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Private Tours in South Africa and Namibia

Since 1998, African Sky has provided international visitors with memorable, safe, private tours escorted by expert guides.

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Explore South Africa and Namibia

Embark on an accompanied private journey through South Africa and Namibia—stand in awe of dramatic landscapes, sip wine in lush vineyards, and see amazing wildlife in legendary national parks and private game reserves.

South Africa tours

If you book a private tour of South Africa with African Sky, your guide will meet you on arrival in Johannesburg or Cape Town and accompany you throughout. If your itinerary includes a luxury safari package, you’ll be dropped at your lodge or fly on a connecting flight. At private lodges, daily activities are led by resident rangers and trackers.

Namibia tours

Guests touring Namibia with African Sky typically arrive in Johannesburg for an overnight near the airport. The next day, you’ll fly to Windhoek or Walvis Bay, where your private guide meets you, escorts the journey, and returns you to the airport at the end. Travel is in an air-conditioned vehicle sized to your party.

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Our guides

Passionate individuals committed to making your tour unforgettable.

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Logistics experts

Over 25 years of planning and operating seamless African journeys.

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Wide range of African tours

Top-end, luxury, personal, affordable, and unique trips, tailored to you.

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Highly rated trips

Exceptional reviews on various platforms including TripAdvisor.

Luxury & Top-End South African Tours

These itineraries typically combine a fully guided private tour with time spent at a private lodge where resident rangers conduct safaris. Most properties featured in these itineraries are luxury five-star.

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Various Property Types and Comfort Levels

Our private tours feature accommodations to suit different styles and budgets, from intimate boutique guesthouses and tented safari camps to luxury lodges and five-star city hotels. Each property is carefully selected for comfort, service, and location, ensuring a stay that complements your travel experience.

  • Boutique hotels
  • Guesthouses
  • Luxury safari lodges
  • National park camps
  • City hotels
  • Tented safari camps
  • Luxury resorts
  • Private villas
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge in the Sabi Sand Private Reserve

Popular Personal and Comfortable Tours

On these privately guided tours, accommodation is typically in four-star guesthouses, lodges, and hotels handpicked for their location and service levels. Some itineraries include unrated national park camps, where you’ll stay in a private, en-suite, air-conditioned room.

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Unique Special Interest Tours

Battlefields, birding, rock art, stargazing, gastronomy, and golf are the most popular interests featured in pre-designed unique itineraries. We can also tailor an itinerary based on your needs.

10 Days From: ZAR 69,270 pp Private Tour Code: T43

With 846 bird species, South Africa offers exciting bird watching on a tour that visits top birding destinations.

10 Days From: ZAR 69,270 pp Private Tour Code: T41

This ten-day itinerary focuses on rock paintings left by ancient inhabitants of South Africa.

5 Days From: ZAR 69,270 pp Private Tour Code: T44

Explore famous historical battlefields, including Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift, accompanied by an expert guide.

View All Unique Special Interest Tours

Tours by Destination

Itineraries are categorized according to the destination visited. They typically include packages that visit the destination only and others that combine it with regional favorites.

Experiences to Be Savored

The variety of unique adventures you can savor on tour in South Africa and Namibia make it challenging to select a few standouts. Still, the experiences below are easily some of the most rewarding pursuits.

Zulu dancers in traditional dress

Cultural immersion

You will have numerous opportunities to learn more about and immerse yourself in the traditions and cultures of the various tribes, from visiting the local sangoma (witch doctor) in a Shangaan village to mesmerizing displays of the traditional dances and music of the proud Zulu nation and the colorful dress of the Herero, to name but a few.
Zebra and impala spotted on a game drive in the African wilderness

Incredible wildlife

The national parks and private reserves in Southern Africa protect the world's most diverse animal population. Sightings of the legendary Big Five and an abundance of other animal and bird species are among the most rewarding adventures in this part of the world. Habitats vary greatly but always involve majestic landscapes that provide unique photographic opportunities.
Large great white shark approaching a diving cage

Adventure abounds

Adrenaline addicts will delight in the wealth of hair-raising activities available, from plunging into the icy waters of the Atlantic to meet the fearsome great white shark to meandering into the depths of the earth at the Cango Caves or sandboarding from the top of a dune in the Namib Desert. Opportunities for adventure abound.

Your Private Tour with African Sky

Our sales team will offer advice, create personalized South Africa tour itineraries, and answer any questions you might have until the day of your arrival in Southern Africa. From there, you will be in the care of one of our expert guides. Your guide will be at your disposal with their invaluable knowledge and years of experience, ensuring great personal care.

  • Memories for a lifetime
  • Local insights
  • Safe
  • Dedicated guide
  • Choice of destinations
  • Immersive activities
  • Hassle-free travel
  • Special interests
  • No hidden charges
  • Family-friendly
Woman sitting on rock, overlooking Walker Bay on South Africa's whale route

FAQ

Should I opt for a personal, luxury, or top-end tour?

The choice would depend on your available budget and the level of accommodation you require. The experiences, interactions, and adventures will be the most significant contributing factors to your trip's enjoyment, not necessarily the incremental difference in accommodation quality. More often than not, the service levels at four-star guesthouses are better than those at large five-star hotels, and the whole experience is more intimate and personal.

Pre-designed itinerary or tailor-made tour?

Our pre-designed packages work well in terms of logistics, activities, and duration of stay. They are a good starting point to create a custom final itinerary. We will gladly tailor a tour from scratch to incorporate your unique interests.

Are African Sky guides registered with the authorities?

Yes, our guides are all registered with relevant authorities for the areas in which they conduct tours.

How will our guide add value to the experience?

Their knowledge of the history, geography, and specific details surrounding the various destinations and attractions provides a depth of information and understanding that will not be present when you visit these areas on a self-drive trip.

Their understanding of animal behavior in wilderness areas will significantly increase the frequency of sightings, and their in-depth knowledge of the animals, birds, and the natural world, in general, will add considerably to your enjoyment of the safari portion of your trip.

Will our guide be dining with us in the evening?

Guides will only join you for meals if they are specifically requested to.

Can tours be conducted in languages other than English?

On special request, we can match your traveling party with a Spanish, French, Dutch, German, or Russian-speaking guide.

Are private tours more expensive?

Yes, they are, but these services will significantly enhance your enjoyment of the time spent in South Africa or Namibia.

When should I book my tour?

We recommend booking between a year and a year and a half in advance to ensure availability at the desired hotels and lodges.

Travel Tips & Advice

Advantages of Booking a Private Tour

1

Personal attention

You will receive personal attention from the time you make your initial request until you depart from South Africa. These services are provided first by expert sales staff and subsequently by a knowledgeable guide.

2

Informative

The African Sky Guide will provide in-depth information about each area visited. Their knowledge and experience are invaluable in highlighting animal behavior, identifying bird species, and providing general information about habitats, fauna, and flora.

3

Flexible

Your daily schedule will be flexible, with the option to stay longer at certain attractions and spend less time at others. In the Cape, where the weather can sometimes influence the day's activities, your guide will swap around day itineraries after discussion with you.

4

Discretion and confidentiality

When booking with African Sky, you are assured of discretion and confidentiality, ensuring a private and enjoyable tour in Namibia and South Africa.

5

Private vehicle

A vehicle for your sole use means you won't have to worry about how to get from one destination to another. It also makes it possible to return early to your overnight destination if you would like to spend more time relaxing.

Tour Types Explained

Private tour

When an itinerary is indicated as a Private Tour only, guests are met upon arrival in South Africa or Namibia by their guide, who accompanies the adventure and returns clients to the airport upon completing the itinerary.

Private tour / safari package

In the case of a private tour / safari package, an African Sky guide will accompany part of the itinerary privately. The package includes a safari at a private lodge in one of South Africa's private reserves or a private concession in a national park. Resident rangers and trackers accompany daily open 4x4 game drives and bush walks at private lodges. If your trip visits Victoria Falls, you will enjoy private transfers and will be met and transferred to the various activities included in your itinerary.

Day trip

We offer a handful of private day trips from any Cape Town, Johannesburg, or Pretoria location. When booking one of these services, an African Sky guide will meet you at the agreed-upon point and return you to your overnight destination after completing the day's activities.

Particular Interest and Off-the-Beaten-Track Tours

African Sky offers several tours in South Africa that cater to special interests. Some of these packages travel off-the-beaten-track to unique and often unheard-of destinations and attractions. Requesting a tailor-made itinerary from us is a good idea to ensure a good fit with your requirements. The most popular special interests incorporated in Namibia and South Africa private tours are listed below.

Adventure tours

Adventure tours include adrenaline-rush activities and an itinerary aimed at the active traveler. The most popular experiences often included are shark cage diving, hiking, mountain biking, walking safaris, hot-air balloon flights, and rhino tracking.

A couple exploring southern Namibia on quad bikes

Golf tours

South Africa has many exceptional-quality golf courses in dramatic natural settings, ranging from bushveld to seaside locations. The golf tours we offer combine rounds on some of the best courses in the country and the opportunity to explore the highlights in each area visited.

View of lost city golf course with the Palace Hotel in the background

Food & wine tours

Foodies will delight in tours incorporating fine dining and sampling some of South Africa's award-winning wines. These journeys visit various parts of the country, offering a comprehensive experience while ensuring some time is devoted to culinary pursuits.

Fine South African wine poured on a wine tour

History and battlefields tours

South Africa and Namibia have turbulent histories; many battlefields testify to the wars that shaped these countries into what they are today. We offer tours, including visits to famous battlefields, like Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift in South Africa, and battles fought in Namibia between the Germans and Indigenous peoples.

Re-enactment with British soldiers on a KwaZulu-Natal Battlefield

Off-the-beaten-track tours

With African Sky, you can explore a myriad of off-the-beaten-track destinations. Private tours that visit these areas offer a unique perspective on South Africa and Namibia and are ideal for those seeking to get away from it all and take the road less traveled.

Fine example of ancient rock art carved in Southern Africa

Rock art tours

These special interest tours focus on notable sites where ancient inhabitants left depictions of their lives in rock paintings and art. In South Africa, rock art tours would typically visit the Cederberg and Drakensberg, and in Namibia, the Brandberg and Twyfelfontein.