Trip Highlights
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Johannesburg to Kruger – Phabeni Gate
Collect your rental car at OR Tambo International Airport and drive 4.5 hours east to Kruger's Phabeni Gate. Enter the park and drive slowly to your rest camp, spotting wildlife along the way.
Activities
- Collect rental car at OR Tambo Airport
- Drive the N4 and N12 to Kruger
- Enter via Phabeni Gate
- Self-drive to Skukuza Rest Camp
Book a car with good ground clearance (SUV preferred). Download the Latest Sightings app — it crowdsources real-time animal locations.
Day 2: Skukuza to Lower Sabie
Drive the famous H4-1 road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie — widely considered the best game-viewing road in Kruger. Lions, elephants, and rhinos are common here.
Activities
- Depart at gate opening (5:30am in winter)
- Drive the H4-1 game-viewing road
- Stop at Nkuhlu picnic site for brunch
- Sunset drive along the Sabie River
The H4-1 road follows the Sabie River — drive slowly and check every waterhole. Early mornings give you the road almost to yourself.
Day 3: Lower Sabie Circuit
Explore the S28 and S29 gravel roads south of Lower Sabie, some of the richest wildlife areas in the entire park. Return to camp via the Crocodile Bridge area.
Activities
- Morning drive on the S28 gravel road
- Look for leopards in the riverine forest
- Visit Crocodile Bridge area for rhinos
- Sunset from Mlondozi Dam lookout
The Sunset Dam at Lower Sabie is just outside camp — hippos, elephants, and sometimes leopards drink here at dusk.
Day 4: Lower Sabie to Satara
Drive north through the central grasslands to Satara Rest Camp, the lion capital of Kruger. The open plains here make it easier to spot predators from a distance.
Activities
- Drive north on the H1-3
- Stop at Tshokwane picnic site for lunch
- Explore the S100 road near Satara
- Night drive from Satara (book at reception)
Book Satara's guided night drive at check-in — it's the best camp for lion sightings after dark.
Day 5: Satara to Orpen Gate & Departure
Final early morning drive around Satara for last sightings, then exit via Orpen Gate. Drive back to Johannesburg (4.5 hours) for your flight.
Activities
- Sunrise drive around Satara
- Exit via Orpen Gate
- Drive to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport
- Optional stop at Dullstroom for lunch
Dullstroom is a charming Mpumalanga town halfway to Joburg — try the trout and craft beer at a local pub.
What to Pack
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Learn more about this destination: Kruger National Park, South Africa
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