Kruger National Park Safari: Cost & Tips

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Doing a safari in Kruger Park, South Africa, was the absolute highlight of my 10-day trip to Mozambique. In fact, it was one of the best experiences I had in my life. Yes, that’s how much I loved it.

But how much does a Kruger National Park safari cost? Well, probably not as much as you think. And certainly a bargain considering how amazing it really is.

If you want the short answer, skip to the Kruger National Park safari prices section at the end of this article.

If you want to know all about my experience doing a Kruger Park safari, keep on reading.

 

Kruger National Park safari

Kruger Park is the biggest game reserve in South Africa and one of the largest in Africa.

A game reserve is a protected area for wild animals, where hunting is forbidden or controlled. Fortunately, hunting is not allowed in all of South Africa’s national parks, including Kruger Park.

Kruger National Park is famous worldwide for its wildlife and scenery. A safari in Kruger National Park is a fantastic and unique opportunity to see wild animals roaming freely in their natural habitat.

But everyone that goes on a safari wants to see the Big Five: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo.

The Big Five are called this way, not because of their size, but because they’re the most dangerous and hard-to-hunt African animals.

Of course, you don’t hunt the animals on a sightseeing safari except with your camera.

There are two ways to do this. You can go on a game drive as I did, or you can do a self-drive safari with your own car (which I personally wouldn’t recommend if this is your first time doing a safari).

A game drive is everything you imagine when you hear the word safari: you travel through the African savanna in an open 4×4 vehicle with a canvas roof and high seats, while a safari ranger wearing khaki clothes does the driving and guiding.

We departed from Maputo in the morning. Right after arriving in Malalane, a small town with one of the main entrances to Kruger Park, the Malelane Gate, we got picked up from our lodge for an afternoon game drive.

My friend and I were the only 2 people in our vehicle, which meant we had our guide and the breathtaking landscape of Kruger National Park all to ourselves.

Except for the occasional car driving through, there was not another human being in sight.

In the silence of the park, with the mountains as background, we saw big African elephants, lazy rhinos, dozens of bouncing impalas, stylish giraffes, and an intimidating buffalo.

We even spotted some lions, which were unfortunately too far away to get on camera.

But in most cases, we were so close to the animals that we could almost touch them if we wanted to.

Of course, we were advised by our guide to keep our whole body inside the car at all times, and not to make any sudden movements or noises when near the animals.

Although they’re called wildlife, all the animals looked so peaceful and undisturbed by our presence, just going on with their lives as if we were not even there.

I felt so privileged to be able to witness these moments that I wanted to cry.

The next day, we went on a morning game drive before returning to Mozambique in the afternoon.

This time we saw some beautiful zebras, and again elephants, rhinos, impalas, and lions in the distance.

We also saw some eagles and a lot of other birds.

The morning game drive included a short stop for breakfast and souvenir shopping in a base camp inside the park.

If you’re doing only one game drive, I’d recommend going in the afternoon though. Usually, in the afternoon the weather is cooler, and more animals are out, so you get to see much more.

Other options are doing a full-day game drive, a bush walk (where you walk in a small group with an armed guide), or a sunset drive.

If you’re short on time, you can book a day trip from Maputo to Kruger National Park here.

 

Where to stay in Kruger National Park

Kruger View Chalets

My friends and I stayed at Kruger View Chalets, an affordable self-catering lodge right outside Kruger National Park, in Malelane.

Our chalet had everything we needed for one night: two comfortable bedrooms with en-suite bathroom and AC, lounge, kitchen and patio.

There’s also a pleasant swimming pool area with a view over the park and Crocodile River, and a restaurant next door, at Rio Vista Lodge.

Malalane has no taxi service, but the reception was kind enough to arrange our transportation to the town center, where you can find a supermarket and several restaurants, at an extra price.

Click here for more details and booking.

 

Pestana Kruger Lodge

For an upscale stay, Pestana Kruger Lodge offers 4-star accommodation, two outdoor swimming pools, one indoor pool, restaurant, two bars, and spa.

Located only 150 meters from Malelane Gate, Pestana Kruger Lodge has a deck restaurant and bar overlooking Crocodile River, and a safari company located inside the hotel.

Guests can also request a breakfast pack to take on the morning safaris.

Click here for more details and booking.

 

Kruger National Park safari cost

So without further ado, here’s how much doing a Kruger National Park safari cost me.

All prices below are for one person.

We were a group of 3 people traveling from Mozambique to Kruger National Park, in South Africa. We decided to hire a driver to take us from Maputo to Malalane in the morning and then pick us up in the afternoon the next day.

Alternatively, you can book a Kruger Park safari package or a day trip from Maputo.

We shared transportation and accommodation costs and paid for all other expenses individually. Depending if you’re traveling alone or in a group and where you’re based, prices can of course vary.

Anyway, this will give you an idea of how much you should expect to spend on a Kruger National Park safari.

Driver from/to Maputo: $30

1-night accommodation: $87

2 half-day game drives + park fees: $192

Food: $60

Total: $369

As you can see, doing a safari in Kruger National Park doesn’t need to be expensive. And, believe me, it’s worth every penny.

 

Going on a safari in Africa is on every traveler’s bucket list. And it’s definitely an experience you should have at least once in your lifetime.

Kruger National Park safari tours offer you the best African wildlife and scenery, affordable prices, and memories you won’t forget so soon.

 

Have you done a safari in Kruger National Park? Share your experience in the comments section below.

 

Read more:

• What to do in Mozambique: a 10-day Mozambique travel itinerary
• Top 10 things to do in Maputo, Mozambique (plus 1 you can’t skip)

 

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