3 Day Kruger Park Safari
Our popular 3-day Kruger Park safari is designed for those who want a quick and affordable way to see the Kruger National Park in the company of an expert guide, but are really short on time. This 3-day Kruger Park safari is sometimes called our Kruger Quick Safari. We offer regular scheduled departures from Johannesburg or Nelspruit. Custom departure dates and private departures can be arranged on request. Book early to avoid disappointment!
Highlights
- 2 nights/3 days Kruger Park safari
- Quick and affordable way to experience Kruger
- Regular, scheduled departures from Johannesburg
- Open vehicle game drives in Kruger National Park
- Highly experienced guide
- Small groups (max 9)
- En-suite bungalow/chalet accommodation inside Kruger Park (no camping)
- Best game viewing areas in Kruger National Park
- Night drive possible as optional extra
- We offer bottled water, a map book and animal checklist
Itinerary
Day 1
The 3 day Kruger Park safari departs early morning from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, or we can pick up from the surrounding airport hotels within a 5km radius from the airport. Enjoy a scenic drive to the Kruger National Park in a comfortable, air-conditioned minibus.
At the Kruger Park entrance gate, we switch to an open safari vehicle. Game viewing begins as soon as we enter the gates.
While making our way to the camp, we search for wildlife and you can expect to see a large variety of animals, including giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, elephants, buffalo, kudu, impala and various other species. We will either check in at our camp first and then head out immediately for an afternoon game drive, or continue our game drive from the moment we enter the park and only check in at our camp by sunset.
Dinner is the first included meal, and may be prepared by your guide (all our guides are excellent chefs too!) If the weather permits, we usually eat outside and enjoy a traditional South African braai (barbecue). Alternatively, we may use the camp restaurant or our catering team. We try and cater to most dietary preferences, as long as we know about them in advance.
We overnight in the main rest camps in the southern part of the Kruger National Park. The exact choice of camp will depend on availability. The camp is safely fenced with an electric fence and features a swimming pool, restaurant, curio shop and viewing deck overlooking the river.
Accommodation is in a standard air-conditioned bungalow with mosquito screens, air-conditioning and small en-suite bathroom. The accommodation is rather basic but perfectly comfortable, cleaned and serviced daily. Most units have either two or three single beds per room. If availability permits, it may be possible to upgrade to luxury bungalows, or even to luxury 4-star hotel accommodation if you prefer that (at extra cost).
Day 2
Today you will get an early wake up call from your guide. We enjoy some coffee and head out for our morning safari drive, looking for the Big Five and any other wildlife we may come across.
Early morning is the best time for game viewing. We may see hyenas returning to their den, or baboons playing in the sun, or a herd of elephants coming to the river to drink. Sometimes the nocturnal predators such as lions or leopards are still active early in the morning.
Of course, on a Kruger Park safari you need a bit of luck, particularly of you have only 3 days on safari. Every drive is different and part of the excitement of a game drive is not knowing what you will see.
A hearty brunch will be enjoyed a bit later in the morning, either at a picnic site or at one of the other camps, or perhaps back at our own camp. Brunch (breakfast and lunch in one) is a feast and will either be prepared by your guide, or by our catering team.
The game drives on this safari are flexible. We do not stick to a fixed time limit or daily schedule, like the private safari lodges do. Our only limit is the park rule that requires us to be back in camp by sunset. If everyone feels fresh, we may stay out on game drive for most of the day, to cover more distance and see as much as possible in the short time we have.
Alternatively, we may head back to camp after the morning drive, relax a bit or take a nap during the hottest part of the day. You can browse in the curio shop, relax at the swimming pool or watch animals from the deck overlooking the river. During the afternoon, we head out on another game drive.
As the day cools down, the animals become more active and this is again a good time for game viewing.
Along the way, depending on the route, we may stop at a lookout point, game viewing hide or picnic spot where you can stretch your legs a little.
We return to camp at around sunset and enjoy dinner around the fire or in the camp restaurant.
Day 3
On our last morning we head out on our final safari drive, in search of any wildlife that may have eluded us thus far.
The Kruger National Park is over 2 million hectares in size, and the animals roam around freely. Unlike a zoo, there are never any guarantees as to what animals you might see. Our game viewing stats show that we see most of the iconic species such as elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippo, warthog, hyena and various antelope species on every safari. Even on our 3 day Kruger Park safari, short as the time is, we usually see an abundance of wildlife. On 90% of our Kruger Park safaris we also see at least one or more of the big cats (lion, leopard or cheetah). A bit of luck is required to see cheetahs and wild dogs — we see them quite often but not on every safari. While no specific sightings are guaranteed, what is guaranteed is that our guides will make every drive interesting and enjoyable, no matter what specific animals you get to see.
After breakfast, it is time to pack up and start making our way toward the exit gate, as we come to the end of this 3 day Kruger Park safari. We switch back from the open safari vehicle to our air-conditioned minibus for the drive back to Johannesburg.
We usually arrive back in Johannesburg between 5 - 6 pm, depending on traffic. Please keep this in mind when booking onward flights. We drop off at the airport or any of the surrounding airport hotels. Due to traffic congestion, we do not pick up or drop off in Sandton, Pretoria or other areas of greater Johannesburg, outside a 5km radius from the airport.
Important Notes:
- The 3 day Kruger Park safari is our shortest Kruger National Park safari, ideal for those with very limited time, but who still want to experience the wonderful wildlife of one of the world's most famous game reserves.
- This is an affordable small group safari with a focus on maximum game viewing in a short time, not a focus on luxury accommodation, spa treatments, etc.
- Travelling by road from Johannesburg takes approx. 5 - 6 hours to Kruger Gate. It is also possible to fly. We can arrange return or one-way flights if you prefer to fly, at an additional cost (you can fly to Nelspruit/MQP or Skukuza/SZK).
- Check out our list of scheduled departures below. Click on any departure date to enquire for that date.
- You can also request a custom departure or private departure on any other date, at additional cost.
- Please Book Early! Short notice availability on all our Kruger National Park safaris is very limited.
- Please check out our reviews on TripAdvisor. Many guests who have done both a 3 day Kruger Park safari with us as well as a private lodge safari, report that they saw far more wildlife in the Kruger Park with us, compared to the private safari lodge. And of course, our guides are the best in the business!
- Compare before you buy - cheaper is not always better: See our Guide to Comparing Safaris
Quick links to other popular Kruger Park Safaris:
4-day Kruger Park Budget Safari
5-day Kruger Park & Private Lodge Safari Combo
9-day Cape Town & Kruger Park Safari
12-day Victoria Falls, Cape Town & Kruger Park Safari
This page was last updated on 10 November 2022
Rates
| Period | Price per person (pp) |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2023 - October 31, 2024 per person sharing |
$676
£534
€623
R12,600
|
| November 1, 2024 - October 31, 2025 per person sharing |
$719
£568
€663
R13,400
|
The rate is per person sharing. A 25% single supplement applies.
Children age 8-11 years pay 60% of the adult rate.
If you're a family travelling with children under 8, please contact us to discuss safari options.
All rates on our website are provided to give a price estimate only and should not be seen as a firm quote. Likewise, our currency converter will give you a rough idea of the price in another currency, but should not be seen as a firm quote. It is only intended as a guideline, based on the daily interbank exchange rate. The total price includes our tour arrangement and tour management fees, if applicable. Please contact us to receive an accurate, free quote with no obligation.
Includes
- Return road transfers from Johannesburg/Nelspruit in an air-conditioned minibus
- Kruger Park entrance and daily conservation fees
- 2 Nights' en-suite bungalow accommodation inside Kruger Park
- 2 Breakfasts/brunches and 2 dinners
- Flexible game drives in an open safari vehicle
- An experienced English speaking guide as your host and tour leader
- Limited refreshments, tea and coffee. Bottled water on game drives.
Excludes
- Flights, visas and airport tax
- Personal travel insurance
- Lunches/meals not specified
- Drinks
- Optional extras
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities
Scheduled Tour Departures
This trip departs and ends at Johannesburg on the following dates. If you know which dates suit you, go ahead and make a selection below. If none of these dates suit you, please do contact us to request a custom departure at an additional cost on the date of your choice, subject to availability.
You may also want to look at
4 Day Kruger Park Budget Safari
The 4-day Budget Kruger Park Safari is easy on your budget and big on game viewing. This small group, fully-guided safari in Kruger National Park overnights inside the park with scheduled departures from Johannesburg or Nelspruit. Custom departure dates may be arranged (additional cost applies). Book early to avoid disappointment!
5 Day Best of Kruger Safari
The popular 5-Day Best of Kruger Safari is a 4-night/5-day safari in the Kruger National Park offering open vehicle game drives with an experienced safari guide. Includes a night drive and guided bush walk. Spend two nights each at two different camps, in different areas of Kruger Park, giving you the best game-viewing opportunities. Book early to avoid disappointment!
