Aquila Safari from Cape Town: Price, Real Time Needed, Criticism
8 min read
If you want to see the Big Five on a day trip from Cape Town, Aquila Big Five Game Reserve with Options starts at €220.07 per person: 4.6/5 from 2,667 reviews. It is run by Cullinan Guided Journeys, and it is a good first safari rather than a wilderness one. Plan a whole day: the booking page lists 7–11 hours depending on the option.
See prices and dates for the Aquila Big Five safari
This article works out how long the day really is, what gets added to the price, and why some guests come back disappointed.
What’s included in the price – and what isn’t
According to the booking page, included:
- Pickup and return from hotels in the city centre, Sea Point, Green Point, Camps Bay and the V&A Waterfront. Confirm your hotel with the operator if it is not in the pickup list. Private transfers are available for the early-morning, sunset and full-day options.
- Entry to the Aquila reserve
- A game drive in an open safari vehicle with an English-speaking ranger
- Meals or snacks, depending on the option: breakfast on the early-morning safari, lunch on the afternoon safari, snacks on the sunset option, breakfast and lunch buffet on the full-day options. The full-day combo includes a second game drive.
Budget for extra drinks and tips. The description explicitly includes a welcome drink, and the full-day options also list it; the general list nevertheless says “all beverages”. Confirm which drinks your selected option covers.
Which option exactly carries the entry price of €220.07 only shows up once you check availability on the booking page. The options differ in start time, meal and number of game drives.
The day in hours: allow a whole day
The itinerary on the same booking page works out like this:
| Section | Duration per itinerary |
|---|---|
| Drive from Cape Town to the reserve | 2.5 hrs |
| Lunch at the lodge | 1 hr |
| Game drive | 2 hrs |
| Return drive | 2.5 hrs |
| total | 8 hrs |
The booking page now lists 7–11 hours, depending on the option. The illustrated afternoon itinerary totals eight hours; pickup rounds and traffic can add time. One current reviewer reports an extra hour on the return journey when high winds closed the Huguenot Tunnel.
The itinerary allocates five of the eight hours to minibus travel. Keep that balance in mind if long bus journeys are difficult for you.
What you’ll see in the reserve
According to the booking page, Aquila is home to the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo – plus giraffes, zebras, hippos, antelope, wildebeest and ostriches, as well as up to 172 bird species. The operator itself notes that leopards are nocturnal and rarely seen during the day.
According to the itinerary, the game drive lasts two hours.
Important for your expectations: you travel there in a minibus with at most 11 guests, but you’re not alone in the reserve. That’s what the booking page says. Lunch and the game drive are shared with groups from other operators.
Guest criticism: the zoo comparison
One review currently displayed on the booking page describes the experience as more like a zoo than a safari, while praising the setting, guides and lunch. That is a guest’s assessment, not a guarantee of what you will experience. The measurable trade-off is five hours of transfers for the two-hour game drive in the illustrated itinerary.
The current score is 4.6/5 from 2,667 reviews. For a first encounter with large animals in a single day, the guided format is practical. Sightings, including all five of the Big Five, are not guaranteed.
Weather: the underestimated variable
The booking page recommends bringing a jacket. A current reviewer describes a freezing, windy day in the open safari vehicle and says they were not prepared with warm enough clothing. Check the forecast and dress for the open vehicle.
According to the booking page, cancellation is free up to three days before the start. If you have flexibility, avoid booking for the last day of your trip and check the forecast before that deadline.
With children
According to Aquila’s children policy, traditional game drives welcome all ages; quad and horseback safaris require age 16. Confirm child seats and the selected transfer option with Cullinan before booking. Keep the five hours of driving in mind: for young children, that is the tiring part. More on this under Cape Town tours with kids: which age applies where and Cape Town excursions with kids: half-day instead of full-day.
Five safaris side by side
| Tour | Price from | Duration | Stars | Reviews | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquila Big Five with options | €220.07 | 7–11 hrs | 4.6 | 2,667 | first-timers who want to choose their start time and meal |
| Big Five sunset safari with lunch and pickup | €119.11 | 9 hrs | 4.5 | 841 | a late-afternoon safari; confirm lunch |
| Big Five safari with sunset game drive | €125.68 | 9 hrs | 4.6 | 867 | people happy to ask which reserve they are going to |
| Aquila Game Reserve safari tour with lunch | €266.24 | 8 hrs | 4.4 | 190 | a stated three-hour game drive; confirm timings |
| 2-day safari at Garden Route Game Lodge | €549 | 2 days | 4.8 | 1,066 | anyone who has been on safari before and would be bored by a day trip |
The sunset safari that names Aquila costs €119.11 per person and lists nine hours. Its title mentions lunch, but the detailed programme promises a welcome drink, tea, coffee and light snacks before a 2–3-hour game drive. Confirm a full lunch before relying on it. Pickup areas include the city centre, Sea Point, Camps Bay and the Waterfront, plus the Westin and Lagoon Beach hotels; guiding is in English or French.
Check availability for the sunset safari with lunch
The other sunset safari, at €125.68 per person, describes a private game reserve and a 2–3-hour game drive, with a welcome drink, tea, coffee and snacks. Confirm the reserve before booking. It lists pickup in Cape Town, Sea Point and Camps Bay, and English or French guiding.
The Aquila safari with lunch at €266.24 per person describes a three-hour game drive, buffet lunch including vegetarian choices and a welcome drink. Pickup is listed in Cape Town City Centre and guiding is in English. Its timing is inconsistent: the header says eight hours, but the itinerary labels the coach leg eight hours and the reserve visit four. Confirm the total schedule with the operator.
The two-day Garden Route safari includes two game drives, an overnight stay, dinner and breakfast, with English guiding. At €549 per person, budget separately for lunches, drinks and any Cape Agulhas Lighthouse entry. Confirm your Cape Town pickup address. The tour excludes wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments.
Check availability for the two-day safari with an overnight stay
You’ll find all 49 safari tours under Safari from Cape Town. If you’d rather see whales than lions: Whale watching in Hermanus.
Our Recommendation
For most people: the Aquila Big Five Game Reserve with Options at €220.07. Pickup in the listed Cape Town areas, entry and the selected meal and game drive make this a practical first safari. Keep a whole day free and budget for extra drinks.
For a late-afternoon game drive: sunset safari with lunch at €119.11 per person. Nine hours, with a welcome drink and snacks; confirm the lunch mentioned in the title. Compare the selected option with the main tour at €220.07.
For anyone who has been on safari before: the two-day trip to Garden Route Game Lodge at €549. Two game drives and an overnight stay give you an evening and a morning in the reserve. It also involves a long road journey; it is not a promise of open wilderness.
Not worth it if you are expecting open wilderness, have already been to Kruger or Botswana, travel badly on long drives, or can only fit the tour in on a windy winter’s day. With small children, the five hours in the bus are the problem, not the animals. A day on the coast is the better call then — for instance the Cape of Good Hope tour with penguins.
An overview of all excursion destinations outside the city, from the Winelands to the whale coast, is at What to see in the Western Cape. More ideas for your days in the city: Things to do in Cape Town and Winelands wine tours.
