15 Big Cat Encounters Worth Flying For

1.Johannesburg: Lion & Safari Park Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 384 reviews · 5 hours · from $167Our pick

Travel from Johannesburg or Pretoria with an English-speaking guide such as Thapelo, Dusty, or Ceepo, then join a one-hour open vehicle drive at Lion and Safari Park. Expect close views of lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, and possibly a rare white lion.

“Our tour guide for the safari park (Dusty) was absolutely amazing! She was so knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. Our transportation guide was also great! He so so polite, and professional!!! Would highly recommend for everyone!”

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2.Hartbeespoort: Lion and Safari Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 103 reviews · 3 hours · from $70

Ride in a small-group safari truck through Lion & Safari Park near Hartbeespoort. Your English-speaking guide takes you past lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, leopards, and antelopes before a relaxing stop beside the Crocodile River. Guides such as Dina, Dusty, and George have earned strong praise for their humor and animal knowledge.

“Simply amazing - guides were funny and entertaining as well as being very knowledgeable. Worth every rand!”

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3.Hartbeespoort: Lion and Safari Park Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 99 reviews · 2 hours · from $38

Join an English-speaking guide such as Thoko, Jabulani, or Mzi for a two-hour truck safari through Hartbeespoort’s Lion and Safari Park. You’ll see lions, antelopes, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, and wild dogs, with time afterward for lunch, drinks, and souvenirs.

“Jabulani was the highlight of the the tour,his energy and fun facts on the animals was entertaining,we laughed alot,loved him,big ups to him🤌🏿”

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4.Lions 360 Experience and a Day at Monarto Safari Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 76 reviews · 1 day · from $91

Spend a full day at Monarto Safari Park with admission, unlimited Zu-Loop shuttle rides, walking tracks, keeper talks, and a one-hour Lions 360 experience. You will enter a tunnel beneath one of Australia’s largest lion prides. Feeding is not included, and children under 16 need a paying adult.

“Put up notice that taxi/Uber won't pick you up from location and supply bus number and schedule to take.”

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5.Hartbeespoort: Self-Drive Lion and Safari Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 64 reviews · 8h 30m · from $24Best value

Drive your own vehicle through Lion & Safari Park near Hartbeespoort, visiting lion, wild dog, and cheetah enclosures before continuing on an extended game drive. No guide is provided, so you set the pace. Plan around the 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM lion feeding on weekends and public holidays.

“The restaurant and the vast amount of animals got to see all the animals”

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6.Lion & Wildlife Sanctuary Excursion Victoria Falls

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · from $120

Spend about three hours with lions, hyenas, ostriches, raptors, and other rescued animals near Victoria Falls. You’ll watch a lion feeding from a protected concrete bunker, walk near hyenas, and hear conservation stories. Guides such as Liki lead the experience, with pickup, refreshments, and an air-conditioned vehicle included.

“Awesome!!! Watay beyond my expectations. The ostriches were a great surprise. I got to feed the ostriches. So special!!!”

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7.Lion & Safari Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $89Top rated

Visit the 1,000-hectare Lion & Safari Park near Pretoria with private transport, air conditioning, water, and a guide such as John. Expect a three-hour drive through grassy plains with chances to see lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, and wild dogs, plus a possible lion feeding.

“The whole tour was fantastic. Our driver and guide John was awesome. He told us about the history of South Africa on the way to the park and was so lovely helping both myself and my parents with hand luggage. Definitely try this tour its a wonderful experience.”

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8.Half Day Lion and Safari Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $103

Travel from your Johannesburg or Pretoria hotel to Lion and Safari Park with a local guide, then spend two hours in a specialized safari vehicle. Look for more than 85 lions, including a rare white lion, plus cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs. Groups are limited to three people.

“It was canceled by the tour company on the day...very disappointing, would never use them in the future”

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9.Alpine: Lions Tigers & Bears Animal Sanctuary Guided Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 21 reviews · 1h 30m · from $55

Join a live English-speaking guide for a 90-minute Member-for-a-Day visit at Lions Tigers & Bears in Alpine. See rescued lions, tigers, bears, bobcats, servals, jaguars, and more while learning how the sanctuary protects animals from abuse and the exotic animal trade.

“We love seeing all the animals and extra extraordinary efforts the team is going through to care for them. Our guide, Summer, was very good and informative. We would highly recommend this for those who care about protecting big cats and bears.”

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10.Krabi: Ethical Elephant Sanctuary & Tiger Cave Temple Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $42

Join an English-speaking local guide for a half-day-style Krabi outing with hotel pickup, ethical elephant care, a light Thai lunch, and Tiger Cave Temple. Feed and walk with elephants, then choose the steep 1,237-step climb or a gentler visit to the caves and rainforest below.

“Super fun tour. We were just the two of us and had plenty of time with the elephant. Transport is well arranged, and you'll still get food and water at the elephant center.”

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11.Cradle of Humankind and Lion and Safari Park Tour from Johannesburg or Pretoria

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · from $167

Travel from Johannesburg or Pretoria to Lion and Safari Park for a game drive with lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffes, and more. Then explore Sterkfontein Caves and Maropeng at the Cradle of Humankind with a guide, lunch, and hotel transfers included.

“The caves were very interesting the guide was great and our driver was awesome . Very interesting human history”

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12.Jaipur: Jhalana Amagarh Leopard Safari Park Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 5 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $36

Spend 2.5 hours in Jaipur’s Jhalana Amagarh reserve with an English-speaking guide and shared safari vehicle. Look for leopards, nilgai, jackals, hyenas, jungle cats, deer, wild boar, and peacocks across the Aravalli hills. Private vehicles and hotel transfers may be available at extra cost.

“the safari, guides were exvellent drivers and really knowledgable of loval wildlife. worth doing it for the experience, alss no leopard sitings for usreally enjoyed ree”

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13.Delhi Zoo White Tigers & lions with Old Fort Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5 reviews · from $69

Start with hotel pickup in a private car, then visit Delhi’s National Zoological Park for white tigers, lions, rhinos, elephants, birds, and reptiles. Finish at Purana Qila, the Old Fort, with time to see its gates, ruins, and greenery. Zoo cart rides cost extra.

“Driver to/from zoo with Aerocity hotel pick up and drop off. Guide at zoo very good, personable and helpful. Fantastic animal settings. Impressive white tiger, lion roar and other animals. Tour of Old Fort very good with nice historical narrative by tour guide.”

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14.Half-Day Lion and Safari Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $74

Travel from Pretoria or Johannesburg in a private air-conditioned minivan with a guide such as Joseph, Gilmore, or Gilroy. Spend two hours on a ranger-led safari seeing lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, antelopes, and possibly feeding giraffes before returning to your hotel.

“With limited time in Pretoria, this was an ideal way to see several animals - lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards, ostriches, hyenas, giraffes - albeit in a huge, multi-hectare compound; a solid 2-hour guided vehicle tour. Midweek (summer): not at all crowded. Great restaurant/bar & gift shops. Excellent van pickup/dropoff service. Super driver, Gilmore, thank you!!”

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15.Lion safari park tour(Half-day)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $111

Spend about five hours traveling from Johannesburg to Hartbeespoort for a guided open-vehicle drive through a lion park. Expect white and brown lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, antelopes, and possibly a black leopard, with transport, entry, water, and WiFi included.

“This was an awesome experience. The lions were a treat, and the icing on the cake was the black leopard. Overall its a must, if you like wildlife and visiting Johannesburg. Extremely satisfied.”

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