5-Day Kruger Park and Private Lodge Combo Safari
- Duration
- 4 nights / 5 days
- Starts at
- Johannesburg or Nelspruit, South Africa
- Ends at
- Johannesburg or Nelspruit, South Africa
- Itinerary and duration is customisable?
- Yes
A guided safari in the Kruger Park (using the national park camps) is quite different to a safari at a private game lodge. Both have their advantages. This trip idea combines the best of both with 2 nights in Kruger followed by 2 nights at a private game lodge.
Day 1-3:
Depart from Johannesburg or Nelspruit and join one of our 3-day Kruger Park safaris, spending two nights at one of the best camps in the Kruger National Park, overlooking the Sabie River. Normally we stay at Skukuza Camp or Lower Sabie Camp, using comfortable thatched bungalows for accommodation. All game drives are included in the cost and conducted on an open safari vehicle. Breakfasts and dinners are also included.
The benefits of this part of the safari is that you will have a highly experienced guide, you will see a huge variety of wildlife and explore a large part of the Kruger National Park, driving through different landscapes and vegetation types. All game drives are conducted on an open safari vehicle.
Another alternative is to do this part of your safari on a self-drive basis. We will arrange a rental car for you and give you a map, driving directions and handy self-drive safari guide. Enjoy the adventure of exploring the vastness of Kruger on your own, before making your way to a private game lodge for the last two nights.
Day 3-5:
On day 3 we transfer you to a private game lodge in the Kruger Park, or in the famous Sabi Sand or Timbavati Game Reserve, private reserves which form part of the greater Kruger National Park. Here all meals and game drives are included in the cost, and the accommodation is more luxurious than in the national park camps. Morning and afternoon game drives are conducted on open land rovers, and the vehicles are able to go off-road to get closer to the animals. At a private game lodge, your chances of seeing lions or leopards are very good because the vehicles are in radio contact and can follow the tracks of these big cats into the bush. A night drive is included each evening, and a guided bush walk with an armed ranger is also included (not compulsory of course).
The choice of game lodge will depend on your budget and interests, as well as availability. Prices range from about $200 per person per night up to $900 per person per night, depending on the level of luxury, room type and season. We add no booking fees and there are no hidden costs when we give you a quote. Spend two nights at a luxury private safari lodge of your choice.
On the last day, enjoy a final early morning game drive followed by breakfast, and then it is time to check out and head back for Nelspruit (2 hours by road) or Johannesburg (5-6 hours by road, or a one hour flight).
Customize this trip idea:
This is a travel idea, not a fixed itinerary. You can spend more nights in the Kruger Park at the national park camp, or extra nights at the private game lodge if you prefer.
Approximate cost:
The cost will depend on the choice of lodge, but can by anything from about $900 per person sharing, for the full 5 days in low season.
This approximate rate is intended as a guideline only and includes all transfers, accommodation, meals and game drives. Your final quoted rate may differ depending on date of travel, choice of lodge, room type and exchange rate fluctuations.
Related LocationsKruger National Park
The Kruger National Park is South Africa's premier safari destination. At over 2 million hectares in size it is the largest national park in South Africa, and one of the most accessible yet unspoilt wilderness areas in Africa. Adjacent to the Kruger National Park are a number of private game reserves which share unfenced boundaries with the park. Examples of these are the Timbavati and Sabi Sand Game Reserves, which are home to a variety of private game lodges. The whole conservation area is known as the greater Kruger National Park.
More about Kruger National Park
Related LocationsSabi Sand Game Reserve
The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is adjacent to the Kruger National Park. It is a collection of privately owned game reserves which have dropped their fences by mutual agreement. There is also no fence between the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park, allowing the free movement of animals through the reserve. It is known as South Africa's top luxury safari destination, and the best place in the world for viewing leopards in the wild.
More about Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Related FAQ's“What is the difference between the Kruger Park and the Sabi Sand Game Reserve?”
The Kruger National Park is South Africa's largest national park. Adjacent to the park are a number of privately owned game reserves. By mutual agreement, the fences between these reserves and the Kruger Park have been dropped, to enlarge the area under conservation and encourage free movement of animals. The entire conservation area is known as the Greater Kruger National Park, and is over 2.2 million hectares in size. The most famous of these private reserves is the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, and the Timbavati Game Reserve further north. The lodges in these game reserves are privately owned and the land rovers are able to go off-road to get closer to an animal sighting. This is not permitted in the Kruger National Park itself. This is one of the main differences between the Sabi Sand and Kruger, as well as the fact that all the land rovers are in radio contact. This makes your chances of seeing the Big Five, especially leopards, much better in the Sabi Sand than in the Kruger Park. Another difference is cost. Generally the accommodation in the Sabi Sand is more expensive and more luxurious than in the Kruger Park. Other than the differences mentioned above, the vegetation and animals found in the Sabi Sand are exactly the same as in the Kruger National Park.
More on the Frequently Asked Questions page
Related FAQ's“How far is the Kruger Park from Cape Town / Johannesburg?”
The Kruger National Park is in the north eastern corner of South Africa, against the border with Mozambique. Please see our map page to orientate yourself and get to know the region. The Kruger Park is 5 hours driving from Johannesburg, or a one hour flight. From Cape Town, it is best to fly to Johannesburg or to Nelspruit, the closest city. Cape Town to Nelspruit is a three hour flight, and from Nelspruit it is another hour by road to reach the Kruger Park.
Other distances:
Cape Town to Johannesburg is a 2 hour flight, or 12 hours by road.
Johannesburg to Durban is a 1 hour flight, or 6 hours by road.
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth via the Garden Route is a 90 minute flight or 8 hours by road.
Johannesburg to George (Garden Route) is just less than a 2 hour flight.
Johannesburg to Victoria Falls is a 2 hour flight.
More on the Frequently Asked Questions page
