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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 Kruger Comfort Glamping Fly in from Johannesburg
$1,186 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
The Kruger Safari Co.
4.9/5 – 349 Reviews
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4-Day Glamping Kruger Wild Adventure Safari
$752 to $803 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Greater Kruger, Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 5,248 Reviews
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6-Day Tremisana/Tent Kruger Park Safari
$1,074 to $1,137 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Balule NR (Greater Kruger), Olifants River, Kruger NP, Moholoholo Wildlife Centre (Wildlife Sanctuary), Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Johannesburg (End)
Viva Safaris
5.0/5 – 363 Reviews
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5-Day Kruger Park and Manyeleti Reserve Bongan Lodge
$1,189 to $1,286 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Manyeleti GR (Greater Kruger), Central Kruger NP, Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Bongan Safaris
5.0/5 – 44 Reviews
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![5-Day Private Southern Kruger Camping Adventure]()
5-Day Private Southern Kruger Camping Adventure
$1,564 to $1,720 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Kruger NP, Central Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Wild Planet Safari
5.0/5 – 262 Reviews
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![4-Day Family Safari Escape]()
4-Day Family Safari Escape
$1,622 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetSelf Catering Accommodation
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Blyde River Canyon (Panorama Route), Kruger NP, O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Johannesburg (End)
Khalanga Safaris
4.9/5 – 127 Reviews
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5-Day Dumela Camping Budget Adventure
$997 to $1,125 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Central Kruger NP, Johannesburg Airport (End)
Safarilink SA
4.9/5 – 1,569 Reviews
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![5-Day Budget Wildlife Safari – Kruger Glamping]()
5-Day Budget Wildlife Safari – Kruger Glamping
$1,646 to $1,758 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 3 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, God's Window (Panorama Route), Johannesburg (End)
Knap Tours
4.8/5 – 53 Reviews
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![3-Day Best Budget Kruger Park Safari]()
3-Day Best Budget Kruger Park Safari
$869 to $995 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetGuest House
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Elephant Herd Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 227 Reviews
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![4-Day Kruger Budget Tented Safari]()
4-Day Kruger Budget Tented Safari
$749 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Big Bull Safaris
5.0/5 – 9 Reviews
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![3-Day Kruger Park Safari with Night Drive & Bush Walk]()
3-Day Kruger Park Safari with Night Drive & Bush Walk
$1,475 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetLodge & Guest House
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Mmilo Tours
5.0/5 – 143 Reviews
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![4-Day Budget Safari in Kruger Park from Cape Town]()
4-Day Budget Safari in Kruger Park from Cape Town
$1,064 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 3 people per vehicle)BudgetHotel
You Visit: Cape Town (Start), Kruger NP, Cape Town (End)
Tourgy Tourz
5.0/5 – 50 Reviews
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5-Day Kruger Comfort Glamping Fly-in from Johannesburg
$1,557 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 9 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
The Kruger Safari Co.
4.9/5 – 349 Reviews
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4-Day Premium Glamping Kruger Safari
$865 to $927 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Tshukudu GR, Central Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
MoAfrika Tours
4.9/5 – 5,248 Reviews
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3-Day Budget Tented Kruger Park Safari
$663 to $708 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
5.0/5 – 363 Reviews
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![4-Day Kruger Park and Manyeleti Bongan African Lodge]()
4-Day Kruger Park and Manyeleti Bongan African Lodge
$1,036 to $1,119 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Manyeleti GR (Greater Kruger), Central Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Bongan Safaris
5.0/5 – 44 Reviews
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![4-Day Central Kruger Safari]()
4-Day Central Kruger Safari
$1,652 to $1,685 pp (USD)
South Africa: Private tourBudgetHotel
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Johannesburg (End)
Khalanga Safaris
4.9/5 – 127 Reviews
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3-Day Kruger Glamping Safari in Kruger Park
$568 to $618 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Southern Kruger NP, Central Kruger NP, Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)
Safarilink SA
4.9/5 – 1,569 Reviews
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![5-Day Big Five Camping Safari with Panorama Highlights]()
5-Day Big Five Camping Safari with Panorama Highlights
$1,499 to $1,531 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 3 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Greater Kruger, Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg Airport (End)
Knap Tours
4.8/5 – 53 Reviews
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![4-Day Kruger Budget Safari]()
4-Day Kruger Budget Safari
$743 pp (USD)
South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Johannesburg (Start), Kruger NP, Panorama Route (Highlight), Johannesburg (End)
Big Bull Safaris
5.0/5 – 9 Reviews
Related Searches
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
Philip Briggs
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 accommodations 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 accommodations can I expect?
“Most cheap Kruger packages will camp or stay in hutted accommodations at one (or more) of several affordable state-run rest camps scattered around the national park. These rest camps offer accommodations 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 (formerly Nelspruit) 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 the longer you spend in the park. If a guided night drive is included in your itinerary, you might 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 praying 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 enough 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 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 accommodations. 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 2WD car, detailed map books are available cheaply locally, and accommodations 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 authored many guidebooks, including 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
In 2026, Kruger’s centenary year, South Africa’s flagship national park continues to divide opinion. On the one hand, some argue that its developed infrastructure – complete with paved roads and large public camps – undermines the...
Kruger National Park exceeded every expectation and was the highlight of our trip to South Africa. The park is incredibly beautiful, well-maintained, and offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the world. We were fortunate enough to see...
A 3 day walking safari with Africa-on Foot in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, a Big 5 game reserve in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It sits within the Greater Kruger….
Walking up to 15km a day, with 2 guides.
AE
We saw four of the Big 5 during our day trip (we didn't see a leopard here, but we did at the private nature reserve where we were staying). We saw lots of other animals too at Kruger, including wild dogs, hyenas, giraffes, wart hogs,...
Visiting The Kruger offers a fantastic opportunity to view the best of South Africa's wildlife in a relatively compact area. Whilst The Kruger is a huge space in it's own right, the tarmac roads make game spotting relatively easy and whilst...