Safari West

Being from Sonoma County I had never been and now having a 4 year old that has a true love for animals- we finally decided to take the safari. I might also have had high expectations because my husband and I were lucky enough to go on a Safari in Kenya, though I know this is not the same. Pricing was a bit steep so my expectations matched the pricing as well. We did the 10am safari- 3 adults and 2 kids. The staff all seemed to really enjoy what they did and seem truly happy with the jobs which is always nice to see and translates to good service. We had a younger guide who doesn’t work often and just seemed a little out of practice. Now for the actual property/preserve and animals, extremely underwhelming. Most of the time you are driving and enjoying the views of Sonoma County but I can do that driving myself- the land the animals live on doesn’t not seem to be what they should have, I am not an expert but two cheetah in about 4-5000 sq foot enclosure with a rock and grass- you can see the trail around the inside perimeter the have created trying to “form” there territory which is what they do in the wild but for 20 square miles of land. I know we are talking about a preserve and not the wild but even this was sad to see. The SF Zoo does a better job of forming a more natural habitat and enclosure for these animals. Just overall underwhelming- for my expectations (which I can admit were probably too high) and the price as too steep. I would rather have have had a shorter tour and cut the scenic time, show me the animals you do have - you could probably do that in 1.5 hr and charge me 1/2 the price and I would have likely rated higher.

I took my family to Safari West for Thanksgiving. There were 13 of us from 9 months to 82 years. We ate at 12pm. The food was excellent. The service perfect and tables were beautifully decorated. And to cap it off we all got to stroll around see the wild animals. The kid's, 5 of my greats aged 9mo, 1, 2 3 and 4 loved seeing them as well as the adults. Also, the cost was reasonable. What a wonderful day!

We did the overnight glamping experience for a birthday/retirement party. The beef Brisket buffet dinner was excellent. We'll seasoned melt in your mouth Brisket and chicken buffet had vegan options. Chocolate desserts and camp fire smores. The tents were surprisingly cozy. Electric blankets are provided alone with portable space heaters. Nice hot showers attached to the tent. The only drawback is the bathrooms aren't heated. But sre well designed with natural wood & stone. Breakfast in the morning before our afternoon tour with educated guides in 4WD trucks. With everything from ring tailed lemurs, zebras,Watusi cattle, Rhinos and water buffaloes. This was my 3rd visit, but first overnight. I recommend the overnight experience.

Our family stayed over night. Had dinner that evening & took the safari tour the next day. Dinner was excellent, the property was immaculate, and we loved the tour. Our tour guide, Cindy, was knowledgeable & worked hard to make sure we were able to see all the animals. The animals appeared to be well cared for. Our 4- year-old granddaughter had a blast walking through the property & visiting all the animals. A special thanks to the staff for holding onto a piece of luggage that the airline lost & then delivered after we departed.

I enjoyed the weekend Glamping and marveling at the amazing animals. The experience was fantastic. The tent cabin was super cozy, the staff was friendly and professional. The onsite cafe served super tasty meals. You cannot get bored at Safari West, or go hungry. The experience is way different from that of a zoo, with the animals wandering freely around the property and in select fenced areas. The three hour safari ride around the property was fun and interesting, offering close up views of a number of animal I've only seen in books, on TV, or on YouTube. Treat yourself, your family and friends. Book a trip to Safari West.

We didn't stay in the cabins (they look nice), but everything else was chef's kiss. The guides and staff were cool, the food and vibes were good and the animals looked healthy and well cared for. We would like to go back for a behind-the-scenes tour the next time we visit. Very nice and peaceful place.

We went for my birthday. We did the 2 pm reservation and 7pm dinner. Gina was our Tour Guide and she was amazing. She was very friendly, knowledgeable, and took my parties jokes well. We stayed the night in Tent 22 which was AWESOME! I loved that you could hear the wild life during the night. If you’re used to having a TV to watch you will not get that here. Dinner and breakfast were both delicious and all you can eat. They do make S’more and show a movie in the evening which is a nice treat. You can also go on night time exploring if you wish.

Absolutely loved the wildlife safari in the midst of wine country. Justin was our guide and he was super cool and super good. Loved the way he interacted with all the guests in his safari vehicle. He's a gem. The wild animals are kept in enclosures, some closed enclosures like the cheetahs, the rhino, the giraffes...and some in open spaces like the zebras, the antelopes...The avian enclosure is also very good. Of the animals the cheetahs I felt were the star attraction. The way Justin explains the behaviour, the nature, the habits of the different animals and birds is just awesome. And his one liner jokes and the quiz questions for the guests while on his truck is too good. The snacks store is also well stocked up, the hot chocolate is the one to go all out for. The souvenir store is cool. Sure to do an overnight stay over at the place next time.

We Had a fun day at Safari West in Santa Rosa, yesterday. What a neat place! Our Safari Driver, Robert, was super knowledgeable about the animals within the park and taught us many facts about these African Animals. Did you know a Zebras stripes are hair and if you shave a zebra their skin is all black underneath? I thought that was a cool fact. Also, they have Glamping tents here too! We had a great time, call and reserve a tour, it's fun and informative!

I hate to have to write this review as some of our experience here was amazing and 5 star worthy. Unfortunately there was enough elsewhere to average it down to the one star. For my wife's birthday I wanted to surprise her with a safari outing without actually going to Africa. With some research I was pleased to find Safari west only 60 miles away from Sacramento. I called and booked a "luxury tent" for a Friday night and reserved dinner at their restaurant the same evening. When we arrived we checked in and walked up the hill to our tent (we were offered a ride but chose the go on foot to enjoy the animals and scenery). Once we got to the tent we dropped our stuff and headed out for more walking on the grounds to see their different habitats and array of animals. This is very impressive. A short while later we went to the restaurant to get to our dinner. We were surprised that we were eating outside and it was a buffet (this was not told to me when I made the reservation). Being December it was not very comfortable and we regretted not bringing warmer clothing. For drinks they do not have anything other than wine or beer. The food and service were good but not what was expected. After dinner we went to our tent as my wife was pretty cold and we were hoping to get more comfortable. The tent only had a small heater in the corner that could not heat up the rather large space, fortunately the bed was comfortable and had a dual zone electric blanket so it was warm. The worst part of the accommodation was the bathroom. It is part of the tent but divided from the bedroom and it's literally open air! The walls are canvas but the roof is a netting material that is open to the separate canvas cover over the tent for water protection, so the bathroom was an actual 40 degrees with no provision for heat besides moving the heater out of the bedroom into the bathroom which did almost nothing as the heat just rose out the open roof. Again none of this was told to me when I made the reservation, if it were I would have asked for one of their cottages. The entire property is void of cell signal. They have available WiFi near the restaurant and store but everywhere else you're off the grid including the tent. This would not have been a big deal if it were explained at the time of the booking as we could have planned for it. The next day we did the Safari on one of their vintage Dodge military trucks, this was phenomenal and I highly recommend it as a single experience here. Our guide (John I think) and the tour were outstanding. When we checked out I spoke with the people at the front desk about our frustration and initially they were defensive and one said "We didn't build the tents". Eventually they offered 10% off the nightly rate as said that's all they could do outside of letting the higher ups know about our concerns. When we got back home I wrote an email to their "director " and explained everything about what we had went through. It's been 3 weeks with no reply. I always give management a chance to respond before writing a public review that's not good. Most places appreciate the criticism and often offer something in return. This was the last nail in the coffin for me that took them down to a one star rating. It's clear this facility is a one trick pony, the Safari itself is it. It's a great trick, but not enough to offset the rating for me beyond the lowest I can choose. If you're going to try and be an overnight facility that makes this an inclusive experience you're going to have to care about more than one area of what you're offering.

Safari West is located in Santa Rosa, CA. Reservations are required so I recommend planning ahead during the tourist months especially. I recommend scouring their website as they tend to offer discount codes. We got lucky with the fall discount which dropped a $120 ticket to $96 which was appreciated! We did add on lunch for an additional $20 which I recommend by all means as the buffet was absolutely delicious and filling! The tour itself is around 3.5 hours. We did the general safari tour which consisted of a walk of the grounds about a mile long (hour and 30 minutes) to see the bird sanctuary and other animals such as cheetahs, foxes, primates etc. Our tour guide for the grounds was Alex and he was incredibly knowledgeable. Once you complete the on foot tour you will do a safari tour of the Sonoma Serengeti on a safari tram which was truly breath taking. Our tour guide Rebecca was so friendly and informative! The scenery is majestic and although there are not a ton of animals it still makes the experience enjoyable. We were able to see the giraffes, rhinos, antelopes, buffalos, ostriches and zebras. Keep in mind that all their animals are based on animals found in Africa, Tips: FREE PARKING Wear sneakers, no open shoes. ABSOLUTE NO CELL PHONE service once you pull into the parking lot so keep that in mind as you will be there for 3 plus hours. The website says tour is recommended for 4 and up but I would say 7 and up.

Whoa! I didn't know Santa Rosa has this unique Safari resort in their backyard! It's surprisingly such a hidden gem as a resort for kids and adults alike! If one wants to venture out safari style, do glamping and have a resort stay in the Bay Area, this place checks all the boxes. It's so pleasant here and one feels like you're on a zoo campground if you're glamping. I like seeing the cheetahs, giraffes and kudus. We weren't able to do the actual safari because we brought our newborn baby and there's an age requirement. No biggie - we will definitely return when he is of age! I'm impressed with their dinner. Their homemade bbq sauce, went well with their tender trip tip beef and I adored their spiced rice that was on the nice dry side to soak up their bbq sauce. Wonderful service and friendly staff all around. One has to reserve dinner and lunch. It's buffet style. Continental breakfast. They have a great selection of tea, the little things of providing both soy and oat milk for coffee and I love their freshly squeezed OJ. They have servers at that time to serve the portions of scrambled eggs and toasted bagels. Their oatmeal was well made- not too dry and if so, one can add milk that they provide on the side. Ayce. Checking in was a bit delayed since their system had to ask for a physical credit card and they couldn't use the one that we booked the stay with. Also, one can't drive your own car to your unit. They drive you to the unit so we had to unload and load everything we had. A bit inconvenient, but that's house rules I suppose. Our glamping unit 26 had a very nice front view of the water at the balcony. The decor and glamping furniture is pretty cool. I wished that they have a mini fridge though. Instead, they provided a chill box and a bag of ice at check in. They make you check out at the gift shop, which is a smart move because it entices you to peruse through their souvenirs. I ended buying South African hot sauces and braai sauce. (It's delicious by the way. I highly suggest on getting a few for those bbq days.) It's relaxing here and I felt like one with nature while being with my starter family. One doesn't have to roam around too much to get a glimpse of wild animals. It's such a unique experience and definitely recommend!

100 times yes for the safari! Alex really made our safari special. So knowledgeable and just a fun personality. We saw so many just born babies and spent so much time with each animal. Even though it poured rain it proved to be the best time to see animals as animals love the rain! We kept warm with blankets and umbrellas they provided but glad I also brought my own poncho (though they had those too!) absolutely would do this again!!

Where do I start? Safari West is a great experience. We first walk into a large aviary. Beautiful birds. Large flock of flamingos in a different section. Playful lemurs. Robert our tour guide drove the custom safari vehicle, we sat at the top seat and what a great view from there. A little challenging getting up there. Robert would make stops and gave us expert information on the animals, great time for photos. He is passionate about his duties. He also had to move an very large ostrich blocking a gate for vehicles to drive through, ostrich was not having it but eventually moved. Later he said there is a 'bonanza' up the hill meaning lots of animals together. He stated he has not seen this in years. See my pix. We get very close to animals, some maybe 5 feet away. A giraffe approached us curios why we were on his road. Zebras staring at us like we were their entertainment. We pre-paid for lunch and I was impressed on the quality of the food. Melon, caesar salad, grilled asparagus, mac and cheese real cheese, fancy bean dish, shredded pork, chicken breast with wing attached fancy. The grounds are very clean and the animals look well cared for and happy. A short story can be written on how magnificent this place is. You should come u leave feeling happy. This was worth every penny.

First time here today and our tour guide was Stephanie she was awesome!! She had great energy and so knowledgeable. It was so cool seeing all of the animals and learning about them and getting so close to them was amazing. Next time we will stay the night and experience that!

Special thanks to Shay. We called the day of like a bunch of amateurs trying to get a spot ... on a sunny Saturday morning. She very politely explained that they were completely booked but suggested I try back later in the afternoon in case anyone canceled. Someone canceled a few minutes after we hung up.... we were set to go!!! There was tons of parking and the place was easy to find. Our tour guide, Brady did a great job. He was funny and informative. Everyone who wanted to, got to spend a good amount of time riding on top of the Old Timey off-road vehicle, which felt very VIP. Stuff like this is not my thing, but I married a nerd and she wanted to go. I'm really glad we did. I genuinely had a great time. Definitely worth checking out.

I just loved it here! It was a beautiful day, sunny but not too hot. There was a cool breeze. We had a lunch reservation at 12 pm. The food was tasty! The homemade barbecue sauce was delicious! Had a reservation for the 2 pm Safari and it was amazing! My fiancé and I sat in the back. ( it felt like the Indiana jones ride at Disneyland) super fun! Our guide's name was Dano and he was super cool. Shared many of his wild adventures in Africa. We learned a lot about animals that we never knew! Saw plenty of animals. I really loved the hyenas and rhinos. My favorite part was when one of the ostriches, named Lucille Ball kept following our truck! The animals here look happy and healthy. :)

Ok, I didn't know what to expect. We went during mid-January, so it was COLD and wet, but thankfully, there was no rain on this particular day. It was wonderful to see some exotic animals that you don't have far to travel to and see. It was worth it!

We recently had the pleasure of going on a Safari West tour in Santa Rosa, and it was an unforgettable experience, thanks to our fantastic tour guide, Gina. From the moment the tour began, Gina's warmth and enthusiasm were evident. She was not only nice and funny but also incredibly engaging and professional. Gina's knowledge of the animals and the environment was impressive, and she shared it with such passion that it made the entire tour special. Her ability to connect with everyone in our group, making us feel involved and entertained, truly stood out. If you're planning a visit to Safari West, I highly recommend requesting Gina as your guide. She will make your adventure even more memorable. Thank you, Gina, for an amazing experience!

Safari West is a true treasure! I've been wanting to visit for years and am so glad we finally did! BEST DAY EVER. Our tour guide, Richard, was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. The property is expansive and gorgeous. The animals are well cared for and thriving with lots of room to roam freely. We loved it and will be sure to return. PS, we also stayed for lunch - a generous buffet with lots of healthy and delicious choices.

Just had the most amazing experience here over memorial day weekend 2024! Check in was a breeze. Our tent was wonderful, cold nights, but the space heater and electric blankets kept us warm, movie night was fun even for two adults. The dinner was delicious, but the Safari ride was the icing on the cake! Our driver, Eric was extremely knowledgeable, humorous, but not too much and extremely well-versed. The fact that they had tea, coffee, decaf, and water available at any given time was a bonus. An added surprise was that they were multiple plantings of roses all in bloom. I could not recommend this place more!

It is a beautiful, informative and lovely experience. The staff are super friendly and well informed. We particularly enjoyed our guide Gina, she made our journey very enjoyable and memorable! 5 Stars

Wow, what a great experience, took my two sons for just the safari portion. Kimberly, was our guide and I'm sorry if I spelt your name wrong. She was knowledgeable and kind. Could really tell she loved her job and the animals that she works with. It was a gorgeous day and seemed as all the animals were out and about, I actually think I may have enjoyed it more than the boys. Next on my bucket list is to stay the night, this is truly an experience everyone should try!

Pros: - What a fun glamping experience! Great to go with little kids since you have a full shower, beds, running water + bathroom... Yet the tents are thin so you can hear all the wild life around you - Our guide was the best and took us to variety parts to see animals with fun tidbits. Very neat experience to be on the top of the truck and got close with Giraffes, Rhinos, and an ostrich even came up to our truck! - All day coffee, fruits, and snacks in the restaurant that's open to guest staying over. Buffet breakfast, lunch, and Dinner (with smores at night) was delicious! Cons: - Pricey especially its a glorified zoo - Not for everyone since some would probably not want to do a 2 hour tour then stay over night or vice versa Overall, Fun experience and would recommend to families or elderly to be able to do unique way of seeing animals.

3 1/2 stars. Visited with a tour group, which included a one plate buffet. Food was good. Took a tram tour that was approx. 1 hour. Tour guide spent more time getting in and out to secure gates. Didn't go very far and saw very few animals. Delighted to see the baby rhino though. Walking guided tour was a lot more interesting. Tour guide was very knowledgeable, and we saw animals I never even knew existed. You are not allowed to walk around on your own. Gift shop had interesting things. I was told I could take the 3 hour jeep tour which would be more interesting but, I looked up the pricing, and, umm, I'll pass. Beautiful ground and area.

Honestly it's a sad business...I left an application and got an interview giving it my all. And the big boss of the business knows me very well infact liked me because I'm known due to other reasons.. after the interview the hiring lady said I do like giving people more experience and I don't think you won't get the job... so she sais she'll call me back Monday and so I waited.. I called HER back Monday because I never got a call. She didn't answer. Called her back Tuesday, no answer. Called her Thursday and have to have the front desk leave a note to her THEN 10 min later I get an answer saying they picked someone more advanced... pretty disappointing considering I was really really down to learn anything and do my best. How does anyone expect to get a job if they aren't even given and chance. The system is fucked. Plus she lied. Knowing I'm looking for a job you get someone hopes up and put them down. Sad, just sayin I won't ever have my family come here...

This has been a long awaited review ! I went here for my Birthday and the experience was like no other ! I had so much fun learning about all the animals and seeing all the babies . As an animal lover each and every one of them fascinated me . And the staff was beyond amazing 5/5 experience. The love and care for the animals can be seen clearly .

I hadn't been here for 15+ years and just went on a tour last week with my friend who was visiting from Japan. We took the 9am tour and it was quite cold, but they did provide blankets that we could use to help stay warmer. There are about 4 seats above the driver's head, which is an amazing view, but a little bumpier ride, and three benches behind the driver which seat 3-4 people each bench (depending on the size of people). My bench ended up a little crowded since I'm not a small person, but we made it work and it was really great to see the animals. Our guide had good information and was good at driving the vintage vehicle. When the jeep decided to conk out on a hill, a new vehicle was driven up and we were carefully transferred from one to the other to continue on our way. The guide kept us entertained while we waited for the new jeep, though I would have liked more Safari-West specific time-filler, maybe some history about the preserve? After our jeep tour, which included (but was not limited to) eland, rhinos, red forest hogs, cape buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, kudu, oryx, and giraffes, we walked the grounds with the guide, learning about birds (so many birds!), monkeys, cheetahs, porcupines, and hyenas. All the animals looked extremely well cared for and happy and healthy. My friend and I stayed for lunch and that was very pleasant too. A nice little buffet with meat and vegetarian options (not sure about dietary restricted menu options as I didn't look for them). Afterwards, we checked out the gift shop, which has a lot of fun stuff, and at reasonable prices, and there were also areas where we could just sit and watch lemurs on a lemur-island, or watch some of the smaller aviaries, without getting kicked out of the place. It was really relaxing and peaceful. The 10am and 1pm tours seem to sell out the fastest, so book earlier if you want one of those. They are open every day, even holidays, and have staff available 24/7 since they also have overnight guests. Highly recommended if you're in the area. About 10 min drive from the 101 at Mark West Springs exit. Super close but feels like you're worlds away.

Had an AMAZING experience today! Our safari guide Zoey was simply beyond. Zoey first led us through each exhibit on the foot-walking tour, stopping in front of each aviary and habitat for the birds, cheetahs, fennec fox, lemurs, hyenas, and primates to tell us about the animals. There were a few very young children in our tour party, that weren't with our group - I was impressed with how well Zoey handled them, to keep them and the animals safe. After the walking tour, we boarded the safari truck (ours was called Rosie The Riveter). Zoey drove us through the entire preserve, stopping to admire all the animals and tell us about each one. We saw zebras, cape buffalo, and so many different kinds of antelope! We learned that white fur, often indicates a desert animal, as white fur refracts sunlight and helps keep the animal cool. Zoey had just an incredible knowledge of all the animals! It was just beyond what you would expect from a tour guide, so incredibly educated and invested. Zoey taught us about the 3 different purposes of antlers/horns: Display, defense, and thermoregulation. Early on, I thought we were approaching the red river hog pen. I got excited because I love the red river hogs! But instead, they were warthogs. I loved the warthogs too! But I guess Zoey knew that I wanted to see the red river hogs so much (I did!) that at the end of our Rosie the Riveter tour, she brought us by the red river hog pen so we could see them from a safe distance. I am already wanting to return for the overnight tent trip 20/10, would come again! Zoey FTW!!

We had such a great time at Safari West and highly recommend. We'd like to credit our great experience to Mckenna, our tour guide. She was so knowledgeable and friendly and made our tour enjoyable and memorable!

Safari Away Safari West is a gigantic 400-acre ranch that's dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and education of all manners of animal species. Originally started in 1989 as a private ranch for breeding key species, it soon opened its doors to the public in 1993 and now houses 98 species and over 1,000 animals. The Good: *One of only six private zoos in the US that's AZA accredited. *Our tour guide was fantastic. I wish I could remember her name, but it started with a "K." Kara? Kaitlyn? Kendra? *Riding on the two-level military-style jeeps thru the hills was quite the adventure, especially after all the rain. *Tent cabins available for overnight stays (didn't do so, I can't comment) *Ring-tailed lemurs were so much fun to watch! *We visited at a particularly cold time, so we got a really unique up close and personal experience with the giraffes in their enclosure as opposed to outside. *The gift shop had some really unique items, in particular this fermented Jalapeño hot sauce I bought from there was simply fantastic. The Meh: *Reservations are required and ticket prices are a bit high ($105/adult $95/kids) when compared to places like the SD Zoo ($67) but you get a more personalized experience and tour. I honestly felt like it was worth the money, but I'm sure not all would agree. The Ugly: *The only annoying thing about the Jeep tour was each enclosure had sally ports (double gate), so every time we went from one enclosure to the next the guide had to jump out, open the gate, drive thru, jump out, close the first gate, open the second gate, jump back in, drive thru, jump out, and finally close the second gate. There was another employee in the jeep with her, but for some odd reason, he just sat there. I have no idea why. Not sure if he was being a chode or if she was being trained but it was a very odd dynamic. TLDR: Fantastic experience and highly recommended but at a price.

I took my spouse & 2 year old to Safari West (Santa Rosa) for a night stay in a half a tent half a cabin for $400 or so. It was a beautiful experience. I saw giraffe as well as other animals. It wasn't explained properly that we wouldn't be able to experience 99% of the attraction however, because our child was too young to see the rhino's. Even so, I didn't let it deter me to enjoy myself. However when I came to a locked bird cage trail I inquired about access, & they wanted us to pay an additional $100 to see some birds. I almost want to give this 2 or even 3 stars, but I feel ripped off TBH.

Safari West was an excellent experience. We did a 2 night stay. Our tent was closer to the back so we had a little hike to get there. So that gave us a chance to check out more of the property. Walking to our tent we saw a deer with 2 babies. Perfect way to start the day! We had a beautiful view from the porch of our tent. It was amazing. The beds are very comfortable and have heated blankets for the chilly nights. We also did the Safari tour. Jack was our tour guide. You can tell he loves his job. He was great and made it so fun. I wanted to go on the Safari mostly for the Giraffe's. But it was amazing to see so many different animals as well. The Buffet dinner was delicious. We are already planning to go back to Safari West next year.

The lunch was great! It was outdoors with the mist and thank goodness because it was HOT the day we went on our tour. The tour was nice and informative. Gift shop had lots of cute things. Staff was very friendly, I enjoyed Safari West!

Big fun for the animal lovers out there. Hard to believe you can find exotic animals in the middle of California, but Safari West is just that. This MASSIVE estate houses numerous species of wild animals, bred in captivity, and used to humans enough that you can get some great pictures from the safety of your safari truck. Safari West's primary excursion is a tour on their safari trucks, with a tour guide drive who guides you around the park, searching for animals. Our guide was both informative and entertaining, regaling us with riveting stories about acquiring new animals, fighting the California wildfires, and his personal history of a former teacher turned wild life expert. The safari truck has rooftop seating, and those brave enough to venture up top will be treated to a bumpy but breathtaking view of the fields. For a little added fun, Safari West does sell alcoholic beverages, so you can enjoy the beauty of nature with a buzz. I should also note that for safety reasons these tours are for people aged 4 and older. You won't find any major predators in Safari West. Giraffes, zebras, and ostriches are some of the cool critters who make their home here. The most impressive sight was a family of rhinos including a one year old baby. They have a separate area where you travel on foot, more akin to a zoo, with all manors of primates and an impressive aviary. From the biggest creatures to the smallest, I was impressed with how healthy and active the animals were, a sure sign of the care these creatures get from the dedicated employees. In addition to offering private and specialized tours, Safari West also has a hotel-like service with cabins you can rent on the estate. I was told that these cabins don't have internet access and are missing some of the more typical hotel amenities, but they have running water and you'll be woken up every morning to the calls of uppity flamingos (a sound I am told is sure-fire to wake you up). For an unbelievable experience, travel to the exotic, larger than life world of Safari West.

It was an amazing experience. I was visiting from Orange County California to Sonoma. I found this tour on line. It was 40 mins from Sonoma no traffic. I am very happy that I took a chance on this tour. The 3 hours tour it was so much fun. It gives you the vibe of African Safari. I took my tour at noon wish it was very hot but they provide you with an umbrella if you sit on top of the jeep also they provide a spray water bottle to keep you cool. You can alternate to ride on top of the jeep if you wish to experience a wonderful view. Our guide it was very funny, friendly and very knowledgeable about the story and animals. Perfect for a families. There is a restaurant with snacks and BBQ. Clean restrooms and fountain water to fill up your bottle water if you need to. A beautiful safari store to buy souvenirs. So worth the trip and money,

We went out with Gina and she was a hoot! She was so knowledgeable and stopped along the tour for as long as we needed to learn all we could about the animals. She was a great driver in the rough terrain and also eased my fears when on steep roads. She really went above and beyond to ensure our trip was magical. Thanks Gina!

We had a perfect time here on a crisp fall day, just after Thanksgiving, to celebrate our little guy's birthday with his Grandparents. Here are the highlights: ***The Safari: The Safari is about 3 hours with the first 2 hours on a Jeep driving around up close with the animals and then 1 hour on foot. See my review on Bearizona where I thought I was impressed with something. This puts that to shame. The animals are in the enclosures with you and you could literally reach out and touch them (but don't)! ***The Guides: Our guide was amazing. She knew so much about all of the animals, and she was only too happy to answer the barrage of questions our vehicle was throwing out! ***The Accommodations: We didn't stay here, but I really want to. It looks awesome. What a great and different way to experience this place. We are definitely going to do this. ***Ride the top: Make sure to tell your guide that you want to ride on top. It's a totally different perspective up there and it cannot be missed. Keep in mind that younger and older party members will have to climb up there...it's not hard but could be challenging for more seasoned bones. For example, my Dad did fine but my Mom would not have been able to get up there. Some tips for when you go. 1) This place is popular and there is an obvious reason why. If you want to go, you need to get reservations and these seem to fill up pretty quickly, so when you want to go, get on it early! 2) If it's cold, make sure to dress warm. It gets cold on the vehicle, especially if you're up top. 3) They have a cute little store that has cold and hot drinks plus snacks etc. It was cold when we went so it was nice to grab a hot coffee/hot chocolate to bring with us when we started the walking portion.

Will rate at 5 stars when a #10 is closer to the experience. Megan L. was a perfect guide and host. The entire staff appeared happy to be there. Everything there is clean and cared for. The staff is friendly and genuinely interested in making your visit memorable. Splurge a bit and book one of the overnight packages. You won't regret it!

This review is long overdue! We came here for my sons 5th birthday because he loves animals and he had a blast. We booked the 9am tour (super early) but the tour is about 3 hours, we were done a little after 12noon. You're able to reserve lunch and eat there but we did not do that option (the food smelled really good though). We did stop at the snack shop and we grabbed snacks for our ride. If you have a little one, they may not be able to sit at the top for the tour depending on their height FYI. John was our tour guide 5/5, he was the best!!! Our group was fantastic, we had a lot of fun and all of the kids on the tour did a great job to say there's some walking and then the tour itself is pretty long. The animals were beautiful. It's expensive but definitely worth it!

Safari West is great for all ages. This trip, we had a birthday party for my son. The team arranged a little birthday dinner. We camped & the next morning we had a private tour, lunch and another birthday celebration. The team knows how to make a day special. The food is bbq/buffet style. My son is very picky and he still ate everything. Maybe it was because he didn't have a choice but I don't mind, he ate without complaining :) The coordinators name is Tina. We played phone tag for about a week until she finally emailed me (I work during business hours and can't talk on the phone.) She made our celebration extra special. I gave her a budget to do whatever she thought would be best. She had a giraffe stuffed animal in our tent all packaged neatly with a card and sign. She picked out great desserts for dinner and lunch. I am grateful for her help. She even came out during our lunch to say hello to me and happy birthday to my son. We come to Safari West approximately once a year. It never gets old. We look forward to many more trips.

Wife and I had a great time here with our guide Dano. He had explanations and info on every animal down to the names they were given. The tour was 3 hours long so hit that bathroom and get some water before you head out.

All staff interactions were positive and friendly. Tour guide (Renad ?) was personable a knowledgeable! Saw lots of animals up close during the three hour tour! Also booked the overnight options and enjoyed dinner and the comfy accommodations! Fantastic experience!

My friend told me about this place recently and I can't believe I never heard about it. It was a smooth check in. We had some time to spare so we ate our lunch before our tour. Our tour guide was Dano and he was excellent. We were able to ride at the top of the truck which was nice. The tour is about 2 hours on the truck and an hour walking. I loved that you get pretty close to the animals which really makes you feel like you are in the safari. I brought my kids and I would say depending on age and patience it may or may not be for your kids. It is a driving, stopping and talking tour but I loved hearing the information about each animal. I wish I wouldve known about the feeding tour they have twice a day that wouldve been nice to do. They also have glamping as well. Definitely something I'd do ever couple of years.

Up close to animals. Booked this in advance but saw that weekends and mornings go by quick. Our safari was at 2pm and we made a dinner reservation for 5:30pm that worked out perfectly. We started with a walking portion which was cool. We were able to see the hyena. Our tour guide called the hyena by name, and it came out. The bird exhibit was so cool as the birds are literally walking next to you. We sat in the back of the safari. We saw lots of different animals and was able to take pics up close to them. I thought it was so cool to see the baby zebra. We even had an ostrich get in front of us, and we couldn't move around him and was stuck following behind him which the tour guide made the experience pretty epic to see. We were allowed to take turns sitting up top. After our tour, we had a dinner buffet. Food was actually pretty good and filling and well worth the price.

The absolute BEST experience with so many core memories made. If you're able, I highly encourage you to stay the night. The "tents" were so comfy, warm, and had all the amenities you could need. There's no need to cook, as you can purchase meals at their onsite restaurant. (Btw, they are incredibly thoughtful about food allergies... they called out everything in the buffet to avoid, and even substituted a dessert for my son, who has an egg allergy). The grounds are beautiful, as you're surrounded by amazing wildlife everywhere! The tour itself was fantastic. Cindy was lovely, funny, and so knowledgeable. You do a 2.5 hour tour in their 90acre lot, and then do a walk through their aviary and other animals after. They will allow the passengers to switch spots, so everyone has a chance to ride on top of the car. All in all, phenomenal experience. I don't know why It's taken me so long to do it! Would recommend and do it again!

Lions and tigers and bears oh my. Is this actually out our back door. It was so close and so much fun and I can't even think about all the things that I can tell you about it. But one of the tail tail things that you see immediately the immediately is the communication and comaraderie between the employees. There, their activity and friendliness was forefront in every meeting that I had with every single person. This was a gift from my daughter to her mom and I. I Didn't know what to expect when we got there but after walking down several nice garden and signed trails surrounded by interesting and unusual exotic animals and cages we came to an open airing area where there were many trucks many trucks and many guides to assist you walking any part of the park and explain all that you see. I imagine these trucks are the same kind of trucks that you see in the Savannah's of Africa when tours are taken out for their photo adventures. We were delighted to find out that the tour was prettyAwesome looking at all the wild animals roaming freely on this huge huge estate hundreds and hundreds of acres.It was a parrot that safety was their number one concern so they took very good care of us and made sure that they watched everyone to make sure they were safe. I appreciated that from myself and my family. You have a couple food options while you're there. You can either eat at the little cafe and just get snacks or you can stay till later in the day but by reservation only go to the restaurant where they serve sort of a buffet style and it's really really good home cooking. I talked to the chef and the chef and she told me that everything is made fresh there and that she is a true chef she's not a kitchen cook. It was interesting to see how the preparation went for the day. And the flavors of all the food explained that we were not going to be disappointed after shoes you disappointed after she explained it and then we tasted her love and Expertise put into every dish. So we got to see great beasts of Africa we got to write on these massive trucks sort of hanging on the sides and bouncing over dusty rocky roads and we ate wonderful food there and we're treated like royalty I can't say enough about this place and every single person that we met from the dishwasher write to the person that to the person that love the tour. I would also like to mention that please do everything by reservation get your tickets to visit the place get your ticket to eat there and if you want they even have cabins that you can rent and spend the night there and do the full package so it's an adventure of a lifetime.

My friends and I had so much fun at Safari West today! We loved our guide, Justin. He was so funny and patient and extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife. I came away from this tour with so many fun facts about the animals! My only concern is that I felt that the big cats were kept in small cages for their size and seemed anxious... but other than that, I loved the experience!

The staff was fantastic! The safari tour was great! And the dinner was literally 5 star. However ... we misread the over night part that said its a tent cabin instead of cabin. We went at end of nov for my birthday. Which was our own fault ... no fault of facility. Out night thete was miserable! The temp inside tent was 31 degrees even with the little space heater they provided. Our pipes froz in tent i guess, as our water stopped in sink . We werent able to clean up or brush teeth. Thank goodness for bottled water. Its our own fault though going so late in season like i said . I truly think they need to shut down the tent part until temperatures warm up in spring . Unless youre a polar bear and love the cold . But i am sure fun in summer months . If you decide to go during winter months ... definitely go ... just stay night at a local hotel . We have never been so cold in our lives . So if you have kids or elderly folks wanting to stay night.... Wait till nice weather at night. Over all a great organization. Lovely place and lovely staff .

Oh yes, I've heard about this place for years, but I pooh-poohed it. Do you know how to pooh-pooh? Just put your lips together, roll your eyes, and mumble something passive-aggressively. Y'see, I've been on an African safari before, in Africa no less, and I couldn't imagine anything that could approach that experience. After all, we're talking about a safari in the cozy wine country, not the wilds of the Masai Mara. My uninformed opinion remained fossilized until the pandemic started to increase my wanderlust exponentially, so I decided Jamie W. and I deserved a safari less than an hour away from our house. Let me set the right expectations for you here. First, you need to make a reservation a few weeks in advance to assure yourself a desirable day and time. It costs $103 per person, not an ungodly sum, and while there was plenty of direction on required COVID-19 behaviors, there wasn't much information on what the exact experience would be. As it turned out, it consisted first of a two-hour drive in a Range Rover where we went over the expansive rolling grounds which were subdivided by double-entry gates to protect the various species sometimes from each other. Each set of passengers was rotated fairly in order to allow an opportunity for everyone to sit in the rooftop seats. The primary benefits of that vantage point were mingling with particularly curious giraffe near the beginning of the ride and a broader sense of the landscape throughout. It's best to think of the grounds as a series of large compounds where the animals looked quite peaceful, well tended, and sometimes a bit curious. Don't expect to see the Big Five here. Two are here - a couple of rhinoceros and several water buffalo - but no lions, leopards, or elephants. Don't fret as there was plenty of wildlife to see. Giraffe, zebra, antelope, African cattle, flamingoes, and ostriches were all present and accounted for among several others that meld in my memory. There was one especially affectionate ostrich that forced our guide to back up our vehicle for an extended stretch. Speaking of which, the quality of the drive was wholly dependent on the quality of the guide, both in handling the rover and sharing extensive knowledge of the fauna with clarity and conviction. On both counts, Leslie was excellent. If anything, she could have used a partner to help her with the opening and closing of the gates to speed the drive along. Our drive concluded back in the main congregation area where we were given a restroom and the snack bar break. The last 45 minutes of our visit were devoted to a walking tour of the more zoo-like facilities where we mostly saw exotic monkeys and birds. They also had an ocelot and a couple of cheetah in separate pens. The main aviary provided an impressive finale to our visit as the striking colors of the birds provided pure eye candy. Overall, we were quite impressed with how well the business was run and how immersive the entire experience was. The kids in our rover appeared to be particularly enthralled and engaged. Leslie told us a lot of the improvements like the double-entry gates were fairly recent. There are more premium features like a full-fledged open-air restaurant and high-end glamping accommodations if you want to have an extended vacation on the faux-Serengeti. Not us though. We were ready for some wine. RELATED - Exploring north of San Francisco? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2tIHlkV

This place is such a gem! It is truly for ALL ages and the closest thing you'll get to a safari in Africa, without the expensive flight! I took my friend for her birthday and we had such a wonderful time, the giraffes, the zebras, rhinos, even wildebeests, impalas and dykers and so on and so on! Gina our tour guide was everything and more, funny, personable, friendly and very knowledgeable! She was the cherry on top of an already amazing experience, thanks Gina!

My experience far exceeded my expectations. I felt transported to another world! The animals, the birds, the terrain...everything was amazing! Our guide, Gina, was so knowledgeable about all the animals and shared so many interesting and funny stories. I learned so much. I can't wait to return!

Amazing Safari ride in the day time. The atrium was amazing. Definitely recommend. Tips: If going in the day and in Summer: -bring a hat that won't fly off, and gives sufficient sun coverage. Wear sunscreen. The sun literally beats down on you if you ride on the top of the jeep. They offered umbrellas which was a lifesaver. If staying overnight: Bring noise blockers, super warm PJs We also stayed overnight which I don't recommend unless you come prepared with some sort of noise blocking headphones to wear during sleep. Our tent cabin was located near the lake and there were large groups of birds yelling at each other. There are electric blankets and a heater inside the tent. Be warned the tent bathrooms are incredibly cold at night and in the morning. You're staying basically in a canvas tent with plumbing and a wood frame so there isn't much insulation.

Genuinely underwhelming fake safari. Mostly driving around with few interesting animals we spent most time looking at dry hills. I would have been more excited to see a rattlesnake than another antelope type animal. There's a much better variety of animals at local zoos. The lunch was pretty tasty. Liked the wild chickens roaming around. Felt like a scam for $400 for 3 tickets. There should be up close encounters with animals at those prices. It's something to tick off the list for people but honestly the Oakland or SF zoo is way better. Vision Quest in Salinas is also better.

Oh my goodness. Where do I start? We were going to plan a trip to San Diego wildlife park as we went many years back. A friend told me about Safari West and I told my wife and within the hour my wife booked us for the upcoming week. We did everything possible from the Safari tour to the behind the scenes to staying the night in a tent cabin to eating lunch, dinner and breakfast the next morning before departing. Everyone was exceptionally friendly and helpful from check ins to checkout and everything in between. We highly recommended spending the day and night here if you can find a way. It was such a wonderful experience. The FOOD WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE MONEY. I don't mind paying for quality food and adventures and that's exactly what we got. The woman who made our meals was Pat and our food was delicious and made with Love and care along with her crew. I could go on and on about how impressed we were with everything about our stay at Safari West. The behind the scenes allowed for us to feed many different animals and actually bring home some slobber from feeding the Giraffes. Great times to be had at Safari West. Stay hydrated and enjoy.

Excellent experience for young families, as close to a safari as one can get in the Bay Area. I've been on a ten-day safari in Tanzania, so I want to make it very clear that this is not the same. You're in the hills between Napa and Sonoma valleys in California, where it is significantly colder than the Rift Valley, you're not immersed in African culture, you're not staring at beasts (like elephants, lions, leopards, or hippos) who could kill you if they chose to, and you're not exposed to dangerous insects (like the malarial mosquito, the tsetse fly or the killer bee). But it has many features of a safari, so it was an inexpensive and fun way for the kids and missus to share some of my experiences. Here are some must-do's if you want the same for your family: -- book a tent: We paid over $300 to stay on-site but it was worth it. The tent was fully furnished and comfortable, with running water and electricity, but it got cold, in spite of a space heater and electric blankets. But we could hear the animals and birds through the night, which is how it was in the African bush. -- explore: walk around at dusk and view all the animals that are housed near the living quarters, such as black swans, flamingos, lemurs, giraffes, and various antelope. -- book an early morning safari: this is when the animals are most active, and you're most likely to have encounters and interactions with animals in their habitat, which are less likely in a zoo. During our safari, we saw fighting zebra, came within inches of curious ostriches, saw what "migrating" wildebeest are like, and avoided mean-looking Cape buffalo by staying away from their young. Safari west also has a cafeteria and restaurant on site, plus a gift shop. You can always drive thirty minutes to Napa or Sonoma Valley to grab a meal if you prefer. We will be back!

We came here a party of 7 to celebrate my big birthday. We had 3 tents (spacious in Antelope Alley), Safari dinner (witch was good) and a private Safari tour in the morning that was EXCELLENT! The animals have big spaces to roam and seemed calm and content. Our favorite were the hyenas, giraffes and the cheetahs. We came in the month of May so the weather was cool and perfect. HIGHLY recommend this place for anyone!!!