Kruger National Park: Safari Packages, Big 5, Lodges, and When to Go
Kruger National Park is the most famous safari destination in South Africa, perhaps even the entire continent! The Big 5 and countless other wildlife are found in abundance, making this the perfect place for your first safari.
There are several luxury Kruger Park lodges in and around the national park. Within the park itself, you cannot go off-road or do night game drives. However, several private concessions share an unfenced border with Kruger. These private concessions offer the same great wildlife viewing as Kruger with more freedom and fewer vehicles at each sighting.
Some of our favorite private reserves in the Great Kruger area include Sabi Sands, MalaMala, Timbavati, Manyeleti, Thornybush, and Kapama—each with exceptional lodges and camps to choose from, depending on your budget and taste. We recommend spending at least 3 or 4 nights on safari, and even combining multiple safari destinations for different wildlife viewing experiences. Kruger National Park combines well with Cape Town, Victoria Falls, and other safari parks in South Africa.
Contact our African safari experts to start planning your handcrafted Kruger safari!
Best Time to Visit Kruger National Park
Kruger wildlife safaris are incredible year-round. However, certain times of year are better than others for wildlife viewing.
May to October: Best wildlife viewing; in the dry season, wildlife is concentrated at remaining water sources and easy to spot
November to April: The “green season”; lush vegetation, baby animals, and the best time for birdwatching
May to September: Best time to combine Kruger with Victoria Falls
September to November: Best time to combine Kruger with Cape Town
