5 Day Kruger National Park Safari (Bungalow Tour)

Private tour departures are available on request (at extra cost) and can be arranged daily, subject to availability. Contact us, for pricing on custom Private Kruger Safari departures.

Day 1: Johannesburg to Kruger National Park – South Africa

This 5-day Kruger National Park Safari departs from the bustling city of Johannesburg early this morning. Our driver collects you from the OR Tambo International Airport or a nearby hotel (within 5kms of the airport) in Johannesburg.

Alternatively, our driver can collect you in Nelspruit if you prefer to start your Kruger Safari there. From Johannesburg, we drive to Kruger National Park in our luxury air-conditioned tour vehicle (Toyota Quantum or similar). Along the way, we stop for comfort breaks and lunch (own account). En route, your driver stops in Nelspruit to collect any guests starting their Kruger Safari there.

Arriving at Kruger National Park we transfer to an open safari vehicle and the wildlife adventure begins! Our first 4x4 game drive takes us to our well-equipped rest camp in southern Kruger Park. Upon arrival at the rest camp, your safari guide helps you check into your air-conditioned bungalow accommodation. The Kruger safari camps are all fenced in to protect visitors from the predators inhabiting this diverse national park. Your safari guide provides a brief orientation of the facilities at the rest camp, which features a shop, restaurant, and swimming pool. Then, take a moment to settle into your comfortable en-suite bungalow and freshen up before dinner at the camp inside Kruger National Park, South Africa’s premier game reserve.

Dinner is a hearty, traditional South African meal. Tuck in and get a taste of truly South African cuisine, served in the private dining area or the camp restaurant. Excellent South African wines or alternative beverages such as soft drinks, bottled waters, or beers, can be purchased from the camp shop to enjoy with your meal. After dinner, you can relax around the campfire and recount the wildlife adventures of your first thrilling game drive in Kruger National Park.

• Meals included: Dinner
• Accommodation: En-suite, air-conditioned bungalow at a top Kruger Rest Camp
• Safari Activities: Afternoon game drive in Kruger National Park

Day 2: Kruger National Park Safari – South Africa

An early morning wake-up call from your guide gets your first full day on safari in Kruger National Park started. Begin the day with a refreshing coffee or tea and rusks (local tea biscuits) at the camp.

The duration, routing, and timing of game drives on this Kruger National Park Safari are flexible. The times and details of the game drives depend on the wildlife sightings, weather conditions, your group's preferences, and your guide's expertise.

On some days of this Kruger Safari, it may be possible to opt for full-day game drives, instead of morning and afternoon drives, subject to group consensus. This way you'll head out in the morning and only return to camp in the late afternoon. While the game drive times are flexible, the wishes of the entire group will be considered when deciding on the plan for the day.

A typical day on safari in Kruger is as follows. After a quick morning snack, we set off on our morning game drive in Kruger National Park. Mornings are an excellent time of day for game viewing as many animals are at their most active during this period. We head out in an open 4x4 safari vehicle, ideal for viewing and photographing wildlife in the bush. Your guide follows routes that provide superb photographic and game viewing opportunities, sharing his or her knowledge with you along the way. Although each safari vehicle is equipped with one or more sets of courtesy binoculars for shared use during game drives, we recommend bringing your own for optimal game viewing.

Brunch is usually served back at the rest camp, followed by free time to enjoy the camp facilities. Take a swim, do some shopping, eat at the camp restaurant or take a nap in your air-conditioned bungalow (chalet). Later in the afternoon, we set off on an afternoon game drive in our open safari vehicle. Late afternoons are also a great time for spotting and photographing wildlife in the African bush. After our rewarding game drive, we return to camp where you have time to freshen up before dinner, which will be enjoyed in the private dining area or camp restaurant.

• Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
• Accommodation: En-suite, air-conditioned bungalow at a Kruger Rest Camp
• Safari Activities: Morning & afternoon (or full-day) game drives in Kruger National Park

Day 3 & 4: Kruger National Park Safari – South Africa

Day three of our Kruger National Park Safari kicks off with an early coffee or tea and light snacks. Then it's time to pack up for our move to a new rest camp in central Kruger Park. Today's game drives take us to our second rest camp, where we will be based for the next two nights.

Moving to a different area in this nearly two million-hectare national park opens up whole new territory to explore on our game drives. We venture into different ecosystems of Kruger National Park, where you are sure to discover new species of plants, animals, and birds! As on day two, you can opt for full-day game drives or morning and afternoon game drives with a break at the rest camp in between, depending on your group's preferences. Again the game drives are flexible, not limited to set times.

Your knowledgeable guide will tell you more about the animals, birds, small creatures, and plants of Kruger Park and is happy to answer your questions. Evenings are spent at the new rest camp, enjoying dinner in a private dining area or at the camp restaurant. Sit back around the flickering campfire at the end of your days in the South African bush before retiring to your comfortable bungalow.

• Meals included: Breakfasts & Dinners
• Accommodation: En-suite, air-conditioned bungalow at a new Kruger Rest Camp
• Safari Activities: Morning & afternoon (or full-day) game drives in Kruger National Park

Day 5: Kruger National Park to Johannesburg – South Africa

On the final morning of this 5-day Kruger National Park Safari, we get an early start to enjoy one last game drive in our open safari vehicle.

This final game drive gives you a chance to photograph and tick off any of the African wildlife that you may have missed on the previous game drives. After our exhilarating morning game drive, we have breakfast at the camp. Then it is time to depart, keeping an eye out for wildlife as we leave Kruger National Park (at about 12h00).

Exiting Kruger we transfer to our air-conditioned tour vehicle and drive back to Johannesburg, via Nelspruit. We arrive back in the city between 17h00 and 18h00. Your driver drops you off at the OR Tambo International Aiport or nearby hotel, bringing our excellent-value Kruger National Park Safari to a close.

• Meals included: Breakfast
• Safari Activities: Morning game drive in Kruger National Park

Kruger Safari Bungalow Accommodation

This affordable Kruger National Park Safari includes en-suite bungalow (chalet) accommodation at two of the popular rest camps in southern and central Kruger National Park.

Guests typically stay at Kruger's main rest camp, Skukuza Rest Camp for the first two nights. Alternatively, we use Lower Sabie Rest Camp or sometimes Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, depending on availability. Then we move to a new rest camp for nights three and four of the safari. Satara is often selected as the second rest camp depending on availability. All of these Kruger rest camps are well-equipped and comfortable. They each have a swimming pool, restaurant, cafeteria, and other convenient facilities.

The chalet accommodation is air-conditioned and en-suite. The bungalows in Kruger National Park are basic and comfortable and serviced daily. Each bungalow is furnished with two or three single beds and fitted with linen, towels, and a small bathroom. All units have a small fridge and a kettle. The en-suite facilities include a shower, toilet, and basin. The windows and doors of the bungalows in Kruger are all fitted with mosquito screens.

About Kruger National Park - South Africa

South Africa's flagship national park, Kruger National Park is world-renowned for its superb game viewing and is one of Africa's largest and best game reserves. Kruger National Park is home to an unsurpassed diversity of African wildlife (including the Big 5 of Africa) and is considered a world leader in environmental policies and management techniques.

Kruger National Park is a massive protected area, almost 20,000 km² (or some 7,600 miles²) big, about the size of Israel. The leading national park in South Africa, Kruger Park is home to more species of large mammals than any other game reserve in Africa. Big predators include lions, cheetahs, leopards, and wild dogs. Other wildlife species range from buffaloes, elephants, and giraffes to zebras, hippos, and all kinds of antelopes.

Kruger National Park Safari Note

This is a shared, group tour traveling with a maximum of 9 people per vehicle. Groups of over 9 people are split over multiple vehicles and guides. Custom, private tours for groups of less than 9 people can be arranged at extra cost.

Night game drives can be arranged on request and must be pre-booked (at an additional charge) in advance. Night drives are conducted by the SANParks rangers.

Unlike many other Budget Kruger Safaris, these group safaris are closed and do not collect new guests at the gate every day. On these Kruger Safaris guests arriving on different days do not share the same safari vehicles.

On game drives, bottled water is included as well as the courtesy use of binoculars, blankets, and ponchos.

Tailored & Private Kruger Safari Options

This Kruger National Park Safari is available as a private group tour at extra cost. Private safari bookings are not limited to the scheduled departure dates listed here. The private tour departures are available on any date with a minimum of two people, subject to availability.

Private safaris for groups of 2 to 5 people cost extra and quotes are available on request. For private group bookings of more than 6 people, the price of this Kruger Safari is the same as shown above.

The private tour departures are subject to the availability of accommodation in Kruger National Park. Accommodation during peak seasons such as school holidays (Easter, July, Christmas, and annual events like the Skukuza marathon) is limited thus we recommend booking well in advance.

Private Kruger Safaris can be tailormade to include night game drives, Panorama Route trips, and more. On custom safaris, you can combine private safari lodges in the Kruger National Park with the Greater Kruger area.

Private safaris can also be arranged for families with children younger than 8 years (the minimum age on scheduled group safaris).

For more information about private tour options and pricing please contact African Budget Safaris.

Optional Panorama Route Tour

You have the option of adding a scenic Panorama Route Tour to this Kruger National Park Safari at an additional cost. The optional tour explores the Panorama Route and adds an extra night's stay to your safari.

One of the most picturesque parts of South Africa, the Panorama Route highlights include the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, God’s Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and Graskop Gorge, where you can take the lift down into the gorge and green forest below. To add the full Panorama Route Tour to your Kruger National Park Safari and overnight in Hazyview, simply request this add-on when booking your Kruger National Park Safari with us.

Shorter Kruger Park Safari Options:

This 5-day Kruger National Park Safari is also available as a shorter 3-day Kruger Safari and 4-day Kruger Safari Package.

Pre and Post Safari Lodge Rates

Please note that we offer convenient pre-tour and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after your Kruger National Park Safari, which can be added to your tour booking upon request. The 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. For information on rates please follow the link.

Check out more Kruger Park Safaris with African Budget Safaris or read about Kruger National Park. For more information about budget Kruger Park Safari options please contact African Budget Safaris.