Experience the true magic of the African bush on foot. This 5 Day Kruger Safari Hiking Tour is perfect for active and adventurous travelers who want something different out of their South Africa safari experience. Get up close and personal with Africa's wildlife while treading the same paths our ancestors did.
This affordable South Africa Safari takes place in the Greater Kruger Park, encompassing the private game reserves adjacent to Kruger National Park. The controlled access to these Big 5 safari parks ensures privacy.
Sleep under the African stars at an unfenced safari lodge within the exclusive Klaserie Private Game Reserve of Greater Kruger. Experience the "real" bush with no modern world to interrupt your African safari adventure.
This Kruger Safari Hiking Tour begins with a shuttle collection from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg or the designated pick-up point in Pretoria. The shuttle collects passengers from OR Tambo at 07h00 before proceeding north to Pretoria where it collects passengers joining here, at 07h30. From Pretoria, you travel northeast to Greater Kruger Park.
On our scenic drive to Greater Kruger, we skirt the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve before descending the Magoebaskloof Mountains and continuing to the Kruger Lowveld region. At about 13h15 to 13h45 we arrive at the Timbavati Gate Bush Pub & Inn close to the Timbavati Game Reserve entrance gate. Then a driver from the safari lodge collects you from the bush pub and transfers you to the safari lodge inside Klaserie Game Reserve.
This afternoon we embark on our first exhilarating game drive in the private reserve of the Big 5 Greater Kruger Park. Our game drive takes us closer to the wild animals of Klaserie, where the wildlife is relatively used to the presence of safari vehicles. We generally get within 5 to 10 meters of the big game from the safety of our 4x4 Toyota Landcruiser.
In the evening we enjoy dinner at the safari lodge under the stars followed by a thrilling night game drive in Greater Kruger.
Day two starts early with morning coffee and a light breakfast. At about 6h00 we set off on our first exciting game walk or game viewing drive in the bush.
After our exciting bush walk, we return to the safari lodge for a rest and some brunch at around 9h00 am. In the mid-afternoon, we gather for tea and a light lunch served at the safari camp.
At about 16h00 we head off on an afternoon game drive in Greater Kruger Park, stopping for sundowners in the bush. The game drive lasts into the evening becoming a night drive en route back to the safari lodge. The open 4x4 safari vehicles allow for 360-degree views, providing excellent photographic and video opportunities.
Night drives give you the chance to see nocturnal animals stirring, particularly leopards. With some luck, you might even spot some of the predators, including lion and leopard hunting at night. Powerful spotlights are used to search for nocturnal animals on the game drives. The wide variety of wild animals uncommonly sighted during the day; include hyena, aardvark, bat-eared fox, porcupine, bush babies, bushbuck, mongoose, genet, and nocturnal birds, such as owls and nightjars.
Returning from our invigorating night game drive we share stories from our day in the bush over drinks at the lodge bar. Dinner is served at 8:00 pm followed by an evening of relaxation, enjoying drinks, tea, or coffee around the campfire.
Day three and four of this Budget Kruger Hiking Safari follow similar itineraries to day two.
This unique Kruger Safari Hiking Tour offers full-length morning bush walks ranging from two to four hours (depending on levels of fitness). Each Kruger walking safari starts with a comprehensive demonstration of how to behave when encountering wild animals in the bush.
Qualified rangers lead our walking safaris in Greater Kruger, sharing their knowledge of animal spoors, vegetation, and the ecology of the wilderness area. The game rangers have undergone intensive training specializing in ways of approaching and responding to dangerous wildlife.
The bush walks not only offer the thrill of facing larger mammals on foot but also give you the chance to gain insight into the smaller creatures and finer details of the African bush. The game rangers point out animal tracks and interesting features of the bush. They also explain the nocturnal movements of animals while out in the bush.
Walking in the game park gives you a real feel for the African bush as you immerse yourself in the smells and sounds of the untamed wilderness. Exploring Klaserie on foot brings you closer to the fascinating details of the bush that go unnoticed on game drives, giving you a chance to truly appreciate nature. The Kruger Hiking Safari offers a unique and unmatched wildlife experience of a lifetime. Each walking safari in Kruger is designed to explore the untamed bush the way one should - on foot. Taking your first walk you’ll realize that you’ve gone back in time to discover the magic of the bush old-style.
We embark on game walks in Big Five wilderness areas, however, the mix of wildlife you sight depends on luck. To walk is to be out there with the African wildlife, sharing their paths and waterholes, the daily dramas of their lives, sharing their space. To walk is to follow their tracks, feel your own senses come alive, and hear the beating of your heart as you edge closer to a herd of elephants resting in the shade. You are guaranteed a genuine African bush experience, not easily forgotten!
On the final day of this Kruger Safari Hiking Tour, we wake early for our morning coffee and a light snack, before embarking on one more walking safari. After our last bush walk in Greater Kruger Park, we return to our safari lodge for a tasty brunch.
Then, it's then time to say goodbye to the African bush. The safari lodge transfers you back to the bush pub near Timbavati Game Reserve where the shuttle collects you at about 10h45. From there the shuttle drives you back to the designated drop-off point in Pretoria, arriving at 17h00, and then OR Tambo in Johannesburg, arriving at 18h00.
Pick-up and drop-off are at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and a designated point in Pretoria. For more details and times please enquire. Transport to and from these set locations is not included in the tour price.
Collection times on the first day:
Drop off times on the last day:
This South Africa Safari visits the exclusive Klaserie Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger Park area.
The privately-owned Klaserie Game Reserve falls within Greater Kruger Park, sharing unfenced boundaries with Kruger National Park proper and the Timbavati Reserve. Sharing unfenced borders with Kruger Park means that the abundant wildlife roams freely between these Big Five game parks.
Klaserie Park, known for its excellent game viewing, covers 60 000 hectares of unspoiled wilderness on either side of the Klaserie River. The abundant wildlife in Klaserie includes Africa's Big Five - the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo. The main advantage of visiting Klaserie Park is that access to the wilderness area is limited to guests staying at the handful of intimate safari lodges within the private game reserve, ensuring an uncrowded and exclusive safari experience. Klaserie offers a unique safari adventure, free from the stresses of modern living and far away from the crowds of tourists.
We explore the vast wilderness of Greater Kruger on game drives and bush walks in the Klaserie, which encompasses a variety of habitats hosting a wide array of wild animals and birds.
Our safari lodge offers an authentic African bush experience in the Klaserie Game Reserve of Greater Kruger. The safari camp is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, offering a comfortable bush experience in a genuine African setting.
A perk of staying at this small safari lodge is that the game viewing activities can be tailored to your specific needs. For example, if the guides hear lions roaring near the camp at night, they will often knock on your door to check if you would like to venture into the bush and look for them.
Camp facilities include a main lounge with two comfortable sitting areas and a library. The dining room has a large table for sharing meals together and there is an outdoor boma area with a campfire. The outdoor boma area is the ideal place for sipping your morning coffee and unwinding with evening drinks.
Guests will also experience a traditional South African braaivleis (barbecue) prepared over the open fire in the boma. This Greater Kruger safari lodge features a lovely swimming pool with a deck, where guests can cool off and relax in the hot summer months. The main camp area has power points for recharging electronic devices, but the chalets are simply fitted with lanterns to add to the bush experience.
Accommodation on this Kruger Safari Hiking Tour is in a variety of chalets, ranging from family units to twin-share chalets. These chalets are fitted with solar-powered fans and lights, as well as mosquito nets.
There is also a charming treehouse if you would like to sleep under the stars in this authentic bush setting. The treehouse sleeps two guests in twin beds and has an outside bathroom and shower.
Of the five chalets, two are en-suite family units consisting of two rooms furnished with a double bed and twin beds. The family units have a dividing wall and are suitable for families with two adults and children under 16 years. Two of the chalets at camp feature double beds suitable for couples, one with an en-suite bathroom and the other with an en-suite toilet and outside shower. The remaining chalet is fitted with twin beds catering for two guests and has an en-suite toilet with an outside shower. The en-suite facilities in the chalets lead onto the rooms with open doorways and are thus suited to those familiar with traveling together.
Clients can opt to only go on game drives on this Greater Kruger Safari by arrangement.
Please note that we offer convenient pre-tour and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after the Kruger Hiking 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 more information on accommodation, rates follow the link.
This tour does not take children.
Minimum age 16 or in groups of 4 min age 12.
Children aged 5 years and older are permitted on this safari. The age restriction for walking safaris is over 16 years. Children between the ages of 5 and 16 years will be taken on morning game “bumbles” or drives (depending on their age) while their parents enjoy their morning walking safaris.
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