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7-Day Kruger Safari Tours

4.5/5  –  399 Kruger Reviews

The 19,485km²/7,523mi² Kruger National Park is South Africa’s largest national park and most important refuge for savannah wildlife. Boasting a checklist of 150 mammal and 500-plus bird species, it is possibly the last place in Africa where sustainable breeding populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, elephant, buffalo, black rhino and white rhino still thrive. It is also a park that tends to reward those who allocate it sufficient time, and a 1-week safari is exactly that. It’s long enough to get a really good feel for several of Kruger’s habitats and see a wide variety of its astonishing range of iconic mammals and beautiful birds.

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1-20 of 21 7-day itineraries, trips, holidays, packages & vacations to Kruger National Park

5 Questions About 7-Day Kruger Safaris

 
 

5 Questions About 7-Day Kruger Safaris

Answered by Philip Briggs

Where should I go on a 7-day Kruger safari?

“If you’re a first-time safari-goer whose main priority is seeing as much wildlife as possible, focus on the area south of the Sabie River. This most southerly sector of the park is renowned for its concentrations of wildlife, and it’s particularly good for lions, leopards and rhinos. The downside of the far south is that its relative proximity to Johannesburg, its convenience to day visitors and its high concentration of rest camps means it tends to be the busiest part of the park in terms of tourist traffic, which dilutes the bush atmosphere. For this reason, the ideal option for a 1-week Kruger safari would be to split your time between a southern rest camp, such as Skukuza or Lower Sabie, and one in the quieter central region. Central camps such as Satara, Olifants and Letaba also offer good wildlife viewing, particularly for lion and cheetah, but have a more restful atmosphere. If your budget allows, consider tagging on a couple of nights at a concession lodge within the park or a private reserve bordering it. Guided game drives at these all-inclusive lodges generally excel when it comes to close-up sightings of big cats and other large predators.”

1

How do I get away from the crowds on a Kruger trip?

“If you really want to avoid the crowds on a 7-day Kruger tour, ignore the advice about focusing on the far south. For all its positives, this is by far the busiest part of the park, and you'll be much less conscious of other tourists if you stick to the central and northern sectors. Central Kruger, bounded by the Sabie River to the south and Letaba to the north, offers an excellent compromise between good wildlife viewing and relatively low tourist numbers. There are also a few scattered rest camps north of the Letaba, but while these generally have a wonderful wilderness atmosphere, wildlife viewing tends to be erratic and will disappoint most first-time safari-goers. If you do decide to spend time in the south, it is still possible to stay away from the crowds by avoiding surface roads in favor of dirt roads wherever possible. Bearing in mind that southern Kruger carries a high volume of domestic tourism, it is also advisable to avoid visiting over long weekends and school holidays.”

2

Am I likely to see the Big Five on a 7-day Kruger safari?

“You should see most of the Big Five over the course of a 7-day Kruger safari, and with a bit of luck you will see them all. The most common members of the Big Five in Kruger are elephant and buffalo, which you’re likely to encounter on a daily basis, along with hippo, giraffe, zebra, warthog, baboon and a good variety of antelopes and birds. Of the rest of the Big Five, you'd be exceptionally unlucky to miss out on lion and white rhino during the course of a full week in Kruger, but leopard sightings are more hit-and-miss, as are encounters with the relatively scarce and secretive black rhino.”

3

What is the best time of the year for a Kruger trip?

“The winter months of May to September offer optimum wildlife-viewing conditions in Kruger, but the cusp months of March, April and October are also pretty good. The main reason for this is that winter coincides with the Dry season, when animals tend to cluster around water sources and the thinned-out vegetation makes it easier to spot them. The dry conditions also mean fewer mosquitoes, which reduces the risk of being exposed to malaria. Having said that, Kruger can be visited productively at any time of year, and birdlife is more prolific and the scenery greener during the summer months of November to April.”

4

What accommodation can I expect?

“Accommodation options within the park are quite varied. The most luxurious option is an all-inclusive package at one of the five-star concession lodges that lie within Kruger or in the various private reserves that form part of the same unfenced ecosystem. The lodges offer top-notch wildlife viewing on guided game drives on land that’s closed to the public. Budget-conscious visitors generally opt for one of the park’s official rest camps, which cater primarily to a domestic market and are thus very affordable. Most Kruger rest camps offer the choice of camping in your own tent or sleeping in a simple self-catering bungalow, and amenities generally include restaurants, well-stocked supermarkets and barbecue facilities. There's also plenty of accommodation outside Kruger’s main entrance gates, but these are not so well positioned for game drives in the early morning, which tends to be the most productive time of day.”

5

Kruger Reviews

4.5/5 399 Reviews
Expert
Mike Unwin  –  
United Kingdom UK

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  –  
South Africa ZA

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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Sarah Doege  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Nov 9, 2024
5/5

Stayed at Green Fire and had a great time. The people were so nice. Got to interact with the owner daily and had some amazing experiences there! You can’t beat waking up from a nap to views of giraffes and elephants.

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Robin  –  
Netherlands NL
Reviewed: Sep 30, 2024
Another landscape around the corner with so many animals
5/5

It was our first experience in Kruger NP and we really wanted to see the Big Five, that was our main goal. We entered through Phabeni Gate on our way through Skukuza. We stayed in the Kruger Safari Lodge, where the staff was really friendly...

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Leonard Bahr  –  
Germany DE
Reviewed: Aug 6, 2024
5/5

My trip to the Kruger-Nationalpark in particular and to South Africa in general was spontaneously undertaken. Considering this, I had a great experience from the flexible booking option online at home to the transport from and back to...

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Henk Bulten  –  
Netherlands NL
Reviewed: Aug 3, 2024
A very impressive reserve hosting the big five
5/5

Our group spent one day with two four wheel drive rovers (10 seats plus chauffeur) and the Krüger Park guides. For me it was the first time in Afrika and I had high hopes for this outing. Guide taught us the basics and was very...

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