3-Day Kruger From Johannesburg - Compare 90 Safaris

4.5/5 – 410 Kruger Reviews

Kruger National Park is one of the best parks anywhere in Africa and going there on a 3-day safari from Johannesburg is a terrific way to visit. Yes, it would be good to have more time, because Kruger is a large and diverse park that rewards those who stay for longer. But with 3 days you can certainly get a taste of what the park and its surroundings have to offer, and with careful planning you can really make the most of your visit. No matter how long you stay in the park, you’re sure to see lots of amazing wildlife and fall in love with the park and its wide variety of classic southern African landscapes.

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5 Questions About 3-Day Kruger Safaris From Johannesburg

Expert

Answered by

Anthony Ham

Anthony has written numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including ‘South Africa’, ‘Lesotho & eSwatini’ and ‘Southern Africa’. He has written about the region for magazines and newspapers worldwide. He is also the author of ‘The Last Lions of Africa’.
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Is 3 days enough time for a Kruger National Park safari from Johannesburg?

“It would always be good to have more time in and around Kruger. In fact, the more time you can spend there the better. But I would consider 3 days to be the minimum amount of time for a Kruger safari out of Johannesburg. It’s important that you understand what exactly a 3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg means. On a 3-day safari, you will travel to Kruger from Johannesburg on day 1 and return on day 3. You will, therefore, sleep for 2 nights in the park and have 1 full day to enjoy it. If you leave Johannesburg early on day 1 and return late on your final day, you can really add some extra time to your safari. Either way, on a 3-day safari you will have time for at least four game drives at the best times for seeing animals: early morning and late afternoon, when the wildlife is at its most active.”

How do I get to Kruger from Johannesburg?

“There are two ways to get from Johannesburg to Kruger: by road and by air. If you’re only on a 3-day safari, traveling by air is definitely the best option, unless you want to spend 2 out of the 3 days traveling, rather than actually being on safari. If you do fly, one option is to fly to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (which is just outside the southwestern corner of the park). If you do this, you’ll be well placed for exploring the southern section of the park but won’t be able to see much beyond that. The other flying option is to take a charter flight from Johannesburg into one of the airstrips belonging to private accommodation places in Kruger, or into one of the private reserves (such as Sabi Sand Game Reserve) just outside the park. Once there, you’ll be restricted to exploring the area close to where you’re staying. Driving is a possibility, and it’s certainly a better option if you’re looking for a cheap or affordable safari. It’s a 375km/235mi drive to Kruger from Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport, which should take four to six hours. If you are traveling in this way, you could be in Kruger by lunchtime on day 1 if you leave Johannesburg early.”

What animals can I see on a 3-day Kruger safari?

“Kruger is a fantastic park for seeing animals, and you should be able to see many of the park’s signature species on your 3-day safari. Kruger is one of the best places in Africa for seeing the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo), and all five species are commonly seen. Rhino poaching remains a problem, but the park still has a healthy population of white rhino. Other highlights might include zebra, giraffe, cheetah, hippo, wildebeest, impala, greater kudu and spotted hyena. Remember also that it doesn’t matter whether you’re staying and exploring inside the park or in one of the private reserves around the perimeter. There are no fences between the park and the reserves, so they share the same wildlife. I once saw the Big Five on a single afternoon game drive in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.”

Should I choose a self-drive, private or group tour for a 3-day Kruger safari?

“Kruger is an excellent place whichever kind of safari you’re on. The only drawback with a self-drive 3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg is that you will spend four to six hours driving to get to Kruger on the first day, and another four to six hours returning on the last day. Inside Kruger, you’ll love having your own vehicle and the freedom it brings, but it does mean overall that you’ll have less time to enjoy the park. Both group and private safaris can be excellent. A private safari (which means you have your own vehicle, guide and driver) is a wonderfully intimate and exclusive way to get around. You’ll have the guide all to yourself and much more control over what you see and where you go. At the same time, a private safari can be really expensive, and you won’t get to enjoy the camaraderie of sharing your safari with a group of like-minded safari enthusiasts.”

What is the cost of a 3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg?

“You will find that there are lots of different tours and packages on offer for a 3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg, as well as lots of differences in the prices you can pay. As a general rule, you might be able to get a budget camping safari in Kruger for as little as US$100 per person per day. For this price, you may be expected to help out with chores around camp, but not necessarily. At the higher end of the market, you could pay US$500 per person per day or even more. Factors that can affect the cost of your safari include the type of accommodation, the type of safari (private safaris are more expensive than self-drive or group safaris) and the season when you travel. Always make sure that you understand what is included in any price quoted to you by a safari operator. Standard inclusions (unless you’re on a self-drive safari) are transfers, accommodation (including camping equipment where needed), guide, driver, vehicle, game drives, park entry fees, meals and some drinks.”

Kruger Reviews

4.5/5 410 Reviews

Expert

Mike Unwin –

Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, former editor of Travel Zambia magazine and author of the Bradt Guide to Southern African Wildlife.

Africa’s Best DIY Safari

5/5

South Africa’s premier wildlife reserve divides opinion. Some who’ve visited supposedly ‘wilder’ parks argue that the Kruger’s developed infrastructure, complete with paved roads and large public camps, undermines the wilderness...

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Expert

Lizzie Williams –

Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

South Africa’s flagship park with excellent facilities and unrivalled game-viewing

5/5

South Africa’s largest park most certainly fulfils most visitors’ expectations of seeing magnificent herds of game roaming across acacia-studded savannah. After countless visits at different times of the year, I have found it can get a...

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Alex –

Reviewed: Mar 20, 2025

5/5

Beautiful park, and it's massive! Much more open spaces and seemed to be a greater diversity of wildlife, although we spent the most time and covered the most distance in this park so that may impact the diversity of things we saw.

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Eva Carolina –

Reviewed: Mar 13, 2025

5/5

We could see Big 5 plus Cheetah! Amazing time! Some blogs had informed about February not being the best time to go in a Safari (it's batter in the winter) but I desagree! We could see ALL the wonderful animals and the weather was just...

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Matt Tighe –

Reviewed: Jan 26, 2025

5/5

So vast you barely cover a fraction of it. Plenty of amazing Giraffes, Buffalo etc. Preferred the private reserves as you could go off road within 2 metres of elephants and lions with a fresh kill. Still a great day. Bring binoculars! Wish...

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Ryan Sanford –

Reviewed: Dec 26, 2024

5/5

Kruger National Park has it all, the wildlife, the lodges and gift shops, the restaurants, it's the go-to National Park for anyone who wants to go on an African Safari, and it's not hard to see why. I'd love to go again someday.

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5 Questions About 3-Day Kruger Safaris From Johannesburg

Answered by

Anthony Ham

5 Questions About 3-Day Kruger Safaris From Johannesburg

Is 3 days enough time for a Kruger National Park safari from Johannesburg?

How do I get to Kruger from Johannesburg?

What animals can I see on a 3-day Kruger safari?

Should I choose a self-drive, private or group tour for a 3-day Kruger safari?

What is the cost of a 3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg?

Kruger Reviews

Africa’s Best DIY Safari

South Africa’s flagship park with excellent facilities and unrivalled game-viewing