Florida has two true self-drive safaris, where you tour the park in your own car: Lion Country Safari near West Palm Beach and Wild Florida near Orlando. Giraffe Ranch in Dade City runs guided tours you take in your own vehicle. The other four put you on a guided safari truck or ride, or in Jungle Island’s case, on foot: Safari Wilderness Ranch, Busch Gardens’ Serengeti Safari, Disney’s Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Jungle Island. Florida’s attractions are open year-round, and fall is the most comfortable time to go.
- Lion Country Safari (Loxahatchee)
- Wild Florida Drive-Thru Safari Park (Kenansville)
- Giraffe Ranch (Dade City)
- Safari Wilderness Ranch (Lakeland)
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay – Serengeti Safari (Tampa)
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Kilimanjaro Safaris (Bay Lake)
- Jungle Island (Miami)
LION COUNTRY SAFARI
Type: AZA-accredited self-drive safari, Florida’s original drive-thru park (since 1967)
Location: 2003 Lion Country Safari Rd, Loxahatchee, FL 33470 (about 20 miles west of West Palm Beach)
Phone: (561) 793-1084
Website: lioncountrysafari.com
Social Media: Facebook · Instagram (@lioncountrysafari)
Animals: About 1,000 animals, including lions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, chimpanzees, antelope, and ostriches
Admission:
- Adult: $54.99
- Child (3–9): $43.99
- Under 3: Free
Hours: Daily, 10 AM – 5 PM
Tips:
- Go early, when the animals move around more and the photos are better.
- Keep snacks out of sight, because some residents are expert beggars.
- A walk-through area with rides and animal feedings is included with admission.
WILD FLORIDA DRIVE-THRU SAFARI PARK
Type: Self-drive safari in your own vehicle, plus an airboat and gator park
Location: 3301 Lizzie Ln, Kenansville, FL 34739 (about 1 hour south of Orlando)
Phone: (407) 957-3135
Website: wildfloridairboats.com
Social Media: Facebook · Instagram (@wildfloridaairboats)
Animals: 150+ animals, including giraffes, zebras, rhinos, antelope, and bison
Admission:
- Drive-thru safari: $35 adult, $25 child
- Airboat tour and gator park combos are available.
Highlights:
- Giraffe feeding platform that puts you at eye level with the giraffes
- Self-guided, so you set your own pace
Tips:
- Bring a lens cloth, since dust on the car windows is common.
GIRAFFE RANCH
Type: Family-owned working game ranch and wildlife preserve, open by reservation only. It has guided drive-thru tours in your own vehicle, plus safari-truck, camel, and Segway tours.
Location: 38650 Mickler Rd, Dade City, FL 33523 (about 45 minutes north of Tampa, next to the Green Swamp)
Phone: (813) 482-3400
Website: girafferanch.com
Animals: 450+ animals of 50+ species, including giraffes, zebras, camels, rhinos, pygmy hippos, ostriches, warthogs, lemurs, and antelope. Most of the animals were born on the ranch.
Tours:
- Drive-Thru Safari: About 1 hour, guided, in your own vehicle. You pay per vehicle (recent listings show about $150–$200), with up to 7 people. A guide leads the tour through the pastures.
- Safari truck tour: Guided ride in a 4WD vehicle with shade canopy and stadium seating, with giraffe feeding
- Camel safari: 1.5 hours on camelback, with giraffe feeding
- Segway safari: 90 minutes, ages 16+, with giraffe feeding. Parking is $12 extra.
- Prices vary by tour. Check the website for current rates.
Rules:
- Reservations required. No walk-ups.
- Drive-thru vehicles must be a full-size SUV or smaller. No motorcycles or commercial vehicles.
- Giraffe feeding is not included with the drive-thru tour. Book a feeding tour if you want it.
- Changes and cancellations need 48 hours’ notice.
SAFARI WILDERNESS RANCH
Type: Guided safari tours in open-air vehicles on a private ranch
Location: 10850 E Lake Hancock Rd, Lakeland, FL 33805 (between Tampa and Orlando)
Website: safariwilderness.com
Social Media: Facebook
Animals: Zebras, water buffalo, antelope, lemurs, camels, and other exotic species roaming open pasture
Admission:
- Guided safari tours from about $119
- Reservations required
Tips:
- Some tours include animal feeding.
- Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dusty.
- It’s an easy day trip from Tampa or Orlando.
BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY – SERENGETI SAFARI
Type: Guided 30-minute off-road tour on an open-air truck, inside a theme park and zoo
Location: 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612
Website: buschgardens.com/tampa · Upgrades & Tours
Social Media: Facebook · Instagram (@buschgardenstampabay)
Size: 65-acre Serengeti Plain
Animals: Giraffes (you hand-feed them on the tour), zebras, ostriches, rhinos, and antelope
Admission:
- Serengeti Safari: from about $34 per person, priced by date
- Park admission is required separately. Prices vary by date.
- Parking is extra.
Hours: The park opens daily at 10 AM. Closing times vary.
Rules & Tips:
- Minimum age is 5.
- You stand for the whole tour on uneven terrain.
- Check in at the Animal Interactions & Tours building in Nairobi (north of the train station) at least 15 minutes before your tour.
- Tours aren’t refunded if you miss your time.
- Book a slot outside the hottest part of the afternoon.
- Howl-O-Scream runs on select fall nights.
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM – KILIMANJARO SAFARIS
Type: Guided safari truck ride through a 110-acre savanna, inside a theme park
Location: 2901 Osceola Pkwy, Bay Lake, FL 32830 (Walt Disney World, Orlando area)
Phone: (407) 939-8687 (tours)
Website: Kilimanjaro Safaris · Wild Africa Trek
Social Media: Facebook · Instagram (@waltdisneyworld)
Animals: Giraffes, elephants, lions, rhinos, hippos, zebras, crocodiles, and antelope
Admission:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris: included with park admission. Ticket prices vary by date.
- Wild Africa Trek: About $189–$249 per person plus tax, depending on season. It’s a 3-hour backstage tour, mostly on foot, with harnessed rope bridges over hippos and crocodiles, a private safari ride, a snack stop overlooking the savanna, and included photos. Ages 8+. Park admission is required.
Tips:
- Ride first thing in the morning or late afternoon, when the animals are most active.
- Wild Africa Trek books up fast, so reserve early.
JUNGLE ISLAND
Type: Walk-through eco-adventure park and zoo. This is not a drive-thru, but it’s a popular stop for close-up animal encounters.
Location: 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, FL 33132 (Watson Island, between Downtown Miami and South Beach)
Website: jungleisland.com
Social Media: Facebook · Instagram (@jungleisland)
History: It opened as Parrot Jungle in 1936.
Animals: Parrots, sloths, lemurs, kangaroos, an Everglades habitat, and more
Admission:
- General admission is roughly $30–$50 for adults and $20–$30 for children 3–9, depending on the ticket and date. Check the website for current pricing.
- Animal encounters (sloths, lemurs, and others) start around $65 and include general admission.
- Parking: about $20/day, in a covered garage
Hours: Daily, 9:30 AM – 5 PM, with last admission at 4 PM
Extras: A waterpark (included with admission), an indoor skydiving wind tunnel, and a private swimmable beach. Horrorland runs fall evenings, and Luminosa lantern festival nights are ticketed separately.
Tips:
- Pick the encounter you care about most and plan the rest of your visit around it.
Explore Drive-Thru Wildlife Parks in Neighboring States:
Georgia · Alabama