Addo Elephant National Park is home to roughly 700 free-roaming elephants. The guide will navigate the reserve to find them, though sightings depend on where the herds move on the day you visit.

What animals besides elephants live in Addo?

The park holds the Big 5 (lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino and elephant) plus zebra, kudu, warthog, ostrich, the flightless dung beetle and many other species. The guide will point out what appears along the drive.

Is the Sundays River cruise included in the price?

Yes, the sunset river cruise on the Sundays River is included, along with park entry, the vehicle, guide, bottled water and tea.

What if I'm travelling alone? Can I still book this tour?

Single travellers are welcome, but a single supplement applies to the tour price. A minimum of two persons is required for the tour to run.

Will I definitely get a seat in a 4x4 Landcruiser?

The operator aims to allocate 4x4 Landcruisers to these tours, but seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and a 4x4 cannot be guaranteed. If one is not available, you'll be assigned to another tour vehicle.

How long is the full tour?

The tour runs 11 hours total, including the game drive through Addo Elephant National Park and the sunset cruise on the Sundays River.