15 South Africa Shore Excursions to Build a Port Day Around

1.Port Elizabeth: Schotia Game Reserve Safari with Port Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 263 reviews · 5 hours · from $233Our pick

Spend a safari day at Schotia Private Game Reserve, beside Addo Elephant National Park. Your English-speaking guide, such as Norman, Marilyn, Donald, or Robert, takes you through the reserve in an open vehicle to look for elephants, rhinos, lions, buffalo, leopards, hippos, giraffes, and more. Port pickup, transport, snacks, drinks, and park fees are included.

“This Safari Tour was wonderful. The Lady Tour Guide was incredible, she is a local lady who knows the animals personally 😃 she has so much knowledge about the area, the animals and has a lovely way. Thank you. We managed to get up close to 4 of the Big Five! All this together with lunch & drinks. It doesn’t get any better 👍”

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2.Port Elizabeth: Addo Elephant Park Shore Excursion with BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 141 reviews · from $164

Meet your English-speaking Into Tours guide beside your ship, then ride in an air-conditioned vehicle to Addo Elephant National Park. You’ll explore Mathloweni Gate and the park’s northern section, stop for a fire-cooked braai, and return to the harbour on a cruise-friendly schedule. Guides such as Nina and Gary are praised for family care and wildlife spotting.

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3.Port Elizabeth: Addo Elephant Park Shore Excursion & Safari

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 72 reviews · 8 hours · from $159

From Port Elizabeth, you’ll travel by air-conditioned vehicle to Addo Elephant National Park for two wildlife drives, a 1.5-hour lunch at Jack’s Picnic Site, and comfort stops. Expect elephants, zebras, warthogs, antelopes, and possible lions or rhinos. Guide names may include Emanuelle or Olaf, but assignments vary.

“Overall, a very nice excursion. We saw many elephants, zebras, warthogs, and even a buffalo. During the lunch break, we enjoyed a shared meal with freshly grilled food, which was great. However, our guide didn’t provide much explanation, and we drove through the park in a closed van, which slightly diminished the safari experience. Still, a worthwhile trip for wildlife enthusiasts.”

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4.Addo Elephant Park Safari & Shore Excursion from Port Elizabeth

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $163Top rated

Travel from Port Elizabeth’s cruise terminal to Addo Elephant National Park in a small group of up to 20. You’ll ride in an air-conditioned closed vehicle, take morning and afternoon game drives, stop at the main camp, and eat a light South African picnic lunch. Guides such as Emmanuel and Gary have been praised for spotting elephants, rhinos, zebras, birds, and smaller creatures.

“Very informative and enjoyable! Saw so many elephants! Also saw plenty of Wart hogs and Zebra. Driver had loud talk radio on in the van while driving us( in another language) - very annoying! He didn’t have much to say to or from the park, and when you’re in a new city, it would be nice to get this info.”

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5.Addo Elephant Full Day Safari / Shore Excursions

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 19 reviews · 1 day · from $152

You’ll spend eight hours exploring Addo Elephant National Park with an English-speaking local guide, including two three-hour game drives, a restaurant lunch stop, park entry, drinks, snacks, and transport from Gqeberha or nearby towns. Small groups are capped at 12, though vehicle comfort and pickup timing deserve close attention.

“Very Disappointing! This tour was a disaster from the start. No one came to pick us up at 9:00 AM & after waiting we were told to walk through an unsafe area to catch another bus. We were then placed on a completely different tour that had started earlier, even though we booked a small-group tour of max. 12 people. Instead, there were 17 people on the bus. The trip to Addo was chaotic, with unnecessary stops & no communication at all. The vehicle was extremely uncomfortable, hot, cramped & not suitable for a full-day safari. Visibility was terrible & with my asthma it was difficult to breathe. We spent…”

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6.Kragga Kamma Safaris And Shore Excursions

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 17 reviews · 4 hours · from $124

Travel from Port Elizabeth Harbour, the airport, or your hotel to Kragga Kamma Game Park for four hours in a jeep or SUV. You can see white rhino, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, cheetah, lion, and more across 200 hectares of coastal forest and grassland. Guides such as John, Kyle, Stura, and Wandile are praised for careful animal spotting and friendly service.

“Ein toller Huide, eine erfolgreiche Safari mit vielen Tiersichtungen. Ich würde diese Tour jederzeit wieder machen.”

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7.Cape Town Shore Excursion: Big Five Game Reserve from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · from $185

Leave the Cape Town port for Aquila Private Game Reserve with an English-speaking driver, then join a ranger-led, shared open-vehicle drive across 24,000 acres. Look for lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, and zebra before a buffet lunch. Guides such as Anwar, Abraham, Denver, and Vikki have earned praise for handling late ship arrivals.

“Our driver took us to an area where their were rhinos. The dominant male wanted to mate with a female. She wasn't having it and her baby was trying to support her. Chaos ensued with the male rhino attacking her and her baby on and off for quite awhile. It was fascinating. We got close enough to see it all without interferring. The guide was very knowledgeable.”

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8.Durban Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Tala Game Reserve

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $124

From Durban’s cruise terminal, you’ll travel by private transfer to Tala Game Reserve for a two-hour closed-vehicle game drive across 3,000 hectares of Natal Midlands bush. Guides such as Tommy, Rennie, Mdu, Tammy, and Themba have earned praise for patient animal spotting and clear commentary. The tour suits cruise passengers who want a compact safari without a long trip from Durban.

“We enjoyed the drive with Rennie, our tour guide, and the park. He went out of his way to make sure we saw all the animals in the reserve.”

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9.Shore Excursion Richards Bay Big 5 Safari Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $283

Leave Richards Bay with Ashley or another experienced guide for an 8-hour safari in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Travel in a closed SUV, search for the Big 5, wild dogs, cheetahs, and smaller animals, and enjoy breakfast, snacks, lunch, drinks, and pickup. Sightings are never guaranteed.

“We had an amazing day and saw some amazing wildlife Our guide made this all possible my Zulu friend was absolutely amazing he gave us information on Zulu culture and his sharp eyes found us some amazing wildlife He is an absolute credit to this company Would recommend him and this company to all”

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10.Durban Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Durban City & Phezulu

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · from $154

Meet your English-speaking guide at Durban’s cruise terminal for a 7.5-hour private outing through the Golden Mile, Botanic Gardens, Victoria Street area, Moses Mabhida Stadium and the Valley of 1,000 Hills. At Phezulu, learn about Zulu culture and traditions. The group is limited to two to six people, with port transfers included.

“Thamsamqa,a self described proud Zuluman gave us a wonderful tour of Durban the city with the history of of the effects of apartheid on the Zulus and the Durban area. We toured the beautiful beaches before the scenic drive through the ValleRead more”

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11.Hluhluwe Big Five Safari Richards Bay Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $225

Leave Richards Bay Harbour with a personal English-speaking ranger and spend up to 10 hours in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. Search for lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, and wild dog from an open safari vehicle. Arno, Frank, Siabongo, and other experienced guides lead the day, with tea, muffins, lunch, water, and return port transfers included.

“Excellent tour with Siabongo. Great breakfast and lunch. No lions or leopards unfortunately. Comfortable safari vehicle.”

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12.Richards Bay Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Hluhluwe Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $327

Start from Richards Bay Harbour and ride 75 km into Zululand for a small-group safari in Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park. You’ll search for lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and nyala, pause for a picnic lunch, and return by early evening. Port transfers, park fees, transport, and a guide are included.

“Best tour guide ever he was very knowledgeable and super friendly. The safari was unbelievable. One of the best tours ever.”

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13.Shuttle from Cape Town Cruise Terminal to Cape Town City Hotels

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviews · from $11Best value

Prebook a private transfer from Cape Town International Airport to a city-center hotel or a destination within 5 km of the CBD. Your driver waits with a name sign, helps with luggage, tracks your flight, and usually completes the ride in 20 to 30 minutes. Confirm the pickup point carefully if arriving by cruise ship.

“We needed a simple transport from the cruise terminal to our hotel .5 miles away. We had 5 bags so could not walk. When our driver finally showed up he was very professional and got us transported very quickly. Our problem and reason for the negative rating is the poRead more”

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14.Durban Shore Excursion: Valley of 1000 Hills and PheZulu Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $90

Leave Durban’s port with a local guide and head into the Valley of 1000 Hills. At Phezulu Cultural Village, learn about Zulu customs, watch a traditional dance, and browse local items before visiting the onsite crocodile and snake park. Patrick and Themba are among the guides praised for lively storytelling and personal insight.

“Our trip to PhuZulu was amazing. The guide really made the tour. He was passionate about his city of Durban, informative, friendly and helpful!!! The crocodiles & snakes were a sight to see and the Zulu dance was excellent. The scenery we drove through was spectacular.”

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15.Durban Shore Excursion: Private Small Group Durban City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · from $74

Meet your guide at Durban’s cruise terminal for a 3.5-hour city tour by air-conditioned vehicle. You’ll see the Golden Mile, Durban’s civic center, the Botanic Gardens, and Moses Mabhida Stadium. Guides such as Tammy, Moses, and Patrick tailor the route to ship schedules, with port transfers included.

“Good tour with Patrick, very courteous driver with great personality and knowledgeable about the city”

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