Big 5 Safari from Cape Town: Aquila Game Reserve full day

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.70 (10 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/13

Duration8h

GroupUp to 13

LanguagesEN · FR

PickupAt your hotel

A morning tracking the Big 5 across open reserve.

This full-day tour from Cape Town combines a scenic drive through Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worcester and the Hex Valley wine regions with a 3-hour game drive at Aquila Game Reserve, 180 km away. A qualified game ranger leads the safari in an open 4x4 vehicle; hotel pickup, welcome drinks, buffet breakfast and lunch are included. The reserve is home to elephant, buffalo, lion, rhino and other wildlife across its 4,500 hectares.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day safari and wine region drive

Drive from Cape Town through wine regions
Pass Paarl Rock and historic settlements
Drive through Du Toitskloof pass tunnel
Drive through Breed River catchment area
Drive through Hex Valley wine region
Arrive at Aquila Game Reserve
Enjoy welcome drinks and buffet breakfast
Go on 3-hour Big 5 game drive
Return for buffet lunch
Swim or relax by pool or bonfire
Drive back to Cape Town

The Experience

The drive out of Cape Town takes you through some of South Africa's most recognizable wine country. You'll pass Paarl Rock, one of the two largest single rock outcrops in the world, then drive through the nearly 4 km Du Toitskloof tunnel—built by Italian engineers—which cuts through the pass between two mountain ranges. The route continues through the Hex Valley, where the Mediterranean climate and montane fynbos vegetation support vineyards that export grapes worldwide. The landscape itself is the point here: dramatic edged mountains, river valleys fed by winter snowmelt, the kind of scenery that frames why people make the 2-hour drive to this reserve.

At Aquila, you start with welcome drinks and a hearty buffet breakfast before heading out in an open 4x4 with your game ranger. The vehicle design—open sides, elevated seating—is built for sightlines: you're positioned to spot animals across the 4,500-hectare reserve without a windshield between you and the landscape. The game drive runs up to 3 hours. A qualified ranger drives and narrates, reading the terrain and animal behavior to position the vehicle for sightings of the Big 5—elephant, buffalo, lion, rhino—and other wildlife that roams freely here.

After the drive, you return for a buffet lunch. In summer, the swimming pool offers a way to cool off; in winter, a bonfire warms the pool area before the drive back to Cape Town. The tour includes bottled water throughout and an air-conditioned vehicle for the road journey, plus a complimentary visit to The Diamond Works museum on the return.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cape Town.
welcome drinks.
buffet breakfast before the game drive.
up to 3 hours in an open 4x4 safari vehicle with a qualified game ranger.
bottled water throughout the day.
buffet lunch after the drive.
air-conditioned transport during the scenic route.
complimentary entry to The Diamond Works museum.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by Remigeous Tsuro

Is this one for you?Your ranger navigates the scenic wine valleys and mountain passes while you focus entirely on spotting the Big 5 from an open 4x4 vehicle.