Dinokeng Safari Game Drive: Big Five Wildlife from Johannesburg

Game rangers navigate the open-back truck while you spot lions, elephants and rhinos from the same seat

A safari game drive from Johannesburg to Dinokeng Game Reserve, Gauteng's largest Big Five wildlife sanctuary, takes you on a 2.5-hour open-back 4x4 truck ride with a resident game ranger who narrates facts about the animals while navigating the terrain. The full tour runs 7 hours including transport from your Johannesburg or Pretoria hotel, with snacks and water provided during a break. Sunrise and sunset departures are timed to catch the Big Five when they are most active.

Step-by-step itinerary

Safari game drive at Dinokeng Reserve

• Pick up from hotel or airport
• Travel to Dinokeng Game Reserve
• Enjoy 2.5-hour game drive on 4x4 truck
• Spot wildlife including Big Five animals
• Take mini-break with snacks and water
• Return to hotel or airport

The Experience

The drive north from Johannesburg takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, giving you time to settle into the rhythm before the game drive itself begins. You'll ride in an air-conditioned minivan with your group, then transfer to an open-back 4x4 truck once you reach Dinokeng Game Reserve. The truck seats up to 10 adults, which means the ranger has room to answer individual questions about what you're seeing instead of shouting over a crowd.

The game drive itself runs 2.5 hours, timed for either sunrise (5:30 am in summer, 6 am in winter) or sunset (4 pm in summer, 3:30 pm in winter)—the hours when hippos, elephants, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, kudus, jackals, impalas, wildebeest and crocodiles are most likely to move across the dusty trails. Your ranger drives the open terrain and narrates facts about the animals and the reserve while you watch from an unobstructed vantage point. Halfway through, you stop for bottled water and snacks.

After the drive ends, you head back to the minivan for the return journey to Johannesburg or Pretoria, arriving at your hotel or the airport roughly 7 hours after you left. The whole day is built around the timing of animal activity, so the early start or late afternoon departure is not optional—it's what makes the sightings possible.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned minivan.
• open-back 4x4 truck for the game drive with a resident ranger.
• live commentary in English.
• snacks and bottled water during a break.
• transport for up to 10 adults per truck.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Explore Joburg

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and narrates continuously from the truck, so you'll follow the commentary comfortably without needing to read signs or navigate on your own. Book the sunrise departure if you want the best chance of spotting the Big Five before the heat drives them into shade; the sunset drive works if an early morning doesn't suit your schedule.

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Top questions

What animals am I most likely to see on the Dinokeng game drive?

Dinokeng Game Reserve is home to hippos, elephants, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, kudus, jackals, impalas, wildebeest and crocodiles. The sunrise and sunset departures are timed when these animals are most active and visible across the open terrain.

How long is the actual game drive on the 4x4 truck?

The game drive itself lasts 2.5 hours on the open-back 4x4 truck. The full tour from Johannesburg is 7 hours total, which includes the drive to and from the reserve and a snack break during the game drive.

Can I book a sunrise or sunset drive, and what time do I need to be ready?

Both sunrise and sunset departures are available. Sunrise departs at 5:30 am in summer or 6 am in winter; sunset departs at 4 pm in summer or 3:30 pm in winter. Hotel pickup is included, so your driver will collect you at your agreed time.

How many people ride in each 4x4 truck on the game drive?

Each open-back 4x4 truck seats up to 10 adults, which keeps the group small enough for the ranger to answer individual questions about the wildlife and the reserve during the drive.

Is hotel pickup included, and where can I be picked up from?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included in an air-conditioned minivan from your hotel in Johannesburg, Pretoria, or O.R. Tambo International Airport. You'll be transported to Dinokeng Game Reserve and back in the same vehicle.

What is provided during the tour?

Snacks and bottled water are provided during a break halfway through the game drive. Your driver and ranger are included, as is live commentary on the animals and the reserve throughout the experience.