3-Day Kruger Safari from Johannesburg

The three-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg is the shortest itinerary we will recommend in good conscience. Below three days, the transfer time eats too much of the trip; above three days, you start to unlock the calmer pace that makes safari special. As a first taste of Africa, or as an add-on to a city stay in Johannesburg or Cape Town, three days works.

Day one is your travel day. A scheduled flight from O. R. Tambo to Skukuza or Nelspruit puts you at the lodge in time for a late-afternoon game drive. By road, you'll leave Johannesburg early and arrive in time for the same drive. Either way, you'll have your first lions, elephants and possibly leopard on the books before dinner.

Day two is the full safari day, and the reason you came. A morning drive at first light, brunch at the lodge, time at the pool through the heat of the day, an afternoon drive that runs into sundowners and a night drive home. Photographers will spend the middle of the day backing up cards and reviewing the morning's work.

Day three is a mirror of day one in reverse. A final morning drive, breakfast at the lodge, transfer back to the airport or Johannesburg. Most guests leave saying the same thing — they should have booked one more night. If you can stretch to four nights, do.

Costs vary by reserve and season. A three-day fly-in package to a Sabi Sand luxury lodge will land in the upper bracket; a road-transfer trip to a Klaserie or Manyeleti camp can be done at less than half that figure with little compromise on game viewing. Speak to our team for live pricing on your dates.