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Combined Cape Town and Kruger Safaris

Kruger National Park and Cape Town vie with each other for the title of South Africa's most popular tourist attraction. In most other respects, however, these two iconic landmarks could scarcely be more different. Kruger is South Africa’s ultimate safari destination, a 19,485km²/7,523mi² tract of savannah that provides sanctuary to lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and much else besides. Cape Town, by contrast, is a lively and cosmopolitan city blessed with an unforgettable setting below Table Mountain and a fine array of beaches, wineries, restaurants, museums, walking trails and other amenities. No trip to South Africa would be complete without a visit to these two world-class – and perfectly complementary – destinations.

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1-20 of 42 Cape Town and Kruger safari holidays, packages and vacations

6 Questions About Combined Cape Town and Kruger Safaris

 
 

6 Questions About Combined Cape Town and Kruger Safaris

Answered by Philip Briggs

What is the ideal holiday length for a Cape Town and Kruger safari?

“Ideally you should allow at least 1 week for a combined Cape Town and Kruger holiday, with 3 nights in each destination. That said, Cape Town is such a diverse and enjoyable destination you could easily spend a full week exploring the city and its surrounds. Likewise, many wildlife enthusiasts would happily spend a week or longer in Kruger without venturing anywhere else. So, while a week is the realistic minimum for combined Cape Town and Kruger packages, it would certainly be possible to dedicate more time if you can afford it. Less than 1 week would make for a slightly rushed trip, but a 5-day itinerary with 2 nights in each of Cape Town and Kruger would be a workable minimum. In this case, budget permitting, instead of visiting Kruger itself, you might consider visiting a neighboring private reserve (such as Sabi Sand Game Reserve) for a more concentrated wildlife-viewing experience.”

1

What activities are recommended on a Kruger and Cape Town trip?

“As is the case in most safari destinations, activities in Kruger revolve around game drives, whether you’re on a guided tour or a self-drive visit. Other worthwhile activities include guided night drives and game walks, which are offered at most of the park’s rest camps. The options on offer in Cape Town are almost endless and depend hugely on your interests and to some extent the weather. Assuming the latter is on your side, must-do outdoor activities include the hike or cable-car ride to the top of Table Mountain, a visit to the African penguin breeding colony at Boulders, and the short but steep walk to Cape Point Lighthouse, with its stunning clifftop setting in the Cape of Good Hope sector of Table Mountain National Park. Other popular activities out of Cape Town include wine-tasting tours in the Cape Winelands, retail therapy at the iconic V&A Waterfront and boat trips to Robben Island, which is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during the apartheid era and is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. Then, of course, there are Cape Town’s beaches, which rank among the finest in South Africa.”

2

What animals can I expect to see on a combined visit to Kruger and Cape Town?

“You can expect to see plenty of wildlife on a Cape Town and Kruger safari. Of the so-called Big Five, buffalo and elephant are common in Kruger and likely to be seen on a daily basis. The majority of visitors spending more than 1 day in Kruger will also see lion and white rhino, but leopard and black rhino are more secretive so you need to be lucky to spot them. Other common wildlife in Kruger includes giraffe, zebra, warthog, hippo and a wide variety of antelope and birds. Cape Town is not primarily a wildlife destination, but marine creatures often seen in the area include whales, dolphins, seals and penguins. Look out for rock hyrax and baboon on Table Mountain and the endemic Cape mountain zebra and bontebok in the Cape of Good Hope.”

3

What is the best way to travel between Cape Town and Kruger?

“Cape Town and Kruger respectively lie in the far southwest and extreme northeast of South Africa, a minimum of 1,860km/1,155mi apart by road, so most people fly between them. The only airline that flies directly between the two is Airlink. Several other domestic carriers operate same-day routings, changing flights at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. Most travelers who opt to drive between Cape Town and Kruger allocate at least 10 days to the road trip. The most popular route for those in sightseeing mode is the coastal N2. It’s 700km/435mi longer than the inland route via Johannesburg, but more scenic and interesting.”

4

Where else should I go in South Africa (or beyond) when visiting Cape Town and Kruger?

“Don't be too ambitious with your itinerary when planning a visit to South Africa. It's a big country and the more ground you try to cover, the more time you'll spend driving between points of interest rather than sightseeing. It's also worth noting that both Cape Town and Kruger can be used as a springboard for visits to nearby attractions. Cape Town, for instance, is a great base for day or overnight excursions to the winelands around Stellenbosch, for whale watching at Hermanus, and for visits to West Coast National Park. And Kruger is easily paired with a day or two exploring the waterfalls and viewpoints of the scenic Panorama Route on the nearby Mpumalanga Escarpment. For those who take a bucket-list approach to planning holidays, Cape Town and Kruger are often visited in combination with Victoria Falls, which is a short flight away on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. A package taking in all three of these attractions would typically be a minimum of 10 days long, allowing at least 3 nights in each destination.”

5

What is the best time of year to visit Cape Town and Kruger?

“There is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. Kruger has a tropical climate and a summer rainfall pattern, whereas Cape Town is relatively temperate and gets most of its rain during winter. So while Kruger is driest, coolest and best for wildlife viewing during the winter months of May to September, Cape Town is at its best during the warm, dry summer months of November to March. For the best of both climatic worlds, you could try aiming for the cusp months of March, April, September or October. That said, South Africa is generally a sunny country and seldom unbearably hot or cold. You're likely to enjoy your fair share of decent weather whatever time of year you visit.”

6

South Africa Safari Reviews

4.6/5 1,101 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.

A world in one country
5/5

South Africa’s astounding array of landscapes – from semi-desert to savanna and snow-capped mountain to coral reef – means it offers a greater variety of wildlife experience than any other African country. There are surely few other...

Full Review

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 is rightly celebrated for its magnificent natural beauty and excellent choice of parks
5/5

South Africa has a wonderful range of landscapes, a near-perfect climate, and the choice of destinations, activities and itineraries is virtually inexhaustible. Aside from its beautiful coastline and cosmopolitan cities – both of which I...

Full Review

Aziza Donmez  –  
Cyprus CY
Reviewed: Nov 8, 2024
Everything was absolutely amazing, from start to finish!
5/5

An absolutely superb experience at an affordable price! I’d like to extend my thanks to Zelda from Mzansi for her excellent guidance and assistance in planning our trip. Victor, our driver from Safari Link, was incredibly informative and...

Full Review

Oliver Mueller  –  
Switzerland CH
Reviewed: Nov 5, 2024
Great experience and lucky with animals in Klaserie Reserve
5/5

Can really recommend the Panorama Route, Oliver's Boutique Hotel, Elephant Whispers, Seronera Croc Farm & the very nice Simbavati Waterside Lodge for Parents with Teens, as they have a Villa with 2 Bedrooms, excellent personal service and...

Full Review

Stephen Chin  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Nov 4, 2024
Nice mix of rural and cosmopolitan beauty especially in Capetown
5/5

Booked with Safari Life and had a wonderful experience. I was a little concerned about the transportation connection as there were no direct transfers from Johannesburg to the Umkumbe Lodge in Sabi Sands but it went very smoothly both ways...

Full Review

Laura S.  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Nov 4, 2024
Lifetime experience and profound beauty
5/5

South Africa wasn't on our radar of trips. too many concerns personally like a long flight from U.S., safety concerns and really not educated on what it had to offer besides the safaris you hear about. It was life changing with it's beauty...

Full Review