Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

Safaris From Durban

DurbanSafaris.com run guided safaris to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park from Durban. Durban Safaris also collects guests from coastal towns such as Umdloti, Umhlanga and Ballito.

Why go with a guide

  • No driving. You are collected from and returned to your Durban hotel or guesthouse.
  • Park entry fees are included. So are a qualified safari guide and all transport.
  • Local knowledge. A guide knows where to look and explains what you see.
  • Languages. Tours run in English, with Italian and German available on request.

Big 5 Day Safari

A 12-hour day safari from Durban. You leave early in the morning and spend the day on game drives, with stops at the hides that overlook waterholes. Lunch is optional and not included. The Mpunyane restaurant at Hilltop Camp looks over the valley where you can watch for vultures and eagles from the terrace. The terrace outside is not fenced, elephant and buffalo are often seen whilst guests enjoy their meals.

  • Included: a qualified guide, game drives, all transport, mineral water, a snack pack and park gate fees.
  • Not included: lunch, extra drinks, personal expenses and insurance.
  • Vehicle: a closed vehicle as standard. A three-hour open-vehicle drive can be added on request at R450 per person.
  • Minimum: two passengers.
  • Price: R2,990 per person, with discounts for groups.

See the day safari on the Durban Safaris website.

Overnight safaris

The overnight safaris are usually three days and two nights, and can also be arranged as two days and one night, or longer. You sleep inside the park, so you are there in the early morning and evening, when animals are most active. All three safaris include accommodation, breakfasts and dinners, game drives, a boat cruise on the St Lucia estuary, mineral water, a snack pack and park gate fees. Lunches, extra drinks, personal expenses and insurance are not included, and every overnight safari needs at least two people.

Big 5 Overnight Safari

Two nights at Hilltop Camp. On day one you leave Durban at about 7am, with an optional stop at the Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Centre (R420 per person), and reach the park around midday for an afternoon game drive. Day two starts with a morning drive looking for elephants and leopards, then moves to the iMfolozi section for lion, hyena and grazing herds, with a stop at the Centenary Centre to learn about Operation Rhino. On the last day you make a final game drive on the way out, then take a boat cruise on the St Lucia estuary to see crocodiles, hippos and fish eagles. From R10,690 per person sharing. See this safari.

Hilltop and Mpila Safari

One night at Mpila Camp and one at Hilltop Camp, so you see both sections of the park. You enter through Nyalazi Gate, and the first evening is a bush braai dinner prepared by your guide at Mpila, where the fence keeps out only elephants. On day two you move to Hilltop, where there is time for the pool or the shop, and dinner is at the Mpunyane restaurant. The last day ends with a final game drive and the St Lucia boat cruise before the return to Durban in the late afternoon. From R10,690 per person sharing. See this safari.

Hluhluwe and Emdoneni Safari

The first night is at Emdoneni Cheetah Lodge, outside the park, and the second is at Hilltop Camp. Day one includes the St Lucia boat cruise on the way, an afternoon cat-feeding session at Emdoneni and a visit to its cheetah enclosure. Day two is a full day of game drives in the park, and the last morning is a half-day drive before you return to Durban. Night drives from the camp can be added at extra cost. From R10,890 per person sharing. See this safari.

The safaris at a glance

Prices are in rand, as shown on the Durban Safaris website in October 2026. They can change, so confirm the current price when you enquire.

Which one suits you

  • Short on time, or staying in Durban: The day safari. It is a long day, but it covers the park in a single trip.
  • Want early and late hours in the park: An overnight safari. Sleeping inside the park means being straight on safari. No travel time or waiting to enter the main gates.
  • Want a night in the bush as well as Hilltop’s comforts: The Hilltop and Mpila Safari.
  • Interested in the cheetah centre: The Hluhluwe and Emdoneni Safari.

Before you book

  • Group discounts apply. Ask when you enquire.
  • Every safari needs at least two passengers.
  • The park is in a low-risk malaria area. Read the health notes on Plan your visit and speak to your doctor.
  • Lunches, extra drinks and insurance are not included, so plan for them.

How to book