Group tours in South Africa

The best time to travel for your round trip in South Africa

The ideal time to travel for a South Africa round trip depends greatly on what you want to experience. Thanks to its great diversity of landscapes and climates, the country offers suitable conditions all year round – depending on region and interest.

Best time to travel for safaris & wildlife viewing

The ideal time for safaris – especially in Kruger National Park – is between May and September.
In these dry winter months:

• the temperatures are pleasantly mild
• the vegetation is thinner, so animals are easier to see
• many animals gather at the few remaining water holes

This significantly increases your chances of impressive sightings.

Best time to travel for Cape Town & the Garden Route

For a group tour to Cape Town and along the Garden Route to Addo Elephant National Park, the months of November to March are suitable.

This time offers:

• warm, sunny weather
• ideal conditions for outdoor activities such as hiking, surfing and swimming
• more pleasant water temperatures than in the South African winter, although even at this time of year only suitable for a short dip.

Best time to travel for the wine regions

The wine regions around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are best visited between February and April.

Then not only is the weather gloriously stable, but it is also harvest time – perfect for wine lovers who want to experience the regions in full indulgent atmosphere.

Best time to travel for whale watching

For whale watching, the period from August to October is recommended.

You have particularly good chances along the south-eastern coast at Hermanus on Walker Bay.

Contact our travel experts for individual advice and tips on the perfect time to travel for your South Africa round trip!

The group size on South Africa safaris varies depending on the tour and travel style. At Elefant-Tours we offer various options geared towards comfort and an intensive nature experience.

Small-group tours

On our small-group tours in South Africa, up to 10 participants travel together. These tours offer space and comfort without losing the sense of shared experience.

The group size allows the safari guide to respond to individual wishes and questions, which makes the experience even more unique.

Small groups foster a family atmosphere and allow participants to get to know each other better and share experiences.

At the same time, participants feel more like part of nature instead of travelling in an anonymous tour group. This makes for an intensive and authentic experience.

Group tours

On our group tours you travel – depending on the itinerary and the vehicle used – in somewhat larger groups of about 4 to 12 or up to 16 people.

These group sizes still allow personal care and a pleasant, family atmosphere. At Elefant-Tours it is particularly important to us that our guests are not just a number on a list, but are seen and looked after as individuals.

Africa trips thrive on intense impressions, real encounters and a sense of adventure. Our experienced tour leaders make sure you can enjoy these moments to the full, without having to worry about the organisation in the background.

This is how you experience your personal Africa – safely, well looked after and authentic.

Prices for a guided South Africa group tour vary depending on travel period, accommodation, group size and comfort standards.

On average you can expect costs of around €1,500 to €4,100 per person for an 8–14-day South Africa group tour.

A decisive factor for the price is the choice of accommodation. Comfortable lodges or tented camps tend to be more expensive than camping safaris, but offer a higher level of comfort.

The group size also influences the cost. If you choose a small-group tour, it is generally somewhat more expensive than a group tour with 16 people.

South Africa is a popular destination all year round, but prices vary depending on the season. In high season, demand rises, and with it prices.

If you travel in the low season, you often benefit from lower prices and also have the chance to enjoy the wildlife or Cape Town in a quieter atmosphere.

The prices for South Africa group tours include all accommodation, many game drives, national park fees and the company of an experienced tour leader, as well as some of the meals.

International flights, optional activities such as private game drives, boat trips or other extras are mostly not included and must be booked separately.

South Africa is known for its exceptional wildlife and impressive landscapes. The country has the right offer for every budget and every interest.

Contact our travel experts to find out more about the best group tours to South Africa and the respective prices.

South Africa offers a wide range of tailor-made travel styles for independent travellers who are looking for unique experiences away from group tours.

Private trips

A popular choice for anyone who wants to travel with friends or family. You design your tour entirely according to your ideas, with a guide on a classic round trip or as a hiking tour.

Our guided round trips in South Africa are particularly popular with families, as the guide can concentrate entirely on you and your needs.

Fly-in trips

A particularly time-saving option is the fly-in safari, in which you fly by light aircraft between South Africa's famous national parks and attractions.

This type of safari lets you reach remote areas and enjoy breathtaking views from the air – ideal for travellers who want to save valuable time to see more of South Africa.

Self-drive tours

For travellers who prefer to travel without a guide and entirely on their own , we also offer self-drive round trips in South Africa.

These give you the freedom to discover the country at your own pace, flexibly, independently and entirely according to your personal ideas.

South Africa trips offer the perfect experience for every taste!

Contact our travel experts, who will be happy to help you choose the best travel style for you and the best route, and to prepare optimally.

Our most frequently used vehicle in South Africa is a comfortable Mercedes Sprinter minibus. Thanks to its generous interior layout, you travel pleasantly and relaxed even on longer stretches.

Large windows also allow excellent views, ideal for photo stops and wildlife viewing along the way.

The air-conditioned minibus offers a particularly pleasant ride on our South Africa group tours, ideal for the country's well-developed roads. Even longer distances can be covered comfortably and relaxed in this comfortable vehicle.

Depending on the tour and itinerary, you may switch from the Mercedes Sprinter to an open safari vehicle in certain national parks. These vehicles give you a particularly impressive closeness to nature and wildlife – ideal for intensive wildlife viewing and authentic safari experiences.

On the larger group tours you travel in so-called overland trucks. These vehicles are specially designed for long distances and changing road conditions in southern Africa.

They offer plenty of space, large windows for an optimal view of the landscape and storage space for luggage and camping equipment. Thanks to their robust construction, overland trucks allow a safe and comfortable journey even on remote routes.

The time you need for a round trip in South Africa depends greatly on your interests, the itinerary, the places you want to visit and the type of tour. We recommend at least eight days for a South Africa round trip in which you concentrate on a particular region of the country.

South Africa is a huge country with an incredibly diverse landscape, and there are many highlights to discover: from the coastal landscapes to the wine regions and the mountain ranges to the breathtaking national parks.

Short round trips (7 to 9 days) such as our South Africa – Garden Route & Cape Town are ideal for classic routes with many highlights along the way and for travellers with less time.

Medium round trips (10 to 17 days) such as our South Africa – the North and East allow you to delve somewhat deeper into South Africa and discover it and often include a longer time in one or two national parks as well as additional stops.

With 10 to 17 days you have enough time to enjoy a good mix of urban experience, nature and safari.

Longer round trips (18 to 28 days) such as our Fascination South Africa give you the chance to gain a very good insight and also to visit more remote regions.

With these round trips you can truly immerse yourself deeply in the country and discover a wide variety of cultures, landscapes and experiences.

South Africa is an excellent destination for families with children. The well-developed infrastructure and comparatively affordable prices make wonderful family trips possible.

A South Africa group tour can in principle also be a good option for families, although travelling in a group requires a certain level of travel experience and maturity from the children .

In addition, some lodges and camps have age restrictions, which can make it harder to take part in certain programmes.

The pace follows the fixed itinerary, which can be challenging for younger children who find longer drives tiring.

In such cases we recommend a private round trip. Here your guide can adapt fully to your children's needs, and you travel through the country in a more relaxed and flexible way.

If the programme of a group tour still appeals to you, we can gladly convert it into a private trip and plan additional breaks or stopovers so that the days are more pleasant for children.

If you prefer to travel a little more adventurously and do without a guide, a self-drive tour is an option.

Here you are entirely on your own as a family and enjoy every moment together – completely individually and at your own pace.

Contact us to find out how to make South Africa the perfect destination for your family trip.

Yes! We offer no fewer than four German-speaking small-group round trips in South Africa:

• the 8-day South Africa – Garden Route & Cape Town
• the 13-day South Africa – the North and East
• the 14-day South Africa's South in Depth
• the 20-day Fascination South Africa

All these small-group round trips are tailored to up to 10 participants, vary in length and all have an eventful programme.

You visit great sights in various regions of South Africa, including Cape Town and the Garden Route, the Indian Ocean, the Drakensberg, Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route.

On the various tours you cover different distances and can sit back and relax in the meantime to enjoy the view and listen to the German-language explanations.

These small-group round trips are led by highly qualified and experienced German-speaking guides who are at home in both German-speaking and South African culture.

The guides gladly share their knowledge about the country and its people, bring culture, nature and wildlife closer to you, and of course know South Africa so well that you can feel safe and well looked after at all times.

We also offer the same small-group round trips in English on separate dates.