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Kruger Budget Safari Tours
South Africa’s Kruger National Park is undoubtedly one of the continent’s finest safari destinations. Unlike many other iconic African parks, it also ranks highly on the affordability front. This is because the park authorities regard Kruger as a national asset that should be accessible not only to a high-spending international clientele, but also to budget-conscious South Africans. As a result, the park is easily and inexpensively explored on a network of all-weather roads and unpretentious rest camps. And whether you self-drive or join a group safari, this 19,485km²/7,523mi² park offers the opportunity to see a wide variety of African wildlife, including the legendary Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
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3-Day Best Budget Kruger Park Safari
$568 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetGuest House
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Nelspruit (End)
Elephant Herd Tours & Safaris
4.8/5 – 92 Reviews
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3-Day Kruger Park and Manyeleti Reserve Bongan Lodge
$690 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Manyeleti GR (Greater Kruger), Central Kruger, Johannesburg (End)
Bongan Safaris
5.0/5 – 22 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Ultra Budget Glamping Kruger Safari
$527 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Bush Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 1178 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Tremisana/Tent Kruger Park Safari
$705 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Balule NR (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Johannesburg (End)
Viva Safaris
4.9/5 – 264 Reviews
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4-Day Kruger Park Camping Safari
$947 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetCamping & Hotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Khalanga Safaris
5.0/5 – 63 Reviews
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Best Seller
3-Day Big 5 Budget Safari, Kruger National Park
$385 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Safari With Us
5.0/5 – 217 Reviews
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3-Day Johannesburg to Kruger National Park Safari
$597 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Mbombela Experience Tours & Transfers
5.0/5 – 32 Reviews
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4-Day Kruger NP Big 5 & Panorama Route Tented Safari
$664 to $730 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
The Mzansi Experience
4.7/5 – 64 Reviews
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10-Day Zula Escorted Selfdrive, Kruger National Park Camp
$6,490 to $7,150 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Bela-Bela (Town), Kruger NP, Southern Kruger, Johannesburg (End)
Zula Zula Adventure Bus
5.0/5 – 2 Reviews
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4-Day Orpen Gate to Letaba Camp- Tented Bushcamp Stay
$1,025 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Hoedspruit (Start), Balule NR (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Hoedspruit (End)
Wildlife Encounters
5.0/5 – 20 Reviews
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5-Day Kruger Park and Panorama Adventure Safari
$726 to $905 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Hazyview (Town), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
The Kruger Safari Co.
5.0/5 – 125 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
5-Day Private Southern Kruger Camping Adventure
$1,280 to $1,400 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger, Kruger NP, Central Kruger, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Wild Planet Safari
4.9/5 – 206 Reviews
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4-Day Kruger Tremisana/Tent Big 5 Safari
$784 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Beyond Africa Safaris
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3-Day Kruger National Park from Johanesburg
$649 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 20 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Africa Zim Travel & Tours
5.0/5 – 118 Reviews
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5-Day Authentic Kruger Tour
$1,686 to $1,893 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Southern Kruger, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Safari Reinhardt
5.0/5 – 8 Reviews
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11-Day Big Five Experience Self-Drive Budget Camping Tour
$589 to $611 pp (USD)
South Africa: Self-driveBudgetCamping & Bush Camp
You Visit: Pretoria (Start), Marakele NP (Waterberg Biosphere), Mapungubwe NP, Northern Kruger, Central Kruger, Southern Kruger, Pretoria (End)
Bonsai-SA 4x4 Adventures and Tours
5.0/5 – 15 Reviews
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5-Day Kruger Park and Manyeleti Reserve Bongan Lodge
$870 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Manyeleti GR (Greater Kruger), Central Kruger, Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Bongan Safaris
5.0/5 – 22 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Ultra Budget Glamping Kruger Safari
$398 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Bush Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 1178 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Budget Tented Kruger Park Safari
$503 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Hoedspruit (Town), Kruger NP, Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Johannesburg (End)
Viva Safaris
4.9/5 – 264 Reviews
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5-Day Closed Vehicle Safari - Greater Kruger NP
$1,749 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Panorama Route (Highlight), Balule NR (Greater Kruger), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Khalanga Safaris
5.0/5 – 63 Reviews
6 Questions About Kruger Budget Safaris
Answered by
Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs is an Africa-specialized travel writer who grew up and lives in South Africa. He first visited Kruger as a child in the 1970s, and has explored its every accessible corner on countless subsequent visits.› More about Philip
6 Questions About Kruger Budget Safaris
Are there affordable budget safaris available to Kruger National Park?
“Yes, depending to some extent on your definition of ‘affordable’. Kruger is very cheap by comparison to most other major safari destinations in Africa, and this relative affordability is reflected in the price of cheaper packages to the park. Kruger is also unusually well suited to self-drive safaris, an option that may appeal to more independently minded travelers, and that will generally cost less than the cheapest safari package.”
1What is included in a budget trip?
“The price of a Kruger budget safari will usually include accommodation or camping, some or all meals, transport, the services of a registered driver-guide, national park entrance fees, game drives and any fees associated with non-optional activities. Rates quoted in South Africa are invariably inclusive of VAT and other taxes. The price should also include transport from/to the designated start/end point, which is usually but not always Johannesburg. Some packages include a day exploring the scenic Panorama Route on the escarpment outside the park. Most safari rates are exclusive of the following: international flights, visas, travel insurance, drinks, souvenirs and other personal purchases, optional activities (such as the night drives and guided walks offered out of some rest camps) and tips. These are general guidelines only. It is important to check the fine print of your safari itinerary, to see what’s included and excluded, before you make a booking.”
2What type of accommodation can I expect?
“Most cheap Kruger packages will camp or stay in hutted accommodation at one (or more) of several affordable state-run rest camps scattered around the national park. These rest camps offer accommodation in comfortable self-catering huts and bungalows, most of which have en suite bathrooms and toilets (though cheaper units may use communal ablution blocks). Most rest camps also have well-organized campsites with communal kitchens and ablution blocks. On an organized budget safari, rates will usually include meals. If you are self-driving, most of the larger rest camps have restaurants. A popular alternative is to braai (barbecue) outside your tent or bungalow. Most rest camps also have adequate supermarkets selling frozen meat and other provisions. Some budget Kruger safaris stay outside the park. There’s no shortage of campsites close to the main entrance gates, or in nearby towns such as Mbombela and Hazyview. There are also a few backpacker lodges in the vicinity. If you have the choice, it is generally nicer to stay in the park, so you can soak up the bush atmosphere at night. Rest camp gates also generally open earlier and close later than entrance gates, which makes it easier to be out and about during prime wildlife-viewing hours.”
3Which animals am I likely to see?
“You can expect to see a wide variety of African wildlife on any trip to Kruger, irrespective of the cost. Indeed, the price of a Kruger safari is less of a factor in determining how much wildlife you’ll see than its duration, the extent to which game drives are tailored to the most productive hours (early morning and late afternoon), and plain old luck. Animals you’re almost certain to see on any given game drive in southern Kruger include hippo, giraffe, zebra, crocodile, vervet monkey, chacma baboon, wildebeest, waterbuck, greater kudu and impala. Over the course of a 2- or 3-day safari, you are also very likely to encounter elephant, buffalo, white rhino, lion, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal and various mongooses. Sightings of black rhino, leopard, cheetah and African wild dog are more unusual, but the odds improve as you spend longer in the park. If a guided night drive is included in your itinerary, you might well also see nocturnal creatures such as bush baby, genet, civet and various small cats. You’ll get the most from Kruger by paying attention to smaller creatures. Kruger is a fabulous bird-watching destination, with more than 500 species recorded, and you don’t need to have a specific interest to be dazzled by the likes of African fish eagle, lilac-breasted roller and ostrich. Insects range from colorful butterflies to oddball mantises and armored dung beetles, while conspicuous reptiles include lizards, tortoises and terrapins.”
4How long do I need in Kruger?
“That depends greatly on your level of interest in seeing and photographing wildlife, but for most visitors, a 3- to 5-day trip would be about right. This is sufficient to give you a good chance of seeing most or all of the Big Five, but not so long that game drives might start to feel repetitive. Having said that, if you only have time or money to spend a half day or full day in Kruger, we would still recommend that over not visiting at all. If luck is on your side, you can see plenty of wildlife in a single game drive! At the other extreme, if you are a serious wildlife enthusiast, bird-watcher or photographer, you might well want to extend your Kruger safari to a week or even longer. This is a vast national park, and at least 2 weeks are required to explore it thoroughly from south to north. This is a highly recommended option for cost-conscious self-drivers whose main interest in visiting South Africa is wildlife photography or bird watching.”
5How much will a Kruger budget safari cost?
“The price of a Kruger budget tour package is typically in the ballpark of US$150 to US$300 per person per day. This will depend to some extent on the group size, whether you camp or stay in a room, and if the latter, the quality of the accommodation. The alternative to a budget package is a self-drive safari. This might sound like a daunting option to first-time visitors to Africa, but Kruger is actually quite a straightforward self-drive destination. The internal road network is excellent and navigable in almost any saloon car, detailed map books are available cheaply locally, and accommodation at the well-equipped rest camps can easily be booked online. Several variables will be involved in costing a self-drive safari, but two people sharing should be able to work on a budget of US$100 per person per day camping or US$150 per person per day staying in the cheapest rest camp bungalows.”
6Kruger Reviews
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
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...
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
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...
The parks we visited during our stay were varied. The first evening safari we didn’t see the animals we hoped. However the full day drive the following day made up for this. We saw everything we hoped to, mainly the Hippis and Giraffes....
It is everything that thousands of others have experienced. It is soo big that it would take weeks to discover each region, but we were thankful for seeing the best that we could in a limited timeframe.
Brilliant glamping experience. The safari tour guide was knowledgeable and we managed to spot the animals. The glamping staff were friendly and they kept the facilities clean. This was a girls trip and we felt safe throughout our stay....
Once in a life time unforgetable experiance . All staff members were very helpful +HIGHLY capiable.
Viva Safaris kept to their programme, Bushwalk, Great Kruger Safaris with very well trained, friendly guides, Sunrise and Sundown safaris (Bush Braai was unbelievable crowned with an Amarula Liquer Toast). The safari jeeps accomodated very...