Where to Go: the 4 Best Elephant Sanctuaries in South Africa

1.Walk with Elephants Experience plus Monkey Forest Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $343Our pick

From Pretoria, your private guide, such as Janine, Sayomi, or Roland, drives you to Hartbeespoort for a monkey sanctuary walk and elephant encounter. Expect feeding, brushing, animal stories, forest paths, a swinging bridge, hotel pickup, and about six hours on the road and at the sanctuaries.

“From the time Sayomi picked us up at the hotel until she dropped us back off it was a great experience! Had great conversation on the way there and she accompanied and took pictures of us throughout the whole elephant walk. The mRead more”

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2.Elephant Sanctuary Tour from Johannesburg

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $274

Travel by air-conditioned minivan with guide Jason from Johannesburg, Sandton, or Pretoria to Elephant Sanctuary Hartbeespoort Dam. Spend two hours learning about African elephant anatomy, habits, rescue, and rehabilitation, with chances to feed, touch, and photograph the animals.

“Feeding and touching an elephant, seeing the animal up close. Learning about their anatomy and habits was fascinating.”

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3.Elephant Sanctuary Tour from Johannesburg or Pretoria

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $247

Travel from Johannesburg or Pretoria to Elephant Sanctuary Hartbeespoort Dam with a driver-guide such as Anton, Patrick, or Norman. The 90-minute program covers elephant biology, behavior, habitat, and conservation, with entrance, transport, and hotel pickup included. An elephant ride costs extra.

“This was a great experience! Anton was an awesome guide. I would recommend this tour and tour company to everyone!”

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4.Elephant Sanctuary Tour from Johannesburg

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 5 hours · from $245Best value

Travel from Johannesburg, Sandton, Rosebank, or Pretoria to the Elephant Sanctuary near Hartbeespoortdam. With an English-speaking guide, you’ll feed elephants, walk alongside them, and learn about their behavior and conservation. The group is limited to 13 people, and hotel pickup, entry fees, water, and return transport are included.

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