Addo Elephant National Park Full Day Safari
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- 9 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Just an hour from Port Elizabeth, Addo Elephant National Park is home to many herds of elephants, the endangered black rhino, plus lions, hyenas, zebras, and more. Time-conscious travelers can make the most of the park in just a day on this convenient small-group tour, with hotel pickup, an expert guide, binoculars on board, and a traditional braai (barbecue) lunch.
- Spot elephants, lions, zebras, and more in Addo Elephant National Park
- Savor a traditional braai lunch, freshly prepared by your guide
- Numbers are capped at just 14 travelers, for a more intimate experience
- Enjoy convenient hotel pickup for a hassle-free start to your safari
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Coffee and/or TeaTea and/or Coffee accompanied by a traditional South African rusk (tea or coffee dip)
- LunchA traditional South African Braai (BBQ) with vegetarian & vegan options accompanied by local beverages.
- Park Entrance Fees
- Binoculars, several pairs to be shared by guests on board.
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.8:30 am
Itinerary
1
Addo Elephant National Park
9 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
houstontom
Leaving this journey with many happy and beautiful memories. We saw so many animals, and the BBQ lunch is one of the best meals we have had on this trip. Joel really went above and beyond to make our experience superb! Definitely recommend!
Reviews
4.9
based on 127 reviews
Ronald_C, Nov 2025
It was a great experience. So many animals to see up close and personal. Lunch was very good, cooked and served in the national park picnic area.
Lucy_B, Nov 2025
Great experience & our guide Joel made the day.
I spent ages looking at options & reviews before choosing this one & was nervous about whether I’d chosen the right one with not knowing the specific vehicle type, guides knowledge etc.
Joel runs this family business & made the tour fun, gave us lots of information & provided a superb African Braai lunch which added to the whole experience. He was obviously passionate about his role & keen for us to have a great experience. He has years of experience & seemed to be known to other guides in the park who share information about the animals positions during the day. Unfortunately there was a lot of rain when we visited which meant we saw less ‘top 5’, but we still saw elephants up close, zebras, warthogs, jackals, ostriches, kudus & dung beetles - which we learnt about & now have respect for these small creatures!
Limited reviews for this tour as people seem to book through other routes (one of my concerns). Quick response when I messaged via what’s app on the tour providers website - African sightings adventures tour & safaris.
We drove round in an open style jeep which held 9 of us comfortably (he says he has up to 14 but usually hires another guide so there’s no more than 10 in one vehicle), again I was concerned about an open vehicle with having kids with us, we had the canvas windows down only, which gave great visibility & Joel provided ponchos & blankets as it was raining. It was a better experience as we had a high seat & an open view- would definitely recommend this experience over a closed car. Also given binoculars to share, we were amazed that Joel spotted animals so far into the distance which he guided us to view.
Long review but as I was so conflicted about choosing I wanted to write a full review!
Eliot_C, Jan 2025
Joel was fantastic. He knew where to find all the animals; especially the elephants. Very knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with. The big unexpected surprise was a lunch banquet that he came with and cooked at at barbecue within the park. Great guide for sure
Genevieve_C, Jan 2025
The tour guide very informative and courteous.The lunch prepared and served was delicious. He was a few minutes late but drop us near the cruise ship and we didn’t have to walk far.
Simon_L, Nov 2024
'It is what it is' as our guide/owner Joel would say. An entertaining full day out with plenty of animals to see, Joel was a knowledgeable, friendly guide looking after us and we couldn't fault any of it. Special mention to Amos for 'cheffing' the wonderful braai and Joel's wife for behind the scenes organization. A nice touch was the extensive collection of photos of the day Joel shared.
We will 'See you when we see you'.
Frank_D, Nov 2024
It was a wonderful day with a lot of animals to see together with an excellence BBQ for lunch. Our special thanks to Joel and Joleene who made this amazing event happen.
houstontom, May 2024
Leaving this journey with many happy and beautiful memories. We saw so many animals, and the BBQ lunch is one of the best meals we have had on this trip. Joel really went above and beyond to make our experience superb! Definitely recommend!
Victor_H, May 2024
Joel from African Sighting Adventure is so wonderful as our tour guide. He is very knowledgeable and he has a very sharp eye sight. As you know Addo Elephant National Park is not a private park that raises animals for tourists taking pictures, it is a park that let animals live freely and survive on their own. We saw a lot of Elephants, Zebras, Warthog, Ostrich, Buffalo etc but is hard to spot a lion or a rhino. Joel could spot them faraway and we used binoculars to observes them at a distance. He has a passion being a Safari tourist guide, he drove us inside the park almost the whole day consistently exchanging information about the whereabouts of animals with other Safari l guides. He is a good cook also. He cooked his native food for us with delicious steak, chicken skewers and sausages. My wife and I have a wonderful time.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience, we greatly appreciate the business and support!
Charlotte_B, Apr 2024
Our guide was very funny , It was a miserable day but Joel made it a fun filled day. Our lunch was beautiful and nicely presented, everything was thought off , including wine etc. We didn’t see all the big 5 but but we saw lots of animals .
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for your review, we greatly appreciate the support!
sewellorlando, Mar 2024
Our experience today was terrific. The guide explained details about the animals and stopped so that we could take as many photos as we wanted. Tons of elephants, warthogs and zebras right next to our vehicle. The lunch he cooked was from the heart and delicious! Vehicle was clean. He also provided a coffee break with a beautiful view. Strongly recommend this tour. (I will not remove a star for this but picking up 40 minutes late was frustrating!)
Sandra_A, Mar 2024
Great day seeing animals in their natural environment. From the comfort of an air conditioned bus. We saw many elephants, zebra, ostrich, buffalo, etc We even saw a brown hyena and a couple of lion’s through the binoculars.
A fabulous lunch was also provided by Joel and Loreen.
A truly memorable experience and a must do. Highly recommend this.
Karen_T, Feb 2024
Joel was a knowledgeable and fun guide for our private family tour. Amazing animals in their natural habitat. Would have liked to see a lion or rhino but what we saw was amazing! Thank you Joel!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Your support is greatly appreciated !
Ross_W, Feb 2024
We had a wonderful day on this trip, our tour guide Alan was very knowledgeable and helpful. Not long after we entered the park we stopped at a viewing area and had tea/coffee and snacks. We did more animal spotting, then had a wonderful bbq lunch including soft drinks, beer and wine, cooked by Joel, African Sightings Adventures head ranger and his wife Loreen. Would thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
We are humbled, by such a great review, thank you.
We greatly appreciate your support.
Joel and Loreen
Joanna_S, Jan 2024
Joel and Loreen were wonderful hosts and they are fantastic tour operators. They waited for us at the cruise terminal and did not leave until all registered guests arrived. Or tour guide, Stafford, was very friendly, knowledgeable, entertaining and really cared about making sure his guests were treated well and gained the best experience possible. The park itself was huge and Stafford and our driver did their best to spot as many animals as we could. This is a national park, not a private reserve, so the experience is more authentic although more difficult to see some of the big 5. No matter because even though we didn’t see lions or rhinos, we had a wonderful experience. Our lunch and surprise coffee stop were superb. Compared with cruise excursions that cost twice as much and do half as much, Joel’s tour is a must do.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
We are very grateful for the support, thank you so much for taking time to write a wonderful review!
Joel and Loreen
Laurent_G, Jan 2024
Fantastic experience and wonderful day.
Wz have been able to see 3 of the big fives, hundreds of animals including baby elephants.
Joel and Loreen are so nuce and organized an incredible barbecue for lunch.
Allan, the guide during the day was also great in his explanation and lustening.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your kind review. We really appreciate your support.
Joel and Loreen
Linda_S, Dec 2023
From the beginning of the day to the end it was amazing. Our cruise ship came in late and Joel waited for us. The vehicle was clean and comfortable. Joel is a lovely guy and very knowledgeable about the reserve. We had a mid morning coffee break at a picnic stop and then continued on to spot the game and we were so fortunate. Close up to buffalo, zebra, and really close to elephants. We even had one walk alongside us on the road. It was all so special. Joel made the most delicious braai for us at lunch time and what a feast it was. Steak, chicken, boerewors with traditional sudsa and gravy accompanied by a fresh salad, all washed down with a bottle of wine. Joel is a fabulous host and adds so much value to the day - an all around nice guy. We are moving on to Victoria falls next where Joel's brother is a guide so we are in touch with him. If he's anything like Joel we have another treat in store. Thanks Joel for such a memorable day which will stay with us for a long time. This trip is a must do and Joel is your guy to make this happen
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you so much Linda for taking time to review us. We really appreciate your support!
Joel and Loreen
VILIAM_P, Sep 2023
Joel was great driver, guide, chef and barista. He was very knowledgeable about Addo Elephant National Park, different animals we saw, locations within the park to spot different animals and also accommodating. He went out of his way to find activities for additional day I had in Port Elizabeth, since my requested tour was canceled. I would highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Many thanks for sharing your experience Viliam. It was such a great pleasure to have you on board. Much appreciated!
Mark_G, Feb 2023
We saw so many of Addo’s wild animals on our African Sightings Adventure. The owner Joel was an unbelievable animal sighter. Other cruise ship friends did not see but one animal on competitors excursions when we saw sooo many different animals on our 10 hour trip.
Joel and his team also put together an unbelievable S African Braai (bbq) and were great cooks/hosts.
We are signing on with this company the next time we come to Port Elizabeth.
Jackie_C, Jan 2023
Joel was determined to get us animal sightings which he did! He was very informative, pickup was flawless and lunch was delicious! So happy we went with African Sightings and with Joel!
HARUMI_O, Dec 2025
I went on another safari tour in May this year, and I heard that an acquaintance of mine had gone here and that the all-day course barbecue was good, so I went in August. It is true that forty-five has been a very fulfilling story, and I am impressed by the care and service of the guides who have been in charge of us. Thank you for all the fun experiences and memories. I think people who are going on safari for the first time will be particularly satisfied. Please go there.
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Franz_K, Mar 2025
Wir hatten einen tollen Tag mit unserem Guide Joel. Er hat den Tag sehr kurzweilig gestaltet und uns (Gruppe mit 8 Gästen) einen sehr guten Einblick in die Tierwelt und das Reservat vermittelt. Danke für den schönen Tag.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Hello Franz,
Thank you very much for such great feedback. We are very happy you had a great time with Joel, our head guide. We appreciate your support :-)
Anke_W, Nov 2024
Super tolle tour. Alles perfekt organisiert. Einwandfreier Ablauf. Unglaublich was für ein spitzen BBQ. Guide und Fahrer top. Die Tour kann ich absolut empfehlen. DANKE für den tillen Tag
Wolfgang_G, Nov 2024
Wir waren mit einem Kreuzfahrtschiff da.Die ganze Organisation vor dem Start der Tourwar nicht so gut. Der Bus war bis zum letzten Platz besetzt. Die versprochen Ferngläser gab es auch nicht. Das Trinkwasser wurde erst am Ende der Tour ausgehändigt. Positiv war die Fahrt durch den Park mit den vielen Tieren. Sehr schön. Auch der Tour Guide war sehr gut. Besonders das Barbecue im Park mit Grillen und leckeren Getränken, war sehr gut und ausreichend. Wenn man hier und da mal ein Auge zu drückt, kann ich Tour empfehlen.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Many thanks for your support by choosing African Sightings Adventure as your guided safari provider. We would have appreciated it more if you had brought your view of the tour having a "not so good start" to our attention on the day we hosted you.
On the day of your safari,
- it was raining
- your cruise ship was delayed docking and guest disembarkation time was delayed resulting in the trip starting 1 hour and 30 minutes late and we still waited for you and other guests.
- We had three 22-seater tour buses with big windows that can open waiting to pick-up a total of 33 guests meaning each bus was to have half carrying capacity.
- while we were waiting for you and other guests in the rain, we had our safari chef team go ahead to set up and prepare guest BBQ lunch picnic in order to ensure that no time would be further lost.
- unfortunately, an incident beyond our control occurred whilst we waited for you to get off the cruise ship.
- our chef team vehicle broke down before it could reach the picnic site.
- I, as the head guide and owner of the tour company had to make a quick decision of driving the third bus ahead without 11 guests in order to aid the chef's vehicle.
- by the time you and other guests disembarked from the cruise ship, there was 2 tour buses, 2 guides and 2 drivers waiting for you.
- one bus was made to temporarily carry 16 guests and the other 17 guests for the first 35 minutes' drive, from Port Elizabeth Harbour to the Addo Elephant National Park South Gate Reception.
-the guides did explain that this was a temporary measure.
- by the time the two buses arrived at the gate reception, I was long done with assisting the vehicle break down and was waiting for my share of 11 guests to arrive.
- after the administration procedures at the Addo Park Reception all three tour buses departed for the Full Day Guided Safari with 11 guests on board each vehicle.
- each bus had more than enough bottled water on board and the water cooler box was visible for any guest to help themselves or to simply ask the guide to hand you some water.
- humble apologies for not having the binoculars on your tour bus, I completely forgot to hand them to your guide during the pressure of hearing and acting to the chef's vehicle break down. This was an isolated incident and it's not a true reflection of how we run our business. Our objective is always to run a smooth operation whilst ensuring that our guests get the best memorable safari experience of their holiday in Africa.
Jrgen_B, Nov 2024
Wir hatten sehr viele Elefanten gesehen.
Das Barbeque war sehr gut.
Leider sind wir mit 45 Min. Verspätung gestartet.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Many thanks for choosing African Sightings Adventure as your guided safari provider. It was a great pleasure and honor to host you and thank you for sharing your feedback. In as much as we were trying our best to be on time, apologies it had to be a delayed start due to factors beyond our control.
Jan_H, Mar 2024
Joel er en engageret naturguide og skaber en fantastisk stemning. Han og familien gjorde alt for at dagen skulle blive super oplevelse. Frokosten var en oplevelse i sig selv. Tak til Team Joel.
Jrgen_H, Jan 2023
Wir wurden pünktlich von Joel am Cruise Terminal Aida abgeholt.
Joel hat sich sehr viel Mühe gegeben um uns sehr viel von seinem Land gezeigt.
Laura_H, Nov 2022
Wir hatten einen wunderschönen Tag mit unserem Guide Joel. Gestartet sind wir am South Gate und haben von dort den Addo Park erkundet. Wir haben viele unterschiedliche Tiere gesehen, vor allem natürlich Elefanten. Zur Mittagszeit hat Joel uns ein Barbeque zubereitet.
Die Tour würden wir sofort wieder buchen! Große Empfehlung!
From $181.48
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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