12 of the Best Luxury Kruger Park Tours

With its wide range of cultures, languages, beaches, wildlife and beautiful and diverse landscapes, South Africa has it all! At Discover Africa we see it as our mission and privilege to unlock Mzansi’s riches for as many visitors as we can. 

If the Kruger National Park is on your travel bucket list, then these unique tours will give you the opportunity to see a little more of what South Africa has to offer in the process.   

#1: Bespoke Safari in South Africa

This 14-day safari brings you the best South Africa has to offer! On arrival in Cape Town, you’ll be taken to the 5-Star Cape Grace Hotel at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. 

This will be your base for three days while you discover the delights of the Mother City. This will include fine restaurants, the Cape Winelands, a chocolate, cheese and olive oil tour, charming Melkbos and Blouberg, a visit to the Bo-Kaap Museum, and a Cape Malay cookery workshop.

Your next destination will be Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve in the Kalahari Desert’s unique landscapes. You’ll stay at the Motse Lodge and enjoy game drives to see wildlife like zebras, giraffes, buffalos and Kalahari lions, reputedly the largest on earth. You might even see a rare pangolin, aardvark, aardwolf, brown hyena or an enchanting bat-eared fox.

On Day Nine, you’ll be flown to Johannesburg to overnight at the 5-Star Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa. Next day you’ll fly to Phalaborwa Airport for your stay at luxury Pafuri tented camp in one of the most beautiful areas in South Africa to start the final part of your safari, your unforgettable guided walking safari.

#2: Walking Kruger’s Pafuri Trail

This 4-day walking safari includes two walks per day in the unspoiled Pafuri wilderness of the vast Kruger National Park. The trail is led by experienced and armed field guides who will ‘interpret’ the bush for you as they draw your attention to the fascinating details that often pass unnoticed. 

You also have every chance of meeting Africa’s famous Big Five – lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos – going about their daily routines. Game drives are also on offer if the poor footies start feeling the wear and tear!

Your home base will be a superbly comfortable bush camp near the Luvuvhu River. You’ll enjoy all the home-away-from-home-comforts in a rugged natural setting.  Minimalist trails, where you camp under the stars or venture into a transfrontier park, can be arranged for the truly adventurous. 

One of the many amazing aspects of this trail is to see how the nature of the landscape changes during your walks. It morphs from woodland to riverine forests, floodplains and pans to mountains. Beautiful groves of yellow-blossomed fever trees abound, as do majestic baobabs, herds of wildlife and the predators that prey on them. 

#3: Thornybush Game Reserve Safari

This 4-day safari starts in the ‘City of Gold’ Johannesburg, affectionately known as Jo’burg, Jozi, or eGoli. You’ll overnight in the Peermont Mondior Hotel at Emperors Palace offering you a range of dining, gaming, and entertainment options. You can also explore multicultural Johannesburg’s towering skyscrapers, art galleries, museums and the dynamic township of Soweto. 

Then you’ll be flown to Hoedspruit Airport and then taken to the elegant Thornybush Jackalberry Lodge. You’ll stay in a luxuriously furnished ensuite chalet with your own private patio. After lunch and settling in you’ll be taken on your first game drive followed by dinner and relaxing around the fire pit. 

You’re ensured to have excellent game viewing including lions, leopards, elephants, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, giraffes, zebras and many bird species. Guided nature walks will give you a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in the superlative natural surroundings. 

#4: Big Five Safari in the Kruger National Park

This compact 3-day safari gives you a chance to explore the renowned Kruger National Park in South Africa. The Kruger and the Greater Kruger form a precious wildlife oasis that contains more than half of the world’s remaining wild white rhinos.

It also holds substantial populations of lions, elephants, buffalos, black rhinos, leopards, giraffes and cheetahs, and other rare and endangered species like wild dogs, pangolin and aardvark.

You’ll fly from Johannesburg to the Hoedspruit Airport where you’ll be met and driven to the 5-Star Hamiltons Tented Camp for your two-night stay. The camp is named after visionary conservationist, Colonel James Stevenson-Hamilton. 

The Camp epitomizes grace, style, luxury and superb service. Throw in wellness treatments, bush picnics and dinners, champagne breakfasts, guided bush walks, and morning, afternoon, and night drives, and you are in for the treat of a lifetime! 

#5: South African Bush and Beach Journey

This 10-day journey brings you the best of the Cape and the Kruger! You’ll start your journey in South Africa’s scenic mother city with iconic Table Mountain, bustling harbour, incredible beaches, museums, and historic buildings. You’ll stay in the exclusive Dock House Boutique Hotel for two nights. 

Then you’ll collect your hired car to travel to the historic university town, Stellenbosch. Your base will be the beautiful Majeka House Hotel as you explore Stellenbosh’s historic architecture, art galleries, craft shops, fine restaurants and wine farms. Next, you’ll drive to Plettenberg Bay along the magnificent Garden Route. You’ll stay in Tsala Treetop Lodge set in a primeval indigenous forest. 

For the final part of your journey, you’ll fly from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to Hoedspruit. You’ll be met and taken to the luxury Kapama Southern Camp in the Kruger for the final three days of your adventure. Known for its incredible wildlife, you’ll revel in the tranquil setting, nature walks, daily game drives, impeccable service, and outstanding cuisine.

#6: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger Luxury Journey

This delightful 9-day excursion takes you from Cape Town, through the Cape Winelands and ends in the bushveld of the Kruger! In Cape Town you’ll stay in the 5-star Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel. 

You’ll be given a full-day tour of the Cape Point Nature Reserve, the renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and the remarkable African penguins of Boulders Beach. A private guide will take you to see Table Mountain, the Castle of Good Hope, the Company Gardens, Greenmarket Square and that shopper delight, the V&A Waterfront.

On Day Four we’ll take you to historic Stellenbosch and the stunning Cape Winelands, where you’ll stay at the luxury Majeka House. Explore Franschhoek with its echoes of France, historic Paarl, the local viticulture, meet local winemakers and sample some of South Africa’s finest wines and cheeses.

For the final days of your safari you’ll fly to Skukuza Airport in the Kruger. You’ll be driven to the exclusive 5-Star Jock Safari Lodge, named after famous Gold Rush dog-hero, Jock of the Bushveld. 

Delicious food and wine, meticulous service, superb accommodation, game drives, excellent wildlife sightings, and nature walks will ensure you relax and unwind. Golfers will love the nearby international Leopard Creek Golf Course with its magnificent leopard sculptures by Dylan Lewis.

#7: Cape Town to Kruger Luxury Holiday

This 8-day luxury holiday takes you from the fairest Cape of all to the magnificent Kruger. You’ll spend four days in Cape Town with the chic More Quarters Hotel as your base. Cape Town is famous for its internationally renowned restaurants like La Colombe and The Test Kitchen, excellent shopping, arts and crafts outlets and no fewer than eight Blue Flag beaches.

Explore the Company Gardens with Rhodes’s famous/infamous squirrels, take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, or do some shopping at the V&A Waterfront. You can take a ferry trip to Robben Island Museum where revered Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, or a day trip to some of the lovely coastal towns like Melkbosstrand, Simonstown and Fishhoek. 

The famed Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Cape Point Nature Reserve are a must! Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl in the Cape Winelands are unmissable for world-class wine and cheese tasting, and excellent food. More adventurous souls can paraglide, scuba dive or shark dive, or hike up Lion’s Head or Table Mountain. 

On Day Five you’ll fly to Skukuza Airport in the Kruger. You’ll be taken to the superbly-appointed Lion Sands Narina Lodge built on stilts right on the banks of the Sabi River. This stunning location makes for unsurpassable wildlife viewing as many animals come to the river to drink, wallow, and bathe. Two private game drives per day add to your complete immersion in magical nature here. 

#8: Cape Town and Kruger Family Safari

This 8-day family safari takes you from historic Cape Town to the Kruger National Park. In Cape Town you’ll stay at the Lawhill Luxury Apartments. You’ll revel in the many attractions of South Africa’s Mother City – Table Mountain, the fascinating Two Oceans Aquarium, the world-famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Point Nature Reserve, and the amazing African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. 

You’ll have two days to spend as you wish. Why not hop on a City Sightseeing Topless bus, explore the V&A Waterfront, or just laze the day away on one of the Cape’s famous Blue Flag beaches? 

Day Five sees you flying to the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport at Mbombela (Nelspruit) and being taken to the luxury Tintswalo Safari Lodge in the Manyeleti. The lodge overlooks a beautiful waterhole, regularly frequented by elephants and other animals, so it ensures unbeatable game viewing. 

Activities include guided game drives and safari walks. There’s a spa, library, gift shop and sumptuous lounge. Free wi-fi is available, as are many bush-related activities for the kiddies. 

#9: Kruger’s Sabi Sands Discovery Safari

This 5-day discovery safari starts off in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, a wildlife haven famed for extremely rare white lions. You’ll stay in the secluded luxury African-themed Kings Camp that offers international cuisine, an open fire boma, private terraces, a wellness center, a shuttle service, free parking, game drives and walking safaris.

Your next destination is the Sabi Sands Reserve known for incredible leopard sightings. You’ll be lodged in the award-winning Leopard Hills Private Game Lodge. Superbly located on a rocky outcrop, it offers the most stunning views over a busy waterhole. 

Sightings of the Big Five are almost guaranteed as are those of plentiful other game and bird species. You’ll enjoy morning or afternoon game drives, nature walks, and amazing photographic opportunities.

#10: The Ultimate Big Five South African Safari

This 7-day trip really is the ultimate Big Five safari as it takes you to a premier game viewing destination, the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. You’ll stay in the ultra-luxurious Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, offering exceptional accommodation, service, cuisine and game viewing. 

Elephants, lions, buffalos, hyenas, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and a huge range of antelope are frequently seen, and its leopard sightings are legendary! 

On Day Four you’ll be transferred to Tintswalo Safari Lodge in the pristine Manyeleti. It offers guests luxury accommodation, superb meals and wines, a spa, and expertly guided morning, afternoon and night drives. Birders will love the abundance of birds, and guided bush walks will give you unique insights into the diversity of the local flora and fauna.

#11: Classic Southern Africa Four-Country Train Journey

This luxurious 12-day, 4-country train journey offers visitors a unique experience. 

Your arrival at Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport is followed by a full-day tour of Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Soweto. Afterward, you’ll board the humorously named  Shongololo Express of Rovos Rail. This will be your luxurious home for your 12-day journey to Zimbabwe!

Your first stop will be for a full-day tour of the Panorama Route, including Bourke’s Luck Potholes, historic Pilgrim’s Rest and God’s Window in scenic Mpumalanga after which the train travels to Malelane. After a game drive in the Kruger, the journey continues to bustling Maputo, formerly Lourenço Marques and the capital of Mozambique. Don’t miss out on the famous peri-peri prawns! 

Then it’s over the border into Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) to Mpaka. You’ll visit Mbabane, the capital, Manzini, and the renowned glass-making village of Ngwenya.

Day Six sees you taking a game drive into Kapama Game Reserve where the Big Five roam. A visit to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre is a must to see their work with endangered wild dogs and cheetah breeding. Then it’s back on the Millipede for a relaxing trip to Zimbabwe. You’ll visit the fascinating ancient Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the award-winning Antelope Park, Matobo National Park, and Cecil John Rhodes’s grave. Your dream safari ends at Victoria Falls.

#12: Two Weeks in South Africa – a Luxury Rail Safari

This superb two-week luxury rail safari starts in bustling Johannesburg with its fascinating traditional medicine shops, restaurants, skyscrapers, museums, art galleries and iconic Soweto. 

You’ll stay in the Fairlawns Boutique Hotel and Spa for one night. The next morning you’ll board the luxury Rovos Rail train for your trip to Cape Town via Kimberley, the diamond city, and historic old-world Matjiesfontein. You’ll travel the unique landscape of the Karoo to Cape Town, South Africa’s mother city famed for its iconic Table Mountain, bustling harbour, Blue Flag beaches, vineyards, stunning mountains and unique fynbos flora and fauna. You’ll stay in the lovely 5-Star Marly Boutique Hotel. 

On leaving Cape Town, you’ll drive to Hermanus, famous for its Whale Crier and whales, stunning Knysna, and unique Outeniqua Forest. You’ll lodge in the 5-Star Turbine Hotel and Spa and have your pick of a wealth of activities. 

After breakfast on Day 11 you’ll fly to Skukuza Airport in the Kruger famous for its diversity of scenery and wildlife, including the Big Five. You’ll lodge in the famous 5-Star Jock Safari Lodge and enjoy superb food and service, game drives, nature walks, rock art, bird watching, and stargazing. Why not treat yourself to an indulgent spa treatment as well?

Why not let us create the custom-made luxury Kruger Park safari of your dreams? Incorporating Cape Town, Zimbabwe, bustling Johannesburg, and many other superb spots in between, we make your safari experience easy. We cut out all the stress and the hassle, leaving pure enjoyment and an unforgettable experience you’ll cherish forever.