5 Day Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari - South Africa

Day 1: Johannesburg to Kruger National Park, South Africa

Our 5 Day Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari begins in Johannesburg, South Africa. On the first morning, the shuttle collects you from the OR Tambo International Airport or your pre-safari hotel close to OR Tambo Airport (within a 5 km radius).

From Johannesburg, we travel northeast, driving straight to our comfortable safari lodge near Kruger National Park. Alternatively, you can book flights directly to Skukuza in Kruger National Park, or to the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport where your safari guide will collect at no extra cost.

We arrive at our comfortable safari lodge in Hazyview in time for a tasty light lunch. After lunch, you are free to settle in, relax and explore the leafy lodge grounds. You can swim in the pool, nap in your air-conditioned room, or take a stroll in the beautiful gardens.

At 15h45, we embark on our first open vehicle game drive in Kruger Park. We venture out on a 4x4 sunset game drive that lasts into the night. Your professional safari guide ensures that you experience an excellent introduction to South African safaris with their diverse wildlife. After a serene sunset in the African bush, your game drive continues in the dark. A spotlight is used to search out nocturnal wildlife on the night game drive.

Our first wildlife adventure in the Big 5 Kruger Park is followed by a hearty dinner back at the safari lodge.

• Meals: Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Safari Lodge near Kruger National Park

Private Safari Option:

Please note that this small-group Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari is also available as a Private Safari Tour that can be booked with a minimum of 4 people. The private safari follows a slightly different itinerary. For more details, please contact us.

Day 2: Full-day Kruger Park Safari, South Africa

Day two of our Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari is set aside for a full day of game viewing in Kruger National Park.

In the morning we rise before dawn and drive to Kruger Park, arriving at the nearest entrance gate within 15 minutes. We enter Kruger Park early in the morning as this time of day is ideal for sighting predators, other wildlife, and birds.

Today your experienced and passionate safari guide ensures that you get the most out of your Kruger Park Safari. Your guide takes you to the best areas in southern Kruger Park for finding the Big 5 of Africa and other fascinating wild animals, birds, and plants. During your open vehicle 4x4 game drive in Kruger National Park, your guide will stop for comfort breaks regularly. You will take a break at one of the rest camps or picnic sites for breakfast and lunch. The safari lodge provides packed breakfasts and you can buy coffee, snacks, cold drinks, and lunch at the rest camps inside Kruger, along with curios.

Keep an eye out for Africa's Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant) all of which are usually sighted on this 5 Day Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari. In the afternoon we make our way out of Kruger, returning at the safari lodge around 16h00. The remainder of the day is free for rest and relaxation at the well-equipped safari lodge. Explore the walking trail on the lodge grounds, with its charming gardens, dams, and water features. Or, enjoy a cold drink and a refreshing dip in the swimming pool, before sitting down to a tasty dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
• Accommodation: Safari Lodge near Kruger Park

Day 3: Panorama Route Tour, South Africa

On day three of our affordable South Africa Lodge Safari, we explore the picturesque Panorama Route near Kruger Park. Today we travel in an enclosed vehicle with air-conditioning.

The day kicks off with a delicious hot breakfast at the lodge. Then, at about 08h00, we set off for the famous Panorama Route of South Africa. From the safari lodge, we drive up into the Drakensberg Mountains, climbing about 1000 meters. (Bring a warm jacket for the day trip because it can get chilly at this high elevation and wear comfortable walking shoes as we do a few short walks today).

Your guide takes you to the top attractions of the Panorama Route and tells you more about this beautiful region. Today's Panorama Route Tour highlights include God's Window, Bourkes Luck Potholes, Blyde River Canyon, Lisbon Falls, the Three Rondavels, and Graskop village.

God’s Window offers spectacular views over the Kruger Lowveld some 1000 meters below the Drakensberg Escarpment. We follow the walking trail through the indigenous forest to the top viewpoint. The walk takes about 20 minutes on average and is well worth the views.

Bourkes Luck Potholes is an unusual rock formation formed by water erosion over hundreds of years. The Bourke’s Luck Potholes are a series of round cavities of various sizes, carved into the sandstone, where the Treur and Blyde rivers meet. We explore the area on foot, crossing small footbridges and peering down at the natural rock formations and water below. The short walking trail also takes us to several pretty waterfalls in the area.

Next, we visit the famous Blyde River Canyon. This is the third largest canyon in the world, about 40 km long and up to 1200 m deep. Another unique feature of the Blyde River Canyon is its abundance of vegetation, earning it the title of the largest 'green' canyon in the world. Here, we admire the sweeping views over deep gorges with rivers and dams. You will also get to see the Three Rondavels from one of the vantage points. This distinctive topographical landmark is one of the famous sights of the Panorama Route, named after the traditional rounds huts known as Rondavels.

We also visit the dramatic Lisbon Falls, which flows year-round. This is the tallest waterfall in the Mpumalanga Province, at 94 meters. For lunch, we stop in the small town of Graskop, on the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment. We head to Graskop's famous pancake place for lunch (own account). After lunch, you can take a walk around the town, browse the quaint local shops and do some curio shopping.

After taking in the stunning sights of the Panorama Route, we return to our affordable safari lodge at about 16h00. Sit back and enjoy a sundowner or take a refreshing swim in the pool, before dinner is served. Then, sit back and relax around the campfire in the open-air boma or unwind at the bar.

• Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
• Accommodation: Safari Lodge near Kruger Park

Day 4: Kruger Park & Safari Lodge, South Africa

Today we return to Kruger Park before sunrise to take advantage of the early morning hours when many predators are at their most active. This morning your professional guide focuses on tracking down the wildlife species on your bucket list and exploring new areas of Kruger Park.

The lodge provides packed breakfasts and you can buy snacks and coffee during the comfort breaks at the rest camps in Kruger Park.

At nearly 2 million hectares Kruger National Park is one of the largest wildlife parks in Africa, hosting an incredible diversity and abundance of animals, birds, plants, and small creatures. Every game drive in Kruger Park offers new discoveries and a unique African safari experience.

We return to the safari lodge at about 11h00 and enjoy a light lunch. Then you are free to put your feet up and soak up the peaceful setting of the lodge. Swim, explore the walking trails, take a siesta, or curl up with a book in one of the comfortable sitting areas. Enjoy another beautiful sunset with sundowners before dinner is served.

Day 5: Kruger Park to Johannesburg, South Africa

On the final day of our Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari, we wake up early for one last game drive in Kruger National Park. We depart from the safari lodge before sunrise, entering the national park as the gates open. As on day two, packed breakfasts are provided by the lodge.

The morning is spent exploring southern Kruger Park in search of any wildlife species on your wishlist that we may have missed thus far. Make the most of your last game drive in the African bush during the golden morning hours when the animals and birds are most active. Guests usually spot all five of the Big 5 animals, by the end of this Kruger Park Safari, so fingers crossed. No two days on safari in Kruger are the same, due to the massive size of the national park and the sheer diversity of plant and animal life found here.

After our final game drive, we exit Kruger Park and return to our nearby lodge. Then it is time to say goodbye to your safari guide and the Lowveld. The shuttle collects you at about 11h30 and drives you back to Johannesburg where our 5 Day Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari began.

Arriving back in Johannesburg the shuttle drops you off at the OR Tambo International Airport or your post-safari hotel within a 5 km radius of the airport, between 17h00 and 18h00.

• Meals: Breakfast

About Kruger Safari Lodge Accommodation

On this Kruger National Park Safari, guests stay at one of two carefully selected safari lodges in Hazyview. Both lodges are privately owned establishments. They offer affordable, yet quality accommodation in unique natural environments close to Kruger National Park. These comfortable safari lodges provide air-conditioned, en-suite accommodation.

The lodges are situated within a 15-minutes drive from the Phabeni or Numbi gates of Kruger National Park. Both feature a swimming pool and spacious entertainment and dining areas. The safari guides are all licensed and experienced. These professional guides are passionate about African wildlife and wilderness areas, especially Kruger Park.

Umbhaba Eco Lodge is the lodge that guests typically stay at on this Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari. It is set in a charming garden with a walking trail through the indigenous Lowveld bush. There are dams and water features on the grounds which look out over the Sabie Valley in the distance. The garden attracts plenty of birdlife making it a great choice for birders. Each lodge room has a private balcony and its own en-suite bathroom. The lodge has wi-fi, a lovely swimming pool, and a fantastic viewing deck for sundowners. Eco-friendly features of the lodge include greywater systems, heat pumps, recycling, and inverter air-conditioner units.

Kruger Park Safari Experience

One of the most famous game reserves in the world and one of Africa's finest, Kruger National Park is South Africa's flagship safari destination.

Kruger Park incorporates about 19,623 km² (7,576 sq mi) of bushveld, covering about the size of Israel. Given its vast size and unique location, Kruger encompasses diverse eco-zones of vegetation that support different kinds of animals, birds, and other creatures. On your open 4x4 game drives in Kruger Park, your safari guide shows you a variety of these eco-zones, ranging from African bushveld to riverine plains and woodlands. The open safari vehicle offers the best visibility for watching and photographing wildlife, whilst immersing you in the South African bushveld.

Kruger Park hosts an incredible array of species, including 148 mammal species and over 500 bird species. This wildlife safari focuses on the southern region of Kruger Park which hosts a higher density of wildlife than the northern region. Wildlife often sighted in southern Kruger include rhinos, elephants, leopards, lions, buffalos, giraffes, zebras, wild dogs, cheetahs, kudus, and various other antelope species.

This Kruger Lodge Safari includes a full-day Kruger Park Safari, giving guests more time inside Kruger Park. Your guide stops regularly for comfort breaks at rest camps in the park. The longer game drive enables the safari guides to cover more ground and visit different areas hosting varied wildlife. About 80% of previous clients on this Kruger Park Safari saw all five of the Big 5 animals.

Private Kruger Safari Option

This small group Panorama Route & Kruger Park Safari is also available as a private safari. The private tour can be booked with a minimum of 4 people. The itinerary of the private safari differs slightly from the small group tour. For more information about the Private Safari options, contact us at African Budget Safaris.

Pre and Post Tour Accommodation

We offer convenient pre-tour and post-tour lodge accommodation, for before and after your Kruger Park Safari. This affordable lodge accommodation can be added to your Kruger Safari booking upon request. The 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.