Spend a full day at the Aquila Game Reserve, the closest one to Cape Town, on this safari tour. Get excited to see the ‘Big Five’ game animals and endangered species such as the ‘Aquila’ Black Eagle on this worry-free trip, which includes pickup at your Cape Town city center hotel. This is one of the easiest safari tours near Cape Town, on a private game reserve in a malaria-free area.

Safari day trip to Aquila Game Reserve from Cape Town
Spot South Africa’s Big Five animals on a game drive around this private reserve
Lean about the reserve’s wild animals and birdlife from your game ranger guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off included

What's Included

Lunch
Game Drive
Hotel pickup and drop off (English Driver only)
Professional Game Ranger - English speaking only

Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

Opening hours

1/16/2023 - 10/31/2023
Monday - Sunday : 09:00 am - 10:00 am
11/1/2023 - 12/19/2023
Monday - Sunday : 09:00 am - 10:00 am
12/20/2023 - 1/15/2024
Monday - Sunday : 09:00 am - 10:00 am
1/16/2024 - 10/31/2024
Monday - Sunday : 09:00 am - 10:00 am

Pickup details

Should your Hotel not be listed, please contact us 48 hours so we can confirm if we would be able to pick up and drop off from your hotel.

What To Expect

Begin your day with a pickup at your central Cape Town hotel in an air-conditioned coach, and travel in comfort to the private and malaria-free Aquila Game Reserve in the midst of the southern Karoo semi-desert region.

Meet your guide and game ranger when you reach the reserve, and from there climb into an open-air safari vehicle to begin your game drive.

Learn about how the so-called ‘Big Five’ - African elephants, Cape buffaloes, lions, leopards and rhinos - got their nickname as you keep your eyes peeled for any sign of them as well as giraffes, hippos and other animals. The Aquila Game Reserve is particularly known for its abundant bird species, thanks in part to a large wetland area. There are over 170 species of birds that make their home in the park, including the endangered ‘Aquila’ Black Eagle from which the reserve takes its name.

At the end of your safari drive, return for lunch (included) and then meet up with your host once again for the drive back to Cape Town. Return to the city by late afternoon.

Aquila Private Game Reserve

5 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for children aged 2 and under
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Not recommended for travellers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travellers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Tour accommodates maximum 8 guests, however there will be more guests at the Reserve and on the game drive.
Cullinan Guided Journeys strictly follow the SA Government approved TBCSA Health and Safety COVID-19 Protocols. Should guests present COVID-19 symptoms, COVID testing and quarantine will be at their own cost. We recommend that you ensure that your guests take adequate personal travel insurance cover before departure from home.
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Currently this tour departs Fridays and Saturdays only until 30 April 2021 (this is subject to change)
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:Is hotel pickup available from the cruise port?

A:Cruise port pickup is not available. Guests arriving by ship will need to make their way to the nearest pickup point, located at the Radisson Red Hotel Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

May 2023

Traveller Photos

Featured review

Matt_B

Super was an amazing guide. He gave us lots of information and history along the way. Nothing was too much trouble for him . He made sure we were at the front of the queue and knew where we had to meet , really looked after our group. Aquila was superb. We saw 4 of the big 5. Beautiful place , very friendly staff, the inclusive buffet lunch was very good . A really great day out - highly recommend !

Reviews

4.0

226 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 226 reviews

We enjoyed our tour guide...

Tay_M, June 2023

We enjoyed our tour guide Max! He made the experience memorable and interesting. He knowledge have everyone engaged and tried his best to give us the best experience!

Response from Host, June 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you had a memorable Safari experience and we will pass on your comments about your guide onto Aquila Reserve management.

good

Luiz_S, June 2023

i mean it’s not excellent, it’s definitely good. drive to the game reserve is pretty short compared to other reserves. driver does his job, picks you up and drops you off, not a single word during the drive. the reserve was nice, looks like a desert almost while others are more lush and green. a lot of animals. great tour, it delivers what it promises.

Response from Host, June 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you had a great Safari.

Good experience

Falysha_W, May 2023

I did enjoy this experience and how we were able to see many of the animals on the reserve. The staff were super friendly and our tour guide was very educated and funny. I did not like the travel time to get there and back from our hotel. So next time I would definitely do an overnight stay.

Response from Host, June 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your safari experience.

Magic

laya_V, May 2023

Had an amazing time from the picking up until the end of the journey. Everything was perfect and we had the oportunity to see the animals from very close. The buffet lunch with that view was magic and the guide during the safari was a magic stone of information about the animals around. Highly recomend this if you are solo (like me) or on a couple, family or with friends. Thank you again!

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you had a wonderful Safari experience.

Friendly and professional staff

Carlos_T, May 2023

Loved the friendly and professional staff and controlled environment. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience being close to the animals without fear of getting attacked.

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time and providing us with your feedback. We will pass on your feedback to Aquila Management.

We had appreciated ...

jiri_s, May 2023

We had appreciated everything what these people have done for us. By mistake another bus took us on a wrong place and they have been looking for us

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time and providing us with your feedback and we will pass on your feedback to the Management at Aquila.

Highly Recommended!

Cornelia_D, May 2023

The Aquila Game Preserve was one of the highlights of our trip to South Africa. We saw a giraffe, hippos, rhinos, elephants, zebras, baboons, ostriches, springbok, and lions, some of them up close. The 3 lionesses came out and posed for us. Such beautiful animals! The tour guide was informative and humorous. The preserve is in a beautiful setting and the buffet lunch provided was very good with lots of variety of food. Even the drive from Cape Town was enjoyable with lovely scenery through the mountains.

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your Safari Experience.

Liza_G, May 2023

well organized safari, good lunch buffet, nice Aquila staff, had good weather when visiting, pickup could not be made to our hotel.

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your safari experience.

Protecting biodiversity in South Africa

Arturo_M, May 2023

Aquila Game Reserve plays an interesting role in biodiversity conservation as a rescue center and for education/awareness purposes: we were happy to visit de reserve and support nature conservation in South Africa

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We will pass on your comments on to Aquila Game Reserve management.

Beautiful experience

Sheila_e, May 2023

Shia was wonderful, he looked after us very well. The tour was amazing. Thank you for this memorable safari.

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you had a wonderful safari experience

Amazing Safari experience!

Carlos_S, May 2023

The transportation was very punctual and clean. The driver and the guide (Shai) where very nice, kind and always willing to make us feel really comfortable. The Aquila Safari was amazing! Even though we didn’t had the luck to find lions it was a such a good experience. I would definitely recommend it!

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your safari experience

Amazing

ALIAH_J, May 2023

This was a great experience i loved seeing the lions and elephants.unfortunately the hippos were hiding under the water

Response from Host, May 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear you had an amazing safari experience.

Close up with the animals

Cameron_D, Apr 2023

Typher was a great guide who went out of his way to make sure we could get a good view of all the animals. I would recommend this Safari to anyone!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time and providing us with your feedback. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your safari experience and will pass on your kind compliment onto the guide.

Two Thumbs Up for Aquila Wildlife Safari

David_S, Apr 2023

We had a wonderful adventure on the Aquila Game Reserve Wildlife safari. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the animals. We saw giraffes, zebra, elephants, water buffalo, hippos, baboons, lions, and more. The vehicle was a little bumpy, but that was part of the fun. The entire tour was about two hours. The big surprise was the lunch. We half expected sandwiches and chips, but the buffet included salad, fish, a few mean entrees, side dish options, and dessert. All in all, a great experience. Thank you Aquila!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time and provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the Safari Experience.

Great day trip

Mitul_S, Apr 2023

This is a great day trip from Cape Town. Aquila is not your typical private game reserve - the encounter with the various animals is amazing. We got to see the 4 of the big 5 - the leopard was elusive on the day we visited.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your Safari experience.

Worthy tour

Arunrat_S, Apr 2023

Staffs are helpful and serviced mind. But there are not many varietes of animals. The buffet is good and the driver is mindful taking care customers. I would recommend this tour for the one who has only one day trip. The guide of the reserve is very good experience sharing knowledge and good entertainment. We have a good time in reserve. However I like to go the reserve via minibus to have more space and not to tight in one van.😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉☺️☺️😉😉😉😉☺️☺️😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😚😚😚😚😚😚😚😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😆😆😆😁😁😁😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😁😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😊😊😊😊😊

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We will pass on your feedback onto the management at the Aquila Reserve.

What a wonderful...

Susan_C, Apr 2023

What a wonderful experience it was to go on a safari! Lynn was a wonderful driver and guide. The relaxing, sunny day was filled with animal sightings and pleasurable times.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time and providing us with your feedback. We are pleased that you enjoyed your Safari Experience and will share your feedback with the Reserve.

The big 5 was there....

Vivi_K, Apr 2023

The big 5 was there. Sometimes got bad photos because the animals was shown only from the opposite side from where I was. Would reccomend though that there was separate transport for People travelling with children. It was difficult to hear the guid when children and their parents was talking at the same time

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good Morning Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your Safari and will forward your comments onto the Aquila Reserve Management.

Viator Safari from Cape Town

Bruce_C, Apr 2023

The Safari was perfect! Elbie (sp?) picked us up and drove us to the preserve. Friendly and safe transport. Once there, we had a nice lunch and Anwar was our tour guide at the preserve. Excellent job by Anwar! Elbie drove us home. All in all a great tour!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. we are pleased to hear you enjoyed your Safari experience and will pass on your comments onto Aquila Reserve management.

Great safari experience at Aquila

Robert_C, Mar 2023

It was a privilege to see such iconic animals in good health and close up. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer all questions thrown at him in great detail. He also had a great sense of humour which made the safari a very enjoyable experience. As some reviewers have pointed out, this is not the full Kruger National Park "wild" safari but for a day trip from Cape Town, Aquila private game reserve can be thoroughly recommended.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are pleased that you enjoyed your experience on Safari.

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