USA · SAFARI
The 15 best off-road safaris you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
Ride with an English-speaking captain through the Everglades for about 40 minutes, then watch a Wildlife Nature Show and walk the Jungle Trail. Captain Joe has earned praise for his humor and storytelling, but wildlife sightings vary. Plan on roughly two hours at the park, plus an $8 national park fee.
“the driver had a great sense of humor and was especially good with kids. I'd recommend”
Join BrushBuck guides such as Kyle, Kelsey, or Anthony for a four-hour dawn or sunset wildlife search in Grand Teton National Park. Ride in an open-air vehicle from June to mid-September, or a heated enclosed van in colder months. Binoculars, snacks, drinks, and photo stops are included.
“Kyle was our guide. He was very informative. We had a really nice time on the tour. We really enjoyed the wildlife we saw and the views were great.”
Ride an open-air airboat through the Everglades area, look for alligators, turtles, deer, and birds, then see exhibits and alligator habitats. Round-trip transport leaves from 305 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. The ride lasts about 40 minutes, but traffic and waiting can stretch this half-day outing well beyond five hours.
“Starts late at 1:30PM and ride is about 80 minutes that cuts your time for activities. All these discrepancies affect your experience.”
Ride a 4WD safari vehicle from the Tusayan area through Kaibab Forest, bypassing the busy south entrance. Guides such as Mark, Tyler, Werner, and Sheila share canyon geology, Native American history, wildlife facts, and local stories before sunset at Grandview Point.
“I can be a rough ride for the first hour. Tyler was very knowledgeable and had interesting stories on the history of the area.”
Spend three hours exploring Ketchikan with a photo-minded guide such as Angela, Tori, Gatlin, or Brock. Visit Creek Street, salmon-viewing spots, totem parks, Thomas Basin, and scenic overlooks. You’ll learn useful composition and phone-camera tips while seeing parts of town beyond the main cruise-dock area.
“Great tour, great guide. Good cookie during our break. Great seeing some different things, not the usual”
Fly over Kauai with Safari Helicopters on a small-group tour of up to six people. In about 55 minutes, you may see Waimea Canyon, Jurassic Falls, the Na Pali Coast, waterfalls, beaches, and mountain interiors while your pilot provides commentary.
“Absolutely amazing. Breathtaking views of everything you should see while visiting the island. Highly recommend.”
Drive your own vehicle along Wild Florida’s gravel safari paths, where zebras, bison, watusi, oryx, deer, and other animals roam open areas. Admission also includes Gator Park. Add giraffe food for a close-up meeting with Leroy, or visit Crusher, the park’s largest alligator.
“It was an amazing & fun day experience! Fun for all age groups; my son, myself & my mother all enjoyed it so much! Feeding the giraffe was definitely a fun addition after finishing the park drive!”
Take off from Hilo Airport with Safari Helicopters for a 55-minute flight over Volcanoes National Park, lava fields, native forest, waterfalls, and orchid farms. Pilots such as Andrew and Jim narrate the geology, culture, and island history. Flights carry no more than six passengers.
“It was a great tour. The volcano wasn’t as active as we had hoped but the pilot, Andrew, did a great job describing what we were seeing along with giving a description and history of everything we saw from the volcano to the waterfalls. He also answered any and all questions.”
Spend about 10 hours exploring South Florida with a naturalist guide such as Julio, Reza, or Marc. Ride an airboat through sawgrass, walk beneath bald cypress, eat lunch, and cruise the Ten Thousand Islands for dolphins, manatees, birds, and alligators. Small groups are limited to 13 people.
“It is very worth the time and money! Enjoyable and educational! Our guide, Julio, was very knowledgeable. Wish airboat ride would have been longer and taken us further into the grassy swampy area!”
Cruise from Key West’s Historic Seaport to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Jewfish Basin. You’ll look for wild dolphins, relax at a turquoise sandbar, swim, snorkel, use water toys, and enjoy lunch plus unlimited beer, wine, mimosas, soda, and water.
“Staff amazing. Beautiful boat Lots of fun. Sandbar really nice. Great value for the cost of the experience”
At 9:30 am, travel from Tusayan through Kaibab National Forest on a permitted back road that bypasses the South Rim entrance queue. Your guide, possibly Mark, Werner, Tyler, Sheila, or Audrey, leads a 1.5-hour rim walk covering Yavapai Point, Bright Angel Trail, and Hopi House.
“Werner was knowledgeable, professional and personable. He knew all of the highlights of what one should see in a 3 hour span. We visited unique views off the beaten path… a totally worthwhile tour!”
Ride an open-air jeep through Rocky Mountain National Park with guides such as Chance, Nick, Sam, and Kae. In about three hours, you’ll see mountain meadows, aspen groves, waterfalls, wildlife, Trail Ridge Road, the Alpine Visitor Center, and the accessible Alluvial Fan.
“Tour in an open air truck. It held 10 people and is not real comfortable if you are a short person. Both my husband and l are shorter than average and struggled to keep seated at times. Otherwise the tour was very interesting and our guide, Nick was very knowledgeable.”
Follow Hilo’s volcanic past with a guide such as Ellen, Troy, Dave, or Lori. Walk into Kaumana Caves, see lava tree molds, visit Rainbow Falls and Pohoiki Bay, and view areas changed by Kilauea. Port and hotel pickup, bottled water, and groups of up to 14 are included.
“Dave, Did a wonderful job explaining everything we saw and went above and beyond to explain things we were seeing and made sure we had a great tour.”
Fly from Safari Helicopters in a six-passenger aircraft over Kauai’s Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, Waialeale Crater, and Jurassic Falls. Your English-speaking pilot, such as Micah, Brodie, Jim, or Eric, provides island facts through a headset while you photograph the scenery from your seat.
“Everything was perfect organized and all the staff members were very experienced, helpful and lovely. Thank you so much for this amazing family adventure. 5 stars 🙌”
Ride from Jackson or Teton Village with a naturalist guide such as Jeff, Abby, Barry, or Jordan. Visit the Elk Refuge, Moose Wilson Road, Mormon Row, and Grand Teton viewpoints while using UHD binoculars and spotting scopes to search for moose, bison, pronghorn, elk, eagles, and bears.
“Just incredible. We travelled from one breathtaking spot to another and the four hours just flew by.”
Pick a skyline, a canyon or a coastline.
